In a surprising move, the Makita XGT cordless microwave launched in the USA and is available now.

Makita’s cordless microwave, model MW001GZ, has an 2.1 gallon (0.28 cubic foot) capacity, 1.5 cubic foot exterior volume, and 2 power output levels – 350W and 500W.

It has a dual port battery bay, but only requires one battery to operate. The battery hand-off is sequential, meaning that the microwave will run on one battery and automatically switch to the other one when the first is depleted.

Features include an LED light, rotary control knob for setting heating time, and battery fuel gauge. There’s also a USB port (Type A, 2.4A max output) for charging electronic devices.

According to the user manual, the 500W setting is a “temporary boost function,” with the microwave switching down to 350W after about 8 minutes.

Runtime for 2x 2.5Ah batteries (18V 5Ah equivalent) is estimated to be 8 minutes at 500W or 14 minutes at 350W, and for 2x 4.0Ah batteries (18V 8Ah equivalent), it’s 15 minutes at 500W or 21 minutes at 350W.

The microwave can fit up to 2 of Makita’s BL4080F (8Ah) batteries. It’s also compatible with their PDC1200 backpack power supply.

Price: $929 (tool-only)

Since the microwave is built with a dual battery port, maybe Makita can also build an 18V X2 model.

Learn More:

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It looks like Makita has a new 18V cordless power tool battery charger, model DC18WC.

Makita is bundling this new DC18WC charger as part of their new 18V cordless hammer drill and impact driver combo kit, model XT296ST.

I’m not familiar with this charger, and so I tried to dig up some info.

Makita does not seem to mention the new charger in their product pages or advertisements, but the model number is clearly visible in images of the new combo kit

Before we talk about the new charger, let’s take a quick look at Makita’s usual 18V chargers. Shown here is Makita’s 18V rapid charger, model DC18RC.

The DC18RC is advertised as being able to recharge Makita’s 18V 5Ah battery in 45 minutes.

Next is the DC18SD, which is considered to be Makita’s “standard” charger. This charger is often included in Makita’s more value-oriented tool kits and combo kits.

For example, Makita’s value-priced 18V drill kit, which retails for $99 at the time of this posting (available at Amazon), comes with a 3Ah battery and the DC18SD charger.

The DC18SD can recharge a 5Ah battery in 110 minutes.

Makita USA doesn’t have a product page for this charger on their website (at least not that I could find), but its charging times can be found in their user manual.

Here is what Makita says on their product page and in marketing copy for their new XT296ST cordless power tool kit:

Makita 18V LXT Lithium-Ion Batteries have the fastest charge times in their categories, so they spend more time working and less time sitting on the charger.

They also say:

The Kit includes two fast-charging 18V LXT 5.0Ah batteries

With that in mind, I thought that this was a new and more compact rapid charger. It’s not, or at least it doesn’t appear to be.

It wasn’t easy to find specs or charging times for this new Makita DC18WC charger.

I found one listing on Amazon UK, where it is described as an economy and compact charger. In the product details, it says that it takes 135 minutes to charge a 5Ah battery.

Amazon listings don’t always have accurate specs, so I looked around a bit more.

I found a user manual for the DC18WC charger online – but not on Makita’s website – and found this chart. I cropped out the 14.4V charging times.

According to this, the charger does appear to take 135 minutes to fully charge a 5Ah battery.

If this is accurate, here are the 5Ah battery charging times for the three models:

• DC18RC: 45 minutes (0.75 hour)
• DC18SD: 110 minutes (1.83 hours)
• DC18WC: 135 minutes (2.25 hours)

What’s the point of Makita advertising that their new tool kit comes with fast-charging batteries, if they aren’t disclosing that each battery takes 2 hours and 15 minutes to recharge with the included charger?

We don’t always see eye to eye, but Makita USA’s communication manager made a good point. This is what they once told me in an email conversation, with the emphasis my own:

Based on what we see and hear on jobsites across America, a power tool battery that won’t charge in the time of a typical lunch break is not acceptable, even if it does deliver longer run time. The most expensive asset on a jobsite is labor, and that’s why Makita batteries are engineered to spend more time working and less time sitting on the charger.

If the retail listing and online manual I found for the DC18WC are accurate – and they do look to be – is 135 minutes an acceptable amount of time for a battery to be sitting on a charger?

According to the specs I found, it takes the DC18WC charger 2 hours and 15 minutes to charge just one of the 18V 5Ah batteries in this kit. The rapid charger can charge three of the same batteries in this time.

International versions of the 2pc combo kit are bundled with a rapid charger. So why is Makita USA bundling their kit with this new slower charger?

Even if Makita didn’t bundle the new XT296ST kit with their typical rapid charger, why not at least the “standard” DC18SD charger that is often included with the brand’s seasonal promotionally-priced 18V power tool kits and combo kits?

135 minutes to recharge a 5Ah battery? “A power tool battery that won’t charge in the time of a typical lunch break is not acceptable.”

Makita’s fast battery charging speeds have always been a big selling point. I can understand a slower charger being included with $99 drill and impact driver kits, or 5 and 6 piece combo kits that are promotionally priced at $299.

New isn’t always better.

I hope this doesn’t become a trend.

Makita USA raised their prices (except for certain SKUs) in April 2022, October 2022, and again in May 2023. If the new charger is a cost-cutting measure, I’d rather see another price increase.

I suppose this helps explain why the drill-only kit is priced at $359 – with a rapid charger – and this 2pc kit is priced lower at $339.

See Also: Funky Retail Price Math – Makita 18V Cordless Drill Edition

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It’s time for another round of example of funky retail price math, this time featuring the new Makita 18V cordless hammer drill.

I recently posted about the drill’s seemingly inflated torque claims, but here we’re just talking about tool pricing.

The new Makita XPH16T 18V cordless hammer drill kit seems a bit pricey at $359.

This kit comes with the drill/driver, 2x 5Ah batteries, and a tool bag.

The screenshot is from Tool Nut. Acme Tools has the same price, and I saw the same at other authorized dealers.

The new hammer drill is also bundled in a 2pc cordless combo kit. This XT296ST kit comes with the same XPH16 hammer drill, an XDT14 impact driver, 2x 5Ah batteries, charger, and tool bag.

The XDT14 launched at least 5 years ago – I referenced it in a 2018 post – and I found mentions of it in emails dating back to 2016.

It’s a bit strange for a brand new hammer drill to be paired with an older impact driver like this one.

The price for this 2pc combo kit is $339. Again, the same price is found at multiple authorized Makita tool dealers.

The drill kit is $359. Add in an impact driver and… the price goes down by $20?

At these retail prices, they’re basically paying you $20 to take the impact driver. Even if you don’t need it, $339 is lower than $359.

I’m not saying that this is a good price – $339 still seem high for what you’re getting.

At the time of this posting, Milwaukee’s M18 Fuel hammer drill and impact driver combo kit is $379 at Home Depot, plus you get a bonus battery. Both tools greatly outclass the ones in this Makita combo kit. Earlier this week, the Milwaukee combo kit was $349 for the two tools, 2x 5Ah batteries, charger, tool case, and a bonus battery.

$339 seems like a lot for a kit with a compact hammer drill and several year old impact driver.

Is the drill-only kit priced at $359 to make this combo kit seem like a great price at $339?

Actually, that makes sense. I wanted to try the Makita XGT cordless impact driver, and the way things worked out, I saved a lot of money by getting the combo kit with the hammer drill rather than just the impact driver in a kit, plus I got an extra bonus battery too. That was a few months ago, before the last price increase.

Maybe these kits will be discounted in a couple of months for the winter holiday shopping season, but it’s too soon to tell.

Purchase Links

Buy the Drill Kit at Tool Nut
Buy the Drill Kit at Acme Tools
Buy the Drill Kit at Amazon

Buy the Combo Kit at Tool Nut
Buy the Combo Kit at Acme Tools
Buy the Combo Kit at Amazon

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Makita USA launched a new 18V cordless hammer drill, model XPH16, and its lack of a side handle led me to question its advertised torque claims.

Makita says their new 18V LXT cordless drill delivers “a full 970 in-lbs max torque.”

The company also says that the XPH16 hammer drill delivers “up to 70% more power than the previous model.”

If this new 18V cordless delivers close to a thousand inch pounds of maximum torque, where’s the auxiliary side handle? This seemingly simple question has significant implications.

Looking into the matter revealed unexplained discrepancies in Makita’s advertised torque specs.

Basically, it seems that the drill doesn’t come with a side handle because it doesn’t deliver anywhere close to 970 in-lbs of fastening torque.

Why a Missing Side Handle Raised Doubt

Any cordless drill with a torque-to-handle-length ratio above a certain value must ship with a longer side handle in order to meet UL safety guidelines. Lower-torque drills don’t require a side handle.

The new Makita XPH16 18V hammer drill doesn’t ship with a side handle.

See Also: Why High-Torque Cordless Drills Come with a Side Handle

I reviewed a Ridgid 18V cordless drill (model R86116) a few years ago, and it was advertised as delivering 750 in-lbs of max torque.

If that 18V drill, with its 750 in-lbs max torque claims, shipped with a side handle, why doesn’t this new Makita drill come with one?

How can this new Makita drill deliver close to 1000 in-lbs of max torque and not ship with a side handle?

Possible Explanations

Does it have an extended-length handle such that a longer side handle isn’t needed?

This is the Makita XGT compact cordless drill, with a 585 in-lb max torque rating. Most of Makita’s 18V and 18V-form factor XGT cordless drills and hammer drills have similar handle grip proportions.

Here is the new XPH16 hammer drill, which is advertised as delivering 970 in-lbs max torque. Its handle grip does not look to be noticeably longer – it looks like a typical Makita cordless drill.

Did UL change their safety guidelines? I could not find any evidence of this. Even if there was a change, safety guidelines are usually expanded over time, and not relaxed.

Is Makita finally bring anti-kickback safety mechanisms to the 18V LXT line? No, it seems they’re still keeping that feature exclusive to the premium XGT model drill. Would it have made a difference?

As the drill doesn’t ship with a side handle, and I can’t think of a reasonable explanation as to why, we need to take a closer look at Makita’s torque specs.

Understanding Max Torque Specifications

When you see the phrase maximum torque in a cordless drill’s marketing materials, the value typically refers to the tool’s maximum hard-joint tightening torque. Until now, I had long-considered this to be a universal rule.

Clicking or tapping the button below will expand a section on this page with additional background information. You can skip it to save time, and come back if you have any questions.

Examining Makita’s Torque Specs

Let’s take a look at the torque specs for a couple of Makita cordless drills and hammer drills. These specs were sourced from Makita Australia’s product pages for drills with identical designs, features, and max torque values as models marketed in the USA under different model numbers.

Makita 18V SubCompact Drill Torque Specs

Makita’s 18V SubCompact cordless drill delivers 40 Nm max lock torque, 40 Nm max hard torque, and 25 Nm max soft torque.

Nm refers to Newton meters, a metric system measure of torque. 1 Nm is equal to around 8.85 inch-pounds. Lock torque seems to be akin to “stall” torque, which usually isn’t used to describe cordless drill performance.

The US model is advertised as delivering 350 in-lbs/40 Nm max torque.

Makita 18V Hammer Drill Torque Specs (Previous Model)

Makita’s 18V brushless compact hammer drill delivers a maximum lock torque of 60 Nm (~531 in-lbs) and maximum hard tightening torque of 54 Nm (~478 in-lbs).

There’s a small unexpected discrepancy here, where the advertised max torque is 11.1% higher than the drill’s max tightening torque.

The USA model, XPH12, is advertised as delivering 530 in-lbs max torque, or 60 Nm. Makita USA does not reference the drill’s maximum fastening torque in any product brochures or specs tables.

This is the “previous model” drill that Makita compares the new one to, with their “up to 70% more power” claims.

Makita 18V High Torque Hammer Drill Torque Specs

For Makita’s flagship 18V LXT brushless drill, the max lock torque is listed as 125 Nm, and the max hard joint tightening torque is 130 Nm.

The drill is advertised as delivering 141 Nm of peak torque, or 1248 in-lbs. This value is 8.46% higher than the drill’s max fastening torque.

Makita USA advertises this model as delivering 1250 in-lbs max torque, which corresponds to the 141 Nm peak torque value.

It’s unclear why there are 3 different values. The max tightening torque is 130 Nm, the max lock torque is 125 Nm, and the peak torque is 141 Nm?

Makita new Zealand’s product spec sheet lists the 18V hammer drill as delivering 125 Nm max fastening torque, and 141 Nm peak torque. Makita UK lists the same hammer drill as delivering 130 Nm max hard fastening torque, the same as given in Makita AUS’s spec sheet.

