Makita cordless strimmer

The best battery trimmers from Makita

The traditional Japanese company Makita enjoys an excellent reputation among numerous home and craftsmen worldwide. The company has also been represented in the cordless tools segment for a long time. The product range also includes lawn trimmers. A Makita cordless strimmer has special advantages to offer you. It guarantees maximum freedom of movement, which is why you can go directly to any place you want. In general, the devices are easy to operate and are pleasantly quiet in operation. They are largely powered by 18V rechargeable batteries.

In the following, we will show you which Makita battery strimmer is a good choice. You will also find out what you should consider when choosing. We hope to be able to help you with this guide.

Makita cordless strimmer – 3 models in the presentation

Makita DUR181Z

The battery strimmers from Makita are rightly very popular. An absolute bestseller is the model Makita DUR181Z .

Together with an 18V battery, the device weighs just 3.1 kg and is therefore also recommended for women and senior citizens. Because the telescopic pole can be adjusted in length, both tall and short people can work in an upright and thus back-friendly posture. If necessary, you can even put on the shoulder strap included in the scope of delivery to relieve your arms even more.

Trimming is done with the help of a classic nylon thread. You can turn the motor head comfortably so that lawns and kerbs can also be maintained adequately. In addition, the angle of the head can be adjusted 5 times. Despite the light weight, the cutting width is a respectable 26 cm. The string can also be extended using the tried-and-tested Tap & Go method (simply press the motor head to the ground), which means you don’t have to put your hands there.

Makita DUR364LZ

Makita also manufactures battery-powered lawn strimmers for high demands. A powerful example of this is the Makita DUR364LZ .

This model works with 2 18V batteries at the same time. The resulting voltage of 36V unfolds a special power potential. The brushless motor also contributes to this. In addition, the working width of the nylon cord is a whopping 35 cm. Accordingly, you can also quickly maintain extensive areas. Thanks to the safety goggles included in the scope of delivery, handling is safe.

Without the battery, the trimmer weighs approx. 4.4 kg, which is not insignificant. A carrying strap is included to distribute the weight evenly over the upper body. The device is ideally suited for grooming around sensitive areas, because the sound level directly at the motor is only 82 dB. Therefore, you do not have to worry about your hearing during use.

Makita DUR188UZ

Makita is constantly striving to improve its battery-powered lawn strimmers. This is impressively demonstrated by the Makita DUR188UZ .

This battery trimmer comes with a range of innovative functions. For example, you can dismantle the telescopic handle into two parts in just a few steps. This allows it to be transported in the boot in a space-saving way. The special 2-hand grip and a moderate weight of 3.9 kg (without battery) promote a high level of ergonomics. Since the speed adjusts automatically (Automatic torque Drive Technology), you can expect maximum battery life with optimum performance.

A plant guard ensures that no sensitive flowers have to suffer during operation. In addition, the reversal of the direction of rotation deserves praise. In practice, even jammed resistances can still be safely managed thanks to this. Although plastic blades are shown in the picture, the device is delivered together with a nylon thread (blades can be retrofitted if required).

Makita cordless strimmer – Here is what you should look for when choosing

Type

Battery strimmers basically compete with 2 other forms of drive: Electric trimmers and petrol trimmers. All types have advantages and disadvantages and are offered by Makita.

A battery-powered lawn strimmer combines the freedom of movement of a petrol unit with the advantages of an electric motor. You can go directly to any place you want. It can also be used outside your own property without any problems, because the tool can simply be packed into the boot.

Makita’s brushless motor is kept compact and is pleasantly quiet. The latter makes the tools ideally suited for use near hospitals, nursing homes and schools. In addition, the motor does not need to be maintained, as is the case with a combustion engine, for example.

A lithium-ion battery is used as the drive. While the production is ecologically rather dubious, it behaves exemplary in operation. You don’t have to put up with any unpleasant smells and there are generally hardly any emissions. Due to the rechargeable battery, such a device is, by the way, minimally heavier than a mains cable trimmer.

In terms of performance, it should be noted that battery trimmers are not suitable for large resistances. However, a Makita strimmer can handle grasses, rushes, thistles and nettles with equal ease. For branches and roots, however, you should opt for a model with a petrol engine.

