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.
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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.
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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.
Steve L
Stuart, I would take being blacklisted as a badge of honor for calling it as you see it.
Pity Makita doesn’t understand what you say is worth it’s weight in gold. Better to listen to critics and try to improve your product. Products with flaws won’t compete with Milwaukee and Dewalt and Festool and ……..
Stuart
*shrug* honestly, it’s nothing new – they’ve been giving us hot-cold-cold-cold signals for maybe a decade now. I think that we just have fundamental differences in how we approach press/media. Once I realized that Makita USA is akin to a car dealership rather than a manufacturer, everything clicked.
They also don’t “get” that I approach things as a tool user. Selling tools is their job, not mine.
What reason could they possibly have to not launch or even announce the XGT jig saw here? Is it even coming here? Why not?!
Even on the best terms, they never answered questions like these. I’m still waiting for an answer as to why the XGT drill gets anti-kickback but not the highest power 18V model.
Frankly I’m annoyed that they’re giving “Outdoor Adventure” so much attention rather than bringing more XGT tools here.
WastedP
Outdoor Adventure seems like the biggest misallocation of effort. New colorways does not equal new products. I’m sure there’s a market for olive drab tools and accessories, but they’re not “new”.
Bob
It’s just as well, I won’t look twice at a tool manufacturer that doesn’t have a consistent and totally interchangeable battery platform.
John
I’ve had the LXT version since it came out. The lock and power buttons are in an awful location and should have been redesigned for the the XGT. When doing intricate cuts, the button location forces two hands to maintain control and power off mid cut lines when needed. Really like Makita but that is a piss poor design.
Kevin
I was thinking the exact same thing. How they came up with the idea with those awful membrane switches in the first place, and furthermore decided that it was the best design, I will never understand. I couldn’t think of a clumsier way of activating a tool.
Rob
When I saw the XGT version after experiencing all of the nuisances of the LXT model, I simply laughed, knowing that of course Makita refused to listen to feedback
Jared
That battery looks huge on a tool like this. Could Makita ever come out with a compact XGT battery or is that physically impossible? Maybe a pouch cell pack?
Bonnie
They make a smaller 2ah XGT pack, which at least according to their website is thinner (but a bit wider/longer) than the old 2ah LXT packs. But it does still weigh quite a bit more.
Stuart
That is incorrect.
The BL4020 and BL4025 have the same dimensions and close to the same weight.
BL4020 – XGT 2Ah (18V 4Ah equivalent)
BL4025 – XGT 2.5Ah (18V 5Ah equivalent)
The XGT 2Ah has similar cells and the same cell count as the 18V 4Ah battery, and the XGT 2.5Ah has similar cells and the same cell count as the 18V 5Ah battery.
Basically, the XGT 2Ah and 2.5ah batteries are approximately the same size and weight as 18V 4Ah and 5Ah batteries.
As with 18V 4Ah battery that Makita has downgraded many 18V cordless combo kits to, I see the XGT 2Ah battery as cost-saving option. It’s NOT a compact option, or at least not any more compact than XGT 2.5Ah or 18V 4Ah and 5Ah batteries.
Bonnie
They list the BL4020’s dimensions as “118 x 77 x 48 (L x W x H mm)” on the website. Is that wrong? I don’t have any BL1820B’s anymore, but every listing I can find, as well as my own memory, is that they’re taller than that.
I wasn’t saying it’s technically a compact battery, but it is smaller than what’s pictured.
Stuart
They list the same for the BL4025.
I can’t easily find published dimensions for the 18V 1.5Ah or 2.0Ah batteries.
The XGT 2Ah should be the same size as the 2.5Ah. It has to be. The 2.5Ah has similar or the same 10 Li-ion cells as an 18V 5Ah battery. The 2.0Ah should have the similar or the same cells as the 18V 4Ah battery.