I use the higher of the two values, 130 Nm, in the chart below, as the maximum tightening torque.

Makita XGT High Torque Drill Torque Specs

Makita’s higher performance XGT 36V/40V Max cordless hammer drill is advertised as delivering 125 Nm max lock torque, 141 Nm max peak torque, 140 Nm max hard torque, and 68 Nm max soft torque.

Here in the USA, the XGT cordless drill is advertised as delivering 1250 in-lbs torque, which correlates to the 141 Nm peak torque value.

The peak torque value is 0.714% higher than the max tightening torque – that’s very close agreement.

A discrepancy was made apparent.

Makita’s 18V and XGT flagship cordless hammer drills are both advertised as delivering 141 Nm of peak torque. However, the XGT model is said to deliver 140 Nm max tightening torque while the 18V drill delivers 125 or 130 Nm max tightening torque (depending on the publication source).

Read More: Makita 18V and XGT Cordless Drills Do NOT Have the Same Torque

Looking at Makita Canada’s listings, the equivalent XGT hammer drill is advertised as delivering 1240 in-lbs (140 Nm) max torque, and the equivalent 18V hammer drill is advertised as delivering 1150 in-lbs (130 Nm) max torque. There, neither drill is advertised according to the 1250 in-lbs (141 Nm) peak torque values that Makita USA advertises for both drills.

This is confusing. So do the 18V and XGT cordless drills deliver the same max torque, or not? Makita USA’s torque claims would suggest yes, but the spec tables in other regions suggest no.

Makita 18V Hammer Drill Torque Specs (New Model)

For the new international model drill that’s equivalent to the Makita USA model XPH16 drill, Makita advertises 110 Nm peak torque, 73 Nm max hard-joint tightening torque, and 40 Nm max soft-joint tightening torque.

110 Nm converts to 973.6 in-lbs, and 73 Nm converts to around 646 in-lbs. That’s a significant difference.

Makita UK lists the same specs – 73 Nm and 40 Nm max hard and soft joint fastening torque, respectively.

The USA model is only advertised by its 970 in-lbs (110 Nm) max torque value.

Going by these figures, Makita advertises their new cordless hammer drill as delivering “a full 970 in-lbs max torque” but it seems it can only deliver up to 646 in-lbs of max tightening torque.

It seems that this is why the drill doesn’t ship with an auxiliary side handle, because it doesn’t deliver “a full 970 in-lbs” of max fastening torque.

If the maximum fastening torque is 73 Nm, or around 646 in-lbs, how can it be advertised as delivering 970 in-lbs of max torque?

If I’m understanding all of this correctly, it would mean that, with this new 18V cordless drill, Makita’s advertised “max torque” spec of 970 in-lbs is around 50.7% higher than its maximum fastening torque value.

It had been my understanding that cordless drill torque values correlate to their maximum fastening or tightening torque. It is highly surprising that Makita would deviate from this.

Some of Makita’s other cordless drills also have advertised max torque values that are higher than their max fastening torque specs, but with far smaller differences.

Torque Comparison Charts

This chart shows the differences between max tightening and advertised max torque specs for the models of Makita cordless drills and hammer drills discussed above.

For the newest model cordless drill, there is a massive step between its max tightening torque, and the max torque Makita USA is advertising for it.

Between Makita’s latest and previous 18V brushless hammer drills, the difference between their max fastening torques of ~646 in-lbs (73 Nm) and ~478 in-lbs (54 Nm) is around 35%. The difference between their “max torque” values of 970 in-lbs (110 Nm) and 530 in-lbs (60 Nm) is around 83%.

It’s worth mentioning that the max low speed for the new model is 10% higher than for the previous model (550 vs 500 RPM), but the max high speed is 10% lower (1800 vs 2000 RPM).

The difference between Makita’s 18V and XGT cordless drill torque specs is also curious. The advertised “max torque” value are the same, but the 18V model has a lower max fastening torque.

I posted about this separately, here: Makita 18V and XGT Cordless Drills Do NOT Have the Same Torque.

Why is this a Big Deal?

Let’s say you’re shopping for cordless drills. One brand advertises their drill as delivering 970 in-lbs max torque, but it delivers ~646 in-lbs max fastening torque.

A competing brand advertises their product as delivering 850 in-lbs max torque, and this is based on its measured max fastening torque, which is what I would expect.

Which drill is more capable or potentially more powerful? If you go by what it says on the box, the 970 in-lbs has the higher torque spec. But if you go by max fastening torque, the 850 in-lbs model would outperform the 970 in-lbs model.

How can tool buyers be expected to make informed decisions if one brand highlights their “max peak torque” while another uses an an opaque max fastening torque?

This doesn’t just affect competitive comparisons.

Makita’s 18V SubCompact drill is advertised as delivering 350 in-lbs max torque. For that model, the max fastening torque and max lock torque are the same.

So does this new model deliver 2.77X the torque compared the SubCompact model, or 1.85X the torque?

Does the new drill deliver 83% greater torque than Makita’s previous model, or 35% greater torque?

What happens if competing brands loses sales to Makita over this? Will some of them start advertising based on metrics other than maximum fastening torque? Are they doing it already and Makita is simply following other brands’ examples?

Why is there a less than 1% difference between the max fastening and advertised torques for Makita’s flagship XGT cordless drill, and a nearly 51% difference for this new 18V model?

Is this all because bigger numbers sell more tools? I wouldn’t think so, or at least I would hope not.

I sincerely hope that Makita can explain what’s going on here.

Makita USA has not answered any of our questions about the matter.

Related Posts:

New Makita XPH14 Cordless Hammer Drill, But You Should Wait New Makita 18V SubCompact Drill and Impact Driver Kit, but is it an Upgrade? Meet the New Makita XGT 40V Cordless Power Tool System

When I conducted a specs comparison between Makita’s XGT and 18V LXT cordless hammer drill and impact driver combo kit two years ago, I missed something.

In that post, I reported:

Both 18V and XGT drills are said to deliver the same 1,250 in-lbs of max torque.

This is true. Makita USA does advertise both the XPH14 18V hammer drill and GFD01 XGT hammer drill as delivering 1,250 in-lbs max torque.

I also wrote:

The 18V and XGT hammer drills have the same max torque

However, as I recently learned, this does not appear to be true.

It has come to my attention that the two drills deliver different max fastening torque specs.

Power tool brands typically advertise their cordless drills according to max fastening torque, or at least this has been my long-time understanding.

Makita, however, seems to be advertising these two drills using a different “peak torque” measurement.

Here are more detailed torque figures for Makita’s flagship model 18V LXT and XGT cordless hammer drills, according to international brochures and specs tables:

I have seen the 18V LXT model’s max fastening torque listed at a lower value of 125 Nm in some of Makita’s product pages, but for the sake of this post we’ll use the higher value of 130 Nm.

This chart compares the max tightening torque and advertised max torque for Makita’s highest torque 18V and XGT cordless hammer drills.

Maximum fastening torque is usually measured using battery-powered drills and rundown adapters that simulate different types of fastening joints.

How is this other “peak” torque metric determined, if not by maximum fastening torque?

Why are both drills advertised here as delivering 1,250 in-lbs of max torque when different values are advertised elsewhere?

Makita Canada, for example, advertises their 18V hammer drill as delivering 1,150 in-lbs (130 Nm) max torque, and their XGT hammer drill as delivering 1,240 in-lbs (140 Nm) max torque. This agrees with specs tables from other international regions where Makita lists these same maximum fastening torque values alongside “peak” torque values of 141 Nm, (1,250 in-lbs).

To sum things up, here in the USA, Makita advertises their flagship 18V and XGT hammer drills as delivering 1,250 in-lbs max torque. But when you look at the more detailed torque specs that Makita advertises in other markets for the equivalent international model drills, the 18V LXT model has a lower max fastening torque than the XGT model.

Advertised torque specs of 1,250 in-lbs for both models suggest comparable if not identical torque capabilities. But outside of Makita USA’s product literature, this is shown to not be true, as the maximum fastening torque values are different.

The XGT drill’s max fastening torque spec (140 Nm/1,240 in-lbs) is very close to its advertised peak torque value (141 Nm/1,250 in-lbs). However, the 18V LXT drill’s max fastening torque spec (130 Nm/1150 in-lbs) is quite a bit off from its advertised peak torque value (141 Nm/1,250 in-lbs).

Why?

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Which is the BEST cordless power tool brand? Dewalt? Milwaukee? Ryobi? This seems like a simple question, but the answer isn’t.

I last attempted to tackle this question in early 2021, and there have been enough developments and changes in the 2-1/2 years since then to justify an update.

Here is the question that started it all:

If you had to stick to one brand for most of your tools which would it be? Taking into consideration tool reliability, power, ergonomics, batteries and number of cordless tools.

Just one brand?! Dewalt. Wait, no – Milwaukee. Metabo HPT?

Most cordless power tool brands have their distinct innovations and selling points, and tool brands continuously and fiercely compete for a spot in your tool box.

Whether the question is about the best cordless power tool brand overall, or even which one brand I would stick with, the answer depends on the user.

Are you an electrician? Plumber? Carpenter? Deck builder? DIYer? Every user’s needs are different, and there’s really no singular best brand overall.

The real question to answer is this one – which is the best cordless tool brand for you?

Instead of simply answering the title question, I will offer my opinions on each particular tool brand to help you make your own determinations.

As always, readers’ opinions are extremely valuable. What would you say to anyone looking to buy into a cordless power tool system?

The brands below are listed in alphabetical order.

Table of Contents

Bosch
Craftsman
Dewalt
Festool
Flex
Hart
Hercules
Hilti
Kobalt
Makita
Metabo
Metabo HPT
Milwaukee
Porter Cable
Ridgid
Ryobi
Skil

Bosch

Benefits: Good performance and reliability.

Downsides: Historically, Bosch has not kept up with competitors in the USA, and some innovations are released here later than in Europe or not at all.

What I Said in 2021: Bosch makes some spectacular tools. Looking at the greater picture, their 12V and 18V platforms aren’t as compelling as competing platforms. While I was impressed with some of their past releases, there are fewer reasons to buy into either of Bosch’s cordless power tool systems today.

What’s Changed? Bosch recently launched AmpShare, where their 18V battery will soon power a range of tools from numerous partnered brands. They have been releasing new tools at a faster pace, and also seem to have abandoned the somewhat silly names given to certain tools, such as “the Freak.”

Bosch still has holes in their cordless lineup, but they’ve been filling some of the more glaring ones. I anticipate that AmpShare will greatly help with this.

Top ↑

Related Tool News: Bosch 12V Max Tools, Bosch 18V Tools

Craftsman

Benefits: Affordable price points for DIYers.

Downsides: Limited selection.

What I Said in 2021: Craftsman has been slow to expand their V20/20V Max cordless power tool lineup, but there are some interesting entries, such as a cordless air compressor.

What’s Changed? Craftsman has steadily been expanding their line of V20 cordless power tools, but still not at anywhere close to the pace of their top competitor. Their Brushless RP tools offer higher performance.

See More: Craftsman V20 Cordless Power Tool News

Top ↑

Dewalt

Benefits: Excellent tools, expansive selection, comfortable ergonomics, great reliability. Dewalt has been continually expanding their 20V Max cordless power tool lineup, as well as their FlexVolt lineup, and they have also been actively expanding their 12V Max Xtreme Subcompact line.

Downsides: Sorting through some of their core options can be a little confusing. For instance, you can now choose between 20V Max brushless, 20V Max Power Detect, FlexVolt 60V Max, and 20V Max FlexVolt advantage saws.

What I Said in 2021: Dewalt continues to have a lot of “firsts.” They’re no longer playing catch-up and are once again pushing boundaries.

Quite simply put, you cannot go wrong with Dewalt cordless power tools. Dewalt’s cordless platforms continue to have a lot of strengths, and few weaknesses.

If I had to choose a “Best Cordless Power Tool Brand Overall” winner, Dewalt would face off against Milwaukee in a battle too close to easily call.

What’s Changed? Dewalt has entered the automotive tool market with new ratchets, and recently launched new rivet tools. They’ve been filling noticeable holes. Dewalt’s PowerStack batteries provide numerous benefits over older technologies.

Notable Products: Power Detect and FlexVolt Advantage lines bridge the gap between 20V Max and FlexVolt 60V Max platforms. Even so, FlexVolt still provides a power benefit that most other 18V/20V Max systems struggle to match.

Related Tool News: Dewalt 12V Max, Dewalt 20V Max, Dewalt FlexVolt

Top ↑

Festool

Benefits: Unique tools, such as hybrid corded-cordless sanders, good quality, brand reputation.

Downsides: Very limited product selection, very high pricing.

