DeWalt® DCB107 and DCB115 Charger Comparison

In a recent episode, we featured the DeWalt® DCB 107 and 115 chargers for the 12-20v batteries that are utilized in a wide range of DeWalt® cordless tools. The problem? We got it wrong with which charger charges faster!

We were challenged by a few of our viewer family members who suggested that it would not be possible to have a lower amperage rated unit charge a battery faster than one that had a higher amperage output. They were right!

So, how did we get it so wrong?

DirtFarmerJay had researched this topic across several sources online, including tool repair professional forums and had found the DCB 107 was said to charge a depleted battery in about an hour, while the DCB 115 was rated to take even longer. This info was found in several places and appeared credible. DFJ’s mistake was two-fold. First, not running a timed “bench test” with same-sized batteries, both depleted, to see how long it took to get them fully charged. The second error was in not going to the technical advisors of the manufacturer (instead of what turned out to be an “echo chamber” on the web!).

Both errors have been corrected. Indeed, our experience is that the DCB 115 charges significantly faster than the DCB 107. Although, if you’re not in a hurry, the difference isn’t apparent if you don’t need the battery for a day or two!

And, a conversation with the Technical Support Team at DeWalt® Tools further cleared up the mystery - and they gave us full permission to quote them to you! The DCB 115 outputs 4.0 amps of charging power, whereas the DCB 107 creates a modest 1.25 amp current. If current was water, the 115 model puts out more volume than the 107, so the “bucket” (your battery) is going to fill up faster (get charged) with the 115. Simple.

So, according to DeWalt®, how long does it take these two chargers to charge up their battery packs? The DCB 115 will charge any compatible DeWalt® battery up to 6 Ah in 90 minutes or less. As for the DCB 107, it takes up to 180 minutes to do the same job on a 6-Ah or less battery. In fact, the DCB 107 doesn’t output enough power to charge ANY of the DeWalt® compatible batteries, regardless of their Ah rating, in less than an hour.

One other thing we asked DeWalt®. Is it OK to leave the battery on the charger base ongoing? According to them, there’s no problem with that, as the system is designed to do that without damaging or diminishing the battery. Now you know.

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