Just about every power tool company has its proprietary battery system. In fact, this is one of the biggest defining factors for many tool buyers when choosing which brand will populate a majority of their garage. Power tool batteries often cost nearly as much as the tools themselves, but they usually work on tools across the brand so long as they require the same voltage. This means choosing a brand with a good battery system is a must.
Makita was the first brand to introduce 18V lithium-ion tools in 2005, and the company’s current line of cordless tools uses its LXT Lithium-Ion batteries–the world’s largest 18V slide-style battery system. According to Makita’s website, the “purpose-built motors, battery technology, and enhanced communications work together to deliver unmatched power, speed, and run time.”
These batteries come in a variety of amperages. Makita offers 2.0Ah, 3.0Ah, 4.0Ah, 5.0Ah, and 6.0Ah varieties, but one of the more unique things about them is that you can actually combine any two 18V LXT batteries to power a 36V tool. This expands their versatility since it means that Makita tool owners won’t need separate batteries for low and mid-voltage power tools. This is one of the main reasons Makita can offer over 325 cordless tools powered by a single-voltage battery system.
