Makita’s 40V max XGT cordless rebar cutter (GCS01ZK) is now shipping to dealers. The claim: cuts #5 rebar in 1.7 seconds, 250 cuts per charge, and no sparks, from a tool that runs on the same batteries as the rest of your Makita 40V XGT kit.
For concrete crews who cut rebar daily, that last point matters as much as the speed. No dedicated charger, no separate battery system to manage. The GCS01ZK pulls from the same XGT 40V pack as your drills, nailers, and impact tools.
Specifications
- Model: GCS01ZK (bare tool)
- Platform: Makita 40V max XGT (brushless)
- Cut time: 1.7 seconds per cut on #5 rebar
- Cuts per charge: 250 with a 4.0Ah XGT battery
- Speed advantage: 40% faster cutting than prior alternatives, per Makita
- Head rotation: 360 degrees
- Cutting method: Spark-free mechanical cutting (no abrasive wheel)
- Maximum capacity: #5 rebar
Compared to What Crews Use Now
The standard job-site tools for cutting rebar are a portable bandsaw, a grinder with a cut-off wheel, or a hydraulic cutter. All work. All have friction: bandsaw blades dull after a few hundred cuts through hardened steel, grinders scatter sparks across the pour and finished surfaces, and hydraulic cutters mean hoses or a pump station to haul around.
The GCS01’s 360-degree rotating head addresses the most practical problem: when rebar is already tied into a mat on deck, you often can’t reposition the bar to get the right cut angle. You need the tool to rotate to you. Spark-free cutting also eliminates fire risk near combustibles and eliminates the surface damage that grinding leaves on nearby finished concrete.
Who It’s For
This is a trades-focused purchase. Ironworkers and concrete contractors who cut rebar on every pour are the core audience, not a homeowner building one garden retaining wall. The XGT battery advantage is meaningful if your crew is already running Makita 40V: the same pack that powers your XGT framing nailers and high-torque angle impact wrenches now also runs the rebar cutter. No separate charger, no platform switching mid-job.
When and Where Available
The GCS01ZK bare tool is available now at Acme Tools and Toolup. An Amazon listing has not been confirmed at time of writing, check manufacturer specs at makitatools.com for current pricing, kit configurations, and battery compatibility with specific XGT battery models.