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Makita LXT 36V

Owners keep the LXT 36v for outdoor and jobsite work where two 18v batteries give gas-like power without the fuel, accepting more battery swaps than a tank refill would need.

Read from 71 owner accountsUpdated September 25, 2026Owner rating: none yetAdd yoursCompare it

What keeps coming up

The 36v power head and the 36v hypoid and rear-handle saws are singled out for having enough power: one owner has parked a Stihl trimmer since switching, another says the head clears vines that stalled pro gas trimmers. Only a handful of separate accounts touch on this, so treat it as early signal rather than settled.

Recurring in 3 of 71 accounts · See accounts
no owners yet

What keeps coming up against it

Runtime is the recurring reservation: owners with larger properties describe needing several battery pairs and finding the swaps disruptive, and one moving from gas says changing batteries is the main downside. This too rests on very few accounts and they lean positive overall, so it is a caveat, not a verdict.

Recurring in 3 of 71 accounts · See accounts
no owners yet

What it is

Makita's 36V (18V X2) LXT tools are cordless tools that each take two of Makita's standard 18V LXT batteries at the same time. They are for heavier jobs like chain saws, blowers, reciprocating saws and metal cut-off saws. They suit people who already use Makita 18V tools and want more power without buying a new battery type.

Specs

Battery voltage36V (two 18V LXT batteries)
Battery sizes2.0, 3.0, 4.0 and 5.0 Ah (18V LXT)
Tools on the platformOver 200 cordless tools use 18V LXT batteries
Charger18V LXT Rapid Optimum Charger (DC18RC): 2.0Ah in 25 min, 3.0Ah in 30 min, 4.0Ah in 40 min, 5.0Ah in 45 min
CompatibilityUses the same 18V LXT batteries and chargers as Makita's 18V tools
Warranty3 years (tools, batteries and chargers)

From the maker's spec page, checked October 6, 2026. A blank row means the maker does not state it.

What the specs mean

You need two charged 18V batteries to run one of these tools, but they are the same batteries your Makita drill or impact driver uses. A 5.0Ah battery takes about 45 minutes on the rapid charger, so with two pairs you can charge one pair while using the other. Bigger Ah numbers mean longer running time per charge. The 3-year warranty covers the tool, the batteries and the charger.

Life with it

Once the novelty passes, the 36v tools tend to become the ones reached for. One owner uses the 36v circular saw ahead of the rear-handle model, which now rarely leaves the shelf; another keeps the 7-1/4 inch saw for bigger jobs that are too awkward for a cabinet saw while a smaller 12v saw handles daily cuts. The 36v pole saw gets steady use on birch and pine, with the only wish being a couple more feet of reach. Owners who run the power head describe a system: one head, several attachments, and a stack of batteries.

The adjustments are about batteries and bulk. Working a 1.5 acre lot meant carrying three or four pairs and stopping to swap them, which one owner found interruptive compared with the single change a 40v head needs. A dual-battery chainsaw owner concluded the tool suits trimming and on-and-off work but not extended cutting, where a gas saw still wins. The big 305mm saw earns a love-hate relationship: excellent to cut with, tiring to move between sites.

Reliability & repairs

What owners describe as holding up is the power delivery rather than any specific part. The argument several make is that running at 36v draws fewer amps, so tools and batteries run cooler and should last longer, and one owner feels the batteries hold charge well. The pole saw owner reports no issues after a couple of years on hardwood and pine. Nobody in these accounts reports a failed tool, motor, or battery.

That said, the long-term record here is thin. Each theme rests on only a few separate owners, most describing performance rather than years of wear, and none details a repair, a warranty claim, or a battery that stopped taking charge. Until more owners report back, how the LXT 36v ages is largely unreported on this page.

More detail
What owners praise, where they are split, and the follow-up timeline

What owners praise

  • cutting performance4 of 5who raised it
  • power output4 of 4who raised it

Where owners are split

  • battery life4 for · 3 against · 1 mixedof 8 who raised it

Nothing has a clear majority against it yet. Counted from the owners who raised each subject, not from everyone. A subject is judged once at least 4 owners raise it.

18 more subjects came up from fewer than 4 owners each, which is not enough for a fair reading. To see how it stacks up, compare it with another machine.

Does it still kick?

2 weeks3 months6 months1 year2 years

The same owner, asked again at each point. Fills in as owners answer.

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More in power tools: DeWalt 60V, DeWalt PowerStack, Milwaukee M18 Fuel.

Where this came from

Where this came from

Public discussions we read and summarised in our own words. Nothing here was submitted to Still Kicks.

  • Forum threads 71 accounts
  • Owner accounts collected here 0

Counted from public accounts by people who said they own it, and summarised by Still Kicks in its own words. Not a manufacturer claim, a lab test or an estimate.

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