Makita Sync Lock Battery Terminal: Which Products Are Compatible & How Much Does It Cost?

Proper power tool battery management can be a bit of a hassle on a busy jobsite. If there are workers accidentally bringing batteries home with them, or worse, taking them without permission, you'll swiftly run out of viable packs to power vital work. Cataloging or tracking systems like attached AirTags can help prevent theft from the jobsite, intentional or otherwise, but one good way to deter sticky fingers is to ensure the batteries can't be used at all.

Hardware brand Makita offers a way to facilitate this in the form of the Sync Lock Battery Terminal. This device, which is available at retailers like Acme Tools for $270, is designed to interface directly with a Makita battery pack's internal computer, temporarily disabling its ability to charge or discharge at scheduled intervals. The Sync Lock Terminal comes with specialized software to be installed on a computer or laptop, which allows you to set up a detailed lockout schedule based on time, day, and calendar. The only catch is that this device only works with sufficiently-advanced Makita battery packs, particularly those of the LXT lithium-ion line with LED power indicators.

According to the Sync Lock Battery Terminal's page on Makita's website, it's compatible with all current models of lithium-ion battery packs in the brand's LXT product series, not to be confused with the XGT or CXT systems. This includes all 18V LXT lithium-ion packs with power levels ranging from 2.0 Ah to 6.0 Ah. The major factor that tells you whether or not an LXT battery pack is compatible with the Sync Lock Battery Terminal is if it has an LED charge level indicator on the front. If it does not have this indicator, the battery does not have the necessary tech to communicate with the terminal and cannot be used. It should also go without saying that it won't work with counterfeit Makita batteries.

If your LXT battery pack does have an LED charge level indicator, all you have to do is plug it into the Sync Lock Battery Terminal and load up the included software on your computer. Using this software, you can set up scheduled periods, during which the battery's functions will be automatically disabled. The schedule is programmed directly into the battery itself — you don't need to reconnect it to the terminal every time. 

During these scheduled times, the battery will not be able to receive or send power, rendering it effectively useless. If you want to discourage removal of batteries from a worksite, for example, you can program them to only work during work hours and to shut off all other hours of the day.