A Procurement Admin's Makita Buying Checklist (6 Steps That Actually Work)

What This Checklist Is For

If the phrase "order some tools for the crew" just landed on your desk, this list is for you. I'm the office administrator who handles all tool and equipment purchasing for a 200-person property services company across three locations. Roughly $300,000 a year moves through my purchase orders—maybe $280,000, I'd have to check the P&L—across about a dozen vendors. I report to operations and finance, and I know the difference between a drill and an impact driver. Sort of.

But I've learned what actually matters when you buy tools for people who use them every day. This checklist covers Makita equipment specifically, but the thinking applies to any brand. Six steps, each with a checkpoint. Use it when you're placing your first big order, or when you're trying to standardize a messy pile of tools that just keeps growing.

Step 1: Talk to the People Who Actually Use the Tools

When I first started buying tools, I assumed a tool is a tool—pick a brand, buy the kit, done. That was wrong. I bought a full set of circular saws because they were on sale. They've sat in the equipment cabinet for over a year. (Should mention: the crew lead had told me they needed impact drivers and a hammer drill. I didn't ask.) Meanwhile, the crew was sharing two impact drivers like a pair of office scissors.

The fix is simple: sit down with the crew lead for 30 minutes and ask what the team runs into every week, what's broken, and what gets borrowed. Write it down. Then match each task to a tool class.

Checkpoint: If you can't name the three most-used tools in your inventory right now, you're not ready to buy.

Step 2: Pick the Battery Platform Before You Pick the Tools

The most expensive mistake I made early on was looking at individual tools first. It took me about three years and way too many returns to understand that the battery platform matters more. Every tool you buy plugs into it. Switching platforms later costs real money.

Makita has two main cordless platforms in the professional space:

18V LXT

This is the big one. It's been around for years, covers a huge range of tools—drills, drivers, saws, grinders, blowers, lighting—and it's the sensible default for most companies. If your team does general maintenance, installations, or light construction, LXT is enough.

40V XGT

When someone searches for "40 volt makita tools," the XGT line is what they're talking about. It's the newer platform, built for higher-demand jobs: large angle grinders, demolition hammers, big rotary hammers. The tools hit harder, but they're heavier and noticeably more expensive. Buy into XGT only if the work genuinely needs it. Honestly, most crews don't.

Checkpoint: Count the existing chargers and batteries before you commit to a platform. The answer is usually on the wall of the equipment room.

Step 3: Don't Forget Outdoor Power Equipment

If your company handles property maintenance, Makita electric lawn mowers are worth a serious look. I was skeptical at first because I grew up around gas mowers. But the electric ones we've bought run quietly, no gas mixing, no carburetor issues, no pull-cord surprises at 7:00 in the morning. The crews actually prefer them for smaller properties.

Makita makes two kinds of electric mowers: models that run on two 18V batteries (the 36V ones) and newer models on the 40V XGT platform. If you're already standardized on one platform, the mower decision mostly makes itself.

And don't treat safety certification as a differentiator—it's table stakes. Look for ANSI B71.1 on mowers and UL 62841 on handheld tools. Established brands like Makita meet these standards as a baseline, not a feature.

Checkpoint: Measure the properties the mower will actually service. A small residential lawn is not the same job as open land. Match the deck size and battery capacity to the real list, not the brochure.

Step 4: Get the Impact Driver Choice Right

The impact driver is the workhorse of most crews. It drives screws, tightens bolts, does the unglamorous work that keeps projects moving. Get this one right and the crew stops complaining. Get it wrong and you'll hear about it at every job.

A lot of teams are familiar with the DeWalt DCF887—it's kind of the default compact impact driver that everything gets compared to. If you're already on DeWalt and everyone is happy, there's no rule saying you must switch. But if you're consolidating onto Makita, the equivalent is an 18V LXT brushless compact impact driver. The model on my inventory sheet is the XDT16, though Makita updates these faster than I update my spreadsheet. Just check the current version on their site.

The same logic applies on the 40V side: XGT impact drivers like the TD001G are another step up in torque. But again, only worth it if the work calls for it.

The real lesson: define the spec first. Brushless motor, three or four speed settings, quick-change chuck. Then compare within that spec. Don't let a model number do the thinking for you.

Checkpoint: Write the spec down before you look at prices. The right model number changes; the spec doesn't.

Step 5: Check Repair Parts and Accessories Before You Standardize

This is the step most people skip, and it almost burned me. When we placed our first large order, I assumed "it's a big brand, parts will be easy." It wasn't. A replacement switch for one of our impact drivers took two months to get. Not because Makita doesn't make parts, but because my distributor didn't stock that particular part, and I never checked before committing.

It's the same mindset as any serious equipment buying. Last month, our equipment manager asked me to source a seal kit for a hydraulic cylinder. I had to sit down and learn what are the parts of a hydraulic cylinder before I could call a supplier. For power tools, you need the same awareness. You don't have to rebuild one, but you should know the parts that wear out: chucks, anvils, triggers, battery contacts.

Checkpoint: For every model you're about to buy, pull up the parts breakdown and search for the common wear parts. If the key parts are available through a nearby distributor, you're good. If not, keep looking.

Step 6: Run the Total Cost of Ownership Numbers

I learned this the hard way. My first year, I bought a cheaper 18V kit because it saved about $400 upfront. Twelve months later, I'd replaced two batteries, a charger, and spent three days chasing warranty support. When I added it up, the "cheap" option had cost about $1,400 extra. The $400 saving turned into a $1,400 problem.

The lowest quote is not the lowest cost. That's not a slogan, it's arithmetic.

The calculation I use now is simple:

• Base price of the tool × quantity
• Plus batteries and chargers, if they're not included
• Plus expected repair parts over 24 months
• Plus the cost of downtime when a tool is out of service—this is usually the biggest number, and the most ignored

And while I'm at it: be careful with adjectives. I once told a vendor we needed "professional-grade" tools. He heard "top-of-the-line everything" and quoted us accordingly. We both used the same words but meant different things. Written specs prevent that conversation.

Checkpoint: Run the full cost, not the unit price, before you get approval.

Common Mistakes I've Made (So You Don't Have To)

Buying homeowner-grade equipment for professional use

A "homeowners hand tool set" has its place. It's great for an employee who needs basic tools at home. But that same set won't survive daily use on a jobsite. Not because it's bad—it's just not built for that workload. The crew will figure this out within a week, and then you'll be ordering twice. Buy professional-grade when the tool has to earn its keep every day.

Mixing battery platforms in the same inventory

If you standardize on one brand, keep the inventory clean. We had a stray tool from another system slip into a van once, and it created a mess: wrong chargers, dead batteries at the wrong time. One platform per operation. If someone on the crew loves his old personal kit, fine—but it doesn't live in the company van.

Not verifying the vendor's invoicing capability

This one comes from the office side. I found a great deal once from a vendor who couldn't produce a proper invoice. Finance rejected the expense, and I had to eat $2,400 out of the department budget. That rule went straight onto the checklist after our vendor consolidation in 2024. Price means nothing if you can't expense it.

That's the checklist. Six steps, one purchase order, and a lot fewer headaches. You don't need to be a tool expert to buy the right Makita tools. You need to ask the crew, pick a platform, check the parts, and run the real numbers. Do those things and the purchase order is easy to defend.