As we previously discussed, Makita is coming out with a new line of 12V Max CXT cordless power tools. These new tools feature a slide-pack-style battery system which is completely incompatible with their current 12V Max stem-style battery packs.
I first learned about the new Makita CXT line from Home Depot’s website, where this 2-piece combo was listed for just $99. The listing has since been removed, but it turns out that the 3/8″ drill and impact driver specs were accurate.
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Now, the same combo, CT226, has appeared for preorder on Amazon, but with a $346 price tag.
Amazon’s preorder pricing, or rather their pre-availability pricing, is occasionally higher than the “real” street price of a tool. But $346 is way higher than $99. There’s plenty of time for the price to drop, and it really should.
I originally thought that the new line would be budget priced, but that is looking to be improbable.
I cannot imagine that Amazon will sell many of these Makita CXT 12V Max drill and driver combos at such high pricing. For the same $346, you can buy a premium Milwaukee M12 Fuel brushless drill and driver combo, plus an extra high capacity battery, and still have some cash left over.
The same money would get you a pro-brand 18V-class drill and impact combo, except for Milwaukee and Dewalt’s most premium 18V-class offerings.
Makita promised a closer look at these tools last month, but hasn’t delivered on that. We don’t know anything more about these tools, other than what was mentioned in our first-look preview, which talks about the new and not-backwards-compatible battery form factor, and how these are the first Makita Li-ion battery packs to feature built-in fuel gauges.
Home Depot’s early listing price indicated that this might be a new budget-priced cordless tool platform, but Amazon’s early listing price is completely contradictory of that. Amazon also has conflicting tool specs, and I’m pretty sure the price is bogus – it has to be – but it’s unlikely to drop to $99.
I am also disappointed to see that Makita’s CXT lineup will launch with just a cordless drill and impact driver. What about a circular saw? Brushless offerings? Compact recip or jig saws?
Meanwhile, Makita recently announced a new 12V Max LED worklight that works with their stem-style battery packs.
I find myself hoping that Makita will maintain both 12V Max battery platforms, as the different battery pack form factors allow for the best of both worlds when it comes to tool designs, but it seems doubtful that they can maintain two incompatible 12V Max product lines simultaneously, at least long term.
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Garrick says
I really wish the tool industry would get together and standardise their batteries.
It was done with consumer batteries a long time ago {AAA, AA C, D, 9-volt… I wonder what happened to B-cells?)}. When alkaline, and then rechargeable and lithium batteries came out, they still fit them inside the same cells.
It would cost far less to produce fewer platforms, and consumers would be able to buy the perfect tool, instead of compromising to fit their already owned proprietary platforms.
fred says
I’ve seen specs and written advertising copy that suggests differences in battery and charger design and performance between brands that might make one brand’s battery incompatible with the next – beyond just the form factor. So even if the battery connections were the same – Brand A battery might not charge correctly on a Brand B charger nor handshake correctly with a Brand C tool – and so on.
While “I’m guessing that an industry standard for battery connections, charger operation and battery to tool interface might be worked out – some might cry foul and/or see anti-fair-trade issues. I’m also guessing that the manufacturer’s marketing gurus may be more behind the diversity of battery connections etc. – trying to build brand loyalty and lock-in to battery platforms.
Toolfreak says
You’ll never get power tool companies to compromise on such things, because in every industry, each company wants THEIR design to be the standard – so they can get a percentage of the profits from everyone else using it.
There are of course some reasonable people in the companies that want things like standardized battery design, but they are constantly obstructed and shouted down by those who have visions of massive profits from dominating and controlling the market.
Nathan says
when you see the difference in the power, current throughput between LI-PO batteries and alkaline toy batteries. you’ll realize there can’t effectively be a set standard for interchangeable batteries. Even if you did the liability of possible fires and damage is so high companies will always want to keep power supply as an in house design.
I can see it now – you put an inferior _______ battery in your milwaukee impact driver because it was 12 bucks at harbor freight and it’s the same LIX2 battery standard (or whatever they would call it). and part way through your deck build the battery melts the caseing and thermal runaway starts. before too long you’ll have liquid lithium pouring out at 800+ degrees.
that’s a bad day.
no if they can eventually make an impact driver to run off 2 9-volts, and actually do meaningful work – I’d be in like flynn.
