Makita GPH01 Review: A 40V Flagship Hammer Drill Built for the Jobsite

Introduction

The Makita GPH01 is Makita’s flagship hammer drill and its entry into the 40V max XGT platform. On paper it brings 2,600 RPM top speed, 1,250 in/lbs of torque, and 39,000 blows per minute when hammer drilling, all wrapped in a package that weighs around 5.3 lb with a 2.5Ah battery installed. This review walks through the design, specs, and features worth knowing, then covers how it performed in a set of practical application tests.

Who This Product Is For

The GPH01 is aimed squarely at professionals. Its test results support the idea of an all-around workhorse for carpentry, construction, and plumbing work, where a drill has to handle lag bolts, large bits, and concrete without swapping tools mid-task.

It also makes sense for anyone considering a move to Makita’s 40V XGT platform. The performance jump over the former XPH14 flagship is not dramatic, but the value here is platform consolidation: Makita offers companion 40V tools like this hammer drill so you can migrate without carrying two battery systems.

Design and Key Features

Right away you notice the all-metal chuck and reinforced gear housing, the kind of build quality expected in flagship products from the major tool brands. It is also compact for its performance level, measuring just 7 and 1/8 inches from tip to tail.

One genuinely new feature is the clutch placement. Instead of sitting on the collar behind the chuck, it moves to a dial on the foot of the drill. The number of settings changes with the gear: low gear offers 41 settings while high gear offers 21. Beyond that, Makita did not make significant changes to the look and feel compared to the XPH14.

Active Feedback Technology

The jump to XGT also brings Active Feedback Technology, Makita’s version of kickback control. If the drill binds up during use, it shuts off rather than violently twisting your wrist and arm in the opposite direction. For anyone driving large fasteners or boring big holes overhead, that safety margin is a meaningful addition to a flagship drill.

Real-World Test Results

Four practical application tests give a feel for power and performance. Test one drives a 10 and 1/2 inch lag bolt into stacked OSB in low speed at the highest torque setting, with an inline torque meter recording the maximum soft torque before the drill stops. Test two drills holes through stacked OSB with a spade bit, averaging three runs. Test three uses a 2 and 9/16 inch self-feed bit through a 2x4 pine stud at top speed, and test four drills 3-inch holes in cured 4,000 PSI concrete with a 3/8 inch concrete bit.

The results were strong. In the lag bolt test, the GPH01 produced a maximum reading of 428 in/lbs of soft torque, ranking among the highest performers in its field. Keep in mind this differs from the box number, which is often a momentary hard torque figure.

With the spade bit, it averaged 2.64 seconds per hole, a time only bested by two other drills from Milwaukee and Flex. The self-feed bit results were even more impressive: averaging three holes, the drill finished in 2.12 seconds, the fastest of any hammer drill tested to date. Concrete drilling landed middle of the pack at 4.22 seconds on average.

Things to Consider Before Buying

The GPH01 does not blow away the XPH14 in raw performance, so existing 18V LXT owners may not feel an urgent need to switch. Concrete drilling was only middle of the pack, so if hammer drilling into masonry is your primary use case, it is worth weighing that result.

On the other hand, if you are building out a 40V XGT collection, this is a natural first or early purchase. The kit from Acme Tools costs $499 and includes the hammer drill, two 40V max 2.5Ah XGT batteries, a charger, and a soft bag.

Buying Advice

Buy the GPH01 if you want a compact, powerful flagship hammer drill and are ready to commit to the XGT platform. The soft torque numbers and self-feed speed show genuine workhorse capability, and Active Feedback Technology adds a layer of protection when bits bind.

If you already own a strong 18V setup and do not plan to migrate, the case is weaker since the performance gain over Makita’s previous flagship is modest. Price matters too: at $499 for the kit, you are paying flagship money for flagship-class performance.

Conclusion

The Makita GPH01 is an impressive all-around hammer drill with excellent soft torque, the fastest self-feed drilling time on record in these tests, and a compact, well-built chassis. Its main appeal is as the foundation of a 40V XGT tool collection for professionals in carpentry, construction, and plumbing who want one high-performance platform instead of two.