Makita
Makita 18V LXT XAG04 Angle Grinder
Makita's long-running brushless LXT grinder with Automatic Speed Change: it drops RPM and raises torque under load to keep the wheel moving. The slide switch with lock-on suits continuous grinding; a paddle-switch sibling (XAG09) covers no-lock jobsites.
Specifications
Features
Pros
- ✓Automatic Speed Change torque management keeps the wheel from bogging in deep cuts — owners call the power delivery unusually smooth.
- ✓Slide switch with lock-on is the preferred format for long weld-grinding sessions where paddle fatigue sets in.
- ✓Street price around $169 makes it the value pick among the pro-brand brushless grinders.
- ✓Extreme Protection Technology sealing has a strong track record in dusty metal-shop use.
- ✓Runs on the giant LXT battery ecosystem, and dual-battery LXT grinders exist if you need more power later.
- ✓Electric brake stops the wheel quickly for a slide-switch design.
Cons
- ✗8,500 RPM and 18V power now trail the DeWalt Power Detect and Milwaukee Fuel on peak output.
- ✗Lock-on slide switch is banned on some commercial sites, forcing the paddle sibling instead.
- ✗At 5.6 lbs with battery it is the heaviest of the three flagship grinders here.
- ✗The design dates to the late 2010s and lacks the anti-kickback electronics rivals now fit — a real safety-feature gap.
- ✗No variable speed.
- ✗Makita's US promo cadence is thin, so the street price moves less than Milwaukee/DeWalt deal pricing.
Compare the Makita 18V LXT XAG04 Angle Grinder
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Milwaukee's braking M18 Fuel grinder, rated equivalent to an 11-amp corded tool with an 8,500 RPM brushless motor. The paddle-switch no-lock configuration is the OSHA-friendly pick; slide-switch and variable-speed siblings (2888) fill out the family.
DeWalt's Power Detect flagship grinder: it senses larger batteries and raises output to 1,350 watts, spinning to a class-leading 9,000 RPM. The Kickback Brake and E-Clutch electronics shut the wheel down on pinch events before the tool wrenches your wrist.
The XPH14 is Makita's flagship 18V LXT hammer driver-drill, released in 2021 as the XPH07's successor with 1,250 in-lbs of max torque in a body 14% shorter (7.0 in). It runs a 2-speed all-metal transmission (0-550/0-2,100 RPM, up to 31,500 BPM) with an all-metal self-ratcheting 1/2 in chuck. It remains the torque king of the LXT drill lineup, though it predates the newer 40V XGT models.