Customer Reviews

Makita LXT601 18-Volt LXT 6-Piece Lithium-Ion Cordless Combo Kit

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

The purpose of this review is to help contractors make an informed decision about this Makita cordless kit. I spent hours researching before I decided on this one (LXT601) and I hope to make your search easier.

I am a remodeling contractor and I use these tools HARD five days a week. I bought this kit in July of 2008. After getting over the euphoria of brand new cordless tools and using them for several months, I have a list of pros and cons.

One random note. I thought that all lithium-ion tools stop dead when the battery gets too low. This is certainly not the case. All of these tools wind down just as my old NiCad kit did.

The impact driver is by far the best and most useful tool in the kit. The belt clip is wonderful and the LED light at the front of the tool, which I admit that I thought was silly at first, has a surprising number of uses. The fact that it stays on when you release the trigger is great - most other lights will flash on with every slight squeeze. I can drive 3" screws constantly for over an hour on a single battery.

The hammerdrill/driver is on the weak side. When drilling 5/32" holes for tapcons, the tool seemed to buzz and vibrate more than actually hammer. It works great for light and even some medium-duty jobs, but not much beyond that. It works well for driving, but with the impact driver, I don't even use the drill for driving anymore. All in all, the drill is not impressive.

The circular saw cut like a hot knife through butter with the supplied blade. However, as with any thin kerf blade, the cut deteriorated significantly as the blade became more used. The motor and power are fine, and the grip feels very natural. However, I have two major gripes. The first is that the lever that controls the depth-of-cut seems to strip out repeatedly and I have to remove the E-clip and manually return the lever to its intended position. It's quite frustrating at times. The second gripe is that the lever for the blade guard is not big enough and I have to contort my hand into a very awkward position to reach it. I'm not impressed with those two design elements.

The sawzall feels great in my hands, but seems underpowered. It's certainly not up to any significant cutting task. It would be fine for cutting a hole in a roof for a ventilation fan or something of that nature, but it wouldn't be able to cut out all of the studs in a window opening, for example. Also, when the tool vibrates excessively such as when cutting metal bolts, hardware, or the like the blade clamp is not able to hang on to the blade and it keeps flying out. THAT gets old in a hurry.

And the flashlight, although bright, only has four positions. I have had other lights in the past that swivel and are much more useful. I have a much tougher time getting this one into position, such as on a mudsill to shine into the electrical panel in the basement I'm working on.

And here's the verdict... The best tool is the impact driver. There is a 2-piece kit available that contains the impact driver and a much heavier hammerdrill which I've used and found to be a much better tool. I would buy the 2-piece kit if I had it to do over. If you're a contractor, as I am, and you intend to use these tools to make a living, as I do, I would recommend not buying this kit. DeWalt has kits that are heavier because they're NiCad, but the saws work better. As much as I hate to say it, if I were to start from scratch and were to only buy one tool platform, it would be DeWalt. If I could mix and match, I would buy the DeWalt kit for the saws, and the Makita 2-piece for the drill and impact driver.

There you have it. I know that was long-winded, but hopefully it was helpful. Happy tool hunting!

I absolutely love the impact in this set, I'm in the HVAC industry and work with a lot of metal so it is always in use. The drill is good but doesn't have as good of torque as a DeWalt. This drill is not the same as the one that comes with the 2pc., its smaller and less powerful. The grinder and circular saw are too under powered to do any real work. The reciprocating saw is good, but drains the battery in about 5 min. of good use. The flashlight is great, runs about 6 hours on a fully charged battery, is very durable. The Batteries are amazing! extremely light and have a fast, long lasting charge. I can run my impact for 2 days of heavy use per charge. the light on the impact and drill are indispensable, they make my life so much easier. all the tools are very light and extremely durable. my impact survived an 18 ft. fall to a concrete floor and only had a small scratch on the battery, nothing else. the bag is just impractical, its way to big to be carrying anything around in.
I would just recommend getting the 2 or 3pc. instead, and use corded saws and grinder.

I bought this set for about 2 weeks.

