BALTIMORE, June 2002— DEWALT has improved its 24-volt cordless system with new fan-cooled chargers and a 2.4 amp-hour battery with 40% more run-time, and up to three times the number of recharges over its predecessor.

The new lineup includes the DW0246 FAN-COOLED 1-hour charger, the DW0249 FAN-COOLED vehicle charger, and the DW0242 XR+Ô PACK FAN-COOLED NiCd battery.

The special fan-cooled charger circulates air through the battery, quickly cooling it and dissipating harmful heat that shortens battery life. This makes battery charging more efficient and allows for extended run-time without sacrificing the number of recharges. The 24-volt vehicle charger works the same way, but plugs into a car or truck for one-hour charging when electricity is unavailable.

With its diagnostic microprocessor, the charger detects if the battery is too hot or too cold and will either activate the cooling fan as needed, or wait until the battery is warm enough to begin charging. The charger then monitors the battery and uses an LED display to show the status for the following conditions: Charging…Charged…Power Line Problem… Replace Pack…Hot/Cold Battery.

When charging, both the DW0246 and DW0249 use DEWALT’s 3-stage process. Stage one delivers the maximum charge within an hour. Stage two balances the charge among all the battery cells. Stage three provides a maintenance trickle charge keeping the battery full when it is continuously stored in the charger. Both chargers are also equipped with the company’s automatic Tune-UpÔ mode, which helps lengthen overall battery life.

The new system is compatible with all DEWALT 24-volt tools and batteries, but the full benefit of longer run-time and battery life comes from using the fan-cooled charger and special battery pack together. Two battery packs and a charger will be included in all of DEWALT’s 24-volt tool kits. The battery, fan-cooled charger, and vehicle charger are also available separately.

About DeWALT (www.dewalt.com)
DeWALT is a leading manufacturer of industrial power tools with more than 300 power tool and equipment products as well as 800 power tool accessories, including corded and cordless drills, saws, hammers, grinders, routers, planers, plate joiners, sanders, lasers, generators, compressors and nailers, as well as saw blades, metal and masonry drill bits, abrasives, screw driving accessories and more. DeWALT tools can be found wherever tools are sold, nationally and internationally. With over 1,000 factory owned and authorized locations, DeWALT has one of the most extensive service and repair networks in North America.

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