5 Makita Tools So Strange We Can't Help But Want Them
The Makita tool company was founded in Japan in 1915, which means it has over a century of experience in the construction and tool field. Few other hardware manufacturers can boast the same, which is why Makita is still one of the global kings of the hardware scene, with reliable tools for just about every possible occasion.
Of course, with the passage of over a hundred years, there's plenty of time for hardware engineers to throw ideas at the wall and see what sticks. Innovation is one of the key components in invention, after all. This is why Makita's sizable tool catalog has some standout additions that you perhaps may not have set out to find during your latest journey to the hardware store, but once you start using them for their intended purpose, you wonder how you ever lived without them. Some of Makita's tools may seem esoteric, but everything is made for a good reason.
High-Speed Dust Blower
Dust is a universal nuisance, no matter what field you work in. Whether you're trying to clear debris from your latest construction job or just haven't touched a particular corner of your home in a while, you'll find dust, triggering allergies and messing up adhesives. Compressed air is the usual tool for getting rid of dust, but sometimes, the canned stuff either isn't good enough or isn't safe to use. In such situations, you're going to need something with a little more muscle to it.
Makita's High-Speed Dust Blower produces brushless dust-busting air blasts at up to 447 MPH and 39 CFM. Of course, if you don't want to launch air at 447 MPH, the device has an adjustable speed dial with four different settings, as well as a set of five different nozzles for focused or wider air blasts. Whether you've got plain old dust caked on your workbench or a bunch of wood shavings piled up under your saw, this handy blower will send it all flying.
Lantern with Radio
When you're out in the wilderness or at a job site by yourself, it's absolutely vital to have two pieces of equipment – a sturdy, bright lantern to light your path and a portable radio to stay on top of things like weather updates and emergency alerts. While you can get these two important devices separately from a camping supply store, why not skip a step and combine them for extra convenience, not to mention sturdiness?
Makita's hybrid Lantern and Radio is the ultimate work and camping double-threat, providing both a 360-degree lantern with 260 lumens of lighting power and a programmable AM/FM radio with nine saved channel slots for both channel types. Thanks to Makita's slide-on battery system, a single 18V battery can get you up to 12 hours of continuous usage of both the lantern and the radio, plus more if you use them separately. Don't worry about the lantern breaking, either – this thing is built tough, with certified resistance against dust, water, and impacts.
Cordless Coffee Maker
The entire world runs on that first cup of piping hot coffee in the morning. It would not be an understatement to say that nothing would get done if our dedicated workers didn't have access to their morning mugs. It can get a little expensive after a while to hit up the local café every single morning, though, as well as annoying to slog back to the office to use the communal machine. Instead, why not bring the fragrance of coffee right to the job site?
Makita's Cordless Coffee Maker is the working man's coffee siphon, designed to give you a steady drip of the dark stuff with a sturdy, compact form that makes it easy to carry around. You don't even need disposable filters – just pour the grounds right into the machine, and in five minutes, you've got a fresh mugful of coffee. The machine can get you three 5 oz cups of coffee on a single 18V battery charge, but if you're in a hurry, you can just swap the battery out for another to keep the coffee flowing.
Concrete Vibrator
Here's something you might not know if you don't work with liquid construction materials: wet concrete tends to develop air bubbles both on and beneath its surface after being poured. This is potentially problematic, as when the concrete hardens, those bubbles turn into air pockets that reduce the material's overall structural integrity. That's why cement mixers are always spinning, to mix the stuff up and keep that from happening. If the concrete is still too bubbly after being poured, though, then Makita has the right tool to provide a bit of extra stirring.
The Concrete Vibrator tool is a metallic wand that can be snaked into a pool of still-wet concrete in order to apply fast, powerful vibrations. Specifically, this thing can deliver up to 12,500 VPM, guaranteed to really mix the heck out of that concrete and pop any lurking air bubbles, improving its overall constitution. Thanks to the device's dual-direction switch, you can use it either vertically on the ground or horizontally on a wall.
High Visibility Heated Jacket
Nighttime construction can be pretty miserable, especially if it's cold or raining. You need to bundle up to stay warm, but not so much that you can't go about your work, while also ensuring that any passing cars can see you properly. Simple high-visibility vests and jackets solve one of those problems but may not be fully shored up against the elements. If you're feeling chilly and unseen, Makita's got the perfect solution.
Makita's High Visibility Heated Jacket is colored a bright, fluorescent yellow with silver stripes, guaranteed to immediately make you visible in the presence of even the smallest amount of light. The real star of the show here, though, is the jacket's internal battery-powered heater. Just flip the switch, and toasty heat will flow through the jacket and into your weary bones. Three heat settings allow you to set your ideal comfort level, and the built-in 18V battery can give you up to 37.5 hours of continuous use on the low setting.