Professional Tool Reviews for Pros

New to the Makita cordless 12V platform, the Makita 12V Max CXT Pin Nailer offers a hose-free solution to finish and trim work. This pin nailer comes with a Makita 12V CXT 2.0 Ah battery.  It can fire 1,250 pins on a charge and can drive six different lengths of 23-gauge pins. The 12V edition of the Makita Pin Nailer is lighter and more compact than its 18V counterpart. And, with the battery attached, users get improved balance and ergonomics.

The Makita 12V Max CXT Pin Nailer can hold up to 120 23 gauge pins and drives 5/8″, 11/16″, 3/4″, 1″, 1-3/16″ and 1-3/8″ nails. Makita refined the firing mechanism in this model to reduce the recoil, which results in less force required on the work surface when driving pins. It features an anti-dry fire mechanism to prevent driving blanks and potentially damaging the surface you’re working with.

With the battery attached, the 12V CXT is 9-1/8″ long and weighs in at just 4 pounds – crazy light in the cordless nailer world. Rubberized, ergonomic handles reduce user fatigue on longer jobs and rubber bumpers protect the tool and the work surface from damage.

The Makita 12V Max CXT Pin Nailer features a tool-free depth adjustment, which is pretty much standard on today’s nailers. There’s a new contact trigger design to imprive the precision. A narrow nose makes work easier nailing in confined spaces along with helping visibility.

As for convenience features, the Makita TP03 includes built-in LED lights that offer the work surface additional light. You can install the reversible tool hook as you see fit. While the battery and charger are sold separately for this unit, the nailer comes with safety glasses, two no-mar tips, a belt hook, and a hex wrench. Makita backs it up with a 3-year limited warranty.

By releasing this pin nailer on the 12V CXT platform, Makita aims to emphasize ergonomics by keeping the weight down. Power really isn’t an issue with nails this small, so getting it on a 12V platform is handy.

The 12V CXT version of the Makita pin nailer is almost a full pound lighter with the battery attached than the 18V LXT model, though it’s only about an inch smaller lengthwise. That inch will help get into even tighter areas. Regardless, you’ll certainly notice the weight difference by the end of the day. 

Where the Makita 12V CXT Pin Nailer really loses a step to the 18V LXT is in the runtime department. This probably isn’t a surprise – we’re talking about half the number of cells. Where the 18V LXT can fire off 5,300 pins on a single charge, the 12V CXT can only manage about 1,250. We’re still talking a full day’s work on one charge and more if you go with a 4.0 amp hour battery.

The trade-off of runtime for ergonomics makes the Makita 12V CXT Pin Nailer a worthwhile purchase, especially for those folks who are already working with the 12V Max platform. If you’re not, it might make more sense to go with the 18V model since the line has a much greater depth.

However, it makes us wonder if this release is an indication that Makita plans on releasing other cordless trim and finish nailers for the 12V CXT platform. It would be a huge leap in the call for lighter cordless nailers. One can hope, I suppose.

When he doesn't have his hands on tools himself, Chris is often the man behind the camera lens making the rest of the team look good. In his free time, you might find Chris with his nose jammed in a book, or tearing out his remaining hair while watching Liverpool FC. He enjoys his faith, family, friends, and the Oxford comma.

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Milwaukee make an M12 one please!

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