Among industry firsts, Makita created the world’s first 18-volt lithium-ion tool system with slide batteries. The company soon followed with a “compact” category of 18-volt tools, giving end users better power-to-weight ratios, less bulk and the industry’s fastest charge time. Then Makita created the first brushless motors for power tools to deliver longer run time, increased power and speed and longer tool life.
With this new 18V LXT Sub-Compact tool duo, Makita is once again creating a new class of cordless tools with the most compact and lightest weights in the 18-volt tool category. The company is giving them an all-black trade dress to distinguish them from other similarly sized 12-volt Makita tools.
Makita’s 18V LXT Sub-Compact Brushless 1/2-in. Driver-Drill (model XFD11ZB) measures 6-3/8-in. long and weighs 2.8 lbs. with a 2.0 Ah battery attached. Its variable-speed drive has two ranges: 0 to 500 RPM and 0 to 1,700 RPM. The tool is designed for running drill and spade bits, fastening bits and moderately sized hole saws. A pair of LED lights under the chuck illuminate the work area.
The 18V LXT Sub-Compact Brushless Impact Driver (Model XDT15ZB) has two variable-speed ranges: 0 to 1,300 and 0 to 3,000 RPM. In low-speed range, it delivers up to 1,600 impacts per minute, or up to 3,900 impacts per minute in high-speed range. The tool develops up to 1,240 in. lbs. of torque for a full range of fastening applications. It also features a new Assist Mode (A-Mode) setting that helps eliminate screw cam-out by driving at a low speed until tightening begins, making it ideal for installing long fasteners. A 1/4-in. hex chuck makes it quick and easy to install fastening bits. The impact driver measures 5-5/16 in. from front to back and weighs 2.6 lbs. with a 2.0 Ah battery attached. Like the driver-drill, it is LED light equipped to help illuminate dark workspaces.
Both tools have purpose-built brushless motors that combine power and efficiency in a more compact size.
Makita is offering both 18V LXT Sub-Compact Brushless tools in a combo kit (item CX200RB) with a charger, two 18-volt LXT® 2.0 Ah batteries and a soft carry case for around $229. The driver-drill and impact driver are also available separately as bare tools, without a charger or battery, for about $119 each. Any Makita 18-volt LXT battery can be used to power these tools.
“Research on commercial and residential jobsites showed us that many contractors own both 12-volt and 18-volt tools, and if a job requires the power of a 12-volt tool, then they’ll definitely reach for the most compact tool first, says Carlos Quintana, Makita’s senior project manager for cordless tools. “18V LXT Sub-Compact Brushless tools give contractors the compact size of a 12-volt tool while remaining in the 18-volt battery platform, and they deliver the performance to cover most applications on the jobsite.”
