There are 2 kinds of tool deals. There are deals that I think you guys might be interested in, and deals of strong personal interest that I would absolutely take advantage of if I didn’t already have a full set of tools and 5 of the same type waiting to be tested and reviewed.
Makita’s 12V CTX cordless drill and impact driver set, CT226, is one such deal.
This combo is from Makita’s recent slide-pack 12V Max cordless power tool line, and I briefly discussed a similar deal from the last winter holiday season.
New Makita 12V Max tools are quite similar to their previous post-style battery form factor, but the new battery style provides numerous advantages. Plus, Makita has shown an interest in actively developing new 12V Max CXT tools.
See what I mean? Here’s a new Makita 12V CXT oscillating multi-tool. It’s new to the Japanese market, and I hope we’ll see it here too.
This Makita 12V Max drill and impact driver combo won’t win any best-in-class awards, but is quite possibly the best value and bang-for-the-buck combo I’ve seen. It’s matched by a Milwaukee M12 drill and impact combo holiday deal that’s already out of stock for the season.
The combo is bundled with 1.5Ah battery packs, which should provide decent runtime.
$99 gets you a pro-grade drill, impact driver, (2) battery packs, a charger, and a soft carrying case.
I don’t know what the catch is with this combo. The tools seem to handle and perform well (we’ve got samples on the test bench), and I’m hard pressed to find any compromises in their design.
I’d like to see Makita come out with brushless versions of each CXT tool, not just the drill and driver (out now!), but that’s a discussion for another time.
If you’re in the market for some new 12V-class tools, this is a fantastic deal. I’d encourage you to also look at the Amazon user ratings which are overwhelmingly positive.
I know that Makita tries hard to cater towards professional users exclusively, but this would make for a great drilling driving set for everyone – pros, DIYers, hobbyists, and homeowners alike.
Buy Now(via Amazon)
As I started at the top of the post, there are 2 types of deals. I would definitely buy this set if I had a need for the tools. If I hadn’t already gotten my father a Milwaukee M18 drill/driver set last holiday season, this would be on my shopping list. If I were looking to buy a housewarming gift for someone moving into their first apartment or home, this would be it.
That all said, if you were looking to buy into a tool platform, keep in mind that Makita’s CXT lineup is relatively new, and although they seem to have adapted all of their previous post-style battery tool designs, the line still doesn’t have the same breadth as other brands’ 12V-class platforms. If you want a band saw, a rotary hammer, or a brushless circular saw, Milwaukee’s M12 deserves your attention.
Comparatively, I think that Makita’s newish CXT line holds well against Dewalt, reasonably well against Bosch, and very well against all other 12V-class professional power tool lines, excluding Milwaukee’s of course.
In other words, unless you have reason to buy into Milwaukee’s M12 lineup, or specific reasons for going with another brand – maybe you like the size of Bosch’s brushless drill or drivers – this seems to be one heck of a good deal.
