Having just come off a review of the Makita 18V cordless wet/dry vacuum, we received news of their compact 12V vac. The Makita 12V CXT Cordless Vacuum Kit (LC09A1) isn’t made to lift bowling balls—but its lightweight form factor makes it ultra-portable. If the Makita LC09 vacuum can run long enough with enough suction, it should prove to be a great addition to anyone already using 12V CXT tools.
Makita 12V CXT Vacuum Features
When we say “ultra-portable” we mean it. The Makita LC09 vacuum measures just 14-1/8 inches long and weighs 3.7 lbs—with a 2Ah battery.
In Low speed, the Makita 12V vacuum runs for up to 33 minutes using a 2.0Ah battery. Still, we’d recommend using the optional 4Ah battery if at all possible. It will allow for longer run-times in Medium and High speeds where you get considerably more suction. For example, on High, you get up to 46 CFM—not bad at all for a 12V cordless vacuum!
The suction power varies using a membrane-style push button. For collection, the Makita LC09 vac uses a bag-less 2-stage cloth filtration system.
Makita LC09 Vacuum Specs
- Power: 12V Cordless
- Battery: 12V max CXT lithium-ion
- Runtime (max): 33 min. (Low)
- Air flow: 46 cfm
- Weight: 3.7 lbs. (w/2Ah battery)
- Dimensions (LxWxH) : 13-5/8 x 5-7/16 x 8 in.
- Price: $83.52 (bare tool), $135.15 (kit w/2Ah battery)
- Kit includes: 12V max CXT Vacuum (LC09Z), 12V 2.0Ah battery (BL1021B), 12V charger (DC10WD), soft brush (140H94-2), upholstery nozzle (140H95-0), blower nozzle (140J64-3), shoulder strap (162544-9), 13 in. rubber crevice nozzle (422437-5), floor mat nozzle (459056-4), 5-pk paper filter (194566-1), dust bag (166084-9), tool bag
Conclusion
Makita gives users a battery charge warning light right on the vacuum. It lets you know when to swap out the battery. The new 12V CXT batteries also include 3-LED level meters for charge status as well. The LC09 includes both vacuum and blower attachments. While we don’t imagine you’ll use the blower function a ton, it does allow you to quickly clear an area when needed.
Overall, this vacuum fits the Makita line-up pretty well. 46 cfm definitely pulls enough suction for this type of vacuum. Run-time should be sufficient with the 4Ah battery pack. Including the 2Ah pack clearly hits a desired price point, but I think the Makita LC09 vacuum may fall short of user expectations when using that small of a battery. For users already on the 12V CXT platform, this becomes a non-issue.
Just when we think Makita isn’t paying enough attention to their 12V tools, something like this hits our pages and we have to reconsider. While Makita sub-compact tools do much to consolidate compact tools onto their 18V LXT platform, smaller 12V products apparently still have a place.
