We first heard about the new Makita Cordless Ratchet just a couple of months back, just before the launch. The big talked about feature is the interchangeable 1/4″ and 3/8″ anvils. After using and testing this new Makita RW01, we’ve drawn our own conclusion and we uncover a more important standout feature.

RW01Z Makita Cordless Ratchet Features

The Makita cordless ratchet is built on the CXT platform, hence utilizing the 12-volt Lithium-ion batteries. This standard reach 12V cordless ratchet achieves the same “reach” as a typical 7″-8″ manual 3/8″ ratchet. With the slide-pack 12V battery on the back and your hand in the middle, the tool achieves a very favorable balance. A variable speed trigger allows for throttling the speed of the tool, and a trigger lockout switch keeps the trigger from being pressed when in your tool box.

While everyone else was excited about the 1/4″ and 3/8″ anvil interchangeability, we realized the 12V Makita cordless ratchets delivers a speed of 800 RPM. This is much faster than the Milwaukee M12 FUEL Extended Reach Ratchets, or any other cordless ratchets on the market. Since this is not a torque wrench or an impact wrench, the primary use for these cordless ratchets is for nut-running nuts and bolts. The faster it is, the better it does the job.

Final Thoughts

We really like the speed of the Makita RW01 cordless ratchet. Power is plenty for doing the job at hand, any tightening or nut-busting can be done manually with the cordless ratchet, then pull the trigger to finish the job. One small pain was the 12V battery fuel gauge gets tucked up under the handle, so it’s hard to press and hard to see. We also hope to see an extended version of the RW01 Makita Cordless Ratchet. If you’re looking for a great cordless ratchet, then you should definitely take a strong look at the Makita RW01R1 cordless ratchet kit.

12V RW01Z Cordless Ratchet Specifications

• Battery : 12V max CXT® Lithium-Ion
• Square Drive (interchangeable) : 3/8″, 1/4″
• No Load Speed (variable speed) : 0 – 800 RPM
• Maximum Torque (ft.lbs./N•m) : 35 ft.lbs./47 N•m
• Net Weight (with battery) : 2.35 lbs.
• Shipping Weight: 2.39 lbs.
• UPC Code : 088381-883603
• Model: RW01Z $129 (bare tool)
• Model: RW01R1 $179 (Kit)