New Makita Impact and Drill In Mid-Range Line?

Makita introduced a new Impact Driver (model LXDT04) and a new Hammer Drill (model LXPH01) over the weekend, but their specifications lead me to believe that these belong in a mid-range class. I don't know that Makita officially has a mid-range class of tools, but I believe these tools fall into that class for a number of reasons. Either that or Makita is moving in the wrong direction in order to produce more compact tools.

The new drill is significantly smaller than the BHP454, which is what I consider Makita's top of the line drill, but the performance numbers of the LXPH01 on paper are also lower. What has me more perplexed is that the LXPH01 is an upgrade to the LXFD01, which sells on Amazon for about $40 more than the BHP454. I don't know what the price of the LXPH01 is yet, but it would be hard to beat the price of the BHP454 at around $250.

With the LXDT04 Impact Driver I see some of the same issues as with the drill. It is a tad smaller than the previous model – 1/16” smaller – and has a drop in power. The most noticeable loss is the 3-speed selectable feature of the older LXDT01, as well as the brushless motor technology. However, unlike the drills, It looks like the impact will cost less than the older more powerful model.

I think the real problem here is Makita's numbering system. I can not tell just by looking at the model numbers what class these tools fall into. Even the white tools are numbered too similarly to the green tools. These could be great tools for the price, but since I don't have the prices, I can not do a comparison.

LXDT04 Impact – Amazon
LXPH01 Hammer Drill – Amazon