# Milwaukee or Makita?



## NGLogik (Aug 23, 2018)

Yes I know there’s a lot of YouTube reviews and google. I want to know from people who use tools every single day and appreciates quality on their feedback 


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## CodeMatters (Aug 16, 2017)

I don't have a lot of experience with Makita. I do have several Milwaukee
cordless tools. Most of these are 18V but I probably use my 12V fuel 
drill the most. At this point I see no reason to change.


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## Marson (Jan 26, 2018)

I've used Makita, Dewalt, and Milwaukee 18 volt extensively. It's really a tossup. They all make good stuff. Use any tool, like an impact driver, for a few days to get used the balance and feel, and I can't really say I prefer one or the other.


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## Bent Nail (Mar 22, 2017)

There is no point to getting the Makita Sub Compact (all black) impact driver or drill, since several of Makita's top of the line, highest torque, highest number of speeds, highest featured impact drivers are actually _*smaller*_ than the Sub Compact version.

The all black Sub Compact is Model # XDT15zb, at 5 5/16" in length, with 1,240 inch lbs, and two variable speed ranges.

By comparison, the regular teal XDT13z is *smaller*, at only 5" in length, with more torque, at 1,500 in lbs, but only one variable speed range.

However, the regular teal XDT14z is *even smaller*, at only 4 5/8" body length, with *even more torque*, at 1,550 in lbs, with *even more contro*l, with *three variable speeds*.

Better still, is Makita's XDT12z, that is just as small, at *4 5/8"* body length, and just as powerful, at *1,550 in lbs* torque, and has a mind dizzying *FOUR variable speeds*, along with artificial intelligence built in with Assist Mode that helps eliminate "screw cam-out" and "cross threading" by driving at low speed until tightening begins, as well as Tighten Mode, for faster tightening of self-drilling screws which can help prevent damage to the screw or workpiece, along with Quick-Shift Mode™ that uses the brushless motor’s electronic controls to find the best balance of speed and torque for each application for more efficient fastening.

So at this point why would anyone bother with the so called Sub Compact all black impact driver, when Makita offers several other impact drivers that are significantly smaller, more powerful, with more variable speed ranges, and more artificial intelligence that leverages circuit board control of brushless motors?

But wait, there's more:

The top of the line XDT12z will very soon be out done by a relatively new impact driver, introduced in Japan last spring, and announced for the USA market last fall, available for sale in the USA this spring. A photo of the Japanese and Asian market model TD171 is shown (Makita makes their tools available in five different colors in Japan, customer choice). The USA model will be called the XDT16z (suffix letter will depend on how packaged).


(Oops, photo didn't post. But just google TD171, as well as XDT16)


Before accepting out dated, one word marketing descriptions like "Sub Compact" at the face value which the words seem to imply, be sure to read and compare the actual specifications and physical dimensions between tools having a similar function, and choose based on the numbers, not the words.


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## Windows on Wash (Aug 30, 2011)

In my opinion, we have had way less issues with Makita.


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## Bondo (Dec 8, 2007)

Ayuh,...... I was a devout Milwaukee guy for many years, up till they came out with the "Fuel" tool line,.....
When I contacted Milwaukee about what I'm supposed to do with the grand or so worth of power tools, they no longer support,........
Their reply was, "Toss 'em, 'n buy new",......

I switched to Makita, 'n now wish I'd done it years earlier,.....

One of my many projects I've got kickin' around is,... a battery adapter to run my ole milwaukees on Makita batteries,.....
I've got it down to addin' only 3" with the whole battery adapter,...... 1/2 that would be sooo much better, but the milwaukee rail locks are what's so bulky,....


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## Yodaman (Mar 9, 2015)

A have a contractor friend who just moth balled $1000 worth of Milwaukee cordless tools and switched to Dewalt. Everything by Makita seems to be top shelf. I worry that Milwaukee is becoming more consumer oriented with maybe less contractor focus.
JMO.


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## Bent Nail (Mar 22, 2017)

That's interesting. I just bought $1,600 in Makita 18v LXT. But I'm not mothballing the other battery systems that I currently own either.


In other words, there is enough differentiation in tool offerings where Makita makes a tool in a way that no one else does. Take that Sub Compact series again, that the OP stated was the primary factor in favoring Makita.


While I previously pointed out how several "regular" Makita impact drivers are actually smaller than the "Sub Compact" impact driver, there is no reciprocating saw on the market, cordless or corded, that can fully fit within the 14.5" opening inside a stud bay... other than the black Sub Compact Makita reciprocating saw.












And while the Milwaukee may have their one handed "hack" zalls, the body length of their 18v versions is longer than the Makita Sub Compact, and thus is too long to fit within a stud bay. Furthermore, unlike the hackzalls, the Makita Sub Compact is held in the hand and stabilized _exactly _like a full sized reciprocating saw, and is yet is so short that it can be held and operated with one hand. In these regards, the Makita Sub Compact reciprocating saw has no equal among any tool brand. It can fit where no other recip of equivalent power can fit.


Makita has other tools that have unique attributes, and where Milwaukee may make tools not seen in Makita's catalog, like electro hydraulic crimpers for electricians, in actual fact, Greenlee, a tool company famous in the electrical trades, makes an entire line of electro hydraulic crimping and cutting tools, that were all designed to run on Makita LXT batteries and chargers, which expands Makita's line of of tool solutions far beyond what is evident in Makita's catalog alone. Not a lot of tool shoppers seem to realize this.


