Makita USA issued a new press release, announcing that their new XGT cordless power tools will come to the USA, and also clarifying that the new system will be positioned alongside their growing 18V LXT system.
Here’s the headline: Makita Offers Vision of Cordless Future with Expanded LXT and New XGT.
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Read More About the New Makita XGT 40V Max Cordless Tools
Makita says that the new XGT cordless power tools will be a standalone 40V Max system, and will be positioned alongside the current 18V LXT cordless power tool system.
XGT is engineered for select higher-demand applications as the industry pushes the transition to battery power. Although the 40V max XGT batteries look similar in size to 18V LXT batteries, XGT is a new system with its own tools, equipment, batteries, and chargers. XGT will launch first in Japan and will be available in the United States in late 2020.
This excerpt is the most notable part of the press release, with emphasis added.
Makita XGT will be its own system, with its own tools, equipment, batteries, and chargers. The press release does not mention any cross-platform adapters or cross-platform compatibility, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s not possible or planned.
The new Makita XGT 40V Max cordless power tools won’t be available in the United States until late 2020. Unfortunately, the long wait also means that we’re unlikely to be able to receive or ask for any additional information or details for quite some time.
Makita USA also comments about further expansion of their LXT (18V) cordless power tool system (with emphasis added):
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Makita will continue to invest heavily in LXT, and there is a tremendous roadmap of new LXT products in the pipeline for trade users in all segments.
Makita also says that the number of 18V LXT products will increase from 225 to over 250 products in 2020.
We’re still left with very many questions about the new Makita XGT cordless power tool platform, but this new announcement at least answers two very important questions.
To sum it up:
Will Makita’s new 40V Max XGT cordless power tool system replace their 18V LXT system? NO, Makita says that the two systems will be positioned alongside each other.
When will Makita XGT cordless power tools launch in the USA? Late 2020.
If you haven’t yet read our coverage on the new tools and tech: Meet the new Makita XGT 40V Max cordless power tool system.
Julian
Be sure to buy the first versions only to get burned and find out Makita was ALSO planning on releasing the exact same tools in a AWS version 6 months after.
Adam
I think the first chop saw will be AWS, I think these new tools will be very good, maybe the best cordless tools out there.
ToolGuyDan
Amazon Web Services?
Nate
Auto-Start Wireless System
glenn
The rotary hammers and the circular saw incorporate AWS, so I guess the mitre saw will have it as well.
Chris
Where will they have them “positioned alongside each other”?
I feel like they already have the smallest presence in home depot among the manufacturers (you definitely wouldn’t think they have 225 tools in the 18V lineup).
Is Makita sold in any other B&M location in the south east?
Sam
Lol,
I don’t know about your local HD, but here in the Chicago area, Makita has a good sized presence…stocking must be relative to area.
David Zeller
My eyes are deceiving me this morning. On the left side, all I could see was a circular saw on some sort of an extension – kind of like one of those “cordless brooms” for the kitchen.
Then it struck me… America is aging. Bending down is tough. Makita has introduced a new line of tools because “40(V) is the new 20(V)”.
You read it here first, folks.
bwh
the only aging involved here is your eyes.
That’s literally a circular saw with a reciprocating saw adjacent to it.
They do have a powered push broom that is pretty epic though.
Jared
I think the press release fits with the tools they’ve chosen to release. I.e. it’s the core tools that someone looking to buy into a new battery platform could be satisfied with. A person could buy into this line and never own an LXT tool – unlike Flexvolt where it’s high voltage only for tools that need it and the 20v line is where most users will start.
Big Richard
Agreed. A lot of LXT users seem oddly upset, but I don’t think this is marketed towards existing LXT users. Every year there are thousands of young and old are entering the trades or just starting a tool collection of their own, and this would be a great line up to invest in. It’s got the core essential tools. With the exception of the SDS drill, all the above tools were some of my first cordless tool purchases.
