Craftsman V20 ADVANCED Tabless Batteries Are Coming: 96% More Power for the Budget DIY Platform

Tabless cell technology has been showing up in premium battery packs from Bosch, EGO, and Milwaukee over the past year. Now it’s coming to Craftsman’s V20 platform—and the performance claims are significant. Two new Craftsman V20 ADVANCED batteries are listed as “coming soon,” with specs that would make them the most capable V20 packs Stanley Black & Decker has ever offered.

What Are Tabless Cells?

Standard lithium-ion cells connect internally through metal tabs. Those tabs create resistance, generate heat under load, and limit how fast current can flow in and out. Tabless cells—pioneered by Tesla’s 4680 cell design and now showing up in tool batteries—eliminate those tabs by connecting across the entire electrode surface. Less resistance means more power delivery, faster charge rates, and lower operating temperatures.

We saw this technology arrive in the Bosch EXPERT 18V batteries earlier this month. Craftsman bringing it to V20 is the next logical step—it extends the tech to the budget and mid-range DIY segment rather than keeping it locked to premium pro platforms.

The Two New Models

Craftsman is launching the ADVANCED line in two capacities:

• CMCB2103 — 3Ah tabless battery, starter kit at approximately $129
• CMCB2106 — 6Ah tabless battery, starter kit at approximately $199

The 3Ah CMCB2103 is rated for 96% more power and 50% more runtime compared to Craftsman’s existing CMCB202 2Ah pack. Those numbers aren’t just about raw capacity—the tabless cell construction allows faster discharge rates, which is where the extra power figure comes from.

Both use 18650-format tabless cells. That’s a smaller cell size than the 21700 cells found in Bosch EXPERT and Milwaukee FORGE packs. Smaller cells with tabless construction still deliver a real performance bump, though the absolute power ceiling is lower than larger-cell designs. For most V20 tools—drills, impact drivers, circular saws, oscillating multi-tools—the 18650 format is the established baseline, and these new packs are backward-compatible with the full V20 tool library.

Who This Is For

The V20 platform is Craftsman’s cordless ecosystem, sold primarily at Lowe’s and Amazon. It’s aimed at homeowners and DIYers who want a capable, affordable battery system without paying Milwaukee M18 or DeWalt 20V MAX prices. V20 batteries run any V20 tool, and Craftsman’s lineup covers the most common DIY use cases: drills, circular saws, jigsaws, reciprocating saws, and basic outdoor tools.

If you’re already in the V20 system, these ADVANCED packs are a drop-in upgrade. More runtime on an existing drill, more torque headroom on a circular saw. The performance increase over a 2Ah pack is substantial—especially the power figure, which matters most for cutting applications where you need sustained high-current draw.

If you’re evaluating V20 as a starting platform, the ADVANCED batteries make the ecosystem more competitive with the big pro platforms. As we covered in our battery platform comparison, V20 has historically trailed on raw performance—this narrows that gap.

Availability

The ADVANCED batteries are listed as “coming soon” at Lowe’s as of late February 2026—no firm launch date has been announced. They’re expected to also appear on Amazon (where Craftsman tools are sold). Check Amazon for current availability once they ship.

For context on what makes battery tech tick—cell chemistry, amp hours, and how voltage affects tool performance—our power tool battery technology guide breaks it all down.

Pricing and availability based on pre-launch listings as of February 2026. Confirm current price before purchasing.