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## Mort (Nov 26, 2008)

I’m a Milwaukee guy. They’ve usually been geared toward plumbers and electricians, and other heavy professional users, but are getting a broader range. For me personally, their automotive cordless tools, both M12 and M18, are better than the competitors. 

The comment above about not fitting an M18 Fuel Hackzall into a stud bay is probably correct (I have that tool by the way, and it’s magnificent), but there is also an M12 Fuel version for smaller applications.


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## Yodaman (Mar 9, 2015)

Looks like DeWalt is taking a shot at the 14 1/2" stud bay too. I was thinking a couple of mfg's were making saws with articulating heads that would also fit the application when I ran across the this.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/DEWALT-XR-...procating-Saw-Battery-Not-Included/1000226389


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## Bent Nail (Mar 22, 2017)

Looks like I need to edit my post, but editing privileges have timed out. I didn't realize that DeWalt had this model. Never seen it before. Is it new? Is it smooth (in terms of vibration)? The stroke length of the DeWalt is 1/2" longer than that of the Sub Compact Makita recip.


I just googled "DCS367B xrj07zb comparison". Nothing. Unbelievable that none of the hit mongering, ad seeking, free tool collecting online "tool experts" have yet posted any comparison reviews pitting these two similarly sized and shaped compact reciprocating saws against each other.


Surely someone must have observed the similarities and made a comparison?


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## mrlabradog (Jan 25, 2019)

Milwaukee


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## 123pugsy (Oct 6, 2012)

The reversing switch on my brand new Milwaukee broke exactly when I started my reno. I now have to muck around, wiggle the damn thing to put it in reverse because I couldn't send it for repair at the time.


Makita has been my favorite for years but I had a weak moment with a salesman's spiel and ordered the set. :vs_mad:


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## PatentPending (Aug 7, 2018)

Don't agonize too much over this decision, you could flip a coin or pick which color you like best and be okay. They both make good tools (so does DeWalt or Bosch for that matter).

That being said, I somewhat recently had to make this same decision myself. In the past I've been pretty insistent on buying _corded_ tools, and my shop is a pretty solid mix of yellow, teal, red, and blue-ish. I really don't need the portability and batteries seem like more of a hassle (and expense) than they're worth... but I needed an impact driver (good luck finding a corded one).

I ended up choosing Makita, mostly by the process of elimination.
-DeWalt: these guys leave a sour taste in my mouth right off the bat because some marketing douchebag decided to label their nominal 18V tools as "20V MAX" (take a battery apart and you'll see it's an 18V tool like everybody else). Ditto for the euphemistic "Assembled in the USA with global materials" (you're not fooling anyone, *******s).
-Milwaukee: this is not the same company it used to be, and is now 100% pure unadulterated Chinese. I don't just mean Chinese made, which is more or less standard nowadays, but Chinese _owned_. The tools are made in the same factories that make Ridgid (made under contract for Ridgid, owned by Emerson) and Ryobi (virtually no relation to the actual Japanese company Ryobi, they've just licensed the use of the name). I recognize that this probably bugs me more than it should, but if I'm going to have to pick one proprietary battery platform I'd much rather it be from an American, German, or Japanese company. Also, I find their "FUEL" branding a bit over the top and irritating (not that they're alone in this, see Makita's "BL"). Of course, I'd be willing to overlook all of this if their tools were better than the competition, but they're really not.
-Bosch: it was almost a tossup between them and Makita, but Makita has the better cordless lineup.
-Festool: hahahahahaha no. If you get off on the "Made in Germany" label, go with Bosch (cue hatred from the Festool cult members).

Regardless of the above, there was one thing that was the deciding factor for me. Go to your local Home Default and look at the tools they're renting out. You'll notice that they're all Makita and Hilti. Think about that. My estimation is that this means somebody figured out that these brands would result in the least amount of revenue lost to maintenance and replacement (and no tool is treated worse than a rented one). To me, this speaks to their durability way more than anecdotes of "I dropped my Makita off a roof and then used in in a hurricane/on fire/underwater/in the Chernobyl exclusion zone, put it through a wood chipper, and then ran it over with my truck and it still works like new" of which there are plenty.

Really it's a damn shame that the manufacturers can't get their **** together and come up with a standard battery connection. Also, my guess (really, this is just speculation) is that they all have patents on their connections, so we're probably not going to see adapters anytime soon.


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## SHansen56 (Feb 16, 2019)

Pretty much Milwaukee 18 volt Fuel. When I started my reno I purchased the angled 16ga brad nailer for trim work. I also got their screw gun, hackzall, and the 12 volt multitool. I already had a bunch of Ryobi 20 volt tools. Their drill, impact, right angle drills. Which have held up well for my weekend warrior stuff. But, this job would probably have killed them. That's what I told my wife anyway... I try to get some new toys whenever I do a large project.


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## NotYerUncleBob2 (Dec 29, 2017)

There's a lot of good reasons and good tools on most of the platforms so you're not really going to be SOL on any of them. That said one thing to consider when buying in to a platform is what are all your buddies on? Not because you want to be one of the cool kids, but when you need that one tool you don't have for that one task it makes it easier to borrow from someone on the same platform so you don't have to borrow their batteries and charger. 
I don't have stock in any of the companies so I don't really care which one you choose, but I've gone with Makita since they make all the woodworking tools I need. If I was a plumber I might be on Milwaukee and if I was a cheapskate with no sense I might be on Ryobi.
Oh yeah, that Makita TD171 mentioned earlier? Yep. I got one while in Japan last year. It's red and it's awesome!! Definitely get it when it comes out here.


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