Makita XMT03Z 18V LXT® Lithium-Ion Cordless Multi-Tool, Tool Only

I bought this to replace a twenty year old corded Fein oscillating saw that had seen better days. I must admit, I am committed to Makita because of their outstanding 18 volt battery system... That said, I love this tool. The new generation of the blade clamping mechanism is fast, easy and secure. Once you get used to the clamping lever, you can change or reposition a blade in seconds. Blades stay exactly where you set them. Zero slippage. This saw is plenty powerful, I've been cutting 120 year old wood with this thing and it doesn't bog down at all. Battery life is excellent, I usually get an entire work day out of a fully charged battery. Literally the only improvements I could wish for are a work light. Though, I can see why it's not easy to design a light given that the blade can be positioned anywhere along a 180 degree arc. Secondly, this saw is fairly big and heavy, I can one-hand it if necessary but I still wish it was smaller.

First of all let me say how I am a huge fan of Makita battery operated tools. Battery operated tools are just something I adore and have been through all of the major brands. When you compare that brands pricing of their product to the longevity, reliability, battery life, and quality of built. Makita will win every time. Im a fan of Milwaukee tools as well, as the quality of their tools and the variety of battery operated tools they off is unsurpassed. That being said. Milwaukee tools are also more expensive and dont offer enough gain over Makita to make the higher price worth it. Dewalt tools are my least favorite. I too fell victim back in the day to the overly hyped and overpriced yellow tools targeted towards the every day professional. The simple truth about dewalt tools is that they just dont last. Every dewalt tool I have owned had to be replaced before it should have. The stuff is just garbage. Anyway. I love these multi-tools and have found them useful for so many things. Most recently in my master bathroom. I am remodeling my master bathroom. The bathtub surround is going to be tile, which means out with the drywall and in with the cement board. The tile is not going to go all the way to the ceiling nor will it go all the way to the edge of the wall. So i wanted a fairly precise way to cleanly cut out the drywall that would be replaced with cement board. Thus the Makita Multi tool. Now I do have a corded Multi-tool, but I just didnt want to be tethered to the wall for this. Seeing as since I am redoing the entire bathroom. There is stuff everywhere in there and didnt want to add an extension cord to the mix. I chose this Makita multi tool, because I already have a bunch of Makita Batteries. Just so happens this is a great tool that Makita put some thought into. First of all I love the tooless blade chages. Simply pull the release lever back, pull the threaded stud out, put the new blade on, put the threaded stud back in place, and lock it down by pushing the lever forward. Makita also includes adapters so that you can use just about any brand multi tool blade with tool. I am so happy that Makita opted for a simple on and off switch with this tool instead of a trigger pull. Some brands use trigger pulls on their multi tools and it is so cumbersome trying to wield a tool such as this one and keep a consistent pull on the trigger. So instead Makita opted for the simple on off switch with a variable speed setting knob. Way to use the ole noggin Makita. Another great feature of this tool is the action casing part of the tool that holds the battery. You will notice you are able to wiggle this part of the independently from the main tool. Dont freak out. It is not defective. Its meant to be that way. The battery casing is slightly articulating so that it can vibrate independently from the tool itself. This does 2 things. Mainly it increases the life of your battery, because vibrations can be detrimental to batteries and this tool decreases those vibrations by allowing the battery case to vibrate independently of the tool casing itself. This also helps reduce some of the vibration that is transferred to your hand, because it acts sort of like a pendulum counteracting the vibrations from the tool. Just make sure you get yourself a good set of headphones or earplugs, because these things are loud when you are cutting with them The loudness is not unique to this specifically multi tool. Every multi tool I have ever used is ear shattering loud during cutting. So make your ears happy and use some earplugs.

Incredibly useful tool. I can't believe I had my doubts before buying. This is a must have shop tool. Make sure you get all the blade options - sanding, scraping, metal cutting, wood, etc. So useful!!!

I don't see how I went so long without this multi-tool. Makes the job so much easier. This Makita one feels and functions very solid.

I'm well invested in the 18v Makita platform. As tool people know cordless is about the battery and the quality of tool it is designated for. IMO Makita builds tough cordless tools with top notch batteries. Most of which are contractor or shop grade tools. I have decades of construction experience and have thru use landed on Makita for most of my cordless top contenders. This multi tool seems to hit the mark. Not their top model but fits the needs I purchased it to do. As IMO these are a niche tool and they can do things other tools cannot. So a good addition to my 18v. Stable.

Excellent cutoff/grinder and that works well with the batteries from my other tools (ordered this model so that they would). The guard on the unit reduces cut depth by at least 1/4”. It would be nice if Makita supplied a bag to store the unit in.

As described, quality makita product

This tool are a must have if you are a handyman like me, make so many useful out of it and work so well. Make my life so much easier than ever before, I should have buy this tool a long time ago. My go to brand also Makita.