Makita USA is launching a new series of Outdoor Adventure cordless power tools and accessories.
The Makita Outdoor Adventure line aims to bring new levels of cordless performance to outdoor activities such as camping, hiking, fishing, tailgating, and more.
The tools feature an outdoor environments-inspired olive green color scheme.
Advertisement
The new tools are part of Makita’s 18V LXT cordless line, and offer the same features, performance, and versatility.
Some of the tool choices might seem a bit unconventional, such as the compact HEPA vacuum, but such tools are already being used beyond jobsites and DIY projects.
In press materials, Brent Withey, Makita USA VP of Brand Marketing says:
There is a greater appreciation of the outdoors as people are spending more time outside. At the same time, there are no battery-powered systems in the outdoor products category with the advanced technology and proven performance of LXT
With the new Outdoor Adventure, users now have the battery-powered products they can count on when they hit the open road. If you’re a pro contractor, a build-it-yourselfer or simply a lover of the great outdoors, Outdoor Adventure and LXT is the cordless system for you.
The new line is launching in October 2022 with (16) 18V battery-powered products, and Makita has plans to expand with a range of new function-specific products on the way.
Advertisement
Here’s a list of all the new Makita Outdoor Adventure products:
Cordless/Corded Work Light (ADML811) – 3,000 lumens, 3 modes, up to 11 hours runtime on 5hr battery, “ideal for group campsites or nighttime tailgate parties.”
LED Lantern/Flashlight (ADML807) – 3 lighting modes, up to 23 hours runtime with 5Ah battery, provides bright area lighting, and has a top-hook for convenient mounting.
LED Flashlight/Spotlight (ADML812) – Illuminates up to 700 yards in spot and spot/flood mode, up to 8.5 hours runtime in spot mode with 5Ah battery. Great for “when things go bump in the night on the campsite.”
LED Flashlight (ADML815) – Up to 160 lumens and up to 45 hours runtime with a 5Ah battery
Bluetooth Speaker (ADRM08) – “Powerful and portable,” and “delivers rich sound from a woofer and tweeter combo.” Features Bluetooth connectivity and an aux port. Water and dust resistant.
Bluetooth Radio (ADRM06) – “Rich stereo sound,” 2x 3.5″ side-firing speakers, FM radio, aux port, Bluetooth connectivity.
9” Fan (ADCF201Z) – Powerful fan with reduced wind noise and 3-stage “set and forget” automatic timer.
9-1/4” Oscillating Fan (ADCF203Z) – Reduced wind noise, oscillating setting increases cooling area.
Cordless Power Source (ADAP05) – Leverage an 18V LXT battery for on-the-go charging of up to to USB-compatible devices at a time.
Tire Inflator (ADMP180) – Delivering up to 120 PSI, the inflator can fill tires for cars, light trucks, off-road vehicles, bikes, and more. It can also be used to inflate lifestyle products, such as air mattresses.
Brushless 12″ Top Handle Chainsaw (ADCU10) – “Clear the trail ahead with this powerful top handle chain saw.” It can be used for everything from “car camping to the backcountry.” The chain saw delivers the power of a 22cc gas chain saw, but without the hassle of gasoline.
Brushless Wet/Dry Vacuum (ADCV11) – “Clean up the dirt and liquids from a tent, car, van, canoe and more.” It provides up to 60 minutes of runtime on a 5Ah battery.”
Blower (ADBU05) – Up to 219 MPH of blowing force to clear away dust and debris from a tent, camper, or pop-up trailer.
Coffee Maker (ADCM501Z) – Brews a 5oz cup of coffee in 5 minutes. Permanent drip filter requires no paper filters, for less to pack in or trash to pack out.
36V (18V X2) LXT® Hot Water Kettle (ADTK01Z) – Coming Soon
Cooler and Warmer (ADWC01) – Coming Soon
Availability
The Outdoor Adventure products will be available as bare tools or in kit format, depending on the type of product.
ETA: October 2022 (later for the Kettle and cooler/warmer)
Discussion
This is an interesting move by Makita USA.
There are a lot of places where the new color scheme simply looks better, where bright teal (or red, or yellow, or orange) might not.
