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When Makita first announced their plans to bring the new line of XGT 40V Max cordless power tools to the USA, the ETA was said to be “late 2020.”
That was back in October 2019. The COVID pandemic happened, and it’s now March 2021. When can we expect for the Makita XGT lineup to finally launch here in the USA?
I asked Makita USA’s press contact if there are any XGT updates, and there is no new information at this time. I’m told to stay tuned.
If you recall, the new Makita XGT 40V Max cordless power tool lineup will feature a new battery form factor and a selection of high performance brushless tools.
The Makita 40V Max batteries and tools will not be compatible with their 18V LXT system, although there will be a charging adapter.
The confusing part is that we’ve been seeing user reviews and advertising for the Makita XGT platform across social media and YouTube, indicating that the tools are readily available outside the USA.
You can order Makita XGT 40V Max cordless power tools from Amazon Japan, but there’s no way to get a USA-compatible charger yet. Amazon UK also has a selection of Makita XGT 40V Max tools, but there’s the same charger voltage compatibility issue.
There are even several Canadian tool dealers who have XGT 40V Max cordless power tools in stock and shipping right now.
So, users in Australia, Japan, Europe, and Canada – at the least – can buy Makita XGT cordless power tools today.
When will Makita XGT launch in the USA? We don’t have any answers to this, Makita USA has not yet provided any updates.
If I had to guess, I would think they’re still set to launch in 2021, it’s just a matter of when. We couldn’t possible have to wait much longer – right?
Makita has been launching new 18V tools here, such as the new XPH14 cordless hammer drill, but there doesn’t seem to be any correlation between their 18V cordless power tool developments and the new 40V Max tools.
What remains to be seen is how the XGT lineup will measure up to competing systems. Dewalt, Milwaukee, Bosch, Metabo HPT, and other professional-grade cordless power tool brands have designed their heavier duty and next-generation cordless platforms with some type of cross-compatibility.
For example, Milwaukee’s M18 tools and batteries will all work together, although it’s not optimal to pair their lowest capacity batteries with their most demanding tools. Dewalt has one-way cross-compatibility between their FlexVolt and 20V Max cordless power tool systems. Metabo HPT have their 18V/36V MultiVolt system and cross-compatible batteries.
With the Makita XGT system, the only compatibility between 18V LXT and 40V Max XGT systems so far is a charging adapter that allows the XGT charger to be used with 18V batteries.
So far, the XGT system is designed to exist separate from their existing 18V, 18V X2, and 36V Li-ion tool systems.
It will be interesting to see how the XGT tools compare to existing Makita and competing brands’ latest and greatest offerings.
A couple of people have written in with questions, but all we can do now is wait.
That Makita launched these tools internationally but not here in the USA yet could be a good sign that we probably (hopefully) won’t have very long left to wait.
Once these tools do eventually launch here, we can all turn our attention to the next question – should you care about Makita’s XGT 40V Max cordless power tools?
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