What I Said in 2021: If you want a Festool power tool, and you want it to be cordless, you have some options. Festool made a push in 2020 to consolidate some of their cordless power tools into combo kits aimed at contractors and remodelers.

Festool’s cordless platforms are limited, presumably because they are more of a finish and fine work brand. The brand is not focused on the broader needs of users involved in construction or the trades.

Additionally, Festool’s high pricing can make the tools inaccessible to many individual users.

What’s Changed? Festool has made some questionable design choices, such as launching a cordless dust collector vacuum that can only be used with smaller low capacity batteries. There’s also a new cordless reciprocating saw, which fills a hole in their cordless lineup, but doesn’t seem to be in the spirit of the brand’s core competency – fine finishing tools.

See More: Festool 18V Tool News

Top ↑

Flex

Benefits: Competitive performance (at least), next-gen Stacked Lithium batteries, numerous innovations and tools with distinct user benefits.

Downsides: As a relatively new brand, Flex is going to be playing catch-up for a few years, in terms of product selection and market share. Their 24V battery is going to be slightly larger than 18V batteries, but not without positive traits (such as in power delivery).

Overall: Flex has expanded their line of 24V Max brushless cordless power tools at a rapid pace. The brand recently launched new compact core tools, and a strong selection of specialty tools, such as a cordless router, sander, and band saws.

Flex aspires to be a major player in the professional cordless power tool industry, and so far it seems they’re doing everything right to get there.

Top ↑

Hart

What I Said in 2021: Hart is a Walmart-exclusive brand that offers entry-priced cordless power tools that are similar to Ryobi’s most basic offerings. If you’re shopping for the lowest cost cordless power tools on the market, I’d go with Hart (or any of these other brands) over the no-name stuff on Amazon and other online marketplaces.

What’s Changed? Hart doesn’t share product news, but it looks like they added a couple of new tools since I last checked. Hart still looks to be an entry-level cordless brand aimed at beginners or Walmart shoppers buying on impulse.

Top ↑

Hercules (Harbor Freight)

Benefits: Better cordless tools for Harbor Freight shoppers.

Downsides: Limited selection, young brand reputation, still Harbor Freight.

What I Said in 2021: Harbor Freight launched the Hercules cordless power tool platforms with name-brand competitors in sight. I purchased earlier samples, and while respectable, the tools lacked the fit and finish I would expect from true professional-grade cordless power tool brands.

Harbor Freight and their Hercules line have potential, but it seems they are still striving to make cheaper tools. With new brushless tools on the way, it’s possible they are trying to walk down a different path, at least as far as the Hercules lines are concerned.

Harbor Freight has the potential to disrupt the core cordless power tools market, but they still have to prove they can deliver quality.

What’s Changed? Harbor Freight has been steadily expanding their Hercules lineup of “professional” tools. The quality seems to have improved – from pretty good to almost great – and the tools now boast a 5 year limited warranty.

Harbor Freight has been bouncing between different marketing strategies, and with the latest changes they’ve been following examples set by major industry players.

The tools are not quite on even ground with those from the tool brands Harbor Freight claims Hercules compares to, but they are inching closer.

See More: Harbor Freight Hercules Tool News

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Hilti

Benefits: Strong reputation, gimmick-free solutions.

Downsides: Limited retail availability, limited tool selection, high prices.

What I Said in 2021: Hilti tends to target commercial users, rather than individuals. They have a strong focus on masonry tools, but also some exceptionally capable tools for working with wood, metal, and other common construction and fabrication materials.

What’s Changed? Hilti launched Nuron, a new line of 22V cordless power tools. While not as comprehensive as competing professional tool brands’ lineups, Hilti quickly converted over dozens of tools from the outgoing tool system. There are still a lot of holes that need to be filled.

Hilti still needs to do a better job at appealing to individual tool users.

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Kobalt

Benefits: Brushless motors, inexpensive pricing on spare/replacement batteries.

Downsides: Limited selection.

What I Said in 2021: Lowe’s Kobalt 24V max cordless power tool platform focuses on brushless-motor tools, and with reasonable and competitive pricing.

There’s not much compromise when it comes to performance, and the newer XTR tools take things to another level with respect to power and features.

What’s Changed? Kobalt launched all-new core cordless power tools. They seemed to have all but dropped the XTR performance line of tools, except during holiday shopping seasons when the combos make a quick reappearance.

Lowe’s never seems to have a clear direction in mind for their exclusive tool brand.

See More: Kobalt 24V Max Cordless Power Tools

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Makita

Benefits: Broad 18V cordless power tool system.

Downsides: Makita has been slow to adapt to industry trends, and certain product categories are difficult to sort out with an excessive number of options. The 18V line hasn’t kept up with competing tool systems, and the new XGT line is very limited and expensive. Their revamped 12V Max cordless system has been stagnant.

What I Said in 2021: Some of Makita’s 18V LXT cordless tools are competitive, but the system has hit its limits. The new Makita XGT 40V Max platform is due to launch in the USA at some point, but the new system is not backwards compatible with their 18V cordless system.

What’s Changed? Makita has finally brought a couple of tools from the XGT line to the LXT line, but many premium features remain XGT exclusives, such as cordless drill anti-kickback tech.

Makita launched Outdoor Adventure in the USA, a new line of existing 18V tools but in an olive green color.

They have two main cordless systems – 18V LXT and 36V/40V Max XGT, and aren’t throwing their full weight behind either one.

Makita USA recently cut jobs company-wide, following their third price increase in just over a year.

Related Tool News: Makita 12V, Makita 18V, Makita 18V X2, Makita XGT 40V

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Metabo

Benefits: Great quality, performance, and reliability, and a strong reputation. Metabo offers more specialty tools that cater to fabrication and metalworking industries.

Downsides: Limited selection, less market availability and visibility compared to other pro-grade brands,

What I Said in 2021: Metabo has a lot of great cordless power tools, and has been expanding steadily. Its 18V cordless platform is more expansive in Europe, but an increasing number of tools have launched in the USA as well.

Metabo has embarked on a mission towards enabling a truly cordless jobsite, and each year they move closer and closer to that goal.

What’s Changed? Metabo used to do their part in driving the industry forward, but lately it seems like they’ve been falling behind. Where’s the cordless table saw, dust collection systems, air compressor, or other tools needed for the “cordless jobsite” they talked so much about over the years?

Related Tool News: Metabo 18V, Metabo 12V

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Metabo HPT (Formerly Hitachi Power Tools)

Benefits: Metabo HPT offers many excellent-quality 18V and MultiVolt cordless power tools, and occasionally innovates with unique offerings.

Downsides: Limited selection, Hitachi to Metabo HPT name-change has resulted in quite a bit of confusion. There’s added confusion between Metabo HPT and Metabo, as there is zero compatibility between the two brands’ cordless platforms.

What I Said in 2021: As a system, Metabo HPT offers a much smaller selection of cordless power tools than other brands. They have quite a few competitive and compelling tools, making the brand a potentially good choice if their strengths align with particular user needs and wants.

What’s Changed? Metabo HPT has been releasing new tools at a steady pace. Their MultiVolt cordless platform is excellent, and remains a very competitive choice. The brand needs greater market visibility; select tools are available at Lowe’s, but the retailer has done little to promote the brand or drive consumer awareness.

Notable Products: Metabo HPT’s 18V Triple Hammer impact driver remains a personal favorite.

Related Tool News: Metabo HPT, Hitachi Power Tools

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Milwaukee

Benefits: Great quality, reliability, and performance. Fantastic M18 (18V/20V-class) cordless power tool system and unmatched M12 (12V-class) tool selection. Milwaukee Tool is a very active innovator.

Downsides: M12 tools have a stem-style battery that inserts into the hand grip, resulting in a chunkier grip than some other brands can accomplish with slide-style batteries.

What I Said in 2021: Milwaukee seeks to be a “solutions provider,” and they charge into new markets with a disruptive ferocity. Their philosophy for the M12 cordless system has been to provide user-friendly alternatives to hand tools, and their expanding M18 system offers all the core tools pros and demanding users might need, plus many trade-specific options.

Milwaukee Tool cordless power tools can carry premium pricing, but they regularly offer very aggressive promotions in the form of free tool or battery bonus bundles.

While not the market-leader in every category, Milwaukee is an easy recommendation. Quite simply put, you can’t go wrong with Milwaukee cordless power tools.

If I absolutely had to choose a “Best Cordless Power Tool Brand Overall” winner, Milwaukee would face off against Dewalt in a battle too close to easily call.

What’s Changed? Milwaukee has continued to innovate and push forward in recent years. I expect to see the brand shake up the entire industry once they launch – and heavily advertise – next-gen power tool batteries built with pouch-style Li-ion cells.

The MX Fuel line of cordless equipment redefined what can be powered with a cordless battery, and still holds untapped potential.

Notable Products: Milwaukee’s M12 Fuel and M18 Fuel brushless power tools are often considered the gold standard.

Related Tool News: Milwaukee M12, Milwaukee M18, Milwaukee MX Fuel

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Porter Cable

Benefits: None.

Downsides: Limited selection, limited availability.

What I Said in 2021: Porter Cable was effectively pushed out of Lowe’s when Craftsman (also a Stanley Black & Decker brand) came along, and out of Walmart after TTI launched their exclusive Hart tool brand there.

Porter Cable announced a new partnership with Tractor Supply in late-2021. No new tools or developments have been announced since then.

The brand doesn’t appear to be investing any time, effort, or resources into their cordless platform.

What’s Changed? Nothing.

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Ridgid

Benefits: Ridgid has a strong selection of core 18V cordless power tools, and some unique and innovative tools sprinkled in. The brand offers a good balance between performance and price.

The Limited Lifetime Service Agreement covers parts, service, and batteries – with some restrictions.

Downsides: Smaller selection of 18V tools compared to other brands, 12V system has been abandoned (although you can still buy replacement batteries or chargers).

What I Said in 2021: Ridgid is a good brand and they have continued to expand and enhance their 18V cordless power tool system over the years. Some of their tools offer innovations not found in other cordless systems, giving some users reason to choose Ridgid as their primary or secondary brand.

What’s Changed? Ridgid has continued to launch new 18V cordless power tools. They haven’t been as innovative as in recent years, but are still going strong. Ridgid’s 18V line continues to be exclusive to Home Depot.

See More: Ridgid 18V Cordless System Tool News

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Ryobi

Benefits: Ryobi’s 18V One+ platform is huge, and satisfies a broad range of user needs, from beginner DIYer to value-minded pros.

Downsides: Ryobi’s commitment to DIYer users (a great thing) also means they haven’t updated their battery system to a slide-style form factor yet. Lower-priced tools have compromised features or performance.

What I Said in 2021: Ryobi is a very customer-centric brand that is well-liked and well-regarded among their many loyal DIYer users. Some pros will use certain Ryobi tools as well, especially for specialty tasks where a tool might not see frequent use.

What’s Changed? Ryobi has expanded their line of compact brushless 18V One+ HP tools, and added new home, hobby, and lifestyle tools, including from a new USB Lithium line of 4V-class tools and accessories.

Ryobi tools remains exclusive to Home Depot.

See More: Ryobi 18V One+ Tool News

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Skil

Benefits: Skil’s new cordless power tool platforms offer very high bang for the buck – competitive performance and above-average features for what you pay.

Downsides: Limited selection.

What I Said in 2021: Under new ownership, Skil has refreshed their branding and launched all-new cordless power tool lineups. They’re definitely worth a chance for DIYers looking to get modern features at affordable pricing.

What’s Changed? Skil has launched more tools and updated their core 12V and 20V class offerings. They have also expanded their cordless outdoor power tool offerings. With respect to core offerings – drills, drivers, and saws – Skil tools in many cases outperform competing products while also being more affordable.

Skil is definitely worth paying attention to.

Related Tool News: Skil 12V Max, Skil 20V Max

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Reader Recommendations

Which cordless power tool lineup(s) did you go with? What would you recommend to someone looking to buy into a new cordless power tool system?

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Makita has finally launched an XGT cordless jig saw, model JV001G, which from the product specs looks to outperform their 18V model.

The new Makita XGT cordless jig saw features a brushless motor, barrel-style grip, variable speed dial, and 3 orbital settings.

At this time, only a barrel grip model has been announced, and there is no indication as to if or when a D-handle jig saw might be released.

Features & Specs

• 800 – 3500 SPM (strokes per minute)
• 26mm stroke length
• Bevels 45° left and right
• Soft start with disabling function
• Wider base plate for less wobbling
• Twin LED lights
• Tool-free blade clamp
• Weighs 1.91 kg (~4.21 lbs) tool-only
• 84 dB(A) noise level

Makita’s 18V brushless jig saw model (DJV181Z overseas, XVJ01Z in USA), is advertised as delivering up to 390W of continuous rating input. The new XGT model is said to deliver a continuous rating input of 700W. The18V model is slightly quieter with a 78 dB(A) noise rating.

