About Makita
Makita traces back to a small electric motor repair shop founded by Mosaburo Makita in Nagoya, Japan in 1915, and moved into manufacturing in 1958 with Japan's first portable electric planer. The company's U.S. subsidiary, Makita U.S.A., has operated out of La Mirada, California since 1970, and today the brand's catalog spans more than 300 industrial-quality power tools and accessories, from drills and saws to outdoor power equipment and pneumatics.
Makita's defining move in the cordless space came in 2005, when it introduced the 18V LXT (Lithium-Ion Xtreme Technology) battery platform, one of the first lithium-ion systems in the power tool industry. That platform has since grown to more than 225 compatible tools, letting a single battery run everything from a compact drill to a paired 18V X2 (36V) chainsaw or blower. Makita backs its Lithium-Ion tools, batteries, and chargers with a 3-year limited warranty, and the company has since layered on the higher-voltage 40V max XGT system for equipment-grade tools like rotary hammers and cordless compressors.
Brand website: makitatools.com
What Makita makes
Makita's range runs wider than the products we review. The lines we know best from our own testing are marked with a star:
18V LXT cordless power tools
the core battery platform behind Makita's drills, impact drivers, and hammer drills — the line we ranked — featured on DIYRated
Circular, miter & tile saws
corded and cordless cutting tools for finish carpentry, framing, and masonry work — the line we ranked — featured on DIYRated
18V X2 (36V) outdoor power equipment
chainsaws and blowers that pair two LXT batteries for higher-voltage output — the line we ranked — featured on DIYRated
18V LXT cordless vacuums
handheld and convertible stick vacuums sharing the same battery platform — the line we ranked — featured on DIYRated
40V max XGT cordless system
Makita's higher-voltage platform for equipment-grade tools like rotary hammers and cordless air compressors
Pneumatic tools & air compressors
nailers and compressors, including the 40V max XGT cordless compressor line
Why we recognized Makita
The DIYRated Top Brand recognition isn't paid for and can't be applied for. We award it to the brands whose products consistently stand out in our hands-on category reviews. Makita earned it on the strength of the products below, evaluated the same way every product on this site is: bought, put to work on real jobs, and judged on merit.
Makita products we rated highly
Makita XBU02Z 36V (18V X2) LXT Brushless Blower (Tool Only)
This 36V (18V X2) LXT blower carries an ANSI B175.2-certified 61 dB(A) sound rating, the only verified decibel spec and the quietest output in our testing, which suits HOA noise ordinances and early-morning cleanups. It moves 473 CFM at 120 MPH from a brushless motor, with a 6-stage air-volume dial and XPT sealing against dust and water. In our review it held 4.7 stars across 713 ratings and Amazon's Choice status.
Read the 7 Best Cordless Leaf Blowers of 2026 guide →
Makita XCU04PT 18V X2 (36V) LXT Brushless 16-Inch Chainsaw Kit (2 Batteries)
Running two 18V LXT batteries in series for 36V output, this 16-inch chainsaw ships with two 5.0 Ah packs and a dual-port charger, enough for a full day of cleanup work with a spare pair charging. It draws on the Makita 18V LXT platform, the same batteries that run drills, impact drivers, and recip saws, and handles felling, limbing, and bucking up to roughly 14 inches. In our review it held 4.5 stars across more than 500 ratings.
Read the 7 Best Cordless Chainsaws of 2026 guide →
Makita LS1219L 12-Inch Dual-Bevel Sliding Compound Miter Saw with Laser
This 12-inch dual-bevel slider has the largest capacity in our miter saw testing: 15-inch crosscuts at 90 degrees, 8-inch crown nested vertically, and 6.75-inch baseboard against the fence. A two-steel-rail slide keeps the mechanism inside the saw's footprint so it sits flush against a wall, and it ships with a 60-tooth micro-polished Makita blade that cuts finish-ready trim with no upgrade needed. In our review it held 4.4 stars across 412 ratings.
Read the 8 Best Miter Saws of 2026 guide →
Makita XSL06PT 18V X2 LXT (36V) Brushless 10-Inch Dual-Bevel Sliding Compound Miter Saw Kit
Two 5.0Ah 18V LXT batteries power this 10-inch cordless slider for up to 334 crosscuts per charge, cutting dense hardwood as cleanly as a corded saw thanks to a brushless 36V motor with soft-start and electronic speed control. Its twin-rail compact slide design lets the saw sit flush against a wall, a space saving that is rare in a 10-inch dual-bevel slider, and it draws on the same LXT batteries as Makita's drills and impact drivers. In our review it held 4.4 stars across 213 ratings.
