Makita is launching an XGT battery-powered gas engine replacement motor.
A few years ago Makita discontinued production of gas engine products, which made sense given their focus on battery-powered equipment.
After a brief exchange with a representative from a third party company, I learned that Makita gas engine motors were used in a variety of different equipment.
Advertisement
Now, with the upcoming launch of the new Makita XGT gas engine replacement motor, OEMs have “a faster path to electrification across a wide range of commercial applications.”
The new Makita battery-powered motor can be integrated into a variety of tools and other products.
In the context of concrete tools and equipment, this could serve as a drop-in replacement for certain power screeds, backpack vibrators, power trowels, winches, and water pumps.
Makita says:
Remove the gas engine, bolt on a Makita-powered motor, and instantly gain access to the same battery platform that powers over 170 XGT tools and equipment.
The Makita XGT Motor Unit is a “fully electric, drop-in solution engineered to deliver the performance of 25cc to 50cc gas engines,” and was “designed with seamless OEM integration in mind.”
Advertisement
Makita adds:
Rather than build equipment from scratch like some of our competitors, we’re offering a smarter path: Replace the engine. Give OEMs a seamless, ready-to-integrate electrification solution.
Features include:
- Engineered for drop-in compatibility
- Universal mounting pattern
- Flexible configuration options for RPM, throttle response, and power switch location
- Supports 3 industry-standard drive types (clutch shaft, straight shaft, threaded spindle)
- IPX5 rating for enduring tough jobsite conditions
Basically, this is not something that end users would buy, it’s something that other tool and equipment brands and manufacturers could buy to integrate into their own products and equipment.
ETA: Summer 2026
Champs
Considering the battery adapter aftermarket for kids toys: adult Power Wheels, anyone?
Phranq
Already trying to figure out if it will work on the gokart
JoeR
Makita F1 power unit!
CuriousG
This would be fought 1/4 the output of the typical go kart engine.
David
This makes more sense than the MX Fuel approach. The thing is I bought all my compactors and screeds second hand. They are built like industrial equipment and will probably last another 20+ years. I have no reason to go out and buy a brand new $5k piece of equipment just because it’s battery operated, and it’s not going to fail anytime soon either. Now if I could pop one of these on for under $1k. That’s pretty tempting.
ebt
This! Friend had the dewalt kit adaptor for his kids Jeep car and it burns out the motors or gears. He gave up. Made sense to want to use an available, higher Ah battery setup than the one OEM.
But I don’t think this would work without some serious 3D printing and mount solutions (aka cutting the vehicle access) and mate to the axle.
I wonder what isn’t offered as cordless that this could fit? Endless… make a gokart, or wheel to power bike, small log splitter pump?
S
FYI, They make 24v capable upgrade kits (24v motor controller and all the trimmings like power switch and gas pedal, as well as 24v motor gear boxes).
I rebuilt a jeep for the nephews with it all to run off Milwaukee batteries. They had a riot, I ended up donating it to another friend with youngun’s because it’s nearly unkillable.
That said, I put nearly $500 into all of it, so it’s not cheap. But fast rarely is.
Bonnie
Makes a ton of sense. I almost want to buy one just to play around with it, though I’m sure they’ll cost a penny.
Stuart
I’m thinking the same thing!
S
I’m curious how they handle horizontal and vertical shaft applications.
Just turn it sideways? It seems overly bulky for that in some use cases.
Saulac
Honda has eGX “engines” that use 72V batteries. The motors are a bit more powerful than Makita’s about 100cc equivalent. The batteries are proprietary, look awkward and cost more than a grand each. I think why these are not more popular is self explanatory.
Richard
This is a great idea. Makita also has many patients that suggest a 80v variant maby in the 100cc category. The possibilities are literally endless ,a few come to mind that wouldn’t make sense for a company like makita to make because of how specific or low volume they are while on the other hand allow makita 40v users to access almost any tool any other tool company makes now vs waiting for makita to make it . Anything in the small engine category. Just think post drivers ,presser washers , earth angers , specific lawn equipment, vacuums, tillers, log splitter.