A new version to replace LXT600 / LXT700 (both were retired). Look at the spec and here's the difference:
1. BHP452 maybe less powerful than BHP451 (just by spec; I don't own BHP451 to compare);
2. BSS611 is 0.2 lb lighter than BSS610; (Dewalt circular saw blade (18 tooth) made finish smoother in this set.)
3. BJR182 is 1.875" shorter than BJR181 and w/o the LED front light;
4. BTD141 has 50 in-lbs Torque more than BTD140 (I don't like the cheap silver plastic at the body, but not enough to make me deduct a star from this set);
5. DC18RA 30 minutes rapid charger vs old DC18SC 45 minutes charger.

Forget the LXT700, you don't want to pay $100 more for a on-site radio. You can have it free through rebate if you bought this set on/before 5/31/08.
I rather Makita offered an extra battery (even it's cheaper), but there is no choice. As another reviewer pointed out MP3 is a better choice.

You can still go to LXT600 to see all the users' reviews.

Best price/quality/size/weight/completion comapre with other brands like Dewalt, Milwaukee, Ridgid (no cordless grinder), Bosch, etc.
Prefect if Maikta replace the flashlight by a Jig Saw. Every brands practice to make money/looks better by placing a flashlight in their combos. What can I said...

I used to own Dewalt DC4PAKA combo kit but found the Ni-cad battery didn't last long so returned it and decided to go Lithium-ion.
IMO Dewalt quality is excellcent but the weight (me not a big guy) and price is too heavy; Milwaukee just too heavy and I don't like its hand-feel. Ridgid has lifetime service guarantee (including battery) but I'm not sure the quality of both tools and service. Tools look and feel good in HD but offer no cordless grinder.

So far every tools included are doing their job as what they suppose to. Again I compare this set with Dewalt Ni-Cad 4 pc combo set, not any other cord/cordless tools.

One LXT600 reviewer said the recipro saw is a pc of junk. I don't know but for me it did what Dewalt recipro saw capable to, only the weight is much lighter.

However, I did extended research before my decision and much appreciate opinions from all reviewers.

2009 Update... Still going after all these years.

It's been almost three years since I got the 6 piece kit and so far, no problems. I have added two naked tools to it - a jigsaw, as noted below, and, this year, a blower.

Makita makes and Amazon sells an 18v blower that is really productive. That has been a tool that now gets used on almost every job for cleanup. I certainly recommend it. Great for cleanup. It's a very compact battery-powered leaf blower. Got a pile of sawdust? Blow it off. Need to get stuff out of the corners? Blow it.

Batteries... The original ones are beginning to fail. I expect two years use from LiOn batteries, so it's expected. The best buy so far has been the two pack from Amazon. However, now and again you find discount deals on the smaller tool kits. Keep the charger, keep the batteries and sell the tool on ebay.


@@@ Original Review...


I bought the six piece Makita 18v LiOn kit in December of 2006. I have been using it at work just about five days a week since then. I like it. Would I buy it again? Yes.

Buying this kit reduces the price per tool a whole bunch. Compare to the other options and see.

The ergonomics of the tools make my Bosch 18v stuff seem clunky. Bosch is now in the attic tool library.

The drill driver, impact driver and recip saw work just fine. Nice professional tools. No issues. They do the job.

The flashlight lights up. What can I say. You get one in most kits so they can call it a tool.

The grinder is a bit tender. You cannot lean on it like you would a 120v tool. However, it can grind things where there is no job power and getting job power would be a real pain.

The cordless saw is great. It has been the primary saw every day on this roofing job (89 marsard roofs and occasional 120v service) since November 07. An elegant tool.

The jobsite radio is a loser. I have the old green model and some clueless dweb did not include an mp3 jack. It does have a snooze alarm. Obviously the designers had considerable experience at job sites. The foreman will now wake you from your nap. The new white version has this jack. Myself, I use an MP3 player.

To add to the kit, I bought a bare jigsaw when they came on the market in this country. (Could get them in England a year earlier.)

Every year I buy a two pack of batteries. So far they are all working, but they do have a finite life.

Okay.. I bought this 6-piece Makita set about 1.5 years ago. I wanted to wait a little bit to give an honest review.

