Makita GT501M 40V max XGT Brushless 5-Pc. Combo Kit (4.0Ah) with GPH01Z Hammer Drill review

The Makita GT501M is a five-tool XGT combination built around the GPH01Z hammer driver-drill. That exact drill matters more than the word “combo”: the package also contains an impact driver, two saws and a flashlight, so this is not a compact drill purchase with a few small extras. The maker's itemized list is the authority for which pieces belong to this SKU.

Separate the drill from the other tools

The GT501M list names the GPH01Z as its hammer driver-drill and the GDT01Z as a separate impact driver. The GPH01 manual documents rotation drilling, screwdriving and a hammer-drilling mode, with a conventional 1/2-inch chuck. That chuck figure describes the bit shank the jaws can hold; it is not a promise that this kit can drill a half-inch hole in every material. The impact driver is useful for a different fastening workflow, but it cannot stand in for the GPH01's drill or hammer mode.

Makita publishes a two-speed range up to 650 and 2,600 rpm, a maximum torque figure of 1,250 in-lb, and up to 39,000 blows per minute in hammer mode for the GPH01 family. Those are manufacturer specifications, not measurements from comparative or hands-on testing. Its manual's material-and-bit-specific capacity tables are the better boundary for a planned hole; its 13/16-inch masonry figure is not a universal recommendation for every substrate, bit, or drilling method. This is a chuck-based hammer drill, not an SDS rotary hammer or a chipping tool.

GT501M's package is its own configuration

The exact GT501M Includes list names five tools: GPH01Z hammer driver-drill, GDT01Z impact driver, GRJ01Z reciprocating saw, GSH01Z 7-1/4-inch circular saw, and ML001G flashlight. It also lists two BL4040 4.0Ah XGT batteries, a DC40RA rapid charger, and a wheeled 831269-3 tool bag. The matching photograph shows the bundle presentation, but the written list—not the number of shapes visible in the image—establishes the model numbers and quantities.

Do not collapse it into the similarly named GT500M. Both are five-tool packages with the GPH01Z, GDT01Z, GRJ01Z and ML001G, two BL4040 batteries, a DC40RA charger and a wheeled bag. The exact GT501M page lists the GSH01Z conventional 7-1/4-inch circular saw; the GT500M page lists the GSR01Z rear-handle circular saw instead. That is a real configuration distinction even though the drill component is shared. Confirm the suffix on the box if the saw choice is material to your work.

Who should compare this kit

GT501M is a plausible assessment for someone already choosing the XGT battery family and who expects to use several of the listed tools. Two matching 4.0Ah batteries and the named charger make the package more complete on paper than a bare drill, while the impact driver and saws cover jobs that the drill cannot. If you already own a compatible charger or batteries, or need only a drill, those extras may be unnecessary; this review has no current price or seller data with which to claim a bundle saving.

The kit's two batteries are both BL4040, but that does not translate into a runtime estimate. Material, bit, mode, load, battery age and operating technique all matter, and no runtime test was performed here. Confirm that the exact pack and charger suit the manuals for the tools you will use. XGT is not interchangeable with Makita's LXT or CXT systems simply because they share the brand.

Limits to check before buying

The package page does not separately name a GPH01 side handle in its Includes list, so do not assume that an accessory shown in a product image is in the box. The GPH01 manual gives a battery/attachment-dependent weight range and a 7-1/8-inch overall length; neither figure establishes the bare drill's weight or tool-head length. The six-inch-head finder choice therefore cannot be answered for this configuration from the cited overall dimension. Check physical clearance with the required battery, bit, hand position and approach angle, and verify any handle or accessory requirement with the exact package contents.

There is also a practical storage tradeoff: this is a five-tool collection with a wheeled bag, not a one-tool carry setup. A buyer should decide whether the GPH01, impact driver, reciprocating saw, circular saw and flashlight solve real jobs before comparing kits. Keep the exact GT501M identity and its 4.0Ah battery list distinct from tool-only GPH01Z and from GT500M; those are different purchase configurations, not interchangeable labels.