Is the 2Ah battery smaller than the 4Ah? Yes. But the 2.5Ah (18V 5Ah equivalent) is the standard size for the platform, and the 2Ah isn’t any more compact, or at least I don’t see how.
The question was whether there will ever be an XGT compact battery. That you’re talking about the 2Ah (not available here) suggested to me you might be under the impression it’s more compact than the 2.5Ah battery that launched on Day 1. It’s not.
The BL1820 is built with 5x 2Ah battery cells.
The BL4020 is – seemingly like the BL1840 – built with 10x 2Ah battery cells.
The difference in size is going to be similar to comparing the 18V 4Ah and 5Ah batteries to the compact 1.5Ah and 2Ah batteries.
Generally, compact Li-ion power tool batteries are considered to have 5 cells, whether 18650 or 21700 sized cells. The BL4020 has 10, like the BL4025 XGT users should be familiar with.
Benjamin
Basically, the XGT 2Ah and 2.5ah batteries are approximately the same size and weight as 18V 4Ah and 5Ah batteries.
that not true what is said above here i have the 2ah and 2.5 they are way smaller
Stuart
You are mistaken.
18V 4Ah and 5Ah batteries are each built with (10) Li-ion cells.
XGT 2Ah and 2.5Ah batteries are each built with (10) Li-ion cells.
I have them in front of me. The XGT batteries have slightly different shapes but are approximately the same size as the 18V batteries.
The 18V 2Ah battery, BL1820, built with (5) Li-ion cells, is “way smaller.”
Stuart
The 4Ah (18V 8Ah equivalent) does seem like a poor fit for a tool like this. The 2.5Ah battery (18V 5Ah equivalent) shouldn’t be any more cumbersome than a 5Ah on the 18V tool.
Makita has an XGT 2Ah (18V 4Ah equivalent) battery overseas, but never released it in the USA. It’s the same size, I believe, as the XGT 2.5Ah and 18V 5Ah batteries.
Compact 18V batteries are built with 5x 3.6V cells in series. Seeing as how XGT 36V/40V Max batteries require 10x 3.6V Li-ion cells in series, a compact cylindrical cell battery isn’t possible.
A compact pouch cell battery seems unlikely, because it would still require 10x cells to get to 36V.
Tim D.
Wasn’t it also a Makita rep that was trying to post positive comments about their brand here?
Stuart
Yes. That was a Makita USA manager. I refused to share their identity to Makita USA, but the last I heard they were no longer with the company.
I have since caught one other Makita USA associate leaving comments here. It was in poor taste, and they accidentally outed themselves publicly. It was a junior associate – a sales rep if I recall correctly – and I quickly edited the identifying information out of their comment, changed their name, and reported it to Makita USA, who assured me this isn’t sanctioned behavior.
I also caught Festool USA leaving shill comments recently.
BigTimeTommy
Festool has always been aggressive with the shilling. Any Wera shills on here? They’re pretty overbearing too.
Potato
Is festool shilling sanctioned by corporate?
Robert
A jigsaw doesn’t seem a tool that is crying out for that big a jump in power. Economics (like John pointed out) , vibration mitigation, smooth cutting, line of sight, eat blade changes, and control to me would be the areas to concentrate on.
Bonnie
I could see more power being handy on a bigger top-handled model, but yeah for a barrel-grip you’re typically cutting thinner stock and want more precision.
Stuart
It could be incidental – maybe the tool couldn’t be made any more compact with a less powerful motor.
More powerful or not, it’s good to finally have a jig saw added to the XGT cordless line – assuming it’s ever slated for USA release.
DanFromMass
At this point, does anyone feel that it’s safe to buy into the XGT platform?
I was looking at Makita impacts the other day at the store; I have always found their grips really comfortable. But I’d be nervous buying into the platform.
Feels like Makita could very easily abandon their 40v line up.
But when I look at LXT, there seems to be very little innovation in that line either. :-/
Stuart
Honestly, I’ve started to regret it.