Cordless power tools are already popular for outdoor activities – beyond lifestyle or recreational use – such as for clearing trails and bolting rock climbing paths.
The way I see it, Outdoor Adventure is a line of tools specially curated and tailored to outdoor users – and anyone who finds greater appeal in the earth-tone colors.
The initial launch looks to include a selection of existing products, and the promise of future expansion holds a lot of potential.
What’s your take on this new series?
Jared
Are all the “new” tools existing Makita products with a new color scheme? I.e. is the idea just that, by changing the color Makita is reminding consumers that these cordless tools can be used for outdoor activities?
If that’s the case, I don’t mind the new color – but I’m a little underwhelmed.
Stuart
I believe these this is a curation of specially-styled existing products.
On one hand, yes, this is Makita reminding customers that these cordless tools can be used for outdoor activities.
On the other hand, this is Makita showing customers which tools are well-suited for outdoor activities, and giving them a more favorable color scheme.
Let’s say you’re volunteering to clean up hiking and biking trails, and you’re given funds to buy a cordless chainsaw. Which one do you buy? Makita’s website lists 24 different SKUs right now. Other brands also have multiple SKUs.
Is this line good for such users? It could be. If you don’t think so, what *would* make the Outdoor Adventure line better for such users?
Jared
I don’t object to the tools Makita chose to include. I mentioned in a comment below – I take some of those same items, albeit from different manufacturers, when I go camping.
The idea of releasing an alternate color? Not bad either.
But when Makita tells me “a new adventure awaits”, I suppose I was hoping for more.
JoeM
I’m kinda with Jared on this. I wanted to say something else, but it involves profanity, so I won’t use it.
Yeah, Makita makes some really great cordless tools that would make camping, in modern days, more comfortable and enjoyable. They border on that awful new trend called “Glamping” which essentially just puts your home amenities in portable spot somewhere, and you don’t have to do any off-grid nature work at all… but luckily… I’m not seeing any of the tools they’ve chosen to be straight up “Glamping” tools.
Even if they kept the original Makita livery… If they had just launched a campaign about exploring the outdoors with style, or make the outdoors fun to go to… I’d be cool with that. The whole colour change… I’m colourblind so it doesn’t click in my brain that anything has changed. It looks like they put a filter on the lens of the camera to make it seem nostalgic, and whatever colour they are, and have also become, is outside my visual range. So I’m not likely to be a relevant opinion on the colour itself.
That said… If all they did was change the colour and call it a “New” line… That’s… (censored) stupid… “Outdoor Adventure Edition” (OAE) would be fine, even innovative and cool. But there’s nothing new about these. They were…. so close… to a perfect launch idea… And in this case it’s solely their choice of description for this that bugs me. It’s not like Makita does any of these things Badly so why would I think any of these tools, regardless of colour change, would be a bad thing?
I’m with Jared on this. Their choice use “New” as the descriptor is unimpressive at best. Weird and unsettling at worst.
Aaron Moravek
I’d like to see Makita make a hand mixer, stand blender, immersion blender, food processor, coffee/spice grinder, salad shooter. I think both man an women could get behind something like this. No cords running everywhere in your kitchen. Not subjected to working in a spot that has an outlet.
Chuck
Could it be more effective to get 120v versions and a higher end inverter like the Dewalt 1500w one?
That way you can still use the makita batteries, but you don’t have to settle for lesser appliances
MM
I think Aaron’s idea was to avoid cords getting in the way in the kitchen rather than being able to use those appliances outdoors. If you used an inverter you still have cords so it’s not helpful indoors. The inverter could be useful for camping of course, though there are alternatives. I know a gentleman who has a gas-powered blender he uses for making blended drinks at parties & tailgating, it has a 2-stroke motor in the base like that in a trimmer or a chainsaw.
Anyway, I think the cordless kitchen equipment is a good idea for a number of reasons. It’s nice not to have to worry about cords, especially for an immersion blender or a handheld mixer. Also, the fact that modern cordless tools sometimes outperform their corded equivalents could work here too: a countertop blender that could exceed 1800 watts would be wonderful. People who bake large batches may want a more powerful stand mixer. It’s also nice because it reduces the chance over overloading a circuit. I have two separate circuits for the outlets in my kitchen work area and even with that I sometimes end up inadvertently tripping a breaker trying to juggle various combinations of blender, deep fryer, air fryer, toaster oven, etc. With a cordless stick blender you don’t have to worry about which circuit the deep fryer is running when you go to use it.
