Makita USA is launching an XGT 8-port battery charger, model BCC01.
A reader tipped me off about the new charger and asked if I would be covering it. Sure!
Makita USA did not issue any press materials, does not respond to our press or media inquiries, and didn’t answer the phone.
Advertisement
Here’s what we know so far: it’s an 8-port battery charger.
Questions:
How fast does it recharge XGT batteries? “Rapidly.”
Cost? Probably a lot.
How many batteries does it charge at the same time?
When will it be available?
Does the lid have to be open during charging?
Advertisement
If the lid is closed, will the heat build up and “rapid” battery charging rate shorten the lifespans of the Li-ion batteries?
Is the charger tool box water resistant?
The power connection looks proprietary. Is it also a power distribution box?
Is it compatible with all XGT batteries?
18V charging capabilities would be nice too – is an 18V version coming out?
Will it work with the XGT charger to 18V battery adapter?
Can this power the 18V portable power station that Makita just launched?
Discussion
All of those batteries charging in such a small space is bound to generate a lot of heat, which is why I wonder if the lid has to be kept open.
For what it’s bound to cost, especially with 8 batteries, a USB charging port would have been nice.
I’d prefer to see a top handle rather than two side handles.
Official Makita USA Announcement
(Turn the sound OFF)
Harrison
Uh oh, you’ve just turned on the Makita Batsignal- Eliot Truelove inbound in 3… 2… 1…
Looks like a decent enough product.
Im guessing it charges sequentially- there’s no way you’d be able to pull enough current / disperse the heat fast enough to charge all the packs simultaneously, at least in any reasonable time frame. Thats fine though, you just need to rotate though them one or two at a time to work continuously.
Shame about the MakPak.
Big Richard
Hmmm. That pictogram on the front sorta suggests it’s sequential. It shows an arrow running down row I, then it crosses over and runs down row II. Like it would go down the line charging one battery at a time. It’s like trying to interpret GHS symbols.
Or it charges one row at a time, then switches rows? A simultaneous sequential.
Eliot Truelove
Harrison, as you’ve predicted, I’m here. I have no ties to the company of Makita, I am just (clearly) an avid fan of Makita.
Bosch, the Metabos (German and HPT) and Festool I also have a soft spot for, although I don’t own any of them (but have used some of them).
I tipped Stu off to this as it seemed noteworthy, along with the double batteried 80v jackhammer among other things.
I’d get why there wouldn’t be much coverage (at least until press materials and specs are out) of the new XGT 9″ concrete saw, rebar cutter, and steel hole punch made in collaboration with Ogura, as those are newer versions of existing tools.
I did think this battery box warranted a post though, even if just initial commentary.
I initially got hyped thinking it was a ConnectX style box that could make available the XGT power to the inverter or other tools, but I was mistaken.
Still, despite it being Macpack, I think this battery box is a decent offering.
XGT owners could have one box to plug in, and while it’s sequential, their existing chargers can charge the batteries elsewhere if they like, but as an end of day set it and forget it, plug it in and let it be until the next day storage option, I think it’s a great concept.
Simultaneous charging of eight 8ah would draw ALOT of power, too much for the inverter it was hooked up to during the World of Concrete show it debuted in.
If I was at that show I know I would have been outright annoying with all the questions I would have had, but for now I’m just excited about the framing nailer, this battery box, and that jackhammer.
We’ll see what else Makita has in store in the future.
Harrison
Just teasing, as a fellow Makita fan.
I agree, slowly charging the packs simultaneously isn’t necessary or desirable. In my opinion the priority is to have 1-2 packs ready ASAP.
The win over a dual charger isn’t speed, but the ability to load it up and forget about it while you’re working or overnight. You won’t have to worry about babysitting it on your breaks.
Hopefully they have this figured out so a user could arrive on site with an XGT 80v tool + this case full of charged packs, and work all day without waiting if necessary. It’s impossible for any charger that draws from a 15A outlet to keep up with only two batteries, for tools that draw more than 1800w.
8 packs seems about right- From what I’ve seen you need about 5-6 packs and ideally 2 chargers to work continuously with say the MX Fuel concrete saw.
Josh
I suppose there is a market for large capacity sequential chargers since manufacturers keep making them but I see much more value in a 4 port simultaneous charger like DeWalt’s DCB104D4 than this. I have used the DeWalt for an number of year in the field and it negates the need to charge batteries at the end of the day since you can charge all the batteries you need for a crew immediately. I guess this would make sense in a situation where you can’t charge during the day but how common is that? Like I said, I guess there is a market for these chargers because they keep making them but I’m not sure what it is.
Stuart
The Dewalt DCB104D4 is fantastic. They sent a test sample when it first came out, and I continue to use it regularly.
The Dewalt is fast, easy, and convenient.
One thing I tend to forget is that the Dewalt charges ANY of their 12V Max, 20V Max, or FlexVolt batteries.
With something like the Milwaukee M18 Six Pack charger, you show up to the job with fresh batteries. At the end of the day, you pop them back in to recharge and you’re ready to go the next morning. If need be, you can recharge them throughout the day too as needed if there’s an outlet.
These days, Milwaukee’s simultaneous chargers work a bit better, especially given the higher charge capacity and physical size of their larger batteries.
Reggie
From what I understand it charges 4 at a time. Don’t quote me on that, but it is my understanding.
aaron+s
I kinda want it even though I don’t use Makita or this particular stack system…
Chargers not being stackable is lame. Always tons of bench and wall space devoted to them
ITCD
Interesting that it’s a rapid charger with seemingly no air ventilation since their rapid charging relies on active cooling, unless you do have to leave it lid open while running. If it were a standard charger if it at least does say 4 at a time I think it could still be good though not ideal.
Reminds me of how bad Milwaukee dropped the ball on having all that room in the 6-pack yet still making it sequential.
Stuart
Milwaukee’s 6 port sequential charger is a lot smaller than their rapid chargers. They’ve got a couple of different options now.
It’d be nice if a similar multi-port simultaneous charger came to the Makita XGT platform as well.
Mike McFalls
I hope they make this as an option to power the recently announced power inverter. Right now the only way to power that thing is with one of their backpack options.
Big Richard
My comment disappeared, but the pictogram on the front seems to indicate it is sequential. The way the arrow runs down row I before crossing over back to the front of row II. Could also be a simultaneous sequential, charges row I simultaneously before switching to row II.
Eliot Truelove
This is how I feel it is, 4 batteries in the first set charging all at once, then the 4 batteries in the second set.
I say this because it is I and II rather than I through IV (first set of two, then second set, and so on).
Alfredo Noda
Has a makita user this charge will save the day at work. Specially using there 9/16 rotary hammer drill , it’s a awesome drill but the battery use is crazy. You need about 4-5 batteries to run it all day (5amp). This would fix that problem
Wayne R.
This seems like something that’d benefit from another Bluetooth app – tell it whether you want it fast charging or slow. Let it tell you the state of each battery too.
I’d think some active ventilation would be easy enough to add, why would that not be there?
And that power cable: It it’s supposed to be stuck back into the case when it’s done, why not have the connector inside? And if that cable wasn’t captive, then it’d have to be something standard. And an outside connector too, for this:
I could see adding an Auto-Eject shoreline power connector to my truck so that something like this would just sit there overnight, charging, but closed up, ready for action.