I purchased some samples for testing purposes, and others for personal use, but aside from the compact duster I feel it would have been better to go in other directions.
There have been 3 price increases since last year, but there have been heavy discounts and promotions on the gateway tools, such as certain saws and the 2pc combo kit.
So they’ve made it less expensive to gain entry to the system, but considerably more expensive to expand.
The batteries are very expensive, to where it’s more cost-effective to buy some of the core tool kits or 2pc combo kit just for the batteries.
With so many holes in the product offerings, XGT would be a poor choice as my one and only cordless system, and that’s if the high pricing wasn’t enough of a drawback.
Makita set “a new record high” for revenue for the year ending 3/31/23. Their North America revenue increased 6.1% compared to the prior year, which also saw an increase in revenue of 23.4%. Despite this, the Makita North America segmented reported a loss, and then massive job cuts followed.
We have already been seeing cost-cutting measures, such as 18V kits being relaunched with 4Ah batteries instead of 5Ah. This preceded 3 price increases between spring 2022 and 2023.
I highly doubt that Makita would abandon their XGT 40V Max line – they need it to compete on even ground against other brands’ modern high powered tools and solutions.
Makita – as a company – looks to be healthy. Makita USA, as a regional sales, marketing, and support arm of the company, looks to be having major problems.
They cut costs on 18V kits (by changing out the batteries), increased prices across the board 3 times, launched very compelling XGT getaway kit promos, launched the Outdoor Adventure brand and reskins in an attempt to broaden the 18V user base, and their company-wide layoffs just went into effect a few days ago.
I don’t think they’re in recovery mode yet. I would say that Makita USA is in “we need to climb out of this hole” mode, and I don’t know how they’ll manage it.
They can, but how? Will it mean holding off on introducing tools here that might have lower sales projections, at least short-term?
I have a lot of doubts and hesitations, but not about the future of the XGT lineup. The tools are expensive, and one might have to look to overseas retailers to access the latest and greatest tech, but it’s a safe platform to buy into.
For the reasons mentioned this wouldn’t be my main cordless platform, and I have some regrets, but I am confident it’s a safe buy.
The company overall appears to be in good health, and XGT seems to have good momentum on a global scale.
Their financials are too opaque to know whether Makita USA leadership has been doing a bad job or whether there are too many uncontrollable factors contributing to inflated costs.
I think that, on Makita’s future roadmap, the XGT line will become the main highway, with 18V LXT destined to become a service road. Right now, with no cross-compatibility aside from a one-way charger adapter, the roads are roughly parallel with no onramps between them.
Collin
Doesn’t Makita have a battery backpack designed for ope that does allow for lxt and xgt cross compatibility?
Tim D.
Yes. At least it allows you to use LXT batteries on the XGT line with an adapter. I don’t think you can load XGT batts into it to be used back on the LXT line, but I’m not that familiar with it.
Emilio+Gonzalez
I’ll stick with Makit 18v tools for now. I’ve never had a problem with any of their tools. I just wish they had cylindrical batteries and used them on certain tools like the 18v ratchets. Makita is a pretty good company but something needs to change or improve. Price spikes are not the best way forward.
TomD
It seems like you won’t be killed by Red Army assassins but it’s not a very compelling “platform” to join.
I’d have no problem buying a single tool in a kit if it was really what I wanted/needed. It’s surprising less painful than people make out to have multiple battery families (most M18 users have M12 and they’re only compatible on the charger).
fred
Perhaps it is more bothersome for larger businesses. In our remodeling business, we moved to Makita when LiIon became the standard. That seemed logical at the time as they had seemingly more offerings than Milwaukee or Dewalt in the tools that we wanted. Fielding up to 16 (sometimes stretching to 20) crews each day from our workout center – there would be quite a few batteries being charged one next to each other overnight. We bought Makita BL1830 batteries (if I recall correctly) in bulk. Our business model in that company and our plumbing company was to have the companies buy the tools needed for the job. That model seemed to favor standardizing on a battery platform to the extent practical. When I phased out, sold up and retired – the plumbing business was moving away from Makita – replaced almost entirely with Milwaukee. I’m not sure if what % of the remodeling company tools are still Makita.