That said, I’m of the opinion that the majority of consumer-grade kitchen equipment is either garbage, gimmicky, overpriced, or some combination thereof. The great irony is that a lot of the time professional grade equipment is not only superior to, but also less expensive than kitchen equipment marketed to consumers. I’d be interested in a cordless immersion blender, but only if it runs like a Robot-Coupe, not like a Kitchenaid or a Braun.
Greg moessner
Blenders, coffee makers vacuums use your imagination for household uses
Aaron Moravek
That’s exactly what happened
Frank D
Same question, are these just all existing tools in a new tint?
Steve
I had this idea not long ago, make an outdoor line in your battery platform and make it camo, because a lot of the guys using your tools M-F are the ones who go outdoors on the weekends. Some would be new outdoor products, some would be camo versions of existing products. Makita did this almost exactly, close in color too, just differing on some of the products I thought up to include vs what they have here. Well done Makita.
Munklepunk
Camo paint schemes is how manufacturers get you to buy another after you lose it.
TomD
Even if you don’t lose it these will be harder to find on a job site.
I’m surprised they didn’t go whole hog and make them actually camouflage.
Mat
Leave it to Makita to replace one hideous color with another 🙂
Bonnie
I like the teal… But yeah they picked one of the ugliest colors that could charitably be called “olive”.
Stacey Jones
Yup. Ugly.
Jack
Marketing – convince potential buyers to buy. For me, the spotlighted products are underwhelming – dare I say a “turn off”. Makita now has a steep uphill climb for my future purchases.
Adam
I think I would have preferred camo for all these tools, and even I’m not a camo fan for everything
John
Anyone else notice in the outdoor group photo, that the vac selector switch ring is still teal but the individual photo shows the selector ring is black. As a long time photographer, I notice those things.
I have a lot of Makita products, many that were put into this new category/color scheme. Currently I am indifferent. It doesn’t bother me. I understand it’s mainly marketing since there are no NEW tools.
JoeH
Good eye! I wonder if this was a miss by the Product team, or if some of the tools were photoshopped from teal to OD and that ring got missed?
Rog
ZZzzzzZZ. I had assumed this was an outdoor products-focus launch based off the teaser language but sheesh. Literally just recolored existing products. Is any of this new???
Nathan
I’m conflicted a bit. I mean why olive drab green. If they will cost less maybe. some of those I honeslty don’t want blending into the ground.
Meh. Otherwise I like the general idea – really like the idea of that hot water kettle. but I bet it’s cost prohibitive. But again general idea, i’ve noticed more and more that I see people camping or rather Glamping – with their power tool kit.
I don’t think of carting a chainsaw with me as camping. but I can see the appeal. I like the fan idea especially the oscillator one.
And while I do mean this with some snark, I also agree there is a market for it, where is their battery powered 32 inch HD set?
Again like the general idea – the other companies are doing this too. Expect to see a full Dewalt or Milwaukee line up soon.
Bonnie
Yeah, that chainsaw is definitely not a “camping” tool. This would have been a great opportunity to bring out some kind of compact “hatchet” saw like Milwaukee or DeWalt. Those I can see actually being useful when cleaning up a campsite, and I believe they even make one but don’t sell it in NA.
Jared
I take some power tools when I go camping – including my Flexvolt chainsaw. What’s not “camping” about it? I’m usually random camping and can get a permit to cut deadfall.
I’m not that worried about my bright yellow saw, but I might have picked a different color were it an option. I also take my Bosch floodlight and a Ridgid fan. The fan is especially useful – not so much for personal cooling, but as a quick way to kick-off a fire or to get it roaring again if it gets a bit smoky.
Those are all tools corresponding with Makita options that have been including in this color update, so their choices make sense to me.
Bonnie
Are you cutting full firewood rounds and then splitting them? I just don’t see how a 12″ chainsaw is the tool you’d want for collecting deadfall for a campfire, versus say a 6-8″ pruning/hatchet saw (still battery powered).
