Readers have been asking whether there will be a Black Friday 2021 deal on the Makita 18V X2 cordless track saw kit.
I have not seen any indication that there will be a Makita track saw kit deal this year, but we just found a clue that increases this possibility.
Shown above is the Makita 18V X2 cordless track saw saw kit, XPS01PTJ. This is a great tool and Makita occasionally holds promos where you can get a free guide rail, batteries, or both. We have not see any such deals recently.
Makita has recently launched a new XGT track saw, and the USA model has started to appear at online retailers under model GPS01M1J. This could be important for context.
This is where things get interesting…
There is also a NEW Makita 18V X2 cordless track saw kit, model XPS01PMJ.
The Makita XPS01PMJ cordless track saw kit comes with 2x 4.0Ah batteries instead of the 2x 5.0Ah batteries that you get with their usual track saw kit and other 18V X2 cordless power tool kits.
Pricing on this new kit option ranges from $499 to $519 and up. The existing kit that comes with 5Ah batteries is regularly priced at $499.
The way I see it, there are 2 explanations here:
A) Makita launched the XGT track saw here in the USA and also introduced a new 18V X2 kit with lower capacity batteries at the same time for reasons unknown.
B) This could be a secret Makita Black Friday 2021 deal for the track saw, and it’s bundled with the 4Ah batteries so as to allow for lower deal pricing than would have been possible with the 5Ah batteries.
Makita’s cordless track saw promos usually feature a free guide rail and batteries. They could be taking a different direction here, where they’ve created a cheaper “special buy” that can be sold at lower pricing.
So, either Makita created this new kit with the lower capacity 4Ah batteries as part of their regular lineup, or as a Black Friday 2021 deal.
Makita’s new SubCompact cordless drill and impact driver kits are bundled with 1.5Ah batteries (which their website says are actually discontinued) instead of the typical 2.0Ah batteries, and they’re on sale for Black Friday.
We asked Makita USA to clarify what’s going on with the new SKU, but don’t expect to hear back.
If the new track saw SKU does go on sale for Black Friday, just keep in mind that it comes with lower capacity batteries than the usual kit. 5Ah batteries have 25% greater charge capacity than 4Ah batteries, but it’s not a big deal if the price is right.
Also be aware of any “savings” or “was pricing” claims. The 5Ah kit is normally priced at $499. The 4Ah kit was introduced at $499 to $519 pricing (and higher at some retailers), but this doesn’t mean anything if it was really only introduced as a Black Friday deal.
If this isn’t a Black Friday deal, the battery downgrade seems strange. Most brands tend to raise prices when necessary, rather than cheapen the bundled contents of their cordless power tool kits. That’s why I’m guessing – and hoping – this is simply a Black Friday “special buy.”
Most retailers are not shipping the 4Ah X2 kit just yet. One retailer does have it in stock, and if this is a Black Friday deal, its availability should change around Thanksgiving.
Buy 4Ah X2 Kit at Amazon
Some retailers are reporting the 5Ah X2 kit as out of stock and with an extended ETA (e.g. April 2022). If the 4Ah kit is meant to replace the 5Ah kit, you might want to buy the 5Ah kit at comparable pricing if it’s still available.
Buy 5Ah X2 Kit at Amazon