Cutting system

The cutting system is the central element of every lawn trimmer. Depending on the manufacturer and model, different designs are used here. A Makita cordless strimmer can work either with plastic blades or with a nylon thread. A thread spool in particular is often used here.

If you want to work close to the obstacle, a nylon string is advantageous. It does not cause any damage to the object when it comes into contact with rocks, wood and the like. The thread itself shortens more quickly, but you can still work along terraces, kerbs, etc. without complications.

Over time, the cord automatically gets shorter, which negatively affects the cutting performance. With Makita you can lengthen it by pressing the motor head against the ground (Tap&Go). This way you don’t have to bend down and fiddle with the motor head. At some point the thread will be completely used up and the bobbin will have to be replaced.

Plastic blades are also good for trimming grass and other fine plants. Compared to a nylon thread, the wear is much less. However, if the blade comes into contact with a hard object, such as a tree or a stone edging, the blade will unfortunately break and need to be replaced.

All Makita cordless strimmers are not suitable for thick branches. This is due on the one hand to the motor and on the other hand to the aforementioned attachments. A petrol engine with a steel blade is required for rough work.

In addition to the type of attachment, the cutting width also plays a role. If you want to meticulously maintain very narrow niches and hard-to-reach objects, a particularly compact model is recommended. If, on the other hand, you want to trim extensive areas quickly, a cutting width of 35 cm and more is recommended.

Performance & running time

Of course, the performance is also important. It does not necessarily have to be high, but must primarily suit the conditions on site. Unfortunately, it must generally be said that a battery trimmer does not have the greatest power potential. Nevertheless, there can be major differences even within this category.

In this context, the power potential cannot be recognised by a single indicator. One promise of power is the battery voltage. Either a Makita cordless strimmer is operated with a single 18V battery or with 2 copies. 2 versions result in a combined voltage of 36V, which can unleash a particularly high amount of power.

A high engine speed can also favour the circumstance of permanently coping with various adversities.

In general, the power consumption, which is expressed in watts, can be a promise of the available power. It primarily defines the power consumption/unit of time. Presumably, however, increased power consumption also goes hand in hand with more power. If this is not the case, it is an inefficient model.

The battery’s runtime is also relevant. It is shown in the unit Ah (ampere hours). A Makita battery-powered lawn strimmer can be equipped with a capacity between 1.5 and 6 Ah. The higher the value, the longer the battery lasts. However, the weight and price also increase. If you keep several batteries in stock, you can extend the runtime as desired.

Handling

Every supplier has to ensure that handling the battery trimmer does not become a painful affair. If there is a high level of comfort, the work can even be fun. Makita strives to provide you with pleasant handling.

Of course, a low weight is the main factor that makes it easy to handle. A Makita cordless strimmer weighs only 3 kg, including the battery. Such models are perfect for women and senior citizens. The large battery-powered brush cutters from Makita, on the other hand, can weigh over 6 kg.

A telescopic handle can also ensure that people of all sizes can work in an upright position. The latter ensures that back problems are prevented in the best possible way.

In addition, one of the two handles can often be adjusted in its position. This means that you can expect a high level of ergonomics for all activities. The handles are rubberised as standard, which means that hardly any vibrations are transmitted to the hands and the potential for calluses to form is reduced.

To trim lawn and kerb edges, the motor head can be turned around. In addition, it is usually possible to adjust the angle of the head on a Makita cordless strimmer. This means that the work can always be done parallel – whether to the ground or to the hedge.

The speed can sometimes be adjusted manually to meet the requirements even more precisely. Sometimes this is even done automatically (ADT system).

When working with a nylon string, you can also extend it semi-automatically by pressing the motor head to the ground (Tap & Go).

Volume

Depending on the environment, background noise can be of great importance. This is especially true in residential areas and near schools, old people’s homes and hospitals. Here you should always comply with the regulations on noise protection. If the lawn trimmer is too loud, this can also have a negative effect on your health and stress level.

You can tell how loud or quiet your model of choice is by looking at the sound level, which in turