140 Watt DeWalt Inverter review
If you’re in the market for a new inverter, you might be overwhelmed by all the choices. There are so many inverters to choose from and some are definitely better than others. That’s why today I’m going to do you a favor and share an unbiased, unpaid review of the 140 Watt DeWalt Inverter.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This page may contain affiliate links from various companies, which means if you click on a link and make a purchase, I might make a little bit of money, at no extra cost to you. For more information please visit our disclosure policy
Easy Navigation
What is an inverter?
An Inverter in this context is a device that takes 12 Volt DC (what a car electrical system puts out) and converts it to 120 Volt (what most electronics and appliances in the US use). This particular one is manufactured with the DeWalt brand on it, and is designed to plug into a cigarette lighter and produce up to 140 watts of power.
This is a review of the 140 Watt Dewalt Inverter (DXAEPI140)
What are inverters good for?
Inverters are used for all sorts of things, but the average person in the US only really uses them for charging their cell phone while driving to and from work.
Some people- myself included- use them to power things like laptops and tablets while on the road, either on road trips or in day-to-day work as I go between job sites, making my car into a mobile office.
Inverters are also used for things like powering coffee makers, various corded tools, CPAP pumps, cat amusement devices, etc. while on the road or camping, including while bugging out. I actually use them as an important component of emergency preparations, and even in smaller emergencies (having a young child that needs their game charged) having one is useful.
Overall, I have ended up purchasing three of these, one of which I gave to a family member when they needed an inverter. I purchased the first one because I wanted to try it, and the second two because I needed a second inverter for various reasons and it was the cheapest one on the shelf at Home Depot.
What I liked about the 140 Watt Dewalt Inverter (DXAEPI140)
The biggest draw of this inverter was that it is fanless.
If you are in a car for a long drive, it can be irritating to have a fan going while it charges your laptop between locations- every little bit of extra noise seems to add up, and that can really make road fatigue worse.
Since a lot of the time I kick up my inverter just to charge my cell phone, and I want to charge my cell phone because I am on a Bluetooth headset and listening to a book, or in a meeting, having a fanless (quiet) inverter is really nice.
Additionally, especially with cheaper inverters, the fans tend to go bad quickly, adding a great deal to the noise issue. Even expensive inverters fans can have problems if you don’t put them exactly flat, so the bearings wear out quickly.
TL:DR I like me a good fanless inverter, especially when dealing with phone calls.
The long power cord is the second biggest draw of this inverter.
I currently drive a 20 or so year old Saturn. It has a power outlet on the dash, and one accessible from the rear passenger seats. Because I am lazy, I have not replaced the fuse for the dash cigarette lighter, having the 3-foot long cord means that I can just snake it around to the front, and it can sit between the driver and passenger seats.
Most inverters in this price range seem to have very cheap, thin, cables, and make up for them being so thin by being super short so that they don’t overload the cable and start a fire.
Lastly, the mounting system is really nice
I understand that most people are not going to permanently screw something into the dashboard of their car. These people can ignore this bit, and just use velcro.
For the rest of us who drive cars that laugh at the thought of newfangled things like built-in Bluetooth, backup cameras, and possibly airbags, the mounting system on the DXAEPI140 is kind of brilliant.
The Bad (and the ugly)
I have purchased three of these inverters, and two of them have had problems of some sort.
The paint on the button to turn on the inverter I keep in my car has scratched off easily. This does not actually effect its ability to function, but it is irritating.
The second of them no longer allows me to use the 120 Volt plug, which is a bit of a problem since all that allows me to do with it is charge a couple of items with the USB ports. Admittedly, they seem to charge fairly fast, but that is still a pain in the butt. I keep this on hand because I hope to tear it down and possibly fix whatever wire is broken/replace some fuse someday.
The last one is just picky about what plugs it will work with. I have to wiggle it just right and make absolutely sure to push it in, so this one works most of the time, but if you have to move it from vehicle to vehicle it can be a real pain and a half. I ended up giving it to my sister since she wanted one and I had three at the moment.
For those of you who think I should just talk to DeWalt about fixing the problems, my experience with DeWalt and warranties can be summed up by the fact that I have a DeWalt wrench that says “Lifetime Warranty” on the side, and they refuse to warranty the wrench. My local DeWalt rep at home depot was useless for help.
And the worst problem: When I plug in a USB adapter for an iPad or a cell phone to the 120 volts out on the inverter, it will not charge. I can charge my Ipad and cell phone from the USB ports, but when I need a third USB port (charging my Cell, Ipad, and Earbuds all at once) I am out of luck.
Summation
If I needed an inverter, and this was available when I walked into the store, I would at least consider it. If I have the time to order something from Amazon, I am more likely to purchase that.
3/5 stars, unless I really need another fanless one I would probably look somewhere else first.