Dewalt Battery to Hercules Tool/Battery Adapter - Review

Another point I would like to add on why I was trying to use an adapter is that Harbor Freight doesn't have a good track record for maintaining tool lines very long before replacing them with another new line that is no longer compatible with the old tools and batteries (examples include Earthquake, Chicago Electric, Lynx, Drill Master, etc).

Purchased the adapter from Ebay, doesn't work currently work on all Hercules tools but the seller confirmed it does work on brushed and brushless tools as evident in the below video from the seller (though I didn't see the seller run the tools continuously for more than few seconds but could also be a case of Gen1 Hercules tools vs Gen 2) like I tried.

   • Battery Adapter Use DeWalt 20v XR Bat...  

The adapter is still under development to be compatible with all the Hercules tools. From further research and talking to the seller, the Hercules tool signal is a little more complex than just adding resistor on one of the monitoring pins. The signal needs to be decoded properly and some of the newer tools may be using a different input signal. The technology is similar to Milwaukee RedLithium Battery Technology which is basically advance two-way communication between the batteries and the tools to constantly monitor voltage, current, temp, etc. Part of the reason for the further complexity vs say the Bauer line is to increase longevity and reduce warranty claims given the Hercules now come with 3 and 5 year warranties.

I also reached out to other battery adapter companies and they replied that haven't been able to get adapters to work with Hercules tools.

TIMESTAMPS
00:00 - First Impressions
02:25 - Adapter Testing
04:04 - 2nd Adapter Testing
05:07 - Look At Internals