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Makita has teased that “more” is coming to their 18V cordless power tool platform, with a framing nailer as the featured image.
Makita USA usually announces a new round of cordless power tools every Fall, but seemed to skip that in 2023, giving rise to concerns they didn’t have much planned for 2024.
The new cordless framing nailer is a little reassuring – I see it as a sign of life for the brand’s USA presence and continued support for their aging 18V cordless power tool line.
Makita’s 18V system is powered by older tech batteries, with 18650-sized Li-ion cells.
Makita, following advancements by other professional cordless power tool brands, launched their XGT 18V form factor 36V platform with 18650 and 21700-sized batteries, and a new higher performing batteries was announced overseas (but not here yet), Their main competitors recently introduced pouch cell 18V-class batteries.
Will there be an XGT cordless framing nailer? Will other nailers available overseas finally launch in the USA?
Will the 18V line get a pouch battery? Higher performance cells? A cordless air compressor? Table saw?
I’m waiting for Makita USA to shake things up. They had company-wide layoffs a few months ago and recently had a change in leadership.
So what else is in store for 2024? The official word is… “a bunch of new tools.” Very exciting.
While there’s ZERO details about the framing nailer or the other “bunch of new tools” Makita USA says they’ll be launching, they issued a lengthy press release about their return to sponsoring snowmobile racing.
They laid off more than 200 people a few months ago across the company, citing the company’s “financial condition,” and their corporate office reported a loss in North America for the 6-month period ending 9/30/23.
The Makita USA layoffs affected service technicians, warehouse jobs, design and marketing jobs, sales jobs, territory managers, customer service representatives, retail sales reps, and other positions. Is Snocross sponsorship really the best use of their marketing budget right now?