Bremon
Yeah why would LXT user be upset when the latest greatest stuff will gradually leave them and their batteries in the dust as focus gradually transitions to 40v Max.
Of course Makita says they’ll continue to support LXT. That’s what Dewalt said about 18v. New flagship drill, new flagship impact, etc. will all be 40v. Bet on that. Then as people have their 481, 171, etc. die they’ll slowly dip their toes into 40v and the Makita money train keeps rolling ahead. LXT users will be left in the cold (unless they buy a Makita heated blanket).
PHILIP JOHN
Yeah… you just point out why dewalt set up is better.
James
They didn’t answer the most important (to me) question though: will they continue to invest heavily in X2 and incorporate this tech into the LXT/X2 platform?
The Makita NZ site has some other info too, including on an adapter to let you charge LXT batteries on the XGT charger. Not particularly interested in that, but it does show it is possible to make the electronics of the two systems play together.
Lance
X2 is key. If they give up on X2 they are effectively giving up on LXT altogether. As tools get more powerful, LXT will be left behind without X2 tools.
LXT without X2 and XGT is essentially two completely separate platforms; one for smaller low demand tools and another for larger high demand tools. XGT will not have a true “compact” battery option as the smallest possible pack still requires 10 cells.
PHILIP JOHN
Funny you mention this. scroll up… and some guy says a lack of compatibility is better than dewalt flexvolt.
I guess he never does any work to run out of power!
Adam
I think these new 40 volt makita tools, could be very good, maybe they’ll have a chop saw with two battery’s and and Ac mains as well, just a shame we have to wait so long, I bought the Milwaukee cordless skill saw, because I didn’t like the makita 18 volt.
Jack
Yeah I don’t like the Makita 36 volt saw. Seems like it could be on the fragile side if dropped or something heavy thrown on top of it in gang box.
Frank D
Now there is a strategy, to announce 1 year before they will be available …
In this day and age of global commerce, announcing and being ready to ship globally within 1-3 months … what a fizzle.
Imagine if everything got announced and was sold that way, just wait a year.
dave jones
america isn’t the world. Just because it isn’t out in america for a year doesn’t mean that Japan and likely europe won’t get them sooner.
Adam
America usually gets the stuff first, it’s the biggest market.
Stuart
That’s untrue.
Makita says these tools will be released in the USA later.
Altan
I noticed Makita announces most of its newly released tools first in Australia. Not Europe, not US and probably not Japan itself.
Mark Lato
It all comes out in Japan first. You don’t know what you’re talking about. I work for the company.
Altan
Should I trust what I see online or what you say?!
BigDog
Australia’s tradies are always buying the better newer tools, Milwaukee and Makita would be to top sellers, our local store has I’m guessing a couple hundred tools on display and we live in remote Australia
Sam
Totally untrue.
The world is bigger than you think and the USA is no longer the only major player.
The What?
Well whoop-dee-fkn-doo. What a shocking surprise. If I were makita, I’d pull the X2 platform tools off the shelves before I released the xgt platform. Otherwise there’s going to be a lot of confusion about the price difference between the 36v X2 and the 40v XGT. Especially if someone asks why the XGT costs more for such a small increase in voltage. It’s nice that you won’t have to use 2 batteries, but I don’t see that being a valid reason if there’s a significant difference in the price. I’m curious to what the price difference will be between the X2 and XGT platforms. They did the right thing by not having the XGT platform compatible with the 18v LXT platform.
PHILIP JOHN
Let’s be clear. There is no such things as 40v.
Its only called 40v so it has a different name than its current line of 36v… or even 2×18 equals 36v.
It’s what dewalt did also when having 20v new line… while supporting old 18v line.
The only difference is they finally went to the new cell.
Jack
It will all come down to battery price. Remember, Makita already has a single battery 36 volt rotary hammer that didn’t sell due to charging $400 per battery. That is what led Metabo (Germany) and Makita to offer twin 18 volts as an option. My Metabo large size single batteries run $500/each.