Dedicated trail maintenance or building a public campground I can see, but that’s classic OPE stuff, not really “outdoor adventure”.
Jared
Yes, they’re often full trees. In the areas I usually camp I can get a permit to cut down trees if I want, or just deadfall.
I’m not suggesting a small saw wouldn’t be welcome too – one of my friends often brings one. Having both is handy.
Travis
I take my 16” flexvolt chainsaw along camping. Some places I go offer free wood so no one brings in infestation with outside wood. It’s a big pile and all you have to do is cut up and take to site. It’s all full size logs and some need splitting. This is all normal practice where I camp
Big Richard
I don’t camp without my DeWalt 12″. I’m not cutting up monster trees or branches, but most are probably in that 6-8″ diameter where a 6-8″ Hatchet style pruning saw could technically do the work, but would be slow going and inefficient. I think a saw this size is the ideal size for camping, as it can do some light limbing and clean up, or cut up decent rounds for splitting. All while taking up much less space than a typical chainsaw.
MM
I’ve never taken a chainsaw camping but I could see that it might be useful for some people for maintaining trails or cutting up firewood. Hunters also use them for clearing branches out of shooting lanes. The chainsaw makes more sense to me than the vacuum does.
Stuart
Agreed.
TomD
Yep – some of the camping places friends have around here need a chainsaw on first access in the season – it’s rare that there’s not a tree down on the road/logging lane somewhere.
Bonnie
“At the same time, there are no battery-powered systems in the outdoor products category with the advanced technology and proven performance of LXT”
God I hate this kind of marketing bull. As far as I can tell *nothing* here is new, they’re all re-branded existing Makita products.
Jared
Ha, just like the comment: “There is a greater appreciation of the outdoors as people are spending more time outside. ”
That kind of comment instantly makes me think it was authored by someone with an MBA – words, but little meaning.
Stuart
Maybe, but that doesn’t make it untrue.
This is a tough one. We have been hoping for more lifestyle or non-jobsite-focused products for a while. Makita is now offering this.
Would I do anything differently? No, I don’t think so. Would you?
This is a smart start to what could be a long-term expanded focus for the brand.
TomD
Is the kettle new? I’d’ve included at least one or two entirely new tools.
Mateo
Underwhelming… but predictable since they’ve been big on this in Japan for a while. They could salvage the whole thing by at least offering impacts in the different color.
Ryan
April 1 new product idea meeting, ‘we can change existing outdoor equipment to a color that blends in with nature so not to offend any woodland creatures. All the money saved from developing new tools will be payed to ourselves as bonus pay.’
management, ‘start today’
Matt+E.
This is the problem with “teaser” based marketing; when you “tease” something “new” and “exciting” is coming… people start to speculate and imagine what that can be, and often their imaginations out pace the ability of the product planners to deliver.
And as a result, people are underwhelmed at best, put off at worst.
If they had just shut up and announced the tools without as much fan fare, people would have seen it more as what it is: a neat alternative color choice.
Bonnie
Eh, it did get us talking, and we’ll all remember these things more than we would have if it was just dropped into REI or wherever they plan to sell these things.
Nathan
While I agree the chainsaw makes more sense than the vac. but that getting a permit comment strikes the thought I had. Admittedly I haven’t camped in a while but I would think a park ranger would look hard at you for having a chainsaw – even the small on there.
Get a permit to cut down or as you say pick up deadfall – I could see that. Same thing you don’t go camping with a felling axe.
and to be fair from a camping point that hot kettle and the coffee maker don’t make sense either.
If I went tomorrow I would absolutely take one or 2 of my dewalt lights and some batteries. might as well and no the color is not even a consideration for me. BUT I could see one of the companies partnering with real tree or something in the future.
TomD
Ah but the ranger won’t see it – because the color blends in! It all comes together!
Mongoloid
I would shit if a ranger came up to me and questioned my ax, 12″ chainsaw, or hello kitty hiking booties. I do belive I’d end up I jail due to the absolute storm of insults and laughter I’d hurl at our imbicilic ranger…
Then again, there are a lot of really stupid people out there… maybe I shouldn’t take it for granted that he will be able to suss out my status as a very stable genius on sight.
