I already have several DeWalt 18V cordless power tools and several battery packs, so when I saw this available without a battery I decided to give it a try.
I do not regret it.
It is a good, powerful flashlight, and with the 18V battery you get a good life. Changing battery packs is quick and easy as for any DeWalt tool.
Obviously, as with an 18V cordless drill for example, the batery is quite heavy. So this does make the overall flashlight heavy of course. But when working with a flashlight I do not usually hold the flashlight in my hand for lengthy periods. I use a flashlight maybe to see where I need, and then I want to be able to rest it down, often trying to get it to point on the area where I need to work.
With this flashlight I can stand the flashlight on the battery and position the beam as I want. For this, the weight of the battery is an advantage.
If I did not have DeWalt powertools and battery packs already, then I would probably not buy this flashlight - with the cost of the battery pack it would be a very pricey flashlight. As an add-on to my existing cordless powertools it is excellent and I am very happy with it.