Jared
I agree – this seems like a pretty novel idea. I didn’t know that Honda had something similar. It’s an unexpected direction for Makita to go, but I think it’s really neat.
Bonnie
Also interesting to see it be a NA-first product launch. Feels like they’ve finally remembered there’s a market here.
Robert
Why couldn’t an end user replace their gas engine with this XGT engine? Say contractors under pressure from customers or regulations to go electric or reduce noise. Or consumers where the same considerations are important to them? I didn’t read anything that clearly states it needs a factory to do the swap out.
I like that it implies that you don’t have to waste the rest of a gasoline powered tool, just swap the engine.
Bonnie
They could, I think the assumption though is that most people won’t. Makita is really intending these to be sold to other OEMs. So a brand could just buy these motors and relatively easily release an electric version of their small-engine gas tool without needing to contract with Makita or another supplier directly or do a lot of redesign of their existing tools.
IronWood
Very cool! First cordless item in a while that looks like it could be an actual game changer. Lot of potential applications and might lead to other turn key repower options
Irving
It might be considered somewhat “defeating the purpose” but couldn’t things like this be powered by a remote battery, or battery bank (or other electrical power source) connected by a cable? I’m sure someone’s thought of it before, but moving the battery mass off the tool would seem to have advantages in a number of applications.
Stuart
I suppose that’s an option if there’s clear demand for it or specific benefit. The XGT sander comes to mind – https://toolguyd.com/makita-xgt-cordless-sanders/ .
Brody
https://www.reddit.com/r/Makita/comments/11r8m1o/xgt_battery_extension_is_here/
One of these would be more inline.
MM
They could. In fact, I think the Honda product that Saulac mentioned above comes in both in an integral unit and one where the motor is mounted remotely with a cable.
It’s not too different from gas engines honestly. Quite often you will find the same basic engine with different external components depending on what it is installed in. A gas engine fitted on an edger likely has a small integral gas tank. That same engine fitted to a farm irrigation pump probably has a remote-mounted gas tank with several gallons capacity.
MattT
Isn’t that just returning to corded electric tools?
Bob
Use it to power a generator! Oops…
David
There was a tool brand (one of the european ones i cant exactly remember, but not bosch) that had their tools be both battery or directly plugged in.
Anyways. Battery operated is perfect for the homeowner. I only use my snowblower a handful of times per year. Same with my chainsaw. Fewer small engines to maintain is a huge plus in my book.
Now a contractor? Maybe not.
Doresoom
EGO also has a horizontal and vertical shaft solution, but from what it looks like they’re targeting third party manufacturers: https://poweredbyego.com/
Basically offering a battery powered option for niche OPE rather than using a small engine.
Lance
Was here to point out the Ego solution, which was out a few years ago if I remember right?
Doresoom
Yes, I believe it’s several years old at this point. It must be expensive, since it doesn’t seem to be widely adopted.
Bonnie
It looks like they only offer a much larger 200cc-equivalent motor. Probably more equivalent to Briggs and Strattons Vanguard battery stuff and used for larger semi-stationary tools.
ElectroAtletico
GoKarts about to get lit!!!!!
CuriousG
With a 50cc equivalent engine? That is 1/4 the size typically used.
MT_Noob
I’d love to adapt it to my under-powered trolling motor.
Jim
I vaguely remember seeing a video of a tractor pull ‘tractor’ that ran an array of weedeater engines in parallel. If they were to drop in a couple dozen of these motors…
MM
I’ve seen that too, along with a motorcycle built the same way.
Motors of this size are widely used in R/C models so I bet it won’t be long before people use these for that purpose too. They won’t be as high-performing as putting together a more traditional R/C brushless setup but the all-in-one drop in design will appeal to many, especially scale modelers who might not care about raw power.
Johnny Miller
I’m reading this and thinking could I take the gas engine off my MTD snowblower and put this in its place.
Bob
The elephant in the room is battery life. Gasoline-powered equipment usually runs for hours a day, and most applications require a lot of torque. That’s a recipe for short battery life. A 1″ pump could barely fill up a 55 gallon drum on a 9AH battery. I’m guessing a tiny power washer would barely run long enough to wash a small deck. But handy it is! Losing the smelly gasoline is priceless!