Metabo HPT vs Metabo vs HiKOKI: The Brand Mess Just Got Worse in 2026 — and What MultiVolt Actually Does
Metabo HPT is Hitachi's old tool division, not German Metabo. In 2026 the two names merge instead of separating. How MultiVolt 36V/18V packs really switch voltage, what the ET36A AC adapter does, and whether Japanese HiKOKI batteries fit US tools.
The 2026 news everyone gets backwards
If you have been told that Metabo HPT is about to become HiKOKI in the United States, that is not what is happening. The confirmed change goes the other direction.
On 17 November 2025, KOKI Group announced that Metabo’s North American business would adopt the Metabo HPT name. The transition is running in waves, and the company’s own release says the full changeover completes by mid-2026. ToolGuyd reported a tighter target of April 2026 for all tools carrying the Metabo HPT name, so treat the exact finish line as approximate. Either way, the practical result is that a US buyer walking into a store in late 2026 will see German-engineered Metabo tools and Japanese-engineered Metabo HPT tools sitting under one badge.
That makes the name collision worse, not better. Outside North America nothing changes: HiKOKI stays HiKOKI, Metabo stays Metabo. There is no confirmed, announced, or credibly rumoured plan to put HiKOKI branding on US shelves.
The corporate history, straight
| Name | What it actually is |
|---|---|
| Hitachi Koki | The original Japanese power tool maker. Sold by Hitachi to private equity firm KKR in 2017. |
| HiKOKI | The 2018 rename of that same business, used globally. Parent company is KOKI Holdings Co., Ltd. |
| Metabo HPT | The North American brand name for HiKOKI products, adopted in 2018 because the Hitachi name was only usable under a licence Hitachi controlled. |
| Metabo (Metabowerke GmbH) | A separate German manufacturer in Nürtingen. Shares the KOKI Holdings umbrella, shares nothing else. |
The short version: HiKOKI and Metabo HPT are the same tools. Metabo HPT and Metabo are not. Different engineering teams, different factories, different battery interfaces. A Metabo 18V LiHD pack will not run a Metabo HPT tool and never has.
Where this starts to matter: KOKI’s announcement states that new cordless tools launched under the Metabo HPT name will use the MultiVolt system and work with existing Metabo HPT batteries. Existing Metabo batteries in North America stay supported “for the foreseeable future” and warranties carry over unchanged — but German Metabo’s US cordless line is a platform whose new-product pipeline is being redirected elsewhere.
MultiVolt: the battery is passive, the tool decides
Most write-ups describe MultiVolt as a battery with clever circuitry that senses the tool and switches voltage. That is wrong, and the real mechanism is more interesting.
A MultiVolt pack contains two banks of five 21700 cells, and those banks are not connected to each other inside the pack. Both are brought out separately on a split connector. The tool’s terminal does the wiring:
- An 18V tool bridges the two banks in parallel — 18V, double the amp-hours.
- A 36V MultiVolt tool bridges them in series — 36V, half the amp-hours.
No sensing, no switching electronics, no failure mode where the pack guesses wrong. It is a mechanical arrangement. That also explains the compatibility asymmetry that confuses people: a MultiVolt pack drops onto 18V tools fine, but an ordinary 18V pack will not mount on a MultiVolt tool, because the MultiVolt terminal carries a tab that a standard 18V pack cannot clear.
| Model | US part no. | At 36V | At 18V |
|---|---|---|---|
| BSL36A18 | 371751M | 2.5Ah | 5.0Ah |
| BSL36B18 | 372121M | 4.0Ah | 8.0Ah |
Both charge on the UC18YSL3 rapid charger, which handles 14.4V, 18V and MultiVolt packs. HiKOKI’s global site quotes roughly 32 to 52 minutes on that charger depending on pack. Japan and some other markets also offer Bluetooth-equipped variants (BSL36A18BX, BSL36B18BX) that pair with compatible tools; the US catalogue does not carry them.
Check Metabo HPT 372121M MultiVolt batteries on Amazon
What it will not run
The backward compatibility claim needs a caveat. HiKOKI states MultiVolt packs work with existing 18V slide-type tools, but publishes an exclusion list covering a set of older cordless models — AW18DBL, C18DBL and DH18DBL variants among them. Look up your specific model number rather than assuming. Separately, the older BSL3620/3625/3626/3660 36V packs and the BSL14xx/BSL18xx series are a different system entirely and are not part of MultiVolt.
The ET36A AC adapter is the actual reason to care
This is the piece with no real equivalent from Makita, DeWalt or Milwaukee. The ET36A is a brick that slides into the battery port of a 36V MultiVolt tool and runs it from wall power.
Published US specs: 36V output, single-phase 120V 60Hz input, 2,000W maximum output, 20 ft cord with a pivot from 90 to 180 degrees, 5.5 lbs. It works with 36V MultiVolt tools only — it will not power an 18V tool.
Where that earns its keep is stationary work: a miter saw on a jobsite bench, a dust extractor running all day. Metabo HPT bundles it with the C3610DRA miter saw for exactly that reason. Where it does not earn its keep is anything you carry — you have swapped a 5.5 lb brick and 20 ft of cable for a battery.
