Power tools are the friend of handymen and anyone who is into home improvement or woodworking in general. The drill is probably the most basic tool along with a saw of your choice. This tool needs to be reliable enough to handle the typical application which is why DEWALT XR Vs Kobalt XTR are such great options to consider. Coming from the company’s higher range, these two are powerful yet convenient and if you wonder which will be the better choice, we are going to compare them below.
In this comparison, we are going to talk about:
- Why Battery is Important for Cordless Tools
- What are DEWALT XR and Kobalt XTR
- How are the Built of DEWALT XR and Kobalt XTR
- How are the Specs of DEWALT XR and Kobalt XTR
- How are the Performance of DEWALT XR and Kobalt XTR
- What else DEWALT XR and Kobalt XTR can offer
- DEWALT XR Vs Kobalt XTR
Cordless Power Tool Battery
Cordless power tools are everywhere now with a growing number of enthusiasts and manufacturers expanding their collection. The line between decent, good, and best tools are getting blurry, especially on the consumer market where there are plenty of them that are promising the same power rating and similar features. If this is confusing, we do recommend to base your choice on their power rating to simplify the shopping process and this is applicable for typical cordless tools we usually have.
The main difference between corded and cordless power tools is we have to rely on the battery for the latter which means we can bring the tool easily as well or at least we don’t have to use long cable or find nearby wall power to start working. But, this battery and power rating is not only a mere number but also tells what the tool is capable of. When talking about cordless power tools we are also talking about the voltage.
Voltage or battery voltage will tell you how much power the cells are generating in ideal condition and while not always included in the tool’s model name, some of them such as Milwaukee M12 Vs DeWalt 20V are directly telling you the power rating. It tells you the maximum energy potential the compatible battery is using and serving the needed power to produce electric current. Current on the other hand means the amount of electricity moving through a circuit.
Do consider the voltage and amp-hours of the compatible or included battery if you are going for a cordless tool. While voltage is measuring the battery’s energy, the amperes is measuring the current. In general condition, the higher the voltage means the more powerful as well the tool is able to provide the energy required for their high-torque applications such as for cordless drill or for cordless impact drill. Some types of batteries are better because they retain the voltage during discharge while some are losing them.
As for the amp-hour or often shorten as Ah, this rating is used to determine how long the battery is holding the charge during application and the result can vary depending on the manufacturer as well as the application but usually the higher the rating, the longer we can use the tool, especially for a more demanding task that require a high-torque work. For example, the same cordless tool using a 20V battery can use 3Ah or 5Ah but in comparison we will be able to use the tool that uses 5Ah despite being rated the same.
| Dewalt XR | Kobalt XTR | |
|---|---|---|
  |   |
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| Product Dimensions | 8.31 x 3 x 7.56 inches | 19.3 x 13 x 5.2 inches |
| Shipping Weight | 1 pounds | 11 pounds |
| Best offer | Check price | Check price |
About DEWALT XR and Kobalt XTR
The battery matters a lot for cordless power tools because the tools can’t work on their own and often they affect how the tool performs as well so usually manufacturers tend to renew the line or release new battery lines to be paired with their tools in order to optimize their overall performance. The typical options can vary based on what tools you are planning to buy such as cordless drill drivers that are usually available in 12V, 18V, 20V, or higher.
For those who are planning to shop for a new cordless drill or want to renew their older tools, DEWALT and Kobalt are two good options to consider. Both of them are well-known names in the market with tons of power tools to choose from, which can fit users from casual homeowners who occasionally need to fix something or professionals who need more robust and reliable power tools. If DEWALT is owned by Stanley Black & Decker, Kobalt is Lowe’s exclusive brand of power tools.
These brands carry some of the most famous and versatile lines of power tools that you can find almost in any popular tool recommendation but their XR and XTR families are among the newest additions. These lines are placed at the higher options from the brand and XR for example is short for Xtra Runtime which means the battery for these power tools are optimized to give you a more long lasting supply compared the rest of the options from the brands.
XTR on the other hand is a pretty new lineup from Kobalt and is different from many of its competitors, including DEWALT because they are 24V rated instead of the 20V or 18V like many other options in the same price range. In comparison, between DEWALT XR and Kobalt XTR the latter will be rated higher but weight is still kept to be as compact as the lower option and price wise, you will need to pay more to have a tool from the XTR line.
DEWALT XR and Kobalt XTR Design
Today we are going to focus on the drill/driver kit only since these lines house several tools with the same improvement. The drill/driver is available in kit or tools only because they are compatible as well with the older battery if you have the similar tools from these brands before. There is nothing special about the tool itself, the two are compact enough but we are surprised to see the XTR stay small despite carrying a bigger battery. The sizes are comparable to each other with the same robust built quality.
As for the XR drill today, this is the DCD791B which is paired with a DCB230C battery, a 3Ah in capacity while the latter has a 4Ah capacity. The drill kit of XTR comes with an auxiliary handle which we personally don’t use but it is there and removable. The speed selector is located at the top of the drill and they have a textured grip for the trigger style handle. Near the trigger there is a reverse button to unscrew bolts.
DEWALT XR and Kobalt XTR Specs
Moving further, let’s see what DEWALT XR and Kobalt XTR cordless drills can offer and comparing the two, we do think they are an impressive and great choice to renew your older collection because the two are already using brushless motor so it is not surprising if they can work longer and more effective compared to the similar non-brushless variants. The two are alike even on the speed selection since there are only two levels of speed that are maxed at 2000 RPM.
What’s a bit confusing is Black & Decker tools are no longer using torque measurement or it uses the UWO, unit watts out to measure the output power of this tool while Kobalt stays with the traditional measurement of up to 1,200 in-lbs. compared to DEWALT at 460 UWO. Since the two have the same chuck size, you can interchange the bits for these drill or hammer drill if you choose the other power tool.
DEWALT XR and Kobalt XTR Performance
Next for the performance side, we don’t find any meaningful difference between the DEWALT XR and Kobalt XTR as for their reliability. The tools are equally light and there is plenty of power to deliver the best they can offer. Using the same bit, they can perform at the same rate and while the former has a lower rated battery at 20V and 3Ah, it is still plenty to work on typical tasks but when you have to deal with thicker material, the latter does last longer.
Another thing we like from the two is the ease of use because the drill comes with plenty of clutch settings, in total there are 22 of them with one meant for the drilling function; the numbers are labeled clearly so you can easily read them.
DEWALT XR and Kobalt XTR Features
On the additional features, the DEWALT XR and Kobalt XTR are very basic however so you will find typical additional features such as the belt clip and bit holder on the side of the handle, just above the battery compartment. There is a LED work light as well located at the base of the handle which should work as an illumination too. The XTR from Kobalt comes with an auxiliary handle when you need extra precision but we almost never use one for such a small drill/driver.
Dewalt XR vs Kobalt XTR
These drills are impressive and the lines are also compiled with various reliable power tools that you can rely on. In comparison while the XR battery is able to last longer compared to most of other batteries in the market, the XTR line is not only carrying more charge but also higher to drive the motor for prolonged application. The two however are using the same brushless motor and have the same set of features.
Conclusion
There is no bad option between these power tools so you can go amazing with any of the two but currently the XTR is quite more expensive than the XR line and if you want to save some, we do recommend getting the DEWALT.