Makita 36V (18V X2) LXT Brushless Rear Handle 7-1/4 in. Circular Saw Kit (XSR01PT, 2x 5.0Ah)

By Makita · Circular Saws · Power Tools

  • Brushless rear-handle circular saw powered by two 18V LXT 5.0Ah batteries (36V)
  • 7-1/4 in. blade with 2-9/16 in. cutting capacity at 90 degrees
  • Kit includes two batteries and a dual-port charger
  • Rear-handle design for framing-style control
  • Electric brake for safety

Lowest price seen
$449.00
from $449.00 at Pacific Power Tools · Checked Oct 9, 2026

Prices are snapshots. Check the current price with the store.

Summary

A blade-left rear-handle 7-1/4-inch cordless circular saw that runs on two Makita 18V LXT batteries in series for 36 volts, aimed at framers and contractors who already own the LXT platform. Check two things before buying: it is a rear-handle saw rather than a worm drive, and without 18V LXT batteries and a charger in hand the kit’s total cost climbs fast.

Strengths

  • Cutting capacity of 2-9/16 in. at 90° handles 3x lumber in one pass.
  • Field reviewers cut pressure-treated stringers, Brazilian walnut and plywood with mortar without the motor bogging.
  • Soft start and an electric brake mean no startup kick.
  • Runs on the same 18V LXT batteries and dual-port charger as the rest of Makita’s line.
  • At 12.4 lb with two batteries it is light for a rear-handle saw.
  • The rafter hook, dual battery gauges and labeled depth scale draw repeated praise.

Weaknesses

  • The two batteries sit so close together that you cannot get a hand around either one to pull it out.
  • The saw will not stand on its own; it falls over when set down, and the small kickstand only partly helps.
  • The included case is a fabric bag with a tight fit.
  • The DC18RD dual-port charger is physically large.
  • It throws a lot of dust, and the base tool has no dust port.
  • No instrumented lab test of this model exists; the independent record is field reviews from 2017 to 2023.

Verified specifications

ModelXSR01PT kit; XSR01Z bare tool.
Powercordless, two 18V LXT lithium-ion batteries in series for 36V (18V X2), 180 Wh total.
MotorMakita-built electronically controlled brushless.
No-load speed5,100 RPM.
Blade7-1/4 in. diameter with a 5/8 in. arbor.
Cutting capacity2-9/16 in. at 90°, 1-3/4 in. at 45°, 1-1/2 in. at the 53° maximum bevel.
Dimensions17-1/2 in. long, 12.4 lb with batteries; 24.3 lb shipping weight.
Handle and layoutrear handle, blade-left; bevel 0-53° with positive stops at 22.5°, 45° and 53°.
Featureselectric brake, soft start, Automatic Speed Change, built-in dust blower, retractable rafter hook, tether notch and dual 3-stage battery gauges.
ProtectionStar Protection Computer Controls against overload, over-discharge and overheat, plus Extreme Protection Technology dust and moisture seals.
Materialsdie-cast magnesium base and blade guard, die-cast aluminum blade cover and motor housing.
IncludedXSR01Z saw, two BL1850B 5.0Ah batteries, DC18RD dual-port charger, 7-1/4 in. 24T carbide-tipped blade (B-61656), hex wrench and tool bag.
Chargingthe DC18RD dual-port charger fills two 5.0Ah batteries in 45 minutes.
Warrantythree years on the tool, batteries and charger for new tools; the factory-reconditioned kit is listed with one year.
Full research notes and sources

Power and cutting capacity

The XSR01PT runs two 18V LXT batteries in series for 36 volts and 180 watt-hours, driving an electronically controlled brushless motor at 5,100 RPM. Makita rates the 90° depth at 2-9/16 in., enough for 3x lumber in a single pass, with 1-3/4 in. at 45° and 1-1/2 in. at the 53° maximum bevel. The rear-handle, blade-left layout gives the control of a worm-drive-style saw, but this is not a worm drive; a Home Depot answer confirms it is a rear-handle saw.

Field evidence backs the power claim. Tool Box Buzz cut 12 pressure-treated deck stringers with steps and risers on one charge and ran the saw for two days of on-and-off framing, with the crew judging it at least as powerful as the FlexVolt sidewinder they normally used. A flooring installer cut Brazilian walnut and plywood with mortar on top and reported no bogging.

Run time, charging and platform

Makita’s run-time figures are internal tests: up to 558 crosscuts in 2x4 SPF and 291 in 2x10 SPF on two 5.0Ah batteries. No third party has reproduced them, so treat them as a manufacturer claim rather than a measured number. In the field, Tool Box Buzz got a full framing job and two days of intermittent cutting from one charge, and a flooring installer reported no charge-retention problems after a month of storage.

The DC18RD dual-port charger fills two 5.0Ah batteries in 45 minutes, and the batteries are the standard 18V LXT packs shared across Makita’s line. That is the main reason to buy this saw: if you already own the platform, you are paying for the tool, not a new battery ecosystem. Buyers starting from zero should work two batteries and a charger into the decision.

Handling and complaints

The design shows its age in the small things. The batteries mount so close together that removal is harder than insertion, the saw will not stand up on its own, and the fabric tool bag is a tight fit that reviewers expect to wear. The DC18RD charger is large, and the saw throws dust with no port on the base tool to catch it.

On the plus side, the rubberized grip is comfortable, blade changes are simple, the safety switch sits where you expect it, and the depth and bevel scales are easy to read. The included 24T blade is a framing blade, so it does not give clean finish cuts out of the box; swapping to a higher tooth count is easy.

Cost, warranty and what to check

At launch the kit was $359, and the bare tool ran roughly $199 to $240 (Tool Box Buzz and Woodworker’s Journal, 2017); by 2018 a bare tool was $187 and a twin battery pack $159 (Wood Floor Business). Pacific Power Tools lists the factory-reconditioned XSR01PT-R at $349.99 against a $449.00 original. One third-party storefront lists the kit at $239.40 against a $399.00 reference, and ToolUp shows a $97.00 discount off a $449.00 list; a Home Depot listing carried $449.00 with clearance pricing in store. One owner reported buying both the rear-handle and sidewinder saws with four 5.0Ah batteries and a dual charger for $249.

Warranty is a real strength, though the term depends on condition. Makita’s 2017 launch release states a 3-year limited warranty on the tool, batteries and charger, well above the usual one-year prosumer term. The factory-reconditioned listing shows a 1-year term, and Makita’s own warranty page was not read to confirm which applies to which.

Which model this is

This page covers the XSR01PT kit, which contains the XSR01Z bare tool. Makita’s launch release called the XSR01 the first cordless rear-handle 7-1/4 in. saw powered by two 18V batteries. Do not confuse it with Makita’s top-handle XSH03 or XSH06 saws, or with the newer higher-voltage rear-handle model on a different platform. The Amazon listing carries ASIN B06XV27M88.

Sources

Manufacturer:

Independent reviews:

Stores and parts:

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