Note: Makita lists the top speed as 3000 SPM in some places, and 3500 SPM in others. I would assume that 3500 SPM is correct, to match the max speed of the 18V model.

I would think this difference in power – 700W vs 390W – might deliver improved performance or faster application speeds under heavier loads, similar to what Makita advertises for their XGT cordless router compared to their 18V model.

Makita USA has failed to bring many XGT cordless power tools to the USA market in a timely manner – and sometimes at all. Because of that, there is uncertainty as to whether the XGT jig saw will launch in the USA, or when.

For example, Makita came out with an XGT cordless brad nailer more than 2 years ago, but it still isn’t available here in the USA.

Overseas, there’s also a new cordless power station and USB charger, cordless microwave, USB-C charger with LED light, and others.

Makita USA blacklisted ToolGuyd (again) without any explanation – seemingly after we reported on their numerous price hikes and recent company-wide layoffs – and so there’s no one to ask about potential USA availability.

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Makita USA’s hottest new tool is… a “new” Outdoor Adventure heated blanket in olive green.

Did anyone ask for this?

You can also wrap it around your waist to keep your loins warm!

Makita basically just relaunched the same heated blanket from 4 years ago, but in an outdoorsy green color instead of black.

This seems to be the trend for the company recently.

Retailers recently announced a new Makita 18V blower. Makita USA so far hasn’t said a peep about it.

It’s not a new product; it looks to be an 18V version of their 36V XGT cordless duster/blower.

This is similar to how their new Outdoor Adventure tools are the same 18V tools but in green.

Meanwhile, where are the new cordless nailers that already launched overseas? How about a cordless table saw? What about an 18V cordless air compressor?

I spoke to an HVAC tech last week. He had a Makita 18V impact but was switching to Milwaukee for everything else. Why? “Makita doesn’t make the tools I need.”

Makita USA enacted a “company-wide reduction in force” recently, laying off hundreds of people.

The layoffs affected factory service centers in multiple states, and resulted in at least one service center closure.

Makita’s best 18V cordless power tool battery, their 5Ah battery pack, came out roughly 9 years ago. They have since updated it with a built-in fuel gauge.

They also have a 6Ah battery, but I wouldn’t use or recommend any brand’s older-gen 6Ah batteries for anything but low power applications. 5Ah batteries are a better choice for higher power delivery.

Makita has not yet brought higher capacity batteries to their 18V system, and at this point it looks like they never will.

Will they jump onto the pouch cell bandwagon? Or, if they are working on pouch cell batteries, will it also only be available in the XGT line?

Makita offered unprecedented promotions and discounts for their flagship XGT cordless power tool products in recent months. They had strong deals last holiday season, and even better discounts and promos earlier this year.

From what I’ve seen, Makita is not selling many XGT 40V Max (36V) tools, which could be what prompted the recent sales.

I purchased into the XGT lineup – one or two tools for personal use and the others to test for review. I have had problems with some of the tools, and while they’re good one-off solutions, I would not recommend them to anyone looking to buy into a system. The XGT system is still too limited, not to mention expensive.

Makita launched a new XGT USB charger and flashlight. Neat!!

But it’s not available here. Yet? Ever? Will there be an 18V version?

Makita USA advertises that they have the “world’s largest compatible 18V battery system.” I suppose this is helped by their selling a bunch of existing tools in “Outdoor Adventure” green.

How will the service center closures affect repair times?

I’d like to ask, but it seems Makita USA has put ToolGuyd on their media blacklist again. They haven’t provided any press information or answered any of our emails since just before I reported on their company-wide layoffs and May 2023 price increases. The most recent price increase was their third such pricing change since around the same time the previous year.

I’m sorry, am I supposed to be a good social media influencer and only parrot the talking points that are fed to me?

A reader comment came in today and prompted me to think about the XGT launch and rollout again. BobBrown wrote:

The XGT range launch was a complete mess and customers struggle to understand the various battery eco-systems.

Yes, and no.

The XGT launch was indeed a complete mess, but that was two years ago. It continues to be a mess, and I think it’s because Makita USA has not defined what the XGT cordless system is supposed to be.

Let’s talk about what Makita’s XGT line really is – a replacement for Makita’s 18V lineup, which hit its peak potential years ago.

If replacement is too strong of a word, how about modern alternative?

I get it – talking about XGT as a replacement or alternative system could alienate existing users. But do you know what else will push Makita’s existing 18V cordless power tool users away and towards competing brands? Price hikes and reduced staffing at service centers.

Makita currently advertises their XGT line as the “most powerful system,” with “in Makita USA Inc cordless systems” in fine print.

That part is amusing. Why couldn’t they simply say “Our Most Powerful System” and skip the need for qualifying fine print?

Makita USA also advertise that their 18V system is suited for “most applications” and XGT for “high demand applications.”

Is this XGT pin nailer supposed to be an example of a “high demand” application?

And let’s not forget about how the XGT cordless blower can be used for inflating beach balls. Is this an example of a “high demand” task that none of Makita’s 18V tools are capable of accomplishing?

What’s the difference between Makita’s new 18V cordless duster and the existing XGT model?

It seems that Makita is bringing some XGT tools and tech to their 18V platform. They can’t offer higher capacity 18V batteries because… well, they never explained why.

Why is Makita bringing certain tech to their 18V line but not others? An 18V version of the XGT duster/blower sounds good. Why does the XGT cordless drill have anti-kickback tech, but not the flagship 18V drill?

After more than two years, Makita USA still has not answered this question.

Other brands have 18V-class cordless drills with anti-kickback safety features. Makita’s XGT drill has this. They could bring this to their 18V offerings, but have not. Why?

An XGT cordless air compressor is coming out at some point. Couldn’t it be outfitted with an 18V X2 interface for 36V operation?

Why aren’t they doing this?

There’s no XGT to 18V adapter to date, outside of a charging accessory that lets 18V batteries charge on XGT chargers. Will that change if or once the XGT line is expanded enough to potentially supplant the 18V platform?

Two years after Makita launched the system here, Home Depot recently stocked their first-ever Makita XGT cordless power tools in stores for the spring promotional season. They were given a bit of back wall space in the seasonal area, behind the Dewalt, Milwaukee, and Ryobi displays. When I last checked, my store still had a couple of XGT outdoor tools in a downsized display.

How is XGT going to gain traction when they are largely absent from what I assume to be Makita USA’s largest retail partner?

Price hikes are hurting the brand’s appeal to potential and existing customers. Reduced staffing at service centers is presumably going to hurt repair or parts turnaround.

Here are the profits that Makita reported for their North America business segment over the past few years:

FYE March 31, 2019: 267 million yen (~$1.98 million) PROFIT
FYE March 31, 2020: 201 million yen (~$1.49 million) LOSS
FYE March 31, 2021: 3,681 million yen (~$27.3 million) PROFIT
FYE March 31, 2022: 803 million yen (~$5.96 million) PROFIT
FYE March 31, 2023: 912 million yen (~$6.77 million) LOSS

USD conversions were done with 5/5/23 conversion rate of 134.80 yen to 1 USD.

Makita’s 18V system is being expanded with new unique solutions at a snail’s pace, and they long-ago reached the hard limit with respect to 18V battery performance. The XGT system doesn’t have the same limits, but it’s expensive and doesn’t seem very popular.

Makita launched the XGT cordless power tool system two years ago, and I would have expected to see interest pick up by now. XGT is not looking to be the flagship system everyone thought it could be.

I bought into XGT, but would not recommend it to most users. I see it as a line of one-off solutions, rather than a broad system.

I’m avoiding Makita 18V tools, as the company has done nothing to convince me it’s not an aging and outgoing cordless platform.

I fully expected XGT to offer more by now, to where it shadowed the 18V system. Basically, I expected XGT to become the prime focus for pro users, and the 18V system to be emphasized for its seasonal values, such as value-priced combo kit “special buys” and similar.

Makita USA isn’t doing the XGT system justice with their current “for high demand applications” strategy. But this approach might not be preserving 18V sales and interest either, as suggested by the recent layoffs and price hikes.

Some users are not concerned with the expansion, advancement, and support of a cordless power tool system, and make purchase decisions based on specific present day needs. But many do not just buy a couple of tools, they seek to buy into a system.

Competing cordless power tool brands’ systems are better defined and differentiated, such as Bosch, Dewalt, Milwaukee, and Flex. They’re not perfect. For example, what’s the difference between Milwaukee M18 and M18 Fuel? Dewalt Atomic and XR? But, those options all work with the same batteries in their respective systems.

With Makita 18V and XGT, you have to buy into them separately. If you want a cordless jig saw, you can’t get that in XGT yet. If you want higher capacity or more powerful batteries, or more premium features such as a drill with anti-kickback, you can’t get that in 18V yet.

Two years later, Makita hasn’t cleared things up one bit. They advertise their 18V LXT system as “one system,” and “the ideal solution for all pros,” but it’s not. The 18V system lags behind both competing systems and Makita’s XGT platform. The XGT system is far from complete and is still missing many core tools, preventing it from being a one-and-only cordless platform for many tool users.

18V and XGT are overlapping flagship cordless systems, which doesn’t seem like an ideal situation.

Is Makita going to launch new 18V tools and accessories two years from now? Five? What about XGT? How many XGT tools launched overseas but not here in the USA yet? Will this improve or worsen, and what does it depend on?

As a consumer, I feel that there are too many questions that Makita should have answered by now. Or rather, there are too many questions tool users shouldn’t have to ask.

When Makita USA announced the XGT brand here, the muddiness between 18V LXT and 36/40V Max XGT was frustrating but perhaps forgivable. I had assumed that this would be short-lived. More than two years later, things aren’t any clearer.

But hey, at least you can now buy their 18V heated blanket in green.

What are your thoughts on the brand today?

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Tool retailers have announced that Makita USA will soon be launching an 18V version of their XGT 40V Max compact cordless duster, with model number XSA01Z.

The XGT cordless blower is quite the versatile tool, and it’s good to see an 18V one is finally coming out as well.

Makita USA has not yet made any announcements, and I sincerely hope this isn’t a result of their recent “company-wide reduction in force” layoffs. Read More: Makita USA is Cutting Jobs Company-Wide.

Compact blowers exist, but this is one of the first available to the US market to have a drill-like pistol grip and stubby nose.

I’m not sure what is depicted in Makita USA’s product image – I hope the worker is wearing a dust mask!

I use mine for clearing small areas of sawdust and medium-sized dust and debris. For fine dust, I use a cordless vacuum, to avoid stirring up a cloud of lung-harming particulates.

Makita shows off the duster/blower inflating beach balls and air mattresses, but I haven’t tested mine for that kind of application yet.

The 18V blower looks nearly identical to the XGT 40V Max model (GSA01Z), aside from the absence of an XGT badge at the base.

The specs look to have been copy-and-pasted as well, which isn’t much of a surprise, as this isn’t a very powerful tool that warrants 40V Max (36V nominal) voltage or the high capacity battery cells Makita made available to the XGT platform and not 18V LXT.

It delivers air speeds of up to 447 MPH and volume up to 39 CFM.

The XGT model claims runtime of up to 50 minutes with a 2.5Ah battery (18V 5Ah equivalent), and the new 18V model is said to deliver up to 55 minutes with a 6.0Ah battery (40V Max 3Ah equivalent).

That’s 10% longer runtime with a 20% higher capacity battery, suggesting the 18V model is not quite as energy efficient, but close enough. Specs for the 18V model with a 5Ah battery would have allowed for more of an apples-to-apples comparison.

The 18V model has a compact length at only 7″, while the XGT model has a compact length at only 7-1/8″. The difference is slight enough to be a conversion rounding error.

Makita promised that they would continue to launch 18V cordless power tools. Is this what they meant, slapping an 18V battery connection to their XGT tool after two years? If I were a Makita 18V cordless power tool user, I think I’d be cool with that.

Price: $190
ETA: mid-June 2023

The new blower comes with:

• 3 Dust Blower Nozzles
  • Blower Nozzle, 3 mm (191X11-1)
  • Blower Nozzle, 7 mm (191X13-7)
  • Blower Nozzle, 13 mm (191X15-3)
• Pinch Valve Nozzle (191X17-9)
• Wide Angle Nozzle (191X19-5)

This should be enough for most users.

I did not buy the USA model of my XGT blower. I ordered my Makita 40V Max cordless blower from Amazon Japan, because they bundled it with more accessories for less money, even taking international shipping into equation.

I should caution you that buying tools from overseas could complicate warranty considerations.

