How to Identify a Fake Dewalt Battery | Counterfeit Dewalt Batteries are Everywhere

In this video we explain how to determine if a Dewalt battery is counterfeit, aftermarket, or genuine. We also show you how to avoid being scammed by online retailers.

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DEWALT 20V Max XR 20V Battery, 5.0-Ah, 2-Pack (DCB205-2):

DEWALT Powerstack 20V MAX Battery, Rechargeable, 5Ah, Lithium Ion (DCBP520):

Chapters
00:00 - Intro
00:21 - Overview Aftermarket vs Counterfeit
02:30 - How to Identify Counterfeit
03:46 - Genuine vs Fake Examples
04:52 - Dewalt QR Codes
05:37 - How to buy Genuine Battery

Disclaimer:
Because of factors outside the control of TeamDIYNow, we can’t guarantee against improper use or unauthorized modifications to anything outlined in this video. TeamDIYNow recommends all safety precautions be used when working with vehicles, tools, or anything else talked about or used in this video. TeamDIYNow assumes no liability for personal or property damage or injury incurred as a result of information within this video. No information provided in this video guarantees any expressed or implied warranty or outcome. Any injury, damage, or loss that may result from improper use of tools, equipment, or procedures contained in this video is the sole responsibility of the viewer not TeamDIYNow. Everything demonstrated or implied in this video is to solely be used at your own risk.

[jefffrey]

Close ups of what you are discussing would help!

[cedricwebb]

Thank you for this info. I was about to purchase some of these batteries from eBay. I had no knowledge of counterfeit batteries. My question is, are there any legitimate DeWalt batteries on eBay, or should I get them from a retailer and pay the big price?. I'm so glad to see your post. Thanks a million!!!

[CheapCheerful]

Very helpful video, thank you. Currently in Thailand really enjoying Lazada online shopping with fast delivery, and genuine Dewalt tools here are ~20-30% cheaper than at home. However the fakes are EVERYWHERE. Generally you can tell simply by the price, but not always, so this was a helpful video. Also, it's often not the IT Departments fault when "IT" problems like the QR codes being useless happens. Unfortunately most IT teams are under the control of the Finance department, and you know what that means! Rule by accountants, dumb decisions everywhere. Then there's the general business users who love to corrupt data, not follow basic instructions, and end up screwing up the data so its no longer reliable (as I suspect has happened with DeWalt's QR system). Eitherway, take care, and thank you.

[johnsmith-skep]

I've bought several batteries on amz and what's frustrating is that even when you find a seller, particularly a 3rd party seller, send out counterfeits, amz doesn't care. Recently I got a battery on amz, shipped from a seller in michigan. Battery was stamped 4 years old and it was a counterfeit on top. There's not even a special procedure to report them. I've also bought batteries from china and besides much cheaper price, you really have to take them apart and examine the batteries, which of course can ruin them (and of course no warranty anyway). I suspect that these come from a dewalt factory in china which is why the packaging and cases are so difficult to compare. btw, I have some genuine, or I think they are because they came with a kit and the qr code codes to dewalt, and so do batteries that I know are counterfeit. Not sure I would put much into that since they just copy the qr code. How about making the batteries with transparent cases so you can see the manufacturing and the batteries without opening the case.

[mamoruokinawa]

Things like this I would only buy from stores... Electronics, but what you are doing is awesome... More people learn the real from counterfeit, we can get rid of them.... Thanks for sharing your knowledge, DeWalt needs to give him free tools, batteries for this

[fvfgx]

Yes 98% of ppl will only use the counterfeit for a drill and they will be fine and put great reviews but
It's the one contractor that puts it on a circular saw and only gets 4 cuts

[TeamDIYNow]

Notice pictures I show at 3:47 and 3:55. All 4 batteries I checked from ebay (different sellers) all had the AH moved over to the side and the middle battery indicator smaller. This is probably the easiest way to identify a fake in seconds. As you can see in video, they appear to be in factory Dewalt packaging, but these are counterfeit for sure. Hope this helps.

[aco]

I've also noticed that the fake batteries don't use security torx they just use regular torx. Most are also missing copper contacts for positive and negative

[MrReb]

The main problem is dewalt batteries cost to much it ridiculous how many they cost and they don’t last. Do the fakes work and do they cost less

[bishopgeorge]

I have brought one battery from Amazon and I hope but I have to look at it is the real deal, but I still have it to this day all of the others I brought from Homedepot and Lowes.

[flat-earther]

About production date, when buying battery, how recent should the date be. In other words how old would a date be where you shouldn't buy the battery anymore.

[Outrunninaround.]

The date code xxxx-xx-xx will not be in that sequence. The dark print ink for the ID numbers should be more of a faint blue/grey on the real ones.
Even the power stacks have fakes being sold..

[joerutkowsky]

Also the fake batteries have a black piece where the battery slides on the tool. The real one doesn’t have the black. It’s just all yellow.

[GoldenRuleConstruction]

I feel like a big one (not sure if it's currently the case or not anymore) is that any genuine battery I have the screw heads are a security torx and the fake ones are just normal torx heads

[micktepolt]

what about Old battery's, it's very hard to buy a good battery anywhere i have gotten bad battery's from so now what ?

[robnation]

Check out the font/letter spacing (kerning)🧐. Fakes often have larger gaps between letters like the D & E on these and the W & A on others. This is a great way to identify fakes on all types of other products as well.😳

[SentinelSays]

Same problem with Milwaukee and Makita; so many dodgy batteries floating around to take advantage of people who don’t have the knowledge to know any different. I actually don’t mind third party within reason, as long as I’m paying third party prices and don’t pretend to be the real thing…..with fake ‘genuine’ batteries being the same price or just slightly below OEM, hard pass.

My apprentice has a few third party batteries, because he didn’t have the money to get genuine at first but they are acceptable in my mind for a couple of reasons. First, he got them from trusted retail sources. They perform well and haven’t damaged the tools or failed in any way. They are from known brands and not fly by night companies that disappear within a year. The store sells them as none genuine so doesn’t try to trick people, and warranties them for a year regardless. Finally, he paid less than 40% of the OEM cost. Sometimes we fall on hard times or we don’t have the funds to get the best and I get that, but this stuff is a nightmare.

[artlm]

Would difference in weight be a way of determining fakes?

[rosalinosanchez]

Happens to me. The screws are different & the color of the battery 🔋 charge indicator its little more orange 🍊. Also the tork key screws doesn’t come with a center point. On fake ones!!!

[evanlittle]

Real dewalt battery will have copper/ copper colored battery terminals. The fakes use steel/silver colored.