Makita ADP05 USB Charging Adapter, 14.4-18 V, 2 x USB - ATBADP05

Makita ADP05 USB Charging Adapter, 14.4-18 V, 2 x USB

The Makita ADP05 (article code in our catalogue ATBADP05) turns a single slide-on LXT 14.4 V or 18 V battery into a charging station with two USB outputs. It clips onto the battery exactly the way a tool does, and the battery then powers a phone, a tablet, a torch, a speaker or anything else that charges over USB. A battery is NOT included - the adapter is sold on its own. There is no charger and no USB cable either.

This is the simplest way to have power on a site with no mains socket: if you work with Makita LXT tools, you are carrying the batteries anyway. The ADP05 gives them one more job.

What it is for

A building site with no power connected, a van, a roof, open ground, a night shift - anywhere the phone drops to 5% before lunch and the nearest socket is two floors away. Instead of a separate power bank, which also needs charging and gets left at home, the ADP05 uses the batteries that are in the bag.

The second use is quieter but just as practical: the adapter supplies 5 V to anything that runs on USB - a work light, a small fan, a wireless speaker, a GPS unit, a handheld radio. So it is not only a phone charger but a portable 5 V power source backed by a power-tool battery.

Two USB ports at 2.1 A each

The adapter has two USB type A outputs, each delivering 2.1 A. With both in use the total output current is 4.2 A. Those are the manufacturer's figures. Makita publishes no output wattage anywhere; by arithmetic 5 V x 2.1 A works out at about 10.5 W per port and about 21 W in total - enough to charge two phones at once at a normal rate, without one waiting for the other.

What the ADP05 does not do: the ports are plain 5 V USB-A. This is not Power Delivery fast charging and it is not USB-C. A phone that supports PD will charge at standard USB speed, not at the speed of its own mains charger. If you need USB-C and high wattage, the model for that is the ADP15.

On/off switch and port covers

There is an on/off switch on the housing that controls the output. That is not a minor detail: the battery sits under the adapter, and while the output is live the pack is being drawn down. The switch lets it stay assembled without draining the battery between sessions.

Both ports are closed by rubber covers. According to the manufacturer these protect the contacts from dust and moisture - which on a site full of plasterboard dust and cement haze is the main reason USB sockets stop working. To be clear: they are covers against dust and moisture, not waterproofing - the manufacturer publishes no IP rating for this item and we are not going to invent one.

Belt clip

A clip is moulded into the back, so the whole assembly - adapter plus battery - hooks onto a belt or a holster. The phone hangs on the cable and charges while you walk. That is also why it is this compact: 102 x 72 x 43 mm.

On the adapter's own weight the two official pages contradict each other: Makita NZ states "Net weight: 0.71kg", while Makita USA gives no net weight, only a shipping weight of ".4 lbs", about 0.18 kg. So we state no weight for the adapter alone; shipping is calculated on about 0.2 kg for the packed item.

Which batteries it works with

The ADP05 takes Makita LXT slide-on lithium-ion batteries at 14.4 V and 18 V. The manufacturer explicitly lists compatibility with BL1815N, BL1830, BL1840, BL1850B and BL1860B, which covers the usual range from 1.5 Ah to 6.0 Ah. Pack capacity does not limit how the adapter works - a bigger pack simply lasts longer. Makita USA adds one condition: compatibility with Makita 18 V lithium-ion batteries carrying the Star symbol.

What will not work: CXT 10.8 V / 12 V max batteries do not fit this mount - the ADP06 and ADP08 are for those. XGT 40 V max batteries do not fit either - the ADP001G and ADP002G are for those.

How many phone charges from one battery

The manufacturer does not publish such a figure, so here is the arithmetic. An 18 V x 5.0 Ah battery holds 90 Wh of stored energy. An ordinary phone battery holds about 11-12 Wh (3000 mAh at 3.85 V). Allowing roughly 20% losses in the conversion down to 5 V leaves about 72 Wh of useful energy, so in the order of 5-6 full phone charges from one 5.0 Ah pack.

That is a calculation, not a measurement - the real number depends on the phone, the cable and the temperature. A 3.0 Ah pack gives roughly half of what a 6.0 Ah pack gives.

Technical specifications

What is in the box

• 1 x Makita ADP05 USB adapter with a built-in belt clip and rubber covers over the ports
• No battery - an LXT 14.4 V or 18 V pack is bought separately
• No charger for the battery
• No USB cable - you use the cable that belongs to the device
• No case and no bag

ADP05 or another adapter from the range

The numbers in this range look alike, so here they are side by side:

• ADP05 - this item: LXT 14.4 / 18 V, two USB-A ports at 2.1 A each.
• ADP06 - for CXT 10.8 V / 12 V max, with one USB port at 2.1 A. Different mount, smaller battery.
• ADP08 - also for 12 V max CXT, with one USB port at 2.1 A.
• ADP10 - not a USB adapter at all: it lets an 18 V battery be charged on the DC40RA charger.
• ADP15 - the newer one for LXT 18 V, with USB-C and USB-A and substantially higher output power.

Practical tips

• Switch it off or take the adapter off when you are not charging. Left live on the battery, it keeps drawing from the pack.
• Do not run the battery flat for the sake of a phone. A lithium-ion pack is happier when it is not emptied completely, and you still need power for the tool.
• Close the covers after you unplug the cable. Dust in the USB socket is the commonest reason the contact goes unreliable.
• A decent cable matters. At 2.1 A a thin or worn cable drops voltage and charging slows down noticeably.
• For long storage, leave the battery at about half charge and take it off the adapter.

Questions and answers