Benjamin
i currently own every tol makita has for xgt and i do heavy construction i dont regret it one bit
Badger12345
“At this point, does anyone feel that it’s safe to buy into the XGT platform?”
For me, no. I had Makita cordless tools back in the old NiCad days and I felt abandoned. Even Dewalt supported their NiCad tools long after they had transitioned to Li-Ion.
For cordless I only have Dewalt and Milwaukee now and that is what I started my adult children with as well. Their range of tools keeps growing. It is easy to later sell these tools to others because the platforms are so popular. They may not always make the best tool in each class, but their overall system is pretty good. I think both of them have figured out that by building a strong system with a common battery platform keeps people loyal because switching costs are just too high.
DanFromMass
Agreed.
My boy enters trade school in the fall and we’ve been carefully considering which cordless platform to anchor him too. Feels more like trying to choose a wife! 🤪
John
There is no ideal cordless platform. If you stick to only one battery, then you will get duds or miss out on other excellent tools a platform doesn’t even make. Having more than one battery platform is just reality.
A W
I would go with Milwaukee or DeWalt. I’m on team red, and have no regrets. The guys at work use yellow for 18V and red for 12V, and seem happy with both. The “Surge” quiet impact driver is probably my favorite Milwaukee tool, but DeWalt has been adding a lot of new cordless tools.
MM
I’ve got nothing against Makita’s tools in terms of quality/performance but I have to agree, I don’t feel it’s all that safe to buy into XGT either. Makita keeps sending out confusing mixed signals regarding what their various platforms are for in their marketing materials and apparently they won’t provide clarification when people ask. XGT seems to be the new platform which makes sense to buy into but at the same time there are so many tools unavailable on it, at least in North America, so if you want to go with Makita you also have to buy also buy LXT to cover some of your bases. But that’s not very desirable as LXT seems to be the older system on the way out which may not be that wise to buy into and there’s no cross-compatibility between the two platforms. The result is that both XGT and LXT both feel somewhat risky right now. XGT feels risky because it doesn’t cover all the bases and who knows when it will, and LXT feels risky because the more XGT grows the more likely it is we will hear that it’s being discontinued in favor of XGT. And nobody wants to be caught in the middle.
Joe H
Makita USA is a joke. Their marketing is a mess. They aren’t giving their customers access to a lot of the tools Makita has developed and made available elsewhere. Who knows which battery line one should jump into when it doesn’t feel like they might support their products a few years down the line or they will simply stop adding products and abandon that line of tools.
Saulac
Stuart mentioned Makita’s push on the Outdoor Adventure stuff a few time. This. As if they want to say “we are not just a tool company”. Reminded me of Ford’s more than one time tried to be “more than just a car company “. Lucky for Ford that they were able to crawling back each time. Same hope for Makita.
Stuart
But they are just a tool company here.
A lot of users have been wishing for Makita to bring more of their outdoor and lifestyle tools here, myself included. But they didn’t, they just launched the same current and older stuff in a muddy brown color.
