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Makita slide-Style Battery Design
Newly designed 12V max CXT™ Lithium-Ion slide-style batteries with on-board L.E.D. fuel gauges power all eight Makita tools.
Makita 12V max CXT™ tools feature a 12V slide-style battery design, in order to focus on handle ergonomics. Makita wanted to avoid designing a bulky tool handle that housed a cylinder stem-style battery. The batteries are offered in 2 Ah and 4 Ah batteries.
Ergonomics
The first thing that came to my mind was how compact, light weight and comfortable these tools felt in my hands while using them.
All of the tools are equipped with a bright LED light. The reciprocating saws LED shines through the blade guard providing extremely well placed lights. The drill and impact drivers LED produce a surprisingly bright and perfect circle with the bit producing a shadow. The LED light stays on after the trigger is releases for approximately 15 seconds.
Well placed belt hooks on the drivers were useful on my remodel project.
How They Performed
I’ve been using the tools in the shop and also in a recent remodel project. By far my favorite tool is the impact, followed by the drill-driver and reciprocating saw last. This is mostly because I use the impact driver the most and loved the power to size ratio.
All of the tools had decent power and runtime and are a perfect solution for drill, drive and small cutting applications. Installers, woodworkers, MRO finish carpenters are going to love these tools!
Makita 12V max Impact Driver DT03R1
The Makita12V ¼” hex chuck impact driver delivers 970 in. lbs. of Max Torque, 0-2,600 RPM and 0-3,500 IPM. The BEST part is that this tool weighs only 2.3 lbs.
This little guy was powerful enough to quickly and effortlessly drive 3.5 inch deck screws into a double LVL. While not a normal application I wanted to see if this lil guy had the juice, it did!
While this was my favorite Makita tool of the bunch, I’d like to see the next generation impact come with a 2-speed switch.
Note: The kit includes the Impact Driver, two 12V max CXT™ 2.0Ah batteries, charger, and tool case.
Makita 12V max 3/8” Bushless Driver-Drill FD07R1
The Makita 12V 3/8” Driver-Drill has a brushless motor that delivers 280 in. lbs. of Max Torque with 2 speeds (0-450, 0-1,500 RPM). The tool has a plastic 3/8” keyless chuck, weighs 2.3 lbs. and is 6-1/16” long.
While it would certainly impact its weight, this tool would benefit from a higher quality metal ratcheting chuck.
Note: The kit includes the Driver-Drill, two 12V max CXT™ 2.0Ah batteries, charger, and tool case.
12V max CXT™ Reciprocating Saw RJ03R1
The new 12V CXT™ Lithium-Ion Reciprocating Saw delivers a no-load speed of 3,300 strokes per minute with a ½” blade stroke.
This saw has a dual trigger on/off switch that allows for either paddle switch or trigger switch operation. I found the safety on the trigger switch just out of reach for my thumb. It’s possible this is simply a learning curve for me but I found the position of the safety awkward.
The paddle switch safety and trigger is pure genius. I love the idea of having a paddle switch and allowing me to position the tool in any position and easily activate the blade. Kudos Makita!!
The Makita reciprocating saw has a tool-less blade changing system that ejects hot blades without having to touch the hot blade.
The tool weighs 2.9 lbs. and I really liked the angle of the handle in relation to the saws main body. The handle shape allows better control and handling of the tool.
Generous rubber over mold and an oversized hand shroud protect the non-trigger hand from slipping toward the working end of the tool.
Note: The kit includes the Reciprocating Saw, 4” Metal Blade, two 12V max CXT™ 2.0Ah batteries, charger, and tool case.