XGT and LXT will co-exist to provide users with an unmatched line-up of cordless tools for the professional trade Lastly, the XDT19Z includes one of the most customizable work lights on the market. You can use the work light as a dedicated flashlight, and there is an on/off button to disable the work light when pulling the trigger, helpful to squeeze out extra battery run time. For example, the 18V LXT XDT19Z is an offering in the 18V LXT lineup. All model numbers in this lineup begin with the same three letters, XDT.

Assist Mode (A-mode) feature helps eliminate "screw cam-out" and "cross threading" by driving at low speed until tightening begins Note that the 5.0Ah 18V battery and 2.5Ah 40V Max battery have the same 90Wh capacity. The Bottom LineThe Makita 18V LXT XDT13Z is the best Makita budget impact driver. When moving down the price spectrum, it’s essential to understand the sacrifices made to reach a lower price point. The XDT19Z’s high RPM and impacts per minute result in fantastic performance driving big screws and lag bolts. We tested driving GRK RSS screws with all models in our tool fleet, and the XDT19Z turned in among the best results. Beyond including a 40V XGT, 18V LXT, or 12V CXT prefix for each model number, Makita includes a combination of letters and numbers to represent each impact driver’s position in a specific voltage lineup. We’ll focus here on the 18V LXT series of tools since it includes the most impact driver models. The XGT® Rapid Charger’s built-in chip thoroughly communicates during the charging process to control current, voltage, and temperature for more efficient charging

The XDT19Z shined most in our battery run time and driving speed tests. The XDT19Z has an outstanding 48 minutes of no-load run time, surpassing many competing impact drivers running the same Ah battery setup. Kitting it out with a Makita 18V LXT 5Ah battery extends the run time and continues outperforming comparable high-end models running 5Ah batteries. Incorporation of tool design, higher output batteries and built in communication program makes XGT the best high demand system on the market Makita’s 40V XGT batteries run off a single lithium-ion battery technology, and the batteries come in 2.5Ah, 4Ah, 5Ah, and 8Ah capacities. Otherwise, there are few downsides outside the expected slower driving performance and lower torque. One consideration is there’s no easy-insert collet design, which many other Makita impact drivers Makita’s impact driver lineup explained Disclaimers aside, the DT04Z performs fantastically in light and medium-duty driving tasks requiring precision. We especially appreciated the assist drive mode, which slows RPMs to set a screw and speeds up RPMs once impacting begins for an accelerated driving experience. The lower-speed drive mode also recesses screws accurately in all common densities of materials, ranging from MDF and drywall to harder wood species.

The XDT14Z drops the specialty wood, bolt-loosening, and self-tapping drive modes the XDT19Z includes. Instead, the XDT14Z offers 4 drive modes. The lower-speed drive modes improve driving versatility with better, thanks to the reduced impacts per minute and RPM profiles each drive mode offers. The lowest-speed drive modes are subtle enough to drive screws into MDF and drywall with an accurate finish, although no impact driver is the dedicated tool of choice for these tasks. Consider the Makita 18V LXT XDT14Z if you do not need the array of drive modes and additional work light features included with the flagship XDT19Z. Otherwise, the XDT14Z is the same impact driver when it comes to performance, all for a lower price. The XDT14Z even outperforms with a longer battery run time in our tests. Notably, the XDT14Z offers outstanding driving speed, sufficient torque, and the same lightweight and compact footprint the LXT lineup is known for. We outline Makita’s impact driver lineup below to help you determine which model is best for your intended usage. We also include a brief comparison table of critical specs to highlight the primary differences. 40V XGT The digital communication within XGT® actively monitors and protects against overload, over-discharge and overheating

R: Tool and battery kit that includes a 2Ah battery, such as XDT19R. These kits come in several variations with a different number of batteries. The XGT range of tools and batteries come with a built-in program, providing digital communication between the battery and tool. Allowing not only for the battery to talk with tool but also the tool to talk to the battery In one benchmark test, we tested 8-inch GRK RSS screws to see how long it takes both impact drivers to deal with a long fastener. The 18V LXT XDT16 finished with an average of 8.53 seconds. Its fastest time was 7.68 seconds and its longest was 9.59.The 40V max XGT® Brushless Cordless 4-Speed Impact Driver (GDT01D) breaks new ground for the most demanding driving applications in wood, masonry and metal. The Makita 40V XGT GDT01Z is the strongest Makita impact driver, offering unmatched torque output in Makita’s lineup. This model is the top Makita impact driver to buy for powering through heavy-duty tasks where torque is essential. The 18V LXT lineup includes a single lithium-ion battery technology, and the batteries come in 2Ah, 3Ah, 4Ah, 5Ah, and 6Ah capacities. drive modes improve driving versatility and accuracy. The middle range of the speed modes offers a high level of precision that’s rarely found in flagship 18V impact drivers that are more focused on dishing out brute force power.