Top 18V Makita Tools That Users Recommend The Most

There are technologies that can only be found on Makita tools, which helps make the company a popular selection among tool users. Even more, its famous teal color can easily be spotted the moment you walk into Home Depot's tool area. However, even though Makita isn't known for selling tools for specific trades, there are plenty of reasons to consider giving Makita power tools a place in your collection.

Before you dive too deep into which battery system to consider, it's a good idea to have information about Makita and its tools. In fact, the 18V line, which is the world's largest compatible slide-style battery system according to Makita, offers more than 325 tools. Based on product page ratings and reviews, as well as consumer comments on discussion boards, here are a few of the top 18V LXT Makita power tools that users recommend the most. A more in-depth explanation of our methodology can be found at the bottom of the article.

Chosen as one of Makita's must-have tools for new homeowners, the 18V LXT 116 MPH 459 CFM Brushless Leaf Blower is a recommended tool to have around the house, or in the case of one Reddit user, in their truck at all times. This user says that out of the thousands of dollars worth of Makita tools that they own, this blower is their favorite due to being lightweight at only 6.5 pounds without a battery, balanced, and an overall pleasure to use. Additionally, they mention that it can run for a while off a 5.0 Ah battery.

Furthermore, this blower is quiet, running with a noise rating of only 63 dB. It comes with a brushless motor for longer-lasting performance, as well as less required future maintenance, and has a cruise control lever on the variable speed trigger to help save your arm from doing too much work. This blower can be found at Home Depot for $169 and comes with a 4.4 out of five star rating from over 1,100 users.

Circular saws are popular in carpentry and simple furniture building, and they can be found in many home shops. The 18V LXT Brushless 6-1/2 Inch Circular Saw has a 4.8 out of five-star rating on both Amazon and Home Depot — though, the pricing is a bit different. Home Depot sells it for $239 and Amazon for $202. Both are listed as tool-only.

This circular saw comes with a brushless motor and an automatic speed change which can deliver up to 5000 RPM. It has a maximum cut depth at 90 degrees of 2.25 inches and 45 degrees at 1.625 inches — however, the bevel extends out to 50 degrees. There's also a built-in dust blower to keep your line of cut free of sawdust as well as an LED light for a better view of your potential cuts.

This model of the Makita circular saw made the list due to multiple users raving about it on a Reddit forum. They stated that the battery draw is optimized, so even using a 5.0 Ah battery goes a long way. Moreover, the tool is lightweight, the rafter hook works well, and it's compatible with Makita rail guides for better cuts. Another commenter even stated that this is the tool that made them convert to Makita from Milwaukee because they weren't impressed with the circular saw that Milwaukee had to offer.

Though Makita sells a couple of different oscillating tools, there is only one brushless option in its lineup, which is appreciated by users and even ProTool Reviews, a professional tool review online publication. The 18V LXT Sub-Compact Brushless StarlockMax Cordless Multi-Tool can be found at Home Depot for $249 and has a rating of 4.8 out of five stars. With the variable speed control dial, this tool can offer 10,000-20,000 OPM. It also has a 3.6-degree oscillation angle for more aggressive cutting and sanding abilities.

ProTool Reviews gave this multi-tool a 9.4 out of 10 score. Their biggest rave is its vibration dampening ability due to the anti-vibration technology counterbalance. Even on discussion forums from everyday users, this is the overall feature that most people seem to enjoy and helps set this tool apart from other multi-tool options.

The biggest complaint is that this oscillating tool uses Starlock blades — however, since it is a StarlockMax tool, it can use all forms of Starlock blades without a problem, unlike Makita's other brushed oscillating tools which can only use the base Starlock accessories. For comparison, other brands like Milwaukee, Ryobi, and DeWalt use universal fitment blades.

According to Makita, the company is an innovation leader, and its customers can see that in the products that Makita thinks up. As part of the Outdoor Adventure line, the 18V LXT Brushless High Speed Blower/Inflator is a top rated product on Home Depot with a five star rating — you can purchase it for $194. It delivers 39 CFM, and in terms of speed, it's fast at 447 MPH. That is plenty to fill up an air mattress quickly and with ease for a weekend camping trip. It also comes with five nozzles and four digitally controlled speeds. Additionally, while using a 6.0 Ah battery, you can get approximately 55 minutes of run-time.

On discussion forums, users love this little tool. They mention how handy it is to have around for blowing off dust and small debris. One user even keeps it in their truck to blow off their clothes after work before driving home. However, many also state that they use the 40V XGT Blower/Inflator, which runs about the same specs and the same price. It just depends on which battery line you're invested in.

There was a bit of research that went into selecting these Makita 18V LXT power tools. Since Home Depot and Amazon are among the two most popular and easiest places to purchase the tools, we searched through the ratings and reviews to see which 18V tools had the most recommendations — though, there are other places you can find them if you go through Makita's website and click on the Buy Now button. We also observed more recent negative reviews to make sure there was nothing concerning.

Additionally, we read through discussion forums with varying titles such as "which Makita tool do you think everyone should own?" This gave us an idea as to which tools users were voluntarily suggesting and how others felt about the recommendations. If the tool had support from multiple users, we considered it for the top 18V Makita tools list. Of course, we recommend that you consider your personal needs while selecting your next Makita tool, though.