The international version of the Makita cordless duster that I purchased came with a flexible clear extension hose (191X21-8), and a large diameter deflation hose (191X23-4) that attaches to the duster/blower’s intake.

Additional deflation accessories – a rubber attachment (191X25-0) and large attachment (191X27-6) – are also available separately.

If you buy the USA version – which I would recommend for most people – you can the additional accessories separately as needed.

Even more accessories are available, such as a long-reach extension (191X78-9).

I would absolutely buy my Makita XGT compact blower again.

If you want to add this to your kit, consider taking advantage of retailers’ promos. Acme, for example, has a Father’s Day discount ($20 off $99+, $40 off $199+) that applies to preorders for the new 18V blower.

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Have you wondered what a Makita cordless power station and charger will look like? Well, now we know.

Makita recently announced the BAC01 power station, and there’s definitely a lot going on here.

To start off, it’s advertised as delivering “powerful AC power for anywhere,” and features 2x 1400W AC outlets.

Product photos show off the power station charging 2x XGT 40V Max batteries via a plugged-in dual port charger.

It does not have any built in charging capabilities, but can accommodate separate AC battery chargers up to the max power output wattage.

It has USB outlets, and plenty of them – 2x USB-A ports (2.4A), and 2x USB-C ports (30w).

Additionally, there’s a DC 12V 10A output via car-style power socket.

Note: All of these electrical specifications were announced for the Japanese model, which likely only affects the AC outlets. AC output specs might change depending on regional model differences.

Makita also adds that it can power site lighting at jobsites and other such environments where AC power might not be easily available.

The BAC01 provides a pure sine wave AC output.

Or, use it to recharge smaller batteries for use with cordless power tools or outdoor power tools. This is more of a usage case for the PDC1200 battery bank than the PDC01 battery holder.

The BAC01 is built into a Festool Systainer-compatible Makpac tool box, making it compatible with Makita’s other Makpack tool boxes and accessories. It should be compatible with earlier generation and select current Systainer products,

Additionally, there are two side handles for easy transport.

The user interface appears simple, but clear and helpful, with indicators for output wattage, USB, AC, DC, and what seems to be an audible toggle.

Here’s where things get tricky. There are only two ways to power the BAC01 power inverter. You can use the PDC1200, Makita’s ConnextX 1200 Wh portable backpack power supply, or their PDC01, which can be equipped with (4) Makita 18V batteries.

The PDC01 battery holder retails for $699 in the USA, and does not come with any batteries, and the PDC1200A01 retails for $1379.

That’s on top of the price of the BAC01, which is launching in Japan for 89,500 yen (~$652).

It does not look like there’s any way to power this with Makita’s XGT 40V Max cordless power tool batteries.

Runtime is application-dependent. For instance, the PDC1200 will power a 1000W load for about 56 minutes, and the PDC001 with 2x BL1860B batteries will power a 750W load for about 10 minutes.

Makita’s spec sheet mentions that, if the output is 750W or greater, the PDC01 “may stop outputting due to the battery protection function.”

None of the product photos show the inside of the tool box, and so I would assume it’s sealed shut. Makpac tool boxes use the same latches for opening and closing as for connecting to other Makpac products.

In my opinion, this all looks great, except for how the power station and inverter looks to essentially require the PDC1200 battery pack. The BAC01 cannot be used to its fill potential when powered by the PDC01 4-port 18V battery holder.

By my estimate, the BAC01 and PDC1200 would cost somewhere in the ballpark of $2000 USD, given current pricing for the PDC1200A01 in the USA, and the launch price of the BAC01 when converted from yen to USD.

All of this makes the BAC01 more of an accessory for the PDC1200 portable backpack power supply.

Maybe additional battery holders are in the works.

There’s no top handle, but maybe the power supply can be carried single-handedly with one of the side handles, at least until the PDC1200 is attached on top. Speaking of which, the PDC1200 and PDC01 connection points do look a bit clever.

I’d say the new Makita BAC01 looks very well-designed, but also completely impractical.

At the time of this posting, the Milwaukee M18 Carry On 1800W continuous cordless power supply is $699, and M18 12Ah batteries are $249 each. If you want a dedicated setup, you’re looking at a ~$1700 price tag. Makita’s roughly $2000 estimates pricing isn’t appreciable higher.

Plus, 4x 18V 12Ah batteries gives you 864 watt-hours, or 960 watt-hours depending on whether you use 18V or 20V Max in the calculations. Makita’s backpack is built with 1200 watt-hours energy capacity.

Quite a few years ago, back in 2015, Bosch launched a mobile battery power bank in Europe. I wonder if we’re starting to get back to that idea.

The Makita really seems like a dedicated cordless power station solution to me, as you can’t simply swap in whatever 18V or XGT 40V Max batteries you want.

Still, this is a very interesting development.

Whether you bought into Makita’s cordless systems or not, is this something you would add to your kit?

At this time, there has been no word about whether the BAC01 will be launching in the USA.

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Another Makita price increase just went into effect, as of May 1, 2023.

The Makita XGT 40V Max rear-handle circular saw kit, GSR01M1, which was recently on sale for $299, went from being regularly priced at $399 to $449.

Similarly, the 2-tool cordless hammer drill and impact driver combo kit, GT200D, which was recently on sale for $349, increased from $449 to $469.

The Makita XGT 2-battery HEPA dust extractor, GCV02ZU, was $699 and is now $749.

The 18V 2-tool combo kit, XT288T, was $399 and is now $419. There also looks to be a new promo where you get a free 2-pack of 5Ah batteries. So, compared to last month, you’re spending $20 more but getting bonus batteries.

The GSA01 cordless blower/duster went from $179 to $194.

Makita USA raised their prices last April, and again in October. Some of the price increases since then have been quite steep.

The GSL04M1 XGT cordless miter saw was $1,299 last September, then $1,399, and now $1,499. I didn’t note the price prior to last year’s first increase.

All of the models I noticed having increased in price in October have increased again.

For example, the GT400M1D1 4pc combo kit was regularly priced at $649 last September, then increased to $699, and is now $739.

I have not yet found examples of Makita cordless power tools that were not affected by the recent increase. It looks like there are higher prices across the board, but there could be exclusions.

Let’s hope that Makita’s latest price increase is the only one of 2023.

Some stores have not yet updated their pricing.

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My local Home Depot has a new Makita XGT cordless outdoor power tools display in their seasonal promotional area, alongside other brands’ competitive offerings.

This was all under a giant brand-independent banner promoting all of the products as delivering gas-like power, low maintenance, and zero hassle.

This Home Depot store also had a strong presence of Makita 18V and 18V X2 cordless power tools.

While Makita 18V and X2 cordless tools can regularly be found at Home Depot stores, this seems to be a first for the brand’s XGT 40V Max line.

The featured products include the XGT 15″ string trimmer kit with 4Ah (18V 8Ah equivalent) battery and charger, cordless blower kit, 24″ dual action hedge trimmer (tool-only), and 18″ chain saw kit.

They also had a 2-tool combo kit in stock, as well as spare batteries.

I liked the look of the new packaging, which also makes it very difficult to confuse these as being part of the 18V line. Makita’s 18V and XGT 40V Max cordless systems are not compatible with each other.

One thing to note – the 2-tool combo kit is actually $349 right now, and it comes with a bonus 4Ah battery. This promo didn’t seem to be featured in-store, but it’s still active online through the end of this month (4/30/23).

Double-checking Home Depot’s website, the chainsaw kit, blower kit, and string trimmer kit are all also eligible for a free bonus battery. My local store didn’t have this promo mentioned anywhere, and even if they did, they didn’t look to have enough bonus batteries to support it.

The main takeaway is that Home Depot is finally carrying Makita XGT cordless power tools in-store. While this is a small selection featured in the promotional seasonal section, it’s still a change from Home Depot not carrying any XGT tools in-store as well.

Makita’s XGT and 18V cordless outdoor power tools were on display next to competing offerings from other cordless lineups, namely Dewalt 20V Max, Dewalt FlexVolt, Milwaukee M18, Ryobi 18V, and also Ridgid 18V.

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I wanted a compact cordless HEPA-rated dust extraction vacuum, and decided on the Makita XGT 2.1 gallon model, GCV02ZU.

This comes with the vacuum, dust hose with 2 adapters, and an AWS auto-activation transmitter for use with compatible Makita cordless power tools.

I bought into the Makita XGT 40V Max cordless power tool system, and thanks to recent highly aggressively-priced and free bonus battery promos, I have already have batteries I can use with the vac.

Makita’s unprecedented XGT tool deals are still ongoing, and I might buy another combo kit or the rear-handle circular saw just for the batteries.

That’s always a strange part of the cordless power tool industry, where you can sometimes buy cordless power tool kits or combo kits for less than it would cost for just the batteries they come bundled with.

Why I Bought a Makita XGT Cordless Vacuum

When it comes down to cordless HEPA dust extractor vacuums, I saw 3 options. Dewalt FlexVolt – which I have a test sample of and use on occasion for certain tasks – Festool, and Makita.

I wanted something more compact and suited for use in finished spaces, potentially with wheels or a rolling cart option.

This narrowed things down to Festool and Makita.

Festool’s CTC Sys cordless vacuum has disappointing specs and a bad feature set, in my opinion, and very limited battery compatibility. Early users have complained on social media about very poor runtime.

Festool is apparently also coming out with a larger Midi-sized cordless dust extractor, but they seem to have a battery shortage right now.

According to retailers, Festool’s 5Ah and 5.2Ah batteries are all backordered or on preorder right now, with a mid-May 2023 ETA.

A kit version of the Festool 36V CTC Midi cordless vacuum is estimated to launch at the end of May, and it includes 1 set of batteries. It’s priced at $978.

A pair of Makita XGT 4Ah batteries deliver 36V x 4Ah x 2 = 288 Watt-hours of energy capacity. A pair of Festool 18V 5Ah batteries deliver 18V x 5Ah x 2 = 180 Watt-hours of energy capacity.

The Makita is advertised as delivering 148 CFM and 92″ of static water lift, while the Festool cordless Midi vac delivers 109 CFM and 76″ of static water lift.

It’s difficult to estimate runtime in a comparative sense. Makita’s vac operates on 1 battery, or 2 in succession, and more batteries are readily available. Festool’s requires 2 batteries. Makita has higher capacity XGT batteries. Festool has a higher capacity battery available in Europe, but 5.2Ah and now 5Ah is the highest capacity battery they offer here in the USA.

Makita’s vac has a 2-filter setup and plastic collection bags. Festool’s has a HEPA filter and uses filter bags as with their other dust extractors. The Makita seems like it will be messier to empty, due to having a cloth pre-filter that drops into the collection chamber. Festool’s filter bags are more expensive to replace.

The Makita has a 2.1 gallon capacity, and the Festool cordless Midi has a 3.96 gallon collection capacity, or 3.30 gallons with a filter bag.

The Makita 2.1 gallon vacuum (tool-only) is $699, and the Festool will be $679 when it launches.

If I need batteries and a charger for the Makita vacuum, their current promos would have me buying the rear-handle saw kit at $299, where it comes with 1x 4Ah battery (18V 8Ah equivalent) plus a free bonus battery (expires 4/30/23). That would bring the total to $998 for the vacuum, 2x 4Ah (18V 8Ah equivalent) batteries, and a single port charger, plus a rear-handle cordless circular saw I don’t have immediate personal need for.

The rear-handle saw comes with 1 + 1 bonus 4Ah (18V 8Ah equivalent) batteries, the same as the 2 batteries included in the vacuum kit.

The Makita XGT 2.1 gallon vacuum is also available as a kit (GCV02PMU) for $1,099, with a two-port charger and 2x 4Ah (18V 8Ah equivalent) batteries.

While a 2-port charger might be convenient, another 1-port charger (I have several already) and rear handle circular saw for $101 less seems like a better buy to me.

If I want the Makita XGT 2-port charger in the future, it’s available separately for $199. The XGT rear-handle circular saw is also available as a bare tool for $264 at the time of this posting.

If I went with the Festool, that would be $978 for the 2-battery kit, which comes with 2x 18V 5Ah batteries, a charger, and Systainer tool box. As mentioned, additional Festool 18V 5Ah and 5.2Ah batteries are NOT available at this time. This means I would be limited to just the 1 set of batteries included with the kit.

Some of Festool’s cordless power tools look interesting, but their 18V system doesn’t appeal to me as anywhere as much as Makita’s XGT system. I don’t mind buying into additional cordless power tool systems, but Makita’s XGT vacuum seemed like the best option.

Additional factors went into my decision, such as the large power switch, the vacuum’s ability to run off one or two XGT batteries, and its compatibility with other Makita cordless power tools.