One caution for importers: the Japanese ET36A is built for 100V mains. Buy the version for your grid.
Check Metabo HPT ET36A AC adapter on Amazon
US lineup vs Japanese lineup
The US catalogue is a subset, and a fairly conservative one. Concrete US models worth knowing:
- WH36DB Triple Hammer impact driver — 1,859 in-lbs, up to 4,000 BPM, up to 2,900 RPM, 4.1 lbs with battery.
- DV36DA hammer drill — 36V brushless, marketed at up to 1,440W.
- C3610DRA 10-inch dual-bevel sliding miter saw, available with the AC adapter.
- WR36DE 1/2-inch mid-torque impact wrench.
HiKOKI’s global MultiVolt range runs considerably wider, and several entries carry explicit regional restrictions — the CR36DA reciprocating saw is listed Asia-only, the G3623DA grinder Europe-only, the CD3605DB metal-cutting saw Europe-only, the G3610DVE grinder APAC-only. The outdoor and site-equipment side barely exists in the US: CS3630DA chainsaw, CH3656DA hedge trimmer, CG36DC brush cutter, the RP3608/RP3615 dust extractors, the VB3616DA rebar cutter-bender, the M3612DA router.
Check Metabo HPT WH36DB impact driver on Amazon
Importing a Japanese pack: what we can and cannot confirm
The MultiVolt terminal geometry is the same worldwide, and retailers routinely cross-reference BSL36B18 against the US part number 372121M as the same item. Physically and electrically, the fit is not in dispute.
What we could not confirm is the warranty position. Neither Metabo HPT nor HiKOKI publishes a statement telling you whether a Japanese-market pack used on a US tool voids anything, or whether a US service centre will honour a claim involving one. We are not going to guess. Assume no support until you get it in writing from Metabo HPT.
The charger is the harder blocker anyway. Japanese chargers are built for 100V mains; the US UC18YSL3 is a 120V unit. Import the battery if you must, buy the charger locally.
Check HiKOKI BSL36B18 on Amazon Japan
Should you buy in?
Buy MultiVolt if the AC adapter solves a real problem for you — heavy stationary tools, all-day dust extraction, a saw that lives on a bench. That capability is genuinely differentiated and nobody else offers it in this form.
Do not buy in for breadth. The US MultiVolt catalogue is narrower than Makita’s or Milwaukee’s, accessory availability is thinner, and you are buying into a brand whose North American identity is actively in flux through 2026. And do not buy German Metabo cordless in the US right now expecting a long product roadmap — KOKI has said the new cordless launches are going to MultiVolt.
Summary
The finding that should change your decision: Metabo HPT is not becoming HiKOKI in the US — German Metabo is becoming Metabo HPT, which means the name you have been avoiding is about to cover more products, not fewer. Underneath it, MultiVolt is a well-designed passive dual-bank pack whose voltage is chosen by the tool, plus an AC adapter that is the platform’s one genuine advantage.
If you are cross-shopping platforms rather than committing to this one, our Makita LXT vs XGT vs Milwaukee M18 vs DeWalt comparison covers the model-number splits between Japanese and US markets in more depth. More Japan-market buying guides on the English section index.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: Is Metabo HPT the same company as Metabo?
- A: They are different companies with different engineering, but they now share a corporate parent. Metabo HPT is the North American brand for the former Hitachi Koki power tool business, now HiKOKI globally. Metabowerke GmbH of Nürtingen, Germany is a separate manufacturer that also sits under the KOKI Holdings umbrella. Their batteries and tools do not interchange.
- Q: Is Metabo HPT being renamed to HiKOKI in the United States?
- A: No confirmed plan exists as of August 2026, and the actual announced change runs the other way. In November 2025 KOKI Group announced that Metabo's North American business would adopt the Metabo HPT name, with the transition running in waves into 2026. HiKOKI remains the brand outside North America, and Metabo continues as a brand globally.
- Q: How does a MultiVolt battery switch between 36V and 18V?
- A: The pack itself does not switch. It holds two banks of five 21700 cells that are not joined inside the pack, and it exposes both banks on a split connector. An 18V tool bridges the banks in parallel for 18V, and a 36V MultiVolt tool bridges them in series for 36V. The decision is made by the tool's terminal, not by electronics in the battery.
- Q: Will a MultiVolt battery run my older 18V Hitachi tools?
- A: Usually yes, if the tool takes an 18V slide-type pack. HiKOKI does publish a list of older cordless models that are excluded, including some AW18DBL, C18DBL and DH18DBL variants, so check your exact model before buying. The reverse never works: a plain 18V pack will not mount on a 36V MultiVolt tool because the MultiVolt terminal has a tab that blocks it.
- Q: Can I use a Japanese HiKOKI battery on a US Metabo HPT tool?
- A: The MultiVolt interface is the same and retailers cross-reference the part numbers, for example BSL36B18 against the US number 372121M. We could not find an official Metabo HPT or HiKOKI statement confirming that a grey-import pack is covered under a US warranty, so treat warranty support as unconfirmed. Chargers are the real problem: Japanese units are built for 100V mains, not US 120V.