Makita makes one of the widest power tool ranges available, and most of the buying decision comes down to which battery platform you commit to. The tools are good across the board. The platform choice is the part people get wrong. On this page you’ll find our reviews and buying guides for the full Makita range.
Why Tradies Choose Makita
Start with the batteries, because everything else follows from it. Makita runs three cordless platforms. LXT is the 18V system, and it is the big one, with hundreds of tools on it and a second life as 18V X2, where two batteries pair up to give 36V for saws and outdoor gear. XGT is the newer 40V max system, built for the heavier tools that were always a stretch on 18V. CXT is the 12V max range for light assembly and cabinet work. LXT and XGT batteries do not interchange. If you own a pile of 18V batteries, that matters more than any single tool review, so check the platform before you check the price.
The motors are the other reason people stay. Makita has built its own motors since the beginning, and the company started in 1915 as an electric motor repair business in Nagoya before it ever made a tool. It sold Japan’s first portable electric planer in 1958, the Model 1000, and the range grew out from there. Today the company is headquartered in Anjo and its tools show up on almost every trade.
On concrete work, look at AVT, Makita’s anti-vibration system. It uses a counterbalance to cancel some of the shake from the piston, and on breakers and rotary hammers it takes real strain off your hands and arms over a full day. Makita quotes its own numbers on how much vibration it removes, so treat those as the manufacturer’s figures rather than an independent test, but the effect is easy to feel if you pick up an AVT breaker next to one without it.
Two things to keep in mind. Makita’s range is so broad that some categories are strong and some are ordinary, so buy on the individual tool rather than the badge. And while Makita is a Japanese company, it manufactures in more than a dozen countries and the majority of its output now comes from China, so do not assume a Makita tool is Japanese-made unless the box says so.
Makita By Category
Cordless
- Cordless Tools
Drilling & Fastening
- Drills
- Hammers
- Fastening Tools
Sawing & Cutting
- Circular Saws
- Portable Band Saws
- Angle Cutters
- Nibblers & Shears
- Drywall Cutout Tools
Grinding & Finishing
- Grinders and Polishers
- Sanders
Woodworking
- Routers
- Trimmers
- Planers and Plate Joiners
Dust Extraction & Cleanup
- Vacuums
- Vacuum and Blower
Outdoor Power Equipment
- Power Equipment
Air Tools
- Pneumatic Tools
Accessories & Offers
- Accessories
- Miscellaneous Tools
- Rebate Items
Latest Makita Reviews
Our Makita reviews and comparisons. We add to this list as we test and publish.
Makita reviews follow the same criteria we use for every brand on this site. See How We Choose What to Recommend.