Wayne R.
I get it why armies want their stuff to blend into the surroundings. I’m not a soldier, and I want my stuff to contrast with their surroundings so I don’t overlook it when I pack up. Just like Klein has some glow-in-the-dark handles, that would make sense on some of this stuff – like the lights. And consider reflective tent lines, so fewer people trip over them. Reflecto patches on some of these might be good too. Like that.
Olive drab? I don’t get it. For non-soldiers, even that goofy Navy camo would make better sense in the woods.
Saulac
I don’t understand a need for an “outdoor color”. Not hunter/fisher so I am not sure if a blended in or “camo” color is a necessity. But as an outdoorer (?)/camper, I use and proudly display a few of M12 tools that I take with me, or always have with me in the van. And here is the thing, I am proud to take my “tools” to play, but I am not sure if I want to take my “toys” to work.
OldDominionDIYer
I don’t know about making a big deal out of abandoning the company color scheme for a promotional gimmick. They must be desperate to sell anything at this point, sad state but many companies did not do well in and post COVID.
Chris
Needs a solar powered charger.
Cheis
Sorry, I meant to make that other comment it’s own comment. Not a reply to yours.
Rog
In their defense, Makita has been selling their tools in a variety of other colors for a long time. Just not in the US (their subcompact line aside).
MM
After speaking with a co-worker about this over the weekend I think this is a late by-product of a Camping popularity boom that hit Japan a few years ago. As you and Mateo mentioned they’ve already had these in Japan for years. But it’s not just that, the camping craze seems to have gotten into all sorts of things. I was surprised to learn that a prominent Japanese fantasy-themed video game which came out about 5 years ago (Final Fantasy 15) has massive amounts of product placement from Coleman. Yeah, no joke, Coleman lanterns and propane stoves. And it’s not even subtle either, it’s straight in your face. A Japanese comic book series about camping, Yurucamp, that ran from 2015 to 2019 was so popular that it spawned two animated TV series, a spin-off series of animated shorts, a theatrical animated film, and two live-action TV dramas.
I am sure THAT was the big trend which Makita was chasing, primarily in Japan, and now they figure why not sell those things here in the US as well?
G. G.
As I predicted in a comment leading up to this last week, this is disappointing. “All the same old tools you love – now in OLIVE DRAB!” Turns out my example idea of disappointing – adding an LED to their handheld vac- was actually more exciting than what they came up with. With my glib tongue and exciting ideas, I may have a career in Marketing awaiting me.
Robert
The purpose of the “goofy Navy camo” was so the lookout couldn’t notice you fell overboard. Here it’s Makita’s sales strategy. Get you to like their lifestyle equipment, but you have to keep replacing it because it blends in with nature and gets lost.
MT
Well I know I definitely want my outdoor tools to be harder to find outdoors! Who needs visibility in something I might set down while I’m out there working? Sign me up!
JMG
If the tools are really supposed to blend in to the natural surroundings, shouldn’t the Makita logo be in black or some other dark color, instead of white?
Rx9
I feel like they’re moving in the right direction, but the better way to do it would have been a partnership. People spend ridiculous amounts on outdoor products, like $500 fishing reels and $400 coolers, so cost isn’t entirely an object.
Portable power systems have a lot of outdoor applications, and a modular, widely supported system is a far better idea than a one-off.
If Makita is really serious, they may want to drag a few major players from the outdoor recreation scene and get them into a Makita 18v standard system, where Makita offers their battery system support and participating players develop Makita 18v powered versions of their biggest powered products.
Rx9
Think of the parterships – Warn atv winches, powered Yeti coolers, Columbia PFG branded waterproof fans, Mossy Oak heated gear.
A lot of the people who buy outdoor stuff work with their hands and trust in Makita as a tool manufacturer. Combined with the trust they have in established outdoor recreation brands, it could be enough to move a lot of products.
Jef
When I go tent camping, I always wish I could use a hepa vacuum cleaner around the camp site due to my pollen and dust allergies. This is going to be a game changer for me.
And even better, my color blind friend may have an even funner game of “where did I set it down” when using the leaf blower out in the woods.
Ct451
A battery powered CPAP machine would be good for the snorer 3 tends over who keeps you up all night.
