Makita xgt 40v reciprocating saw GRJ01Z Review

I am huge fan of reciprocating saws, I do a lot of demo for my work and I like to carry one or two at all times with me on my jobs. This is my first entry into all new Makita XGT line with the GRJ01Z. I bought mine just after the XGT line came out in May 2021 for $347 on Amazon. The XGT line is still only available from limited locations, we have not seen it in store anywhere. But lets jump right into the review of this new beast from makita!

Side by side with the older LXT XRJ05, the newer XGT is much beefier, stronger and more powerful. It’s a tank.

The one spot where I wish Makita stayed with the older design, the blade change is on the side vs being inside the shaft like the older LXT, it can get jammed up easier and is my only disappointment with this tool.

Two speeds and a lock, I discovered that it is recommended to use speed 1 (slower) for cutting metal to keep the heat down and preserve the life of the blade, while speed 2 is used for everything else like wood and PVC.

Powered by the all new 40v XGT batteries, run time and power is way up compared to the LXT tools. I see generally about 40-60% longer run time without swapping batteries on the XGT compared to the LXT. Power is also an improvement, however that comes at the cost of noise, the XGT has more motor whine the LXT.

(above) Don’t blink or you will miss it. Cutting through a 4x4 treated fence post with the XGT, using a full 4ah battery and a Diablo blade. This is a seriously powerful saw.

The price is steep for XGT tools, $350 for this tool, one 4ah battery and a charger. We hope to see some sales soon from Makita, we definitely love this XGT recip saw and we want to get our hands on even more XGT tools. This saw is a beast and never let us down, often finishing jobs on a single battery while our other Makita and Milwaukee tools are on there 2nd or 3rd battery. If you need serious heavy duty tools for a serious job, you can’t go wrong with XGT. Two thumbs up from Ultimate Tool Reviews!