I picked up a Makita XGT cordless router for review purposes over the winter holiday deals season, and it doesn’t fit any of my universal or brand-specific dust collection nozzles. I also own an XGT cordless track saw.

Makita’s AWS wireless vacuum activation seems like a potentially useful feature, which is why I opted for the vacuum kit that comes with the transmitter. Each AWS-compatible tool requires its own transmitter, which are typically sold separately.

I really hope Makita eventually adds a remote control that can attach to the hose-end, similar to Festool and Dewalt.

That was one area where Festool has Makita beat. Festool has a Bluetooth remote, and also built wireless vacuum activation into their Bluetooth-equipped batteries.

Let’s say I’m drilling into drywall and want dust collection at the source. In theory I could activate a Festool vacuum while up on a stepstool, either via a hose-end or wrist-worn remote, or via Bluetooth battery-equipped cordless drill – if I had one.

With the Makita, I would have to go up and down and hit the power switch each time.

My Makita XGT Cordless Vacuum Purchasing Adventure

I ordered the vacuum through Acme Tools, during one of their 10% off sales.

The vacuum arrived – with shopping damage – and it included some extra freebies – an entire set of Makita XGT cordless vacuum accessories.

This was the HEPA vacuum kit as I expected, with the appropriate filters, an extraction hose, and 2 adapters.

Makita has other XGT 2.1 gallon cordless vacuums SKUs with a different hose, extension wands, and nozzles, and I received all of those accessories as well.

The cleaning kit version of the vacuum, GCV01Z, comes with a smaller diameter hose, extension wands, a floor nozzle, and crevice nozzle.

That was a nice surprise, but you should not expect the same.

I found a post on social media where someone else reporting having received HEPA dust vac and cleaning accessory bundles with their purchase as well.

The Makita vacuum itself arrived damage – one of the wheels was shattered during shipping – and so I sent it back for a refund.

Before I sent to back to Acme Tools, I looked over the XGT vacuum. This was my first experience with Makita’s 2.1 gallon cordless vacuum size, and was a little concerned about the actual pickup capacity.

There’s a HEPA filter (not shown here), a cloth filter, and a collection bag. The cloth filter drops down into the collection area, taking up some of the volume.

Would this be enough collection capacity for my needs? Makita also has a taller 4-gallon version, but it’s $150 more ($849 vs $699 for tool-only). $150 seems like a lot for what seems to be a larger plastic container, as the performance specs and other features all seem to be identical.

I spoke to Makita USA, to see what was going on with the extra accessories, and it turns out a small number of units are affected by what turns out to be some kind of packaging error.

I also expressed hesitation about the 2.1 gallon size, after seeing it in person, and Makita brought up the idea of a potential review sample. I didn’t hear back from them, and started to feel uncertain about the idea in the interim. While I still had second thoughts about the 2.1 gallon size, I decided to place another order.

I was curious about the cordless vacuum for ToolGuyd review purposes, but my initial purchase was also done with personal/ToolGuyd use intent.

My first purchase was made through Acme Tools, the second through Home Depot, in case I needed to make another return, as it’s a quicker process. I also wanted to see if there was a difference based on the supplier.

Makita said a limited number of boxes were affected, and it seemed worthwhile to try again.

I would accept getting exactly what is supposed to come with the dust extractor kit, but were hoping to get a box with the extra cleaning tools and accessories again.

Luckily, my second purchase of the Makita XGT GCV02ZU cordless dust extractor vacuum also came with everything – its regular accessories (dust hose with adapters), and the cleaning accessories.

The box art is wrong in both cases, but the contents were correct in that I did receive the dust extraction accessories I was expecting.

The additional cleaning tools were an unexpected bonus the first time, and I hoped for the same the second time around. I will likely use the accessories with cordless and maybe even corded vacuums from other brands, assuming there aren’t any compatibility issues.

With the cloth filter in place, I think the Makita 2.1 gallon vacuum would be too small for general workshop cleanup tasks, and so I plan to use it for tool-generated dust collection.

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Makita is adding a cordless microwave to their XGT system of cordless power tools.

There have been April Fools Day jokes and mockups over the years, but Makita is really introducing the first-ever cordless microwave that is directly powered by cordless power tool batteries.

The new Makita cordless microwave can deliver 500W of power for up to 8 minutes, after which it automatically switches to a lower power 350W mode. It has an 8L (~0.28 cubic feet) capacity.

With (2) XGT 40V Max 8Ah batteries installed, the cordless microwave can reheat about 11 refrigerated lunches or 20 drinks (each 200 mL/~6.8oz).

Makita says that their new cordless microwave lets you heat food in many different environments where there might not be an AC power source.

The microwave is advertised as being suited for:

• Building and construction sites
• “In-car dining”
• Disaster preparedness

Given Makita’s growth in the outdoor recreational space, I would anticipate the microwave also being marketed for camping, tailgating, and other such activities.

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The microwave features a folding top handle, and an optional carrying strap loops through slots in the handle for an additional carrying option.

Makita cautions that the microwave cannot be used for storage or to carry things; it’s not a tool box.

It weighs 8.8 kg (19.4lbs) without batteries.

The microwave will immediately deactivate if the door is opened during use, and there is an additional safety feature that deactivates the microwave if it’s tilted.

The cordless microwave also features a USB port for charging electronic devices. Its USB-A port can deliver a maximum output of 2.4A at 5V.

Makita provided a handy chart with approximate runtime when powered by (2) XGT batteries. Keep in mind that 500W operation is limited to 8 minutes before automatically switching to 350W, presumably with a cooldown time required.

At this time, Makita has only announced the XGT microwave in Japan. It will cost ¥71,500 (~$540 at the time of this posting) excluding VAT for the tool/appliance-only.

If Makita also plans to launch this here, would you buy one?

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I have been debating about whether to purchase a Makita XGT 8-1/2″ cordless miter saw, GSL02, but have been leaning towards “no.” It seemed worthwhile to share my decision process.

I don’t urgently need a cordless miter saw. I thought I wanted a semi-fixed shop setup with superb dust collection. But, I don’t have the space for 8 feet of board support inside. For cutting larger boards, such as 2x construction lumber and similarly sized workpieces, I set up outside with a cordless miter saw.

Dust collection is very important to me, but so is portability.

With the Makita GSL02, I like the idea of its cutting capacity and portability. 8-1/2″ is an odd size, though.

The Makita XGT GSL02 is a completely foreign design to me. It’s a forward-rail slider with front bevel lock, dual dust collection ports, and it’s an 8-1/2″ sliding miter saw with the cutting capacity of a 10″ sliding miter saw.

Yes – seriously – it just about matches the cutting capacity of Makita’s much larger and heavier XGT GSL03 sliding miter saw.

The 10″ has taller fences, but I wouldn’t need them for the majority of crosscuts.

That it’s a different design has pros and cons. I like exploring new and different tool designs, and so it’s mostly a good thing.

I did some light reading and referred to a couple of YouTube videos, and so I’m familiar with common complaints.

Some people complain about the bevel adjustment being a plastic component that repeatedly broke on them, and others had no problems and suggested it only breaks with rough or abusive use.

Ultimately, one of the biggest detractors – for me – is the blade size.

The Makita 8-1/2″ sliding miter saw has impressive cutting capacity, but 8-1/2″ blade selection is slim.

I found two Freud fine-finish blades on Amazon – one with a silver finish and one with a red coating.

CMT is the only brand I recognized that has a non-ferrous blade, for cutting aluminum extrusions, plastic, and similar materials. I found the CMT on Amazon and a few other places.

For me, that became the biggest negative, as it means I would need to keep another saw around for cutting plastic and aluminum materials.

This is why I have really enjoyed using Milwaukee’s M18 Fuel cordless 7-1/4″ sliding miter saw – it’s compact, light, and I can always find the blade style I want.

The Milwaukee isn’t short on performance, but I have a couple of projects coming up where I want better dust collection, and I might need a little more power under the hood. This helped increase the appeal of Makita’s 8-1/2″ saw.

The Makita also has a wider miter range, which might come in handy on occasion. I have one project coming up – a small garden trellis – where the 60° miter range would help with shaping ground support stakes.

In theory I could move to a cordless 10″ or 12″ saw as my one-and-only, but they’re all large and heavy. 12″ blades are pricey. The larger the blade, the larger the potential for deflection.

I saw news of Makita launching new smaller cordless miter saws overseas, but there’s no indication if or when they might be released here. Given their designs, I’d say it’s unlikely for them to launch here at all. Objectively speaking, 8-1/2″, 10″, and 12″ cordless miter saw sizes still present enough options for most users.

And so, I’m stuck. I have strong hesitations about going with an 8-1/2″ miter saw. General purpose blades are easy to find, but not specialty blades which I would want to use regularly enough to make this a strong concern.

I find myself still half on the fence, and thought discussion would help settle things, at least for now. A reader put the idea in my head a few months ago when I asked for review suggestions, and it came back now that there’s a promo at Acme (ending 2/21/23) that can knock $75 off the $750 price tag.

There’s also promo pricing on the 10″ sliding miter saw kit – Home Depot has the kit for $100 off plus with a free battery, but I determined that of the two the more portable 8-1/2″ would be better suited – if the blade size can work for me.

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Makita kicked off new deals where you can save $100 on their most popular XGT cordless power tool kits, AND get a free battery on top of that.

I found the new promo at Acme Tools, and I’m sure other authorized dealers will participate in this sale as well. At this time, it seems other retailers are showing the $100 savings or free battery, but only Acme looks to have both.

Should you take advantage of this promo? Maybe. If you ask me, these are the best XGT tool deals Makita has ever offered.

Makita’s XGT cordless power tool system is complicated. It’s a 40V Max cordless system, but with 18V-sized tools and batteries.

The tools are loaded with Makita’s latest tech and features, and the batteries are their most advanced and highest capacity.

Frankly speaking, the line includes a good selection of core tools, but is somewhat limited beyond that. Makita has been expanding the XGT system with new tools and accessories at what I would describe as a steady and satisfactory pace.

The tools and batteries are pricey, and there’s no cross-compatibility with Makita’s 18V system, aside from a single one-way charging adapter.

Makita had an excellent and unprecedented holiday promo, where they bundled 2x free batteries with select combo kits, or 1x free battery with the purchase of 2 bare tools. The latter promo looks to still be ongoing at some retailers.

I bought the XGT track saw last year, and more recently added their new blower (via Amazon Japan due to lower pricing and a greater number of included accessories).

I wanted more batteries, and there were a couple of user review requests I wanted to be able to fulfill. So, I took advantage of the holiday season deals to pick up a router, reciprocating saw, and a drill and impact driver combo kit.

With that, I bought 4 more tools and got 5 batteries with it – 2 compact batteries with the combo kit, and 3 free high capacity batteries.

Makita’s 4Ah battery (BL4040, 8Ah 18V equivalent) retail at $219 each, which makes the free battery promos very noteworthy.

I thought that the holiday season was unbeatable.

With the latest promo, they’re knocking off $100 off the price of select combo kits, and giving you a free battery that retails at $219.

If I’m being honest, I think this is the better deal. It’s not as good value-wise, but if given the choice between 2 free batteries and 1 free battery plus $100 more in my pocket, I’d prefer for the latter.

The Makita GT200D XGT hammer drill and impact driver combo kit is regularly $449. That’s what I paid last month. Now, it’s $349, plus you get 1 free battery.

I didn’t need another hammer drill and impact driver, and so I purchased these more for review purposes. I really wanted the 2.5Ah and 4Ah batteries though. The compact batteries (you get 2 with the kit) retail for $159 each. The bonus 4Ah battery retails for $219 by itself.

When you look at it in those terms, you get your money’s worth just in the 3 batteries (2 compact 2.5Ah + 1 bonus 4.0Ah).

$349 also puts this 40V Max combo kit below the price of other premium brands’ flagship 18V or 20V Max combo kits.

At this price, Makita XGT has entered the ring.

The Makita XGT rear-handle circular saw kit, GSR01M1, is also included in this promo. Right now, it’s $299, from $399, and you get 1 FREE 4Ah battery.

In other words, you get the saw, charger, and 2x batteries for less than it would cost you to buy just the batteries.

I should add that the bare tool is $264 by itself. So for just $35 more you get you 2x batteries, a charger, and a kit bag.

There are other kits included in this promo – 2 cordless miter saw kit options (10″ and 12″), the 10-1/4″ circular saw kit, and 2 4-tool combo kits (drill, impact, light, circular or reciprocating saw).

I feel that the 2pc tool kit and rear-handle circular saw kits are of the greatest interest and offer the greatest value, but it’s worth looking at the others in case the better match your needs.

You have time to think things over, as the promo looks to have an April 30th, 2023 end date.