So, I received the sawzall, 6.5" circular saw, bhp 452 drill/driver combo, flashlight, grinder and the impact drill with 2 18v li ion batteries and a charger.. Makita had a special promotion that month, so I also received a more Heavy Duty BHP 454 high torque drill/driver and an extra battery..

So..

The Sawzall... It seems very weak to me.. In order to change the blade, you have to get your fingers kind of close to the blade and twist. It has a very short throw as opposed to the dewalt 18v sawzall and IMHO I wasn't very impressed..

The Circular Saw... It seems to get stuck quite often while cutting.. I am a union electrician and I use a metal cutting blade most of the time with it to cut pipe.. I have only used the milwaukee 18v circular saw to compare and I believe the Milwaukee is superior to the makita.. Just MORE heavy duty.. I wasn't impressed to say the least with the Makita.

The BHP 452 drill/driver... Although it doesn't have a lot of torque.. It gets the job done.. It doesn't compare to a Dewalt 18v as far as heavy duty, but overall i'm okay with it.. I opted to get the BHP 454 for the added torque, well get to that later...

The flashlight.. It's worthless. It is very light, and definitely not heavy duty. By that I mean that leaving the flashlight in the bag that this set comes with completely ruined it.. When I finally looked for it in the bag to use it it was in a few pieces.. It unscrewed itself, the lens was completely scratched, and the bulb was burnt out or broken.. Junk. Pure Junk...

The grinder... It's a fun tool.. BUT.. I bought a brand new diamond cutting blade to cut out some stucco and it kept tripping the breaker that is inside of it.. I guess it was overheating.. I was only trying to cut a new panel in and it tripped about 5x before my friend took out his dewalt 18v grinder and the wall cut like butter.. I didn't like it either.. Theres a pattern here right..???

The impact drill.. I like it.. It works well and I can't live without it.. It has to be one of the best inventions ever made.. Never had a problem with it and I love it.. :)

Okay.. now the BHP 454 HEAVY DUTY drill/driver.. When I first received it, about 6 weeks later, I loved the weight and how it looked.. It had all metal gears and looked like it was built to last, unlike the BHP 452 that came with the set. I pretty much liked to use this drill all the time because it was HEAVY DUTY.. well.. that's what they said.. I was drilling through a 2x4 with a new 1.5" holesaw and arbor and this thing just started smoking, spitting out pieces of hot metal or something, GEARS>???? whatever... I didn't even get to go through the wood.. I had to come in with the BHP 452 because the 454 burned itself out..
So.. I live about 20min from Makita and they replaced the gears for free... took about a couple weeks.. Since it was under warranty I didn't mind so much.. This is where it gets lame..
About a week later I was drilling through (2) 2x4's and the drill burnt itself out again. I brought out the less heavy duty BHP 452 and it finished the job. I couldn't believe it.. So, I brought it back to Makita..
Makita called me about 3 days later and asked me what I use the drill for..?? I told them that I drill with it..?? They continued to ask me what I'm drilling.. I told them that I drill with it.. I drill wood, metal... I drill screws.. what am i suppose to use it for..?.. They told me that I was mis using the drill.. I am licensed, certified journeyman electrician.. I usually use contractors tools.. but these are mine.. i treat them the same... i might even treat mine a little better.. but i have never had these problems with their tools, milwaukee or dewalt.. They continued to tell me that they cannot warranty the dril even though one of the biggest selling points to buying these tools is that there is a 3-year warranty..they said that i would have to pay to get it fixed.. like $80 dollars.. A new one costs less.. so i asked for the manager and they ended up doing the labor for free, i had to pay $16 for parts..
This drill continued to take a crap on me and i pretty much just used it as a paperweight.. the BHP 452 is my drill for now.. Makita says they have a 3 yr warranty on these things.. Don't believe it.. I had a battery go bad right after a year and another one go out last week..

So.. I don't use these tools on a daily basis. I probably have used them maybe 300 total hours combined for all the tools.. they appear new but they are pretty much junk.. The tools and the batteries..

I am goin to invest in a Milwaukee or Dewalt set.. I'm not happy with Makita..