It could have been a good idea, but I feel the bungled the execution.
xu lu
War’s over. Milwaukee and Dewalt have won the higher end. On the cordless side, Makita, Bosch, Hitachi/Metabo and to some degree Rigid, fight over the scraps. This will remain so until a new player emerges with a new killer battery tech or a hardware/software solution that creates a quantum leap in user productivity. There are few switchers or free agent users left to capture-at least not enough for a viable business.
fred
I don’t know about how KKR is doing with their Metabo-HPT stuff – but they seem to be woefully under-delivering with the Metabo tools and supplies from the EU. My ex-compatriots in the fabrication business told me as recently as a few weeks ago that almost everything they have ordered from Metabo (tools, batteries, abrasives etc.) seem to be on backorder with interminable delays in delivery. I was told that they have tried several different suppliers to no avail for Metabo abrasive belts and sleeves.
fred
I should have added that Hitachi-HPT (aka Hitachi-Koki) seesm to try to keep innovating with offerings that push the envelope a bit. Their 36V router comes to mind as does some of their new nail gun offerings:
One for duplex head concrete form nails:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09255CLGC
and one for metal joist connectors
https://www.amazon.com/Metabo-HPT-MultiVolt-Cordless-Connector/dp/B097S8X5X9
kent_skinner
Makita was the company that got me into cordless, *way* back when. 9.6v NiCad anybody?
I have a few of their corded tools – random orbit sander & track saw as well as some older stuff.
Their cordless tools are great, but since they don’t offer all their gear in the US there’s no reason for me to buy any of it. I limit the number of battery systems own, and Makita just doesn’t make the cut.
Mopar
Kids these days 😛
Us old timers had Makita 7.2v NiCad drills.
fred
Makita was once pretty much the only show in town for a selection of NiCad powered tools. As I recall – both the 7.2V then 9.6V drills were wimpy. They did have a diminutive (85mm blade) one-handed circular saw that was popular for cutting the wood wall paneling that was all the craze back then. When Porter Cable came out with their 12V NiCad drill – IMO – it ushered in the age of professional level cordless tools ready to compete with corded. But Makita had paved the way.
JMG
Personally I have never considered the XGT line to be a safe purchase. This mostly due to the fact that Makita has previously introduced a 36v battery platform and killed it off for whatever reasonings. That platform was also expensive as related to the LXT offerings (both tools and batteries).
The available product offerings in the XGT line are not unique or extensive enough to overcome my concerns over them abandoning the platform for lack of sales performance, or some hiccup in the economy. There is nothing offered in the line that makes me feel like I couldn’t live without it.
The LXT platform has covered a majority of my needs for cordless power tools for years and probably will for as long as it is offered.
Alex
As a once XGT skeptic, I can assure you that you won’t be disappointed of the performance upgrades it has to offer over the LXT line. The biggest flaw with the X2 line, is when you’re pushing the tool to its limits, and either the thermal heat kills the batteries overload, or the thermal overload switch shuts the tool off.
Julian Tracy
Another DUD. As though anyone who has used a current-class pro 18/20v jigsaw thought to themselves “I wish this had more power and was a bit bulkier”. The brushless 18v LXT jigsaw I had was crazy loud, the bright lights could not be turned off – making it blinding to use for coping and the push buttons, of course – sucked.
I’ve always been a Makita guy from the early days of 9.6v/14.4 NiMH and a huge stable of LXT and 18vX2 tools. Makita tools of the past have been durable, well thought out, unique and of a higher build quality than their yellow, red or blue competitor products.
But these days – wtf? Have you seen Makita LXT battery prices at Home Depot lately?? $279 for a 5.0 two pack! $179 for a 4.0 /charger starter pack. Absolutely stupid ridiculous pricing.
Crappy designs, poorly thought out tools, an XGT platform no one asked for and just stupid pricing. Makita have fashioned themselves into a bad choice compared to the other pro brands: yellow, red and blue.
John
That’s a bit strong. I get it, everyone has their opinion, but if you think M and D are the bees knees, you’re smoking something. Makita LXT track saw came out 6 years ago and outsells Dewalt’s hands down. It took until this year for Milwaukee to even make one. Saying Makita has crappy tools is total BS. They have superb drills and impacts, excellent saws. No one had a rear handle cordless circular until Makita had great success with theirs. Milwaukee makes great tools, M12 line up has some true gems and some unique tools that few if anyone else does. Dewalt has been solid for me for the tools, both corded and some cordless, I have used for a long time. My 25 year old Dewalt 733 planer is still running perfectly today.
