Several years ago now Makita built a revolutionary 36V circ saw XSH01 that ran off 18V batteries. The traditional 28V and 36V platforms are all but extinct at this point because they required such massive batteries which made them annoyingly heavy for the more common tools such as drills and impacts. It was a great run but we are finally seeing a brushless upgrade for the 18Vx2 with the same 7-1/4” capacity, the XSH06PT kit and XSH06Z bare tool. So we put the saw in the hands of some professionals on the jobsite and actually took them apart to see what sort of improvements have been made.
Comparing the XSH01 Brushed vs XSH06 Brushless
A big upgrade is of course the brushless motor, Makita has been one of the leaders in larger brushless motors in tools like their 18Vx2 SDS-MAX XRH07 Rotary Drills, grinders and others. The specs on circular saws are a little tricky as there is no “power” spec (or watt) given like you might see with Torque on an impact driver or ft.lbs of energy with a rotary hammer. We can confidently say the XSH06 does have more power through many different materials which can easily be felt in use. The no load RPM spec does make a jump as well from 4800 to 6000 which is right inline with Makita’s corded circular saws and new and improved electronics to really keep the RPMs up. It certainly provides enough power to keep the RPMs from dropping in our experience, as much or even better than you’d expect from a 15 amp corded saw.
Weight has gone up slightly, on our scales, 10.25 lbs (with 2x 5.0) XSH01 to 11 lbs (with 2x 5.0) XSH06 which still makes it a fairy light 7-1/4” as we’ve seen other cordless competitors get significantly heavier. According to factory specs the XSH06 has better runtime on Other changes include LED light, electric brake, improved safety release, better sight lines to blade and several upgrades to the internal components talked about in the video above which all seem pretty standard across Makita’s cordless lineup as tools get upgraded.
We used the same blades on both saws, the brand new Makita MAX Ultra-Thin Kerf 24T Blades B-61656 ($89, 10 pack) which honestly probably skewed the results because these thinner blades actually make any circular saw feel more powerful and faster cutting so comparing “what you are used to” from a 15 amp corded circ saw vs these this new cordless Makita XSH06 yes it’ll feel like there is more speed and power. Stay tuned for more comparison testing on these blades but certainly worth a go for any circular saws corded or cordless.
Don’t just take our word on this, watch the Tool Box Buzz latest “Tools on Tap” coffee edition where they don’t even drink beer… They do however do a great job of talking about the new XSH06, technology, performance and related Makita Tools, maybe they should switch to coffee all the time (guys let us know if you need some Coffee Mugs!).
For more on Makita 18V Cordless Tools check out Ohio Power Tool always happy to answer any questions or help you find the right tool for your job.
XSH06PT (Kit) INCLUDES:
(1x) 18V LXT® Lithium-Ion Dual Port Charger (DC18RD)
(2x) 18V LXT® Lithium-Ion 5.0Ah Battery (BL1850B)
(1x) 7-1/4″ 24T C.T. Circular Saw Blade (B-61656)
(1x) Wrench (783204-6)
(1x) Tool Bag (831271-6)
(1x) Dust Extracting Attachment (196520-1)
SPECS:
Blade Diameter : 7-1/4″
Arbor : 5/8″
No Load Speed : 6,000 RPM
Max. Cutting Capacity (at 90°) : 2-5/8″
Max. Cutting Capacity (at 45°) : 1-13/16″
Battery : 2X 18V LXT® Lithium-Ion
Overall Length : 13-1/2″
Net Weight (with battery) : 10.5 lbs.
Power Type : Cordless
Max. Cutting Capacity (at 50°) : 1-5/16″
Shipping Weight : 21.21 lbs.
UPC Code : 088381-869133
