Undated
dewalt date code
Tool compartment: 2016 22-59 above a separate serial number; week 22 of 2016.
Identification guide
DeWalt date code
In DEWALT’s common tool date code, the first four digits are the manufacture year and the next two are the week: 2017-22-59 means week 22 of 2017. The final production field is separate, and the tool, battery and charger each carry their own date.
Read year, week and the final field
In the common DEWALT tool format, the first four digits give the manufacture year and the next two give its production week. The DEWALT date code 2017-22-59 means week 22 of 2017. The final 59 is a separate production field, not a day of the month. Spaces or hyphens can separate the groups, and the last field can contain letters. For the specified miter-saw format 20XX YY-ZZ, DEWALT identifies ZZ as the plant code, with CJ or 49 on those models. Keep that model-specific meaning separate from other product suffixes.
Find the tool’s own code
Remove the detachable battery to inspect a cordless tool’s battery compartment. The pictured tool has 2016 22-59 above a separate serial number: its date is week 22 of 2016. A model such as DCD777 identifies the tool design, while the serial identifies an individual unit. They are different from the manufacture-date group. On saws, location depends on the model: DWS779 and DWS780 codes are on the motor end cap beside the nameplate, while the DHS790 location is beside the batteries. Check the exact model’s marked housing before treating a long label number as its date.
Battery and charger dates belong to those components
Current battery guidance places the date on the plastic near the charging cells; charger codes are on the bottom housing. DEWALT asks for the first six date digits for these products. The photographed battery’s 2019 25 prefix reads week 25 of 2019, and the charger’s 202050 prefix reads week 50 of 2020. Characters following those prefixes remain separate production information. A tool, removable battery and charger can have different dates even when supplied or sold together. Read each unit to identify its own manufacturing period.
Older formats and hard-to-see markings
Earlier DEWALT records include shorter codes. The DW9095 battery notice describes four numbers followed by letters, rather than the current four-digit-year layout. Preserve the original code and model instead of adding digits to make it fit a modern field. Location changed on some tools too: from 2014, corded grinder codes and serials were moved to a more protected place on the gear housing beneath the guard. Some miter-saw codes are dot-imprinted and viewed from the side. Good light and the model’s location drawing can reveal a code that is almost invisible straight on.
Examples
Undated
dewalt date code
Charger code: 202050DB; first six digits read week 50 of 2020. The suffix is retained separately.
Undated
dewalt date code
Battery code: 2019 25-47 2-1; first six digits read week 25 of 2019, with later fields left intact.
Frequently asked questions
How do I read DEWALT tool date codes?
Read the four-digit year, then the two-digit production week. Preserve the last production field separately, as in 2017-22-59.
Can a DEWALT serial number tell me the year?
Look for the separate date code. The official compartment example labels the manufacture code above a distinct serial number.
Where is a DEWALT date code?
Cordless tools commonly have it in the battery compartment. Battery packs, chargers, saws and grinders have model-specific locations.
Does the battery date tell me when the drill was made?
It dates the battery. Read the drill’s own housing code to date the tool.