Makita 18V Tools and the Batteries That Power Them 

Makita have a range of cordless tools and a variety of 18V batteries to power them. In this Toolstop guide, we'll explain everything you need to know about Makita 18V tools and the batteries that power them. 

What Makita Batteries are Available? 

Makita launched their first 4Ah 18V lithium-ion battery pack back in 2013, following it up in 2014 with the even larger 5Ah. In 2016, they then launched the 6.0Ah BL1860B yet interestingly, the company hasn’t made such a big deal about this development compared to their competitors. 

That hasn’t stopped you guys wanting to know the following info: 

Which 18V Makita cordless tools will these batteries be compatible with 

What’s the difference between Makita’s “B” lettered tools compared with the new “D” lettered versions 

First thing's first, check out our quick exclusive guide on the difference between Makita 'B' and 'D' tools. We'll explain more on this later: 

Which Cordless Tools will the Makita 18V Lithium Battery Power? 

Toolstop University break this down further for you by answer the following question: 

Which Makita 18V Tools Will Support 4Ah and 5Ah Batteries? 

Toolstop’s Lorna took us through this subject on Toolstop TV (see below), and Martin reitterated in the video above. But here’s the basics: the batteries are backwards compatible with Makita tools that display: 

A black panel with a Star 

A yellow panel with a Star 

A yellow panel 

Obviously all new Makita 18V cordless power tools will be compatible with the 4Ah and 5Ah li-ion batteries, even if they’re available as “naked” (click to understand about naked power tools). 

What Tools is the Makita 18V Battery Compatible With? 

Our diagram below displays everything we just learned about Makita battery compatibility. Toolstop's Lorna also explains the benefits of the Makita 4Ah battery. 

What’s the Difference Between “B” and “D” Makita Power Tools? 

There’s some confusion over this; why buy a “B” lettered Makita power tool if it’s just the same as “D” version. Here’s what Makita told us – “this is essentially a sticker change“. 

What that means, as far as we can tell, is that the tools are exactly the same.  

The “D” denotes it’s definitely compatible with the new higher-capacity batteries. And going forward, all new Makita 18V cordless tools will started with a “D”. 

You can check out our guide on everything you need to know about Makitas 5.0Ah battery which does as it says on the tin.