5 Makita LXT Tools Under $150 Worth Adding To Your Collection

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Any brand that is looking to offer the widest range of battery-powered cordless tools will need several different battery lines to power tools of different types and sizes. Makita is no exception. The brand has XGT, LXT, and CXT battery systems, with its LXT line being the most versatile of the bunch. This 18V battery line includes more than 350 tools and products, spanning everything from saws and drills to heated jackets.

As useful as it might be in the depths of winter, a heated jacket is one of the more niche products within the line. The saws and drills, in contrast, appeal to a much wider audience, and as a result, they have amassed far more reviews from buyers at stores like Home Depot.

Reviews are a particularly useful metric when it comes to working out which tools are worth investing in — if hundreds or even thousands of reviewers have already come away impressed with a tool, it's much more likely to be worth adding to your own collection. These 18V LXT Makita tools have all been thoroughly tested by reviewers, and they're all among the highest-rated of their kind.

Every tool enthusiast has their own opinions on which major reciprocating saw brand is best, but in our ranking, Makita took the crown. In that comparison, we highlighted the brand's reputation for durability as well as its cutting performance as reasons for its first-place finish. Reviewers at Home Depot agree with our verdict, as the 18V LXT compact reciprocating saw is one of the best-rated tools in its category.

The saw retails for $149, squeezing in just within our $150 budget. That price includes just the tool itself, so anyone who doesn't have a suitable battery and charger on hand will have to purchase them separately. Makita's aforementioned reputation for durability should mean that it's unlikely you'll need to invoke the saw's warranty, but in case you do, you're covered for the first three years after purchase.

Like many modern cordless tools, the Makita saw features a built-in LED worklight to make it easier to see what you're doing in dimly lit workspaces. It also includes a tool-free blade change system, with the saw delivering a ½-inch stroke length. Makita says that the tool weighs just under 4 lbs with a battery attached, which should further add to its appeal for anyone needing maximum comfort for longer jobs.

Another top-rated tool that's only just available within budget is the Makita 18V LXT 5-inch random orbit sander. Just like the reciprocating saw, it retails for $149 at Home Depot. Also like the saw, it's covered by a standard 3-year warranty. To get the best out of the sander, Makita recommends using it with 18V batteries that have a star symbol on them. That symbol indicates that the battery uses the brand's STAR technology, which helps protect the battery against overheating or overloading during extended use.

Exactly how long a STAR-equipped Makita battery will be able to power the sander depends on multiple factors. First, it will depend on the capacity of the battery, and second, it will depend on which speed setting the sander is using. It offers a choice of three settings to pick from, ranging from 7,000 to 11,000 OPM. At its lowest setting, the tool should last roughly twice as long before its battery runs flat.

While choosing the right Makita impact driver isn't quite as simple as picking the first top-rated tool you see within your budget, it's still worth factoring both customer reviews and cost into your final decision. The 18V LXT ¼-inch impact driver scores well in both regards, with a high average review score at Home Depot and a retail price of $129. 

According to its maker, it can produce up to 1,460 in-lbs of torque, yet it weighs less than 3 lbs. The brand says that the tool delivers up to 3,500 IPM, and its STAR battery protection technology helps protect against overloading, over-discharging, and overheating. It's another of Makita's tools that features an LED worklight, and unlike some tools from rival brands that only illuminate when the trigger is pressed, the impact driver's light can be turned on and off independently.

The tool also features another Makita-exclusive technology called XPT, which stands for Extreme Protection Technology. Tools equipped with XPT feature internal seals designed to boost protection against water and dust ingress, which makes them particularly well suited to use on job sites with tough working conditions.

Alongside its large range of teal-colored 18V LXT tools, Makita also offers a smaller selection of black-colored subcompact tools that use the same battery packs. The difference between the two lines is that subcompact tools have dimensions closer to the brand's 12V CXT line, but unlike CXT, they don't require investing in a new set of batteries.

One of the highest-rated subcompact tools in that range is the 18V LXT Subcompact ½-inch drill/driver, which retails for $134. It weighs less than 3 lbs and is less than 6 inches in length, but it still offers up to 350 in-lbs of torque. For reference, the brand's regular 18V LXT ½-inch drill/driver is over an inch longer, although it does also deliver a higher torque output.

The subcompact tool has a dual-speed transmission to suit a variety of jobs, with the faster speed hitting a maximum of 1,700 rpm and the slower speed limited to 500 rpm. Just like the brand's larger 18V cordless tools, there is also a pair of LED work lights built into the subcompact drill/driver to improve visibility.

At a retail price of $79, the Makita 18V LXT 12-LED flashlight is the cheapest tool here. However, it should be no less useful than any of the other top-rated tools, especially during the winter months when the days get shorter. Picking the right Makita jobsite lighting means accounting for things like lumen output, battery life, and the dimensions of the light itself, but the flashlight should be a useful addition to most people's toolboxes.

According to Makita, it emits up to 240 lumens, and it will run for up to 12 hours on that maximum brightness setting. At its lower brightness setting, users can expect up to 22 hours of runtime in between charges. The light can be adjusted to sit at the ideal angle thanks to its 7-position folding head — which also rotates — and the rotating hang hook, which can fold away when it's not needed. When it's unfolded, the tool is around 15 inches long.