Do yourself a favor and don't buy MAKITA...

I hope this helps...Customer service is not the best either..!!!

EDIT: I forgot to add.. The handle to the Bag this set came with stuck open and i couldn't close it the first week.. i tried everything.. hammering it.. anything.. i had to cut it off and now i can't grab the handle and roll the bag around.. i either have to crouch while rolling it or carry it...

The bag is not warrantied.. not even within a week according to MAKITA...

That's all..

Most of the other reviews are very accurate in their descriptions for these tools, what can I add? I used worked in construction several years ago, but currently I only use these tools for destroying/repairing things at home. Obviously these tools are not as powerful as their corded counterparts, but who wants to carry a 50 ft extension cord around wherever you go? These tools are perfect for jobs around the house and have already paid for themselves by solving a few tricky problems... like corroded bolts. The grinder made quick work of cutting the bolts (the grinder came with 2 different types of blades). The reciprocating saw would've probably been easier but it didn't come with metal blades and I didn't feel like going back to the store again.

The battery charger charges in 30 minutes as advertised which is great. The impact driver is really cool since it is able to get into small areas and has quite a bit of torque for such a small tool. The flashlight is bright but I would've preferred just about any other tool instead since I doubt I will ever use it. I haven't used the circular saw yet, but it's time to shine is coming soon! ;-)

The tools all feel very sturdy and well made and you really can't beat the price offered here on Amazon. It looks like the price has gone up since I bought this 2 months ago ($500). Just buying 2 of these tools at the store can set you back around $300 (my dad still likes to buy things at the store). I've used Makita brand tools before and they seem to last a long time. Overall I am very happy with these tools because they meet my needs and situation perfectly.

Having owned many brands (Craftsman, Dewalt, Milwaukee) of cordless tools and put them through the paces I have to say these new Makita lithium ion tools outperform everything I've used up to this point. I think that the strongest things that these tools have going for them are the immense amounts of torque offered by the 4-pole motors and the benefit of the batteries lasting longer and not slowly dying out when the charge is diminishing. They're 100% 'til the battery needs recharged, then they just stop. I love these tools and would buy them again without a second thought.

I purchased these tools to fill out my tool box, which I mostly use for Automobile repairs, but find that it makes sense to have a few high-quality saws around the house, to deal with the inevitable projects that come up. I order from Amazon, with free shipping, and the tools arrived about a week later. I've heard others complain about the packaging, but in my case, the packaging was perfect, and everything was packaged, as it should be, inside the box.
When I opened the box, I was pleasantly surprised to also find a very well made carry bag, with roll-around wheels, and a rugged look and feel.
The tools are simply the best, and even better than I anticipated. Both the drill and the impact wrench come with LED lighting, to assist you if you're working in dark places.
The drill and impact wrench have perfect rotational balance, and while the sawzall is a bit heavier than expected, it is most certainly bullet-proof, and able to cut just about anything.
Great tools at a great price, what else needs to be said.

Wonderful set. I am the owner of a busy construction company and I use these tools daily now. I love them. In fact many of my workers have decided that they want a set too. They have great power, durability, battery charges quickly. It's everything you need in a set... because really, who needs the radio for the extra money?
You won't be disappointed.

I've been using these tools for at least 8 months now. The tools, I can't rave enough about. The only tools I was disappointed with was the grinder and the light. The grinder still works well when you need it but it can't handle a large load and it does eat up your batteries. With the light: it upsets me that you spend a nice chunk of green and they don't give you a LED bulb. If you have never used an impact drill after you try this baby it will be your "go to" drill. Great for tight spaces (working in cabinets, between floor joists, you name it)and places where you need some light to see what you are doing, thanks to the LED lights on the drills. This thing will drive screws all day long.
Now for the bag. At first I thought it could hold up to the job but I was mistaking. Within the first week zippers started breaking apart. A short while later one of the wheels broke. For how much weight is in that bag they really didn't give the wheels a thought. Now the bag is fraying apart around the top zipper. I'm starting to look for a couple of smaller bags to put these tools in.. Thanks for reading, hope it helps.