If you are thinking of investing in Makita or want to expand your already existing cordless collection, there are features of the utility company that you should be aware of as a user. Technology owned by Makita are built into the tools to make them more powerful and protect them, which will save you money in the long run. Of these technologies, you will find AVT, which is the useful anti-vibration technology that does Makita’s Starlock oscillating tool so innovative, and XPT, which stands for Extreme Protection Technology and is a series of seals in the tools to divert dust and water.

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Another of these impressive features is the STAR Protection Computer Controls, which are a great piece of technology to integrate into your tools if you use them a lot or work with them in very demanding jobs. It is important to note that STAR Protection is only for the 18V LXT line, one of the Makita’s three battery systems. But what exactly is STAR Protection, and how do you know if your Makita 18V tools have it?

Makita’s STAR Protection Computer Controls is an innovative extra protection for tools used in a more demanding environment. For example, when a hammer drill is used for a long time to drill in thick concrete, this technology allows the tool and the battery to communicate and ensure neither overload, overdischarge nor overheating. If one or more of these three problems start to occur, the tool will automatically shut down.

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From here, the user can either charge the battery, replace the battery, or simply restart the tool, depending on the diagnosed problem. The tool can then be used again. However, you may decide it’s a good idea to give the tool a few minutes to cool down, especially if overheating is the problem. In addition, you want to adopt a healthy maintenance of power tools protocol to give your Makita tools a long life.

To know if your Makita 18V battery has STAR Protection computer controls, you need to look just above the battery charge level LED indicator. It will have an engraved star on the right or left side, depending on the battery size. You can also find it on the information label at the bottom of the battery in the lower right corner. If there is a star, the battery is only compatible with STAR Protection tools. If it doesn’t have a star, your tools aren’t protected from potential overheating or overload, so you need to be more aware when using them.

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To know which Makita cordless tools are equipped with STAR Protection, there will be a star symbol or a yellow plug — even if the yellow plug does not show a star, it is still protected. If the tool’s connector is simply black or another color without a star, it is not protected and will not work with STAR Protected batteries. If you are thinking of buying a tool and want to know if it will have this overheat protection, the easiest way is to look up the exact model on the Makita website. On the product page under the features tab it will indicate if the tool has STAR Protection.