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Is a 20V MAX drill stronger than an 18V drill?

Updated September 19, 2026

No. A 20V MAX battery and an 18 V battery are the same voltage class. DEWALT's page for the DCD771C2 says it in the footnote: maximum initial battery voltage, measured without a workload, is 20 volts, and nominal voltage is 18. CRAFTSMAN's V20 page carries the same footnote. The label tells you the brand's naming habit, not the power.

Where the two numbers come from

A battery reads highest right off the charger with nothing running. That is the "MAX" number. Once the tool is working, the pack settles to its nominal voltage, which is the number used to rate it. Makita prints the nominal number, 18 V, on the Makita XFD131. DEWALT, CRAFTSMAN and BLACK+DECKER print the no-load number, 20V MAX. The BLACK+DECKER LD120VA listing shows both in its spec table: voltage 20 volts, nominal voltage 18 volts.

The same goes for 12V MAX

DEWALT's page for its 12V MAX drill states that the maximum initial voltage is 12 volts and the nominal voltage is 10.8. We use 10.8 V for the BOSCH PS31-2A as well when we work out watt-hours.

What to compare instead

Volts only tell you the class. Inside a class, compare the energy in the box. Multiply nominal volts by amp-hours by the number of batteries to get watt-hours. The DCD771C2 has two 1.3 Ah packs: 18 x 1.3 x 2 = 46.8 Wh. The 12 V class PS31-2A has two 2.0 Ah packs: 10.8 x 2.0 x 2 = 43.2 Wh. That is more than the 36 Wh in the DCD777D1 box and the 27 Wh in the LD120VA box, both of which say 20V MAX.

Watt-hours tell you how much work the box holds between charges. They do not tell you how hard the tool can twist. A 12 V class drill still has less torque than most 18 V class drills. For that side, see torque units explained.

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