PHILIP JOHN
The only question I have is.
Since dewalt is clearly ahead in this area and pretty much invented this HO segment… what will they do next.
They already got rid redundant tool lines to focus on 20 40 60 and 120v line. 18 v is alive a tiny bit and can use new bats.
They seem poised to release a bunch of tools using 2x 60v equals 120v. These would be big tools. Possibly even 4 x 60v.
Maybe a wheel barrel… a 26 in snow blower. A 14 inch construction saw. A new lawn mower. Even an E bike
Altan
All these tools were available in DeWALT 36V platform before except the Mitre saw.
dave
XGT will launch in europe in Spring 2020: https://www.makitauk.com/news/makita-offers-vision-of-cordless-future-with-expanded-lxt-and-new-xgt.html
Sam
Sooner or later they will drop the 18 volt line and make the transition to the 40 volt full on. But, that is some time away as Battery Technology advances. Makita invented the cordless power industry so let’s see what materializes.
Some of ya may not see the depth and breath of the makita 18v line, it is huge. Don’t sweat it though, it’s going to take awhile to phase out the 18 volt line.
DeWalt has developed the future though. Heavy power in voltage for appilcations that are outside operations of the 18volt world.
Now this development leaves the current market leader, Milwaukee in a pickle. Everyone’s going to big voltage, so they still have the 28v line, but it’s been on the back burner for years at a slower smolder. Given their battery advances and maximizing of a platform, do they update the 128 line to compete…my bet is they will.
But I don’t see the 18volt line going away since advances have squeezed out enough that they do 70% of the work required for tradesmen and serious did guys. The last 30% is for those chopsaws and table saws, and heavy industry applications.
Sam
I was way off. Milwaukee just introduced the MX Fuel line to address the heavy industrial needs, wow, amazing…
Sam
To barrow from small soldiers, everything else is just a toy…
Dorin
Makita used to make very reliable tools that were made in Japan, Europe, US, etc . More and more of Makita are being made in China. I had more problems with my new Makita tools over the last 2 years than the last 20 years. I own pretty much all brands and Makita used to be my favorite and honestly now they are all about the same. Milwaukee, Dewalt, and Makita they all have there strengths and weaknesses but if I have to rank them for quality and build 1st Makita, 2nd Milwaukee, 3rd Dewalt but not by much. Now at the rate Makita is going now I would not be surprised to see them fall to the bottom of the pack real soon just as they have clearly fallen behind on there battery development
Bad move for Makita’s 40v and here’s why- no backwards compatibility and no advantage over Dewalt’s flexvolt or Milwaukee fuel. Makita is trying to revive the 40v that Dewalt just scraped in favor of its flexvolt. Makita’s new platform wth adapter needed because its not backwards compatible, no thanks.
Dorin
Reviewing the old scraped 40v
Chris
I’m happy for the new platform. Same chemistry but larger cells. I assume instead of 5sp2 it’s a 10s configuration. Still just doubling voltage and reducing amps. For high current devices it should give better efficiency but the individual cells might not last as long unless they have voltage balancing built in which they just might.
All the X2 tools. I see no reason they can not adapt each tool to the new 40v platform with trivial modifications. I expect they will have adapters to use the new 40v in the current X2 platform unless they milk it to force people to buy new tools. Further I expect a redesign of entire X2 lineup to eventually take both batteries or possibly even take two 40max(still 36v each) or two 18v. If it takes two 40max it won’t double the voltage but rather auto switch like the new lawnmowers. Biggest trouble will be the balance of the tools will be different.
I think dual compatibility in any form if they go for it will make new and old customers happy.
But I think they might have missed an opportunity. A battery with custom solid state relays that would allow both 18v or 36v. It would make the batteries more expensive in the first 5 years but more versatile over the next 20.