JoeG
Cordless coffee maker seems like a good idea which I haven’t seen before.
TomD
Makita has had one for awhile. It’s performance is underwhelming, which is understandable because heat takes a lot of energy.
Bob
Always liked Makitas ideas on outside the box tools that can be improvised for camping and outdoor activities. coffee maker, lantern, fan, electric bike etc. Does anybody else even do a battery coffee machine?
No new tools but the marketing guys were still able to orchestrate a new ad campaign by simply changing colors. Playing the crumby hand they were dealt to the max.
Not interested personally (prefer hi viz to mitigate tool loss) but there are millions of outdoor lifestyle dollars out there. More power to them if they can capture some.
Fyrfytr998
One thing Makita should look into developing is a power inverter with their 40v batteries.
When I watch all my Camping Tubers. Everyone of them is hawking some sort of power inverter that lasts for a couple days between charges. And a nice quiet sort of large power generator can replace the gas powered ones. And maybe even eliminate a potential source of ignition (gasoline) for forest fires.
Harrison
To me, this is basically a car camping tool set for the “Overlanding” scene. For those not aware, it’s a movement of dude bros and dudettes who drive their lifted Landcruisers to semi remote locations and park there for a few days. Very style and image motivated, influenced by expedition vehicles and gear. Olive green is very, very popular, which honestly applies to most of the outdoors industry in recent years. From hammocks to knives to rain jackets, from Sierra Club to NRA, there are olive green products for everyone.
I actually have that vacuum and use it to clean out the car. Being brushless, it’s as powerful and efficient as you can hope for in its size category. 30 minutes full, 1 hour ish on half speed with a 5ah battery. I don’t care about the HEPA certification, but it doesn’t hurt anything. If there’s one thing I dislike about car camping, it’s having your tent and vehicle fill with grit and debris over your duration. Doubly worse if you have a dog. You can use a brush, but it just isn’t the same as a vac on upholstery/carpet. This vac is honestly perfect for the job.
Same with the chainsaw- I don’t own it, but I’ve tried it, and for those worried about it being ‘oversized’ with the 12” blade, don’t be, as it is seriously tiny. It barely takes up anymore space than the Fuel Hatchet, but has twice the cutting capacity. Bonus for having real chainsaw ergonomics. Imagine you’re driving along a remote road or trail and there’s a fallen log- The Makita isn’t the most powerful, but it would allow you to cut a 20” log in a couple of places and roll it out of the way. The Hatchet is basically useless for anything you couldn’t just drive over with your car anyways.
The olive is sort of ugly, but we know that’s subjective. Olive gear definitely sells.
One legitimate benefit I can think of is the low visibility when locked in the car on a daily basis. Lots of people leave saws and vacs in their cars all the time, and this green will disappear in the shadows, especially behind a tinted window. It at least won’t scream ‘Expensive tool!’ as badly as red orange or yellow.
Perry
I really wish makita would make a 110v inverter and bring back the original 18v/110v coffeemaker. The new coffeemaker is nowhere near as functional or practical as the original
Mac
I’ve used my Makita LXT cordless tools for building a bridge across a trail in Oregon…and other trail maintenance. Batteries are a problem and even with 8 batteries I can’t make it more than 4 hours…and we’re down a trail so it’s not like I can plug in a charger.
I use my inflator all the time airing up my Jeep after wheeling…and my tractor.
I use my leaf blower around my 17 acres and cleaning up garbage left in the forest. I would love to own a HEPA cordless vac for sucking up glass and other micro debris…I was waiting for a sale…10 and 15 percent didn’t cut it…and now with two price increases I can’t afford anything new.
A color change isn’t going to influence my purchasing decisions.
Blue is the easiest color to spot in the woods…keeps you from leaving an expensive tool behind.
My channel on YouTube is macleanflood – check out the Indian Creek bridge project.
-Mac
Michael
And yet we still only have a 6ah 18v to run these?
Ryan
A compact hammer would be a good addition. Something built to drive tent stakes and wedges for breaking down firewood into kindling.
I didn’t see a good pic of the air pump. I know it mentions inflatables, but is it compatible with a large format valve like you find on a SUP?