DeWalt

The original company was started in 1924 by Raymond E. DeWalt, inventor of the radial arm saw. It grew quickly and was reorganized and reincorporated in 1947 as DeWalt Inc. American Machine & Foundry Co., Inc. bought the company in 1949, and sold it to Black & Decker in 1960. Black & Decker divested itself of the radial arm saw manufacturing branch in 1989, selling it to two executives.

In 1992, Black & Decker began a major effort to rebrand its professional quality and high-end power tools to DeWalt. In 1994, DeWalt took over the German woodworking power tool producer ELU, and used ELU's technology to expand their tool line. As of 2001, they manufacture and sell more than 200 hand power tools and 800 accessories.[2]

DeWalt is now a popular brand of tools for commercial contractors. In 2004, Black and Decker bought rival power tool manufacturer Porter-Cable and combined it with DeWalt in Jackson, Tennessee.[3] In 2011, DeWalt launched a line of contractors' hand tools (including utility knives, pliers, adjustable wrenches, tape measures, saws, and hammers).[4] In 2013, it was expanded to include mechanics' tools, including wrenches, ratchets and sockets.[5][6]

In December 2013, DeWalt announced it would begin assembling a small selection of their products in the United States, using parts manufactured in Brazil, China, the Czech Republic, Italy, Mexico, the United Kingdom and the U.S., and that these products would be labeled "Built in the USA with global materials."[7] As of 2015, they have seven U.S. manufacturing facilities, in New Britain, CT, Hampstead, MD, Shelbyville, KY, Greenfield, IN, Cheraw, SC, Charlotte, NC, and Jackson, TN.[8]

In April 2016, DeWalt created an Android-powered smartphone designed for building industry workers. It costs £379 ($544), is designed to survive a 2 m (6 ft 7 in) drop onto concrete, and has an operating range of −20 to 60 °C (−4 to 140 °F).[9]

On September 1, 2016, DeWalt debuted its FlexVolt hybrid voltage battery pack that can switch between series battery wiring providing 60 V (54 V nominal) and 2 Ah, or parallel wiring for 20 V (18 V nominal) and 6 Ah, depending on whether it is installed in a 60 V or 20 V tool, determined by communication between the tool and battery.[10]

Around May 2017, DeWalt began integrating its BlueTooth-capable ToolConnect technology into its drills and impact drivers.[11] ToolConnect integrates with DeWalt's mobile app to provide fleet management tracking, tool diagnostics, and custom tool profiles. Currently, only DeWalt's high-end power tools include ToolConnect built natively into the tool, though some models include a ToolConnect slot in the base to add connectivity when buying a separate after-market ToolConnect chip. For example, the DeWalt 20 V Max XR DCF888 impact driver has ToolConnect built natively into the tool whereas the DeWalt 20 V Max XR DCF845 impact driver has a slot to insert a ToolConnect chip should the user decide to add this connectivity after purchase.[12][13]

In May 2018, it released a line of 20 V and 40 V cordless lawn mowers.[14]

In September 2022, DeWalt launched POWERSTACK battery technology and became the first power tool manufacturer to launch a battery platform that leverages pouch style, lithium ion battery technology, for their power tools.[15]

Black & Decker was long associated with lighter weight consumer tools such as household appliances, and not the heavy duty equipment professional builders wanted. Towards the end of the 1980s, Michael Hammes, executive vice president and president of the company's power tools and home improvement group, introduced the "Acura concept," a notion Honda utilized to enter the upscale automobile market. Black & Decker found it useful to reintroduce a name with little appeal to many consumers in the market for construction tools.[16]

DeWalt was acquired in 1960 and continued to produce radial arm saws, table saws, belt/disc sanders and other stationary power equipment. In 1992, Black & Decker introduced a few models of hand power tools under the DeWalt label to the consumer and tradesman market. These tools were merely rebadged models from the Black & Decker "Professional" and "Kodiak" lines with a new yellow housing and an expanded warranty and service policy. Both lines were shortly thereafter discontinued in favor of the DeWalt label and its growing popularity.[17] In a market survey of the United States done by Black & Decker before its reintroduction, the name DeWalt was recognized by 70% percent of tradespersons.

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  A DeWalt screw gun, used for countersinking drywall screws.
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  A DeWalt circular saw.
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  A DeWalt hammer drill.
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  A DeWalt impact driver.
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  DeWalt tools on sale in China

Wikimedia Commons has media related to DeWalt.

• DeWalt history
• Black & Decker history Archived 2019-04-24 at the Wayback Machine
• DeWalt page at Old Wood-Working Machines web site