Makita 18V Tools and the Batteries That Power Them
Posted by Katy | Toolstop on 28th Sep 2020
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Makita 18V Tools are some of the most popular on the market. This Toolstop guide will tell you all about the Makita 18V Batteries and what Makita Tools they are compatible with. Included you will find all the top features and benefits of these power tools and their batteries.
All About Makita 18V Tools
Makita have a range of Cordless Tools and a variety of 18V batteries to power them. They launched their first 4Ah 18V lithium-ion battery pack back in 2013, following it up in 2014 with the even larger 5Ah. In 2016 they launched the 6.0Ah BL1860B yet interestingly, the company hasn’t made such a big deal about this development compared to their competitors.
That hasn’t stopped you guys wanting to know the following info:
- Which 18V Makita cordless tools will these batteries be compatible with
- What’s the difference between Makita’s “B” lettered tools compared with the new “D” lettered versions.
We’ve got a video filmed with Makita’s Martin where he explains all you need to know:
Which Cordless Tools will the Makita 18V Lithium Battery Power?
Toolstop University break this down further for you by answer the following questions:
Which Makita 18V Tools Will Support 4Ah and 5Ah Batteries?
Toolstop’s Lorna took us through this subject on Toolstop TV (see below), and Martin reitterated in the video above.
But here’s the basics: the batteries are backwards compatible with Makita tools that display:
- A black panel with a Star
- A yellow panel with a Star
- A yellow panel
Obviously all new Makita 18V cordless power tools will be compatible with the 4Ah and 5Ah li-ion batteries, even if they’re available as “naked” (click to understand about naked power tools).
Which leads us onto your next question...
What Tools is the Makita 18V Battery Compatible With?
What’s the Difference Between “B” and “D” Makita Power Tools?
There’s some confusion over this; why buy a “B” lettered Makita power tool if it’s just the same as “D” version. Here’s what Makita told us – “this is essentially a sticker change“.
What that means, as far as we can tell, is that the tools are exactly the same. The “D” denotes it’s definitely compatible with the new higher-capacity batteries. And going forward, all new Makita 18v cordless tools will started with a “D”.
We trust Toolstop university make things a bit clearer for you, but as always we’re here to explain things. So, any questions, queries or concerns about Makita 18V cordless power tools, we will gladly help you answer them.