These are just tools, plenty of good ones to go around. The sports team or political persuasion mentality doesn’t help anybody.
Stuart
I’m guessing that the batteries are $279 for a 2-pack so that they can give newcomers to the line a rear-handle circular saw kit with 2x batteries and 2 MORE free batteries for $299.
See that deal at Acme Tools and Home Depot.
If you need new batteries, buy a rear handle circular saw kit, toss the tool and charger into a storage bin, and enjoy your 4 new 5Ah batteries for $299 instead of 2 for $279.
Makita’s strategy seem to be focused on getting new users to buy into the platform, rather than encouraging existing users to stick around or expand their kit. They wouldn’t be the first company to do this – cable and wireless service companies do it all the time.
fred
Not having a seat in the board room of a company – it is usually hard for an outsider to always discern the motives and strategies behind corporate moves marketing etc. That goes for Makita as well as other players in the tool business. We can speculate on what SBD bought Craftsman, why Bosch and Makita seem to neglect the North American market and other likely unfathomable strategies of the tool business. But it is strange that 46% of Makita’s revenues come from sales in Europe while only 16% derive from North America even though the overall North American market is quite a bit larger than Europe. Perhaps Makita is satisfied with sales in NA being about what they are in Japan and think that efforts to improve sales are better directed at other (perhaps emerging) markets. Recent data suggesting that profit margins and/or losses in NA have been a drain on the company as a whole – have apparently resulted in staff reductions at Makita USA – perhaps we’ll see more strategy changes as well.
Alex
Admittedly, I initially lacked enthusiasm over Makita’s XGT lineup, having been very pleased with most of the performance of the their X2 36v line of tools. However, I’ve been personally thrilled with the performance of the XGT line, especially their hammer drill and track saw.
That said, I think Makita makes outstanding tools, but their USA marketing has been lacking for sometime. It’s very short sighted by Makita USA not to utilize tool specific websites (such as Toolguyd) to further promote their products and gain user insight. Does anyone else think that Milwaukee tool continues to demonstrate the effectiveness of aggressive marketing?
Further, I believe Makita’s lack of profitability in the USA market is for one, they make too many different variations of tools (have you seen how many different line trimmers they make?). By increasing volume, you can lower manufacturing costs of well made tools, but you can only accomplish this by limiting the amount of variations of one type of tool.
In addition, is it fair to say that Makita USA has been wise (for the most part) to be selective about tools brought to the USA market? As Stuart had noted “Overseas, there’s also a new cordless power station and USB charger, cordless microwave, USB-C charger with LED light, and others.”
John S
I’m with you. I own some XGT tools that simply don’t exist elsewhere. Cordless 80V breaker, 10-1/4circ and the 12”miter come to mind. But the marketing and decision making at Makita USA is bewildering. I’ve had to order great tools like the 5”circular saw with reverse bevel from Japan because they refuse to bring them here.
Franco
Both Alex and John S, no disrespect towards either of you or anyone else, but I am bewildered that you and others don’t see or understand retail sales and marketing 101.
My theory, and no proof to substantiate this, but they have tried for years and years, and do not gain market share, possibly even losing. So why keep throwing good money over bad, just leave things be, and we (Makita) sell what we sell, without major time and investment.
Focus on where they can make a difference (everywhere else) and leave the US market on its own. With the job cuts, minimal marketing, and less price breaks, they are probably making much more net profit than before.
Bottom line, they don’t care about the US market, whether it is for my reasons given above, or other reasons, they just don’t care.
DanFromMass
Another potential flaw I see with the XGT line is that since the batteries are 40v, they can’t really make a compact battery.
I love my 3.0 compact or even the 2.0 normal for my Milwaukee impact driver. Rarely do I ever need or desire to have a big honking 5.0 or 6.0 attached to it.
