While what Makita is doing in the UK may not reflect a direct transfer to the tools is releases in the US, it does perk us up to see a suite of new 10.8V (that’s 12V to you and me) cordless lithium-ion tools come out of nowhere. The new Makita 12V compact tools bring particular, a new jigsaw, reciprocating saw, tile cutter and even a compact site radio, have joined a line-up which already includes drill drivers, an impact driver, an impact wrench, an 3-3/8″ circular saw and vacuum cleaner. In the U, the range also includes the ‘Pink Drill’, the special edition 12V drill driver marketed to support the Breast Cancer Care charity with a donation from Makita for every unit sold (though in the US they merely dressed up their 2011 Supercross sponsor in pink, not their drill).
Makita 12V Compact Tools Features
The new Makita JV100 12V Lithium-ion jigsaw will cut to depths of 2-1/2″ in lumber and 2mm in mild steel. With a 3/4″ stroke length and up to 2,400 strokes per minute the tool is made to cut even faster by the presence of three orbital modes and a straight cut mode for more delicate applications. The jigsaw weighs a respectable 3.7 lbs and measures just 7-3/4″ from the top of the soft-grip handle to the base-plate and 9″ from front to rear. The rigid stamped aluminum base-plate bevels from 0° to 45°, both left and right. The useful dust blower feature from Makita’s 18V range is also incorporated to keep the cutting line clear and visible and a dust extraction connection is provided. This compact and powerful jigsaw looks to be very useful for many smaller jobs or places where space and maneuverability are a premium.
The new Makita JR100D and JR102D 12V (10.8V) reciprocating saws expand on the “easy access” principle by providing two operating switch alternatives on one tool. The normal rubberized non-slip pistol grip has the traditional variable speed trigger switch but for very tight access operations a paddle switch on the tool body only requires the operator to get his hand around the body to hold it in position and squeeze the paddle switch. This is really useful for vertical cutting applications or areas where you have very limited-access. With a 1/2″ stroke (at up to 3,300spm) the Makita JR100D will cut a 2″ diameter steel pipe, ideal for both electrical and plumbing on-site installation work. A tool-less blade change feature is part of the JR100D and JR102D handheld reciprocating saws and, impressively, the tools offer compatibility with both reciprocating blades and jigsaw blades.
The new Makita CC300D tile and glass cutter is just 11.8″ long and weighs 3.7lbs. Honestly, it’s all motor and battery and the direct-drive system should provide enough torque to get through intended applications. The 3.3″ diamond blade will run up to 1,400rpm providing a 1″ depth of cut at 90° and 0.6″ cut at 45°. To aid in dust suppression, Makita includes a 10 oz easy-fill water canister attachment that also serves to cool the blade during use. Lastly, a nickel-plated base plate resists rust.
Maintaining the compact and robust philosophy of the 12V range is the new Makita MR051 jobsite radio which uses two 1.5 watt speakers to pump out the tunes. The radio has both AM and FM tuners, push-button or manual tuning and a “full-volume” run-time of around two hours. This ultra-portable sound system weighs just 1.1 lbs and has an earphone jack along with an 1/8″ MP3 input connection for connecting your phone or iPod. There’s no word on run-time, but we’d expect it to last most of the work day.
All of these new 12V Makita tools are available as kits, with two 1.3Ah Li-ion cells, fast charger and carry case – or in “tool-only” format for operators who already have a suite of Makita 12V (10.8V) cordless tools.
Will these Makita 12V compact tools make it to the United States soon? We don’t really know, but we think it’s a good bet. If you absolutely cannot wait, you can check out more information on the tools at www.makitauk.com.
