Makita drill set sub compact11/18/2023 I love the integration with the 18 Volt line, I have a lot of those tools so battery compatibility is key. When running a 12 Volt compact drill driver I’d have to manage two battery platforms. One battery with the industries fastest charge time is a good deal to me. The 2.0Ah batteries and brushless motors keep me away from my charger for days during light duty, punchlist type work. These tools conveniently fit in my finish bag and have become my everyday drill driver. We’ve been using the complete Sub-Compact combo kit (CX200RB) that includes two 18V LXT Compact Lithium-Ion 2.0Ah batteries, Rapid Optimum Charger, and the classic Makita tool bag. Unfortunately, it seems like Makita won’t be releasing any other tools anytime soon. So it’s safe to say if you give the sub-compact tools a try, you may never go back. This is the key take-away of this product launch and after using it for a few months I haven’t touched my 12 Volt drill or driver. “18V LXT Sub-Compact Brushless tools give contractors the compact size of a 12-volt tool while remaining in the 18-volt battery platform”. Product Manager, Cordless, Makita USA summarizes this idea perfectly. Makita is all about keeping their users on a consistent platform. For a remodeler or non-framer carpenter this tool could satisfy 85-90% of my needs. The compact 2.0 Ah ensure the tool is light and small, but with the availability of the larger 18V amp hour batteries I could switch to a 5.0Ah battery and have the runtime and power to complete more repetitive heavy duty tasks. Overall I found this great for light duty tasks, but when needed easily drove 3-inch screws in dense heartwood framing lumber. While the standard 18V impact has a max torque of 1,550 lbs. of max torque, not enough punch for heavy duty applications, but perfect for lightweight tasks. For comparison Makita’s 12v impact delivers 970 lbs. The 18V tool with it’s compact brushless motor hits a sweet spot of 1,240 lbs. Overall the performance is impressive for a such a small tool. The impact does lack a quick connect collar, which is a little disappointing, but I got used to it. The sub-compact series are very similar with no serious surprises. I’ve been using the Makita drills and drivers for years, so I’m pretty comfortable with these tools. Model: XDT15ZB – Sub-Compact Brushless Impact Driver (tool only).Model: XFD11ZB – Sub-Compact Brushless ½” Drill (tool only).Makita 18V LXT Sub-Compact Specifications Sub-Compact 1/2″ Drill 3-year limited warranty on tool, battery and charger.Equipped with Star Protection Computer Controls(TM).Compact 2.0Ah battery BL1820B reaches full charge in 25 minutes or less.Electronically-controlled BL™ Brushless Motor.Assist Mode (A-mode) feature helps eliminate “screw cam-out” and “cross threading” by driving at low speed until impact begins.And bonus, the all black does look really cool! Anyway let’s take a look at the features and specs before we talk performance. But this was intentional to distinguish these 18V tools from their similarly sized 12V line. So I thought Makita made these all black just to look cool. Like the green, pink, and white impacts you see and envy on instagram. When I took the drills out for the first time I thought Makita was taking advantage of the popularity of the custom all black versions of the tools available on the market. Effectively creating new class in cordless tools, not displacing one! This is a dangerous space as the preference for a lightweight tool puts these 12 volt tools in underpowered situations. With the new 18V LXT Sub-Compact platform, Makita has created a powerful compact class of tools. Looking at this venn diagram any contractor that fits into the middle section requires both a heavy duty cordless capability and a compact lightweight capability. But “Research on commercial and residential job sites 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,” said Carlos Quintana, Sr. My first impression of the Makita 18V LXT Sub-Compact Drill and Impact Driver was that these tools were going to cannibalize Makita’s 12V line with this addition. Even if the tools were the same manufacturer, I was still stuck charging two different sets of batteries, until now. I ran an 18V system for framing and general tasks, but used a compact 12V drill and driver for punch list work and cabinet installs. Makita 18V Sub-Compact Brushless Drill XFD11ZB and Impact Driver XDT15ZB Tool ReviewĪs a carpenter I’ve had to install truss loks on LVLs one day and hardware on custom cabinets the next day.
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