Stuart mentioned it in another comment, the regular way to reach 40v is to have 2 rows of cells. So Makita can’t ever make a lightweight compact single row 40v XGT pack.
blocky
This thing’s putting out octopus vibes.
Eliot Truelove
I am a Makita fanboy for sure, but them releasing things overseas and delaying their release in America definitely shows that unlike Milwaukee and DeWalt, they are not America-centric. Their numbers are not as high here in America as elsewhere, especially in comparison to population density.
Us over here in America may not agree, but America is such a competitive market for so many tool brands (Milwaukee and DeWalt being on top) that I think it makes sense Makita doesn’t spread themselves too thin. You can’t lose money if you don’t waste money. 20% of the pie is better than no pie at all. Them being pretty much the only power tool company that owns themselves and them alone makes me want to support them. They’re the specialist “mom and pop” type Japanese company in a sea of corporate conglomerates. Again, its very different from what us Americans are used to.
As a tool user I still support them because of the reliability. Let the other companies cut corners and skimp on quality and ergonomics to chase torque and speed numbers.
Franco
I pretty much agree with Eliot T and had stated in a previous thread, similar opinion that Makita does not see the US as a viable market anymore. I think this is even more to do with that worldwide they have good market share just about everywhere else; probably because Milwaukee and Dewalt are less focused worldwide compared to the US.
I believe what we have seen from Bosch in recent years, is becoming similar. They do great worldwide, like Makita, the US is a big market but may not be worth the time and effort if US brands like Dewalt and Milwaukee are firmly entrenched.
I am heavily invested in LXT and love Makita, generally finding Makita superior to Dewalt and even more so Milwaukee. But I do not own one XGT and probably will not in the near future.
I follow many YT’ers, and many of the non-American guys love their XGT products. Some base their channels on XGT.
I have on a few occasion heard people in Europe Australia or Asia mention they like Dewalt or Milwaukee, but find it is so expensive. So we all know that XGT is not cheap, but maybe that is quite simply what it costs when factoring in US exchange rate, import fees, the cost of transport and any other fees they may incur.
Does anyone know what the price for XGT or any Makita tools is in Europe, Australia and Asia, and more significantly HOW do their prices stack up against their competitors?
Might just be conjecture on my part, but maybe this is where the problem lies. To be competitive in the US, they have in the past cut margins, yet have trouble cracking into a market which is very US centric. Either built in the US, or built with global parts but assembled in the US, is very much important to the US customer.
They can’t compete with this so rather than make deep cuts on their profits to be more competitive; this is what we sell it for worldwide, so that’s what it will be here in the US also is the moto going forward.
Stuart’s analogy of Makita USA being a dealership rather than a national HQ, lends to my belief that Makita Japan makes all of the decisions worldwide and USA. They don’t see the investments in the past as having paid off, so job cuts and no price breaks for the US. A market which just won’t grow more than X%.
It’s like a “Ford” guy, his father always bought Fords and he has bought 6 Fords in his life and will never by anything else. So Milwaukee and Dewalt, as well as Makita could all come out of the same MFRing plant (I know they don’t) and be the same product, but Milwaukee and Dewalt will always sell more because they are American. Even if some of their stuff is made in China, they are American companies.
Makita has decided they can’t crack more than X amount, so no need to pour $$$ into PR, or anything else. They make a nice profit on what they do sell in the US and concentrate their efforts where they can increase market share.
Stuart, Makita USA may have nothing personal against you or ToolGuyd, but HQ Japan does not care about any “influencers” in the US market. Been there, done that, and it does not pay off. So they throw you what they have, and that is it.
Maybe Bosch is slowly going in this direction? They, for a decade or more, have slowly moved down in their US presence compared to the previous 40+ years. And they, like Makita, have much more riding on their global sales than just the US…unlike Dewalt and Milwaukee, which derive the majority of sales in the US.
Again, just a theory on my part