Review on 🧹 Efficient Cleaning on the Go: Makita XLC02ZW 18V LXT Lithium-Ion Compact Cordless Vacuum, Tool Only, White by Jeffrey Shatzel

With so many 5 star reviews on verified purchases, my expectations were high. When I receive it I'm a bit overwhelmed and have to consider if it really represents value for money for the other cordless vacuums on the market including the Dyson sticks. I know cross-buying against Dyson is like buying VWs and Porsches. I think most people, myself included, end up looking at the Makita because they can't justify the price difference to a Dyson model. However, price is one thing and value is quite another, with value being utility divided by price. The benefits are of course subjective and each person has their own criteria. First the pros and cons: Pros1. Light weight, good balance 2. Very good suction (not sure if reviews complain about suction, it's pretty good) 3. Maneuverable4. Removable and easily accessible lithium-ion battery used in many Makita5 tools. Doubles as a vacuum cleaner on steroids6. Although the power/release button does not lock in the on position, it is conveniently located and easy to use.7. Fast loading time8. Good working time 9. The floor cleaner works well on tile and wooden floors10. Quiet enough Cons 1. Battery + charger costs more than half of this package ($95 at AMZ at the time of writing)2. The replacement battery itself costs $60, although with the quality of this battery you may never need to replace it. The dust cap may open too easily (simply adjusting the floor nozzle in the wrong direction will open the bin)4. Dust and dirt accumulate on the filter making cleaning/emptying difficult. Vacuums like the Dyson have a cyclone/wind tunnel that sends dirt to a collection area and not necessarily to a filter. Tube sizes are small, eliminating the need to reuse instruments from other vacs6. The floor mount is also small, non-motorized, and non-suction (yes, I knew that beforehand, but given the *value* of Dyson, that might be a factor). This will be of limited use for carpets and rugs.7. No HEPA filter (although there is one reviewer with a DIY mod)8. Apart from the crevice nozzle9, there is no tool in the set that is ideal for use in the car. plastic is cheap. The battery charger is a professional monster device sold for power tools. It has a fan that protects the battery from overheating during fast charging. It's a little difficult to classify this as a downside as it and the battery are the most luxurious element of the whole package, and disproportionately so. Other Thoughts 1. If you use Makita tools and have other LXT items, then you probably already have compatible batteries and chargers, so you can go for the $80 *tools only* model. Or get that and have a spare battery (2Ah) and a quick charger.3. I think Dyson cordless vacuums can (and probably will) serve as a replacement for handheld vacuums, they are more suited to quick cleaning and small areas. Definitely the best battery and charger combo on the market. Finally I leave it to myself. It doesn't replace my outlet for general chores and carpet cleaning, but rather fills a niche for quick, spot cleaning and dusting. a lot of. The lightweight and compact form factor makes it very convenient and not cumbersome to use. My vertical plugin feels abandoned. I'm leaving the rating at 4 stars because the dust box is too easy to open and dirt buildup on the filter (#3 and #4 of my cons in the original review) is still annoying.