Toolfreak says
You can already buy no-name knockoff Li-ION batts for most power tools online. The cells that are in these things are pretty standardized, it’s just the DESIGN of the battery casing itself and the terminals/contacts that make it so one, say, 10.8V/12V Max battery from Bosch won’t fit into a 12V Max tool from Milwaukee, or even Bosch’s own Skil brand.
The issue is cost and competition more than anything. If the 10.8V/12V Max battery design was standardized, companies probably wouldn’t be able to charge so much for the batteries.
That said, the multi-tool packs and various accessories and kits that come with batteries are often better deals than even buying ONE battery, so you can spend say, $59.99 on an accessory pack that comes with two batteries and stuff instead of paying $40-50 for one battery. It’s a way to make you dig yourself even deeper into the brand and platform, sure, but at least the companies arent charging $100 per battery or something.
Nathan says
so are those 20C, 31C or 40C individual cells? what’s the current capacity of the cell? How are they insulated from each other?
what’s the wire capacity.
yes sure there are standard cell sized in Li Ion batteries, but they aren’t exactly fully interchangeable either.
now on the interbrand designs – yes I agree that’s a crock. But again I suspect a porter cable 20V pack might use 20C batteries where as the dewalt pack uses 30’s or 40. so higher individual discharge rates – higher through puts. wouldn’t work so well in a higher strength dewalt tool. (same for the other brands)
Toolfreak says
I’m not saying the 20V Li-ION batterys use the same cells as the 12V Max batteries, just that, for a given battery size/type, the cells used are pretty standard, though sure, certain brands may use something else.
The 12V Max line I used is a good example – Bosch, Skil, Milwaukee, Ryobi, etc. all use the same 10.8/12V Max battery in their compact 12V Max tools and they are completely interchangeable, or at least they would be if the plastic handle from one would allow the battery from another to fit, and if the terminals would all line up.
This doesn’t apply so much to the larger 12V/18V/20V/etc rectangular batteries since there’s a lot more freedom in cell type and configuration, but you can be pretty sure that the batteries from one brand would work fine in another brand when they come from the same battery manufacturer in China and they are the same except for the terminal configuration, and of course the shape of the plastic housing and attachment points.
Toolfreak says
I would guess that this 12V drill/impact set is just an in-between offering for those who want a more traditional drill design that is less like the compact 12V Max tools but don’t want the weight or the expense of an 18V.
Makita is still highly regarded, by both contractors and DIYers. $99 is the sweet spot in pricing for drill/driver sets, and getting a drill, driver, two batteries, charger, and a carry bag for that price is sure to win them a lot of customers, especially if these are available before the holiday shopping season.
I’d rather not see Makita go this direction completely and drop the compact 12V Max lineup, since that’s what competes directly with Bosch and Milwaukee’s 12V Max products, and more competition is better, especially in that segment that is still growing.
Nathan says
so – theory on why the new tools. the little bit I use Makita stuffs.
I notice they are blue again that’s nice. but you see that 5 post charger base? I suspect there will be quite a few more devices moving to this with significant power increases. (stronger impact drivers, long life screw drivers, etc) and there will be bigger batteries to run on them.
also I’d need to grab one to compare but what’s the makita 18V pack connections look like. they wouldn’t happen to be compatible would they? ALA dewalts 12/18 volt chargers and the like.
Surprised slightly by the price but I suspect that’s temporary.
will says
Amazon’s suggested prices are always stupid high. They will have a drill on sale for $99 and say its retail price is $400 so they can say you save $301. I would assume the price for the kit would be $149-199 but that’s just my guess.
Hector says
Just saw that makita also makes a 18v with battery gauge its in there offical website xdt11r 18v http://cdn.makita.com/apps/cms/img/xdt/add687fb-9e53-4dce-9eab-c0f1609761b5_xdt11r_k_500px.png
Stuart says
Nice, thanks for the tip!
Dominic van Lievenoogen says
And it should launch with 6 different tools and can be seen in this press release from the japanse website:
http://www.makita.co.jp/ir/documents/press/2015/20150915.pdf
It’s a new drill driver with chuck
Drill driver without chuck
Impact driver
Hammer drill
Circular saw ( pretty much their old type but adjusted to the new batteries; Although it has 100 more rpm’s )
And a reciprocating saw ( also 99% the old type )