Archived from the Tools In Action forum (Makita). This thread is read-only.
I didn’t know the reason for this lineup.
I don’t think either line is really fully professional on the whole, more like they have tools that can fit in the lineup for some contractors. m12 rightfully has a lot more clout for the time being by virtue of being bigger, and Milwaukee makes many of them not too far off the size of their m18s. I would like to see Makita expand their CXT range but they seem much more enthused about building up XGT.
I know in pro circumstances the M18 is the better pro tool than M12 but I am considering M12 rotary hammer.
I had a remodel where a 1” corded Bosch and 1” corded Milwaukee rotary hammers drilling in destroyed the delicate old foundation.
I need something more compact and delicate on this type of job.
Also I was destroying overhead sheet rock with my brushless 18v impact driver so I switched to my much weaker brushed M12 impact driver and it’s more delicate power though slower was the right thing. Billing out at $125 an hour doesn’t easily forgive mistakes of breaking things (in delicate situations) so the M12 is perfectly the right tool in those less common situations.
Doing this for a living has made it impractical to stick to one brand or either battery or corded only. If I forget a tool I need to buy it wherever on lunch break and having M12, M18, and LXT increases my odds of getting the workable tool.
I am in one of the most rural areas in the USA so all of us have at least one Milwaukee, Ryobi, Ridgid, Makita, or DeWalt. Nobody that I have seen is all one company.
I guess if I were in SF or San Jose (or similar big city) I could be all one company and be within minutes if getting any tool off the shelf.
