Makita 40V Max XGT 16" Chainsaw Kit vs Makita 40V Max XGT 18" Chainsaw Kit

Makita 40V Max XGT 16" Chainsaw Kit

Makita / Battery

Makita 40V Max XGT 16" Chainsaw Kit

40cc class (by bar)

~$629

4.3/5 Home Depot

See it at Acme Tools
Makita 40V Max XGT 18" Chainsaw Kit

Makita / Battery

Makita 40V Max XGT 18" Chainsaw Kit

50cc class (by bar)

~$679

See it at Makita

The Makita 40V Max XGT 16" Chainsaw Kit costs about $50 less; the Makita 40V Max XGT 18" Chainsaw Kit sits a class up (50cc class); the Makita 40V Max XGT 18" Chainsaw Kit swings a longer bar (18 in).

SpecMakita 40V Max XGT 16" Chainsaw KitMakita 40V Max XGT 18" Chainsaw Kit
Approx. price~$629kit with 4.0Ah battery and charger~$679kit with 5.0Ah XGT battery and charger
Engine class40cc classplaced by shipped bar length50cc classplaced by shipped bar length
Power typeBatteryBattery
Use caseFarm & RanchFarm & Ranch
Voltage40 V40 V
Kit battery4 Ah5 Ah
Bar length16 in18 in
Single-pass cutabout 14 inabout 16 in
Bar range16 in18 in
Chain3/8" low-profile pitch / .050" gauge (91PX), 56 DL3/8" low-profile pitch / .050" gauge
Weight13.9 lbwith 4.0Ah battery (11.7 lbs bare)14.6 lbwith 5.0Ah XGT battery (11.7 lb bare)
Warranty3-year tool & battery3-year tool & battery

Tinted cells mark the better figure on that row alone: more engine, longer bar, lighter, cheaper. A lighter weight is only a win on the same basis.

What owners like and complain about

Makita 40V Max XGT 16" Chainsaw Kit

  • 5,020 FPM chain speed — the fastest chain in the 16" battery class, and it shows in cut speed
  • Legitimate 42cc-class power that no longer embarrasses Makita next to EGO and Milwaukee
  • Standard 3/8"LP/.050 91PX chain — replacement loops cost $15 anywhere, no proprietary sizing
  • Outstanding build: XPT sealing, inertia chain brake, metal spikes, tool-free tensioning
  • Variable-speed trigger with excellent low-speed control for careful limbing
  • 45-minute rapid charger in the kit keeps a two-battery rotation viable
  • $629 kit price is the highest in the 16" battery class — an EGO CS2005 20" kit costs less
  • Included 4.0Ah pack manages only ~30 cuts in 12" wood by Makita's own claim; spares are $200+
  • 13.9 lbs with battery — heavier than the LXT saw it effectively replaces
  • XGT batteries don't interchange with Makita's own 18V LXT fleet, restarting your battery investment
  • Modest 46-review pool at retail; long-term durability record is still thin compared to rivals

Makita 40V Max XGT 18" Chainsaw Kit

  • Mechanical steel tensioner and two stout bar studs — reviewers report it holds tension where dial systems creep
  • Full .050-gauge chain rather than narrow kerf, so it takes standard 3/8" LP loops
  • 5,020 FPM with a 42cc equivalence claim, among the faster chains on a single-battery saw
  • Oil delivery holds up through long rips with no bar discolouration reported after back-to-back rounds
  • XPT weather sealing and captured bar nuts, built to Makita's jobsite standard
  • 11.7 lb bare is reasonable for 18" of bar
  • $679 for the kit, and XGT batteries are expensive and interchange with nothing outside the XGT line
  • 14.6 lb ready to cut — no lighter than the 42cc gas saw it is pitched against
  • Owners report the oil reservoir needs watching; it drinks more than its size suggests
  • 3-year tool and battery warranty, shorter than EGO's and Milwaukee's tool terms
  • Makita sells a second 18" XGT saw (GCU06) alongside it, which makes the lineup hard to shop
Makita 40V Max XGT 16" Chainsaw Kit in fullMakita 40V Max XGT 18" Chainsaw Kit in fullMore matchups