Thoughts and Recommendations

Would I recommend that you buy into the XGT system right now? No. Yes. No. I don’t know.

Makita priced the XGT tools too high to interest me. There was one tool I wanted and purchased – the track saw – and then another – the compact blower. For personal use, I wanted more batteries. For professional purposes, I (and readers) still had a lot of questions that Makita USA wouldn’t or couldn’t answer about the tools’ features and performance.

Somehow, I convinced myself to dive into Makita’s 40V cordless system. Would I do so again at these prices? Absolutely.

But I’m not yet willing to buy deeper into the system.

Where’s the cordless jig saw?

The pin nailer kit is a whopping $549.

They have a new compact 6-1/2″ circular saw on the way, but how much will that be?

I’d consider a cordless 7-1/4″ miter saw, but they don’t have one yet, either.

I’m a hodge-podge type of cordless power tool user. I currently own battery-powered tools by Dewalt, Milwaukee, Metabo HPT, Bosch, and now Makita.

Would I buy into XGT’s system as my primary platform? No. They don’t offer the specialty/expansion tools I use most or am looking to buy, and tools to suit my more casual needs are too expensive for me to justify.

And yet, my tool collection went from 1 tool to 6 in a matter of weeks. They haven’t yet kicked my go-to tools out of their earned spots in my tool kit, but they potentially could.

If someone asked me today if they should buy into Makita’s XGT 40V Max cordless power tool system, and I had to give a yes or no answer, it would be NO. The core tools should suit many users’ needs, but beyond that the system is far from complete.

Consider this post, and how I can’t just say “wow these are great deals!” I cannot recommend XGT without including qualifications and heavy reasoning.

Would I buy or recommend certain XGT tools at their current prices and promos? YES!

Milwaukee’s M18 rear-handle circular saw kit is $449 (via Home Depot) with 1x 12Ah battery (216 watt-hours). Makita’s 40V saw kit is $299 with 2x 4Ah batteries (one included and one free, for 2x 144 watt-hours, or 288 Whr total).

Objectively, that’s a very good deal.

An 8Ah-equivalent battery is going to be lighter than a 12Ah battery, and it will charge faster as well. Let’s say you want a backup battery for the Milwaukee – how much will that cost? That Makita’s $299 promo and bonus battery kit pricing starts to look very appealing.

It’s also worth pointing out that the XGT kit is now less expensive than the 18V X2. Makita’s 18V X2 rear-handle circular saw kit (via Home Depot) is currently bundled with 1 set of 2x batteries for $359. Would you rather have a 36V-equivalent tool powered by 2x 5Ah batteries (180 watt-hours total), or a 36V tool powered by 1x 4Ah battery (144 watt-hours) with a bonus battery on-deck and $60 more in your pocket?

$299 plus 1 free battery somehow seems like a much better deal than $399 plus 2 free batteries. The same with the 2-tool drill and impact combo kit with 2 compact and 1 free 4Ah battery for $349.

This promo is going to sell more tools.

If you need or want to buy more XGT batteries in 2.5Ah (5Ah equivalent) or 4Ah (8Ah equivalent) sizes, why not get tools with them?

Even at promo pricing, Home Depot has a 2-pack of XGT 4Ah batteries for $398. Other retailers have them at $219 each. $398 for two batteries, or $299 for two batteries, a charger, tool bag, and Makita’s latest-and-greatest rear-handle circular saw?

Makita has a new impact driver (GDT02), which is less featured and more affordable than their other XGT impact driver (GDT01). That’s a good move for the brand to make, and it still looks like a premium-but-not-flagship type of tool. The new impact is kitted with 2x 2.5Ah batteries for $399. The flagship impact is kitted with 2x 2.5Ah batteries for $429.

Meanwhile, the 2-tool hammer drill and premium impact driver combo kit is $349, and you get a bonus 4Ah battery on top of the 2x 2.5Ah batteries it’s kitted with.

I love when tool promos do this, although it can complicate the decision-making process.

This promo is a highly aggressive marketing strategy. Makita USA really wants you to buy into their XGT cordless power tool system.

I was very convinced by the holiday season promos, but believe that $100 savings will be more compelling. And you do still get 1 free bonus battery with the eligible kits.

Other brands’ holiday season promos have finally timed-out. There are other new promos, and there will be more, but nothing like these. For instance, Milwaukee has a new “buy more save more” promo, where you save $50 off $350, up to $175 off $550+. That’s a good deal, but it’s only on select bare tools.

Milwaukee’s M18 Fuel hammer drill and impact driver ($399 at Home Depot) is a fantastic combo kit, and features the brand’s latest and greatest technologies. But with no active promos on that combo kit, brand agnostic tool users might be well-served by Makita’s XGT combo, which offers more at a lower price right now.

I’m glad I picked up what I did, and I’m awfully tempted to give the rear-handle circular saw a try as well – for ToolGuyd purposes, as I’m not much of a framing saw use.

With this new promo and price drop, even if only temporary (if you could say that given its end-date 3 months away), Makita has made the XGT system less ignorable. On top of that, more tools are on the way as they continue to expand the system.

I was hooked by the track saw and further committed thanks to the compact blower. I’m willing to bet that Makita is seeking to hook pro users with these new XGT promos, and that it’ll work.

Dewalt needs to counter with a PowerStack 5Ah promo of some kind. I’m not quite sure what Milwaukee’s counter will be. Bosch? They’re not yet playing the same game.

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Makita has launched a new 18V compact cordless reciprocating saw, XRJ08, designed for cutting in tight spaces or overhead.

The new Makita XRJ08 reciprocating saw is designed to be “compact, lightweight, and balanced.”

It features a brushless motor, tool-less blade change mechanism, rubberized soft grip, and LED worklight.

Makita says that the new model delivers 40% lower vibration, compared to their XRJ07ZXB subcompact reciprocating saw, thanks to an internal counterweight mechanism.

The saw can make up to 90 cuts in 2×10 lumber, or up to 50 cuts in 1″ schedule 80 steel pipe, when powered with a fully charged 5Ah battery.

Key Features & Specs

• 7/8″ stroke length
• 0-3100 SPM
• Brushless motor
• Tool-less blade change
• 14-3/8″ overall length
• Weighs 4 lbs (tool-only), or 5.5 lbs with a 5Ah battery (sold separately)

Price: $169 (tool-only, XRJ08Z)
ETA: Shipping Soon (preorders are open as of 12/2022)

Discussion

Makita’s product page advertises that their new saw is up to 55% faster cutting compared to competitive models.

Let’s take a look at competitive specs:

Makita 18V XRJ08Z: 7/8″ stroke length, 0-3100 SPM

Dewalt 20V Max Atomic DCS369B: 5/8″ stroke length, 0-2800 SPM

Milwaukee M18 Fuel 2719-20: 7/8″ stroke length, 0-3000 SPM

The maximum linear cutting speed would be the stroke length x strokes per minute. This gives us the linear cutting rate in inches per minute (ipm).

Makita: 2713 ipm

Dewalt: 1750 ipm

Milwaukee: 2625 ipm

It seems as though the new Makita one-handed brushless reciprocating saw has an edge on their competitors, at least on paper. With respect to on-paper cutting speed specs, the Makita bests Milwaukee’s M18 Fuel saw by 3.4%, and Dewalt’s Atomic saw by 55%.

As SPM specs typically reflect no-load speeds, performance can vary in real-world settings.

Compact one-handed reciprocating saws are best matched to lighter cutting tasks, especially in tight spaces or overhead, but it’s good to have power in reserve.

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Here are the best Makita Black Friday 2022 tool deals. As expected, most of the deals are cordless power tools, with some air tools mixed in.

What we didn’t expect were the especially-good deals on XGT combo kits, where you get 2 free batteries.

Unless otherwise noted, all of these deals are LIVE now.

Top Deals

$25 off $100 Select Makita Tools at Amazon

18V 2-Battery Starter Kit + 1 FREE Tool – $199 at Home Depot
18V 2-Tool Combo Kit + 2 FREE Tools – $399 at Home Depot

18V X2 Brushless Circular Saw Kit + 2 FREE Batteries – $199 at Acme Tools (4 Batteries total!)

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Makita 18V Cordless Power Tool Deals

As usual, Makita a couple of excellent freebie offers where you buy an 18V cordless power tool starter kit or starter kit and you get one or two free tools or batteries.

18V 3-Tool Cordless Combo Kit + 1 FREE Tool – $429 at Acme Tools

18V 2-Tool Cordless Combo Kit + 1 FREE Battery & 1 FREE Tool – $339 at Home Depot
18V 2-Tool Cordless Combo Kit + 1 FREE Battery & 1 FREE Tool – $339 at Acme Tools

18V 2-Battery Starter Kit + 1 FREE Tool – $199 at Home Depot

18V 2-Tool Cordless Combo Kit + 1 FREE Tool & 1 FREE Battery – $399 at Acme Tools
18V 2-Tool Cordless Combo Kit + 2 FREE Tools – $399 at Home Depot

18V Cordless Drill Kit – $99 at Amazon
18V Cordless Impact Driver Kit – $99 at Acme Tools
18V Cordless Impact Driver Kit – $99 at Amazon
18V 4Ah Battery 2-Pack – $139 at Amazon

18V 2-Tool Cordless Combo Kit – $149 at Home Depot
18V SubCompact Drill & Impact Kit – $169 at Home Depot
18V 2-Tool Combo Kit – $249 at Acme Tools

18V 5pc Cordless Power Tool Combo Kit – $299 at Amazon
18V 5pc Cordless Power Tool Combo Kit – $299 at Acme Tools

18V 6pc Cordless Power Tool Combo Kit – $299 at Home Depot – better deal

18V 8pc Cordless Power Tool Combo Kit – at Acme Tools – not on sale (yet?)
18V 8pc Cordless Power Tool Combo Kit – not on sale (yet?)

18V Cordless Chainsaw Kit + 1 FREE Battery – $279 at Home Depot
18V Cordless 12″ Chainsaw Kit + 1 FREE Battery – $279 at Acme Tools
18V Cordless 10″ Chainsaw Kit + 1 FREE Battery – $249 at Acme Tools

18V SubCompact Starlock Oscillating Multi-Tool – at Amazon
18V SubCompact Oscillating Tool Bare – $199 at Home Depot

18V Compact Vacuum Kit – $139 at Acme Tools
18V Compact Vacuum Kit – $131.20 at Home Depot

18V Compact Vacuum Kit (White) – $139 at Acme Tools

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Makita 18V X2 Cordless Power Tool Deals

18V X2 Brushless Circular Saw Kit + 2 FREE Batteries – $199 at Acme Tools (4 Batteries total!)

18V X2 Rear-Handle Circular Saw Kit + 2 FREE Batteries– $259 at Home Depot
18V X2 Rear-Handle Circular Saw Kit + 2 FREE Batteries – $259 at Acme Tools

18V X2 Cordless Mower Kit – $399 at Home Depot

18V X2 Cordless Self-Propelled Mower Kit – $499

18V X2 10″ Sliding Miter Saw Kit + FREE Stand – $859 at Acme Tools
18V X2 Blower with Vacuum Attachment Kit – $489 at Acme Tools

18V X2 Track Saw Kit – $549 at Acme Tools
18V X2 Mower Kit + FREE String Trimmer – $699 at Acme Tools

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Makita XGT 40V Max Cordless Power Tool Deals

New for this year, get 2 FREE batteries with select Makita XGT cordless power tool kits!

XGT 40V Max 2-Tool Combo Kit + 2 FREE Batteries – $449 at Acme Tools
XGT 40V Max 4-Tool Combo Kit + 2 FREE Batteries – $699 at Acme Tools

XGT 40V Max Rear-Handle 10-1/4″ Circular Saw Kit + 2 FREE Batteries – $539 at Acme Tools
XGT 40V Max Circular Saw Kit + 2 FREE Batteries – $429 at Acme Tools

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Makita Air Tool Deals

1-Gallon Air Compressor + Brad Nailer Kit – $239 at Acme Tools

Air Brad Nailer – $69 at Home Depot
Air Brad Nailer – $69 at Amazon

Air Framing Nailer – $169 at Home Depot
Air Framing Nailer – $169 at Acme Tools

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There’s a new Makita flash sale, and in no uncertain terms it features the 3 best XGT deals I have ever seen!

The promo is of the “buy more, save more” nature, where you can save up to $75, but that’s not all.

You save $15 off $149+ eligible Makita orders, $40 off $299+, or $75 off $499+, with code MAKITASALE. But, that’s not all, there’s a lot more to this promo – it stacks with many of Makita’s Black Friday 2022 tool deals!

With the previous Makita deal at Acme, there was a “save up to $75” coupon code, and certain kits were eligible for a free battery bundle. That was a very good deal.

