Over at Amazon, today’s Deal of the Day is this Makita XT211M 18V hammer drill and impact driver kit. The deal price is $199, and it’s valid all day 11/28/15, thru 3am tomorrow morning.
There are a few things you need to know. First, this kit is regularly priced at $299. The XT211M means that it comes with 2x 4.0Ah batteries. The kit that comes with 3.0Ah batteries is regularly priced at $279.
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There is another similar kit that comes with an additional free brushless angle grinder, for $249.
This kit looks to simply bundle together Makita’s entry-level $99 hammer drill/driver kit and their entry-level $99 impact driver kit.
$199 for this kit gives you 2 higher capacity battery packs, $198 for the 2 separate entry-level kits gives you separate cases and a total of 2 chargers.
If you’re looking to buy into Makita’s 18V lineup, and have been wanting for a compact and medium duty drill and impact driver, this isn’t a bad deal.
Price: $199
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Compare(via Home Depot)
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What’s with the low reviews on Amazon? People are a little frustrated by the $714 “list price.” This isn’t a $700+ combo that’s being discounted by over $500. To be frank, I don’t think it’s a $300 combo either, but the kit with 2x 3.0Ah batteries (instead of this kit’s 4.0Ah batteries) is priced widely at $279.
Update: The kit is $269 at Home Depot. Thanks, Fred!
fred
Looks like a very good deal at $199 ($269 at Home Depot) The only deal on this that might be OK is at Toolbarn where they sell it for $299 but are offering a 2-pack of additional batteries (don’t specify AH) bundled in.
Stuart
Thanks! I wonder if that Home Depot price is a mistake. The XT211 combo with 3Ah batteries is $279 at HD.
Hilton
Here’s the thing. All those one star reviews are dated today and none of them are verified purchases so they’re all probably disgruntled Milwaukee or Dewalt fans. One needs to actually read the low score reviews to get the real picture. Some cyber shoppers need to have their computers confiscated and never allowed online again. I’ve seen some horrors over at Amazon.
Stuart
Amazon does deserve to be blasted a little.
You Save: $515.00 (72%)
In what world was this combo ever really priced at $714? Even by Amazon’s loose definition of List Price, this is a completely fictitious price. Even if you add up the prices of the bare tools, separate batteries, and the charger, that price doesn’t come anywhere near that.
A lot of people would see through the list price at once, others might feel like they’re being lied to, and they’re the ones leaving the negative reviews.
I guess that I’m so used to the “you save: $XYZ” BS that it doesn’t bother me anymore. I just look at comparative pricing, which Amazon often conveniently provides with other sellers’ listings.
Hilton
You right about the ridiculous MRSP prices. I never take into account what I’m ‘saving’ rather whether it’s a good deal compared to other sellers and the price is worth for what you are getting.
fred
In the old Vaudeville joke the second banana says “my Ford cost me more than a Rolls Royce”. How can that be says the first banana. “I built it from spare parts” retorts the second banana.
anode
Talking about crazy prices. About 3 weeks ago I bought similar combo Makita XT248R (with 2.0AH batteries) on Amazon for $129. (Yes, completely new!). The deal only lasted like 10minutes before it went back to the regular price.
Sean
Why would a deal like that pop up for 10 minutes? Does stuff like that actually happen regularly on Amazon?
Stuart
Not really.
I created a search tool a while ago that helped me look for temporary price drops (https://14cyiuhvcgv.com/amazon-coupons-deals/%3C/a%3E%29, but it’s less effective than it used to be.
Jay
Returning a recently delivered Makita XPH012, the $99 deal hammer drill included in this kit. Something went wrong with the gears/transmission after three weeks of light use. Probably just got a lemon but would not buy this model again. Replacing it with the Makita XPH03Z hammer drill. If that drill doesn’t check out OK then going to move on to a different brand.
Sergey
Hi Stuart,
I sent you an email a week or so ago about a nice Hilti deal (3 just released 12v tools for $239), I wonder if it got lost in a sea of “cool deal” emails.
Also, Fein came out with an outstanding 12v line (4 gear drills!) in the recent months. Looks like it’s still not available in the USA though.
Have you heard anything about the new Ridgid HEPA vac? Looks nice, but proves once again that nothing beats Festool’s smaller vacuums for trim carpentry and light remodeling.
Stuart
I saw it, am waiting on some info from Hilti. I’m sorry I haven’t gotten back to you yet.
I saw news about the Fein, but backburnered the post for after Thanksgiving. Thanks for the reminder!
I haven;t heard anything about a Ridgid HEPA vac yet. This one? I haven’t seen any other.
Sergey
Cool, I’ll just be patient! I’m real curious about what you and the comment section regulars have to say about this kit. All tools have great balance and are built like tanks, but unfortunately they are made in China.
I was also curious if you heard anything about Fein’s plans to bring their 12v line to the States…
I looked into the HEPA vac and it’s an old model, released a while ago. My HD had a “NEW” sign on it and it never carried this vac before, so I thought that Ridgid came out with a new model.
Jay
Not bad. Brand new Makita XPH03Z for $75 delivered over on ebay.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Makita-XPH03Z-1-2-Hammer-Drill-Driver-NEW-Cordless-18V-LXT-replaces-LXPH03Z-/121593097388
Sean
Are there any differences in the L line and the X line?
I own the Makita LXPH03Z and would love to sell it, but now they have the XPH03Z. Other models have similarly removed the L in front, making some believe that the LXPH03Z must be less advanced in some way.
Anyone been able to compare these two models or any models in the Makita line that have done the same?
Stuart
I think Makita simply renamed all of their combo kits, but they never really clarified about it.
One day, almost overnight, there were dozens of new SKUs at Amazon and other distributors, with all of the same tools, specs, and components.
Sean
That is kind of what I suspected, and that process seemed to have happened like a week after I bought a LXPH kit…
When I was comparing the LXPH line to the previous line (including BPH or something) there were VERY noticeable differences. I think the X line is identical in every way. Bad Makita…