Read the 8 Best Miter Saws of 2026 guide →
Makita LS1019L 10-Inch Dual-Bevel Sliding Compound Miter Saw
This 10-inch dual-bevel slider positions its rail system beside the saw head instead of behind it, so it needs no extra clearance against a wall. A direct-drive motor with soft start delivers stable power through hardwood cuts without belt maintenance, and dual dust extraction ports on top and rear work with a shop vacuum. In our review it held 4.6 stars across 472 ratings.
Read the 8 Best Miter Saws of 2026 guide →
Makita 5007MG 7-1/4-Inch Magnesium Circular Saw
This 7-1/4-inch sidewinder uses full magnesium components in the shoe, motor housing, and blade guard, keeping tool weight to 10.6 pounds while resisting deflection and corrosion better than aluminum-bodied saws. Two built-in LED lights illuminate the cutline in dim crawlspaces and attics, and a 56-degree bevel capacity handles compound roof cuts beyond most saws in its class. In our testing it held 4.8 stars across more than 2,100 reviews.
Read the 7 Best Circular Saws of 2026 guide →
Makita 4100NHX1 4-3/8-Inch Handheld Masonry & Tile Saw
This handheld masonry and tile saw runs a Makita-built 9.6-amp motor at 13,000 RPM for fast field cuts in tile, stone, cinderblock, and Hardie board, at just 5.9 pounds so it fits where a table saw cannot. It ships with two 4-inch diamond blades and a lock-off switch for safer one-hand work, and held Amazon's Choice status with 4.5 stars across 228 ratings in our review.
Read the 7 Best Tile Saws of 2026 guide →
Makita XDT19Z 18V LXT Brushless 4-Speed Quick-Shift Impact Driver, Tool Only
A 4-Speed Quick-Shift Mode electronically selects the torque-and-speed balance for each fastener, reducing cam-out and stripped heads, while Assist Mode drives at reduced speed until tightening begins for precision finish work. Reverse rotation auto-stop prevents over-loosening when backing out bolts, and the driver reaches 3,800 IPM for all-day structural driving. In our testing it held 4.6 stars across 360 ratings.
Read the 8 Best Impact Drivers of 2026 guide →
Makita XPH16Z 18V LXT Lithium-Ion Compact Brushless Cordless 1/2" Hammer Driver-Drill, Tool Only
Makita shortened this compact hammer drill's body by 14 percent against the previous generation while still delivering 970 in-lb of torque and 27,000 BPM. A self-ratcheting all-metal chuck holds round-shank masonry bits without creeping loose under hammer action, and long-term durability is the theme owners repeat most often about Makita's LXT drill line. It runs on the same 18V LXT batteries as the rest of the platform.
Read the 8 Best Cordless Hammer Drills of 2026 guide →
Makita XLC02ZB 18V LXT Compact Vacuum
At 64 dB, this compact vacuum was the quietest tool in our handheld vacuum testing, and its 33-minute runtime on a 5Ah battery covers a full garage or shop floor sweep. It converts between handheld and stick configuration, and draws on the same 18V LXT battery ecosystem as Makita's drills and saws, so owners already on the platform can add it without buying into a new battery system.
Read the 7 Best Handheld Cordless Vacuums of 2026 guide →What earned Makita the recognition
- Introduced the 18V LXT lithium-ion battery platform in 2005, one of the first lithium-ion systems in the power tool industry, and has grown it to more than 225 compatible cordless tools.
- Products across our roundups routinely combine full magnesium or all-metal construction with long-cited owner reports of durability, from the 5007MG circular saw's magnesium shoe and housing to the XPH16Z's self-ratcheting all-metal chuck.
- The 18V X2 (36V) system lets a single battery pair power equipment-class outdoor tools, including a leaf blower with a verified ANSI-certified 61 dB(A) sound rating and a 16-inch chainsaw kit, without leaving the LXT ecosystem.
- Backs Lithium-Ion tools, batteries, and chargers with a 3-year limited warranty, and has since extended the LXT platform's engineering into the higher-voltage 40V max XGT system for equipment-grade tools.
- Ten Makita products across eight of our roundups, spanning saws, drills, drivers, outdoor equipment, and vacuums, each verified against its own review data at the time of testing.