As soon as that last promo ended, Acme Tools started offering additional freebies with many XGT tool kits, as part of Makita’s Black Friday 2022 deals. For instance, I was looking at a particular Makita XGT cordless power tool combo kit, and the last promo would have taken money off and given me a free battery.

With this promo, I would save a similar amount but get TWO free batteries – depending on the kit.

There are stacking discounts galore, whereas normally this is isn’t allowed to happen.

Here are examples of why I think this is a hot deal:

I bought a Makita XGT cordless track saw last year at the end of November. It was $580 at the time, or $522 after 10% discount (plus tax).

Right now, that same XGT track saw kit is $629 (prices went up this year). With the $75 discount, as this is above the $499 threshold for the maximum discount, the price drops to $554. That’s not too far off from what I paid, BUT I didn’t get any freebies when I ordered my track saw a year ago.

With this promo, you get the XGT cordless track saw kit for $554, plus a FREE XGT 4Ah battery, plus a FREE Makita guide rail. The guide rail sells for $75 by itself, and the 4Ah battery sells for $219!!

If I were to buy this deal now, I would be spending $32 more than last year (after discount), but I’d get $294 worth of bonus items that I could use, and at no extra charge.

As a reminder, Milwaukee’s M18 Fuel cordless track saw has been delayed until early 2023. Maybe that’s part of why this is such an enticing deal?

Consider the Makita XGT 40V Max 2pc cordless power tool combo kit – it’s $449 at Acme Tools right now.

The combo kit comes with 2x 2.5Ah batteries, which sell for $159 each, and you get 2x FREE 4.0Ah batteries, which according to Acme’s listing sell for $219 each. So that’s a total of 4 batteries for $449. After $40 discount, that’s $409. If the order total is brought over $499 with eligible Makita tools, you get $75 off.

2 tools, 4 batteries, 1 charger, and a tool bag – for $409 after $40 off discount.

Note – this combo kit is just $20 more than the 2-battery kit with the impact driver by itself, or $25 more than the 2-battery kit with just the hammer drill by itself.

Also keep in mind that Makita XGT is a 40V Max (36V nominal) cordless power tool system; think “5Ah 18V equivalent” when I say “2.5Ah,” and “8Ah 18V equivalent” when I say “4Ah.”

There’s also still an ongoing “buy 2 XGT bare tools get a FREE 4Ah battery” promo. From what I saw, all of those tools are also eligible for this money-off promo as well.

There are also plenty of Makita 18V tools also eligible for this promo. I’m not at all interested in the 18V lineup, but this can be a good promo for those of you that are.

Were you hoping for a deal on the Makita XGT rear-handle circular saw? BAM – it’s $399, eligible for the buy more, save more discount, AND you get 2x 4Ah batteries for FREE. So that’s 3x 4Ah batteries – sold separately at $219 each, plus the saw, charger, and tool bag. The buy more, save more discount on just this kit would be $40 off, for $359 total. That’s less than the price for just 2 of the 3 batteries you get with this deal.

The promo ends at 11:59pm CST on 11/15/2022 or while supplies last.

I have NEVER seen such deals on Makita XGT cordless power tools or kits before.

I’m goin’ shopping!

Done! (I was able to backorder items and the discount applied without issue.)

Readers requested a couple of specific Makita XGT tool reviews. It has been impossible for ToolGuyd to get any XGT test samples from Makita USA, and so I finally pulled out ToolGuyd’s credit card to order a few things.

I didn’t save any more on the 2 bare tools I ordered – aside from $75 and getting a free battery – but I did get more with the kit – one more extra battery than I would have gotten just 2 weeks ago with the last buy more, save more promo.

In the last deal post, someone asked if I could review an XGT miter saw, but that’s still beyond my interest right now. Not to mince words, it’s a lot of money that I’d rather spend on something else, especially since I’ve been extremely pleased with other brands’ cordless miter saws. I’m curious about the XGT, but not that curious. Maybe I’ll change my mind if there’s a better deal on higher ticket items than this promo.

Should You Wait for a Better Deal?

Will there be a better deal?

If there’s a better deal, say 15% off, there’s a strong chance these freebie deals will either be excluded or temporarily cancelled out.

“Buy now or wait” is always a hard choice. I decided to buy now for the two orders just over the $75 off $499+ threshold, but would wait on higher-priced tools, such as $749+ miter saws.

This is the best promo I have ever seen on XGT kits – unless you can’t use the free batteries. The bare tool deal where you buy 2 tools and get a free battery is also quite good, just like it was during the last buy more, save more promo.

The XGT track saw deal is the best I’ve seen yet. If I didn’t have my purchased copy from last year, I’d absolutely have bought one right now with this deal.

Makita USA has provided a sneak-peek at 12 new cordless power tools they will be launching towards the end of this year and into 2023.

Some of the new Makita cordless power tools have been highly anticipated and wished-for, such as their first-ever cordless air compressor!!

The new tools will be coming to 3 of Makita’s cordless systems – LXT 18V, XGT 40V Max, and ConnectX.

Please let me know in comments if you have any questions, and which of the new tools you are most excited about. Information is limited, and I will provide updates as I learn more.

Here’s What’s New

• XGT Cordless Air Compressor
• 18V One-Handed Reciprocating Saw
• 18V Brushless 3″ Cut-Off Tool
• XGT 4-Speed Impact Driver
• XGT Circular Saw
• XGT 21″ Self-Propelled Commercial Lawn Mower
• 18V Compact Hammer Drill & Combo Kit
• 18V 14″ Cordless Chainsaw
• XGT 18″ Cordless Chainsaws
• 18V Deep-Capacity Rebar Tying Tool
• ConnectX Backpack Blower
• XGT 14″ Power Cutter – in stores now

About Makita’s Cordless Power Tool Systems

Here are brief introductions to the 3 cordless systems discussed in this post. From Makita USA’s press materials:

Makita LXT 18V | 36V (18V X2):

The world’s largest cordless tool system powered by 18V batteries (300+ Products, One System), with an expansive range of 18V and 36V solutions for construction, landscaping, lighting, and much more.

Makita XGT 40V Max | 80V Max (40V Max X2):

The most powerful cordless system with battery-powered equipment and tools engineered for applications that traditionally demand corded, gas or air power (100+ products, one system).

Makita ConnectX 36V | 40V Max:

A runtime and power solution for professional landscapers seeking a gas replacement. The ConnectX 1,200 watt hour battery is compatible with ConnectX products, as well as 40V max XGT and 36V (18V X2) LXT products.

Reminder: Watt-hours, or energy capacity, depends on a battery’s operating voltage and charge capacity. For example, an 18V 5Ah battery has an energy capacity of 18V x 5Ah = 90 Watt-hours, and an XGT 40V Max 4Ah battery has an energy capacity of 36V (nominal) x 4Ah = 144 Watt-hours.

Makita XGT 2-Gallon Cordless Air Compressor (AC001GM1)

The new Makita AC001GM1 cordless air compressor features a 2-gallon tank and is described as having the lightest weight in its class.

Makita says it’s up to 10 lbs lighter than top competitor models, and is ideal for indoor use and room-to-room applications.

The compressor is also a Quiet Series model, delivering quieter operation with a noise rating of 68 dB(A).

You can expect to drive up to 700 2″ brad nails on a single charge with a 4Ah battery.

ETA: Q1 2023

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Makita 18V Brushless One-Handed Reciprocating Saw (XRJ08)

The new Makita XRJ08 compact 18V cordless reciprocating saw has a one-handed design, which is ideal for overhead cutting tasks or working in tight spaces.

It has a loop-shaped handle guard, for added protection and improved tool rigidity. Makita says that its one-handed grip is positioned to firmly transmit force to the workpiece.

Makita also says that the new saw operates with 40% lower vibration than their previous model, XRJ07ZB, which is their subcompact reciprocating saw.

It can make up to 90 cuts in 2×10 lumber on a single charge with a 5Ah battery.

ETA: Late 2022

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Makita 18V Brushless 3″ Cut-Off Tool (XCM01)

The new Makita XCM01 3″ brushless cut-off tool can be operated with one hand. It features 20,000 RPM max speed and forward and reverse operation.

Press materials mention that a dust collection cut-off guard with adjustable cutting depth will be available.

ETA: Q1 2023

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Makita XGT Brushless 4-Speed Impact Driver (GDT02)

This new Makita GDT02 40V Max brushless impact driver features 4-speed/torque modes, and is described as a key addition to the XGT fastening category.

Makita added that this model combines power, torque, and high speed for efficient fastening.

The GDT02 joins Makita’s GDT01 as the brand’s second XGT 40V Max brushless impact driver.

ETA: Late 2022

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Makita XGT Brushless 6-1/2″ Circular Saw (GSH05)

Makita is adding a new compact brushless 6-1/2″ circular saw to their XGT 40V Max lineup, model GSH05.

It features a compact inline design, magnesium base for lower weight, built-in rafter hook, and dust collection port.

There are positive bevel angle stops at 22.5°, 45°, and 50°.

The saw can deliver up to 290 cuts in 2×10 SPF in a single charge with a 4.0Ah battery.

ETA: Mid-2023

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Makita XGT Cordless Self-Propelled Commercial Lawn Mower (GML01)

The XGT lineup is also getting a new Makita GML01 brushless 21″ self-propelled commercial lawn mower, which is described as delivering gas-like performance.

It features premium cut quality with high vacuum lift, self-propelled cruise control technology, and a commercial-grade steel deck.

According to Makita’s early details, the mower can cut up to 1-1/5 acres of grass in 108 minutes with 2x 40V Max XGT 8Ah batteries.

ETA: Q1 2023

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Makita 18V Compact Cordless Hammer Drill (XPH16)

The new Makita XPH16 18V hammer drill delivers more torque at high speed for efficient fastening. Rated at 970 in-lbs max torque, the new model looks to push the boundary of what a compact drill can do.

It has a 6-7/8″ length and weighs 4.9 lbs with a 5Ah battery.

ETA: Summer 2023

The hammer drill will be featured in a new 18V 2pc cordless combo kit, model XT296.

The XT296 combo will come with the new XPH16 hammer drill, and Makita’s XDT14 3-speed impact driver.

ETA: Summer 2023

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Makita 18V Brushless 14″ Rear-Handle Chainsaw (XCU11)

The new Makita XCU11 18V 14″ chainsaw has a compact rear-handle design for easier maneuverability.

It delivers high torque and speeds of 0-1520 FPM, while weighing 9.3 lbs with a 4Ah battery.

The saw can make up to 73 cuts in 4×4 cedar on a single charge when powered by a 4Ah battery.

ETA: Q1 2023

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Makita XGT Brushless 18″ Chainsaws (GCU04, GCU06)

The Makita GCU04 40V Max XGT chainsaw is described as delivering the power of a 42cc gas chainsaw.

It can make up to 40 cuts in 12″ diameter cedar with a 5Ah battery.

ETA: Q1 2023

Makita also announced a GCU06 18″ chainsaw, which also delivers the power of a 42cc gas chainsaw.

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Makita 18V Brushless Deep Capacity Rebar Tying Tool (XRT02)

A new Makita XRT02 rebar tier offers deep capacity and the ability to tie #8 with #7 rebar. It can make up to 5,300 ties of #3 x #3 diameter rebar on a single 5Ah battery charge.

Features include 2-mode operation for single or continuous wire tie actuation, and an easy-load wire reel design with automatic locking mechanism.

ETA: Late 2022

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Makita 36V ConnectX Brushless Backpack Blower (CBU02)

The new Makita CBU02 brushless backpack blower – part of the 36V ConnectX system, delivers the power equivalent to that of a 64cc gas engine backpack blower.

It delivers 671 CFM and airspeed of 157 MPH.

Features include a variable speed trigger, and a cruise control that can set the air movement to between 0 and 671 CFM without having to hold down the trigger.

In the image above, the backpack blower is shown connected to Makita’s ConnectX PDC1200A01 1200 watt-hour battery pack. This power pack recharges in 360 minutes via included AC power supply, is rated to IPX4 weather resistance, and holds the energy storage equivalent to more than 13X 5Ah batteries.

ETA: Q1 2023

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Makita XGT Cordless 14″ Power Cutter (GEC01)

As the newly launched GEC01 was at the front and center of Makita’s STAFTDA 2022 booth, it seems like a good idea to wrap up this post with a quick overview.

The new 40V Max X2 XGT 14″ power cutter is said to deliver the power and performance equivalent to a 75.6cc gas engine power cutter (Makita EK7651H).

Makita says the new XGT power cutter delivers a true gas replacement for cutting concrete, masonry, and metal.

It’s available now at Makita tool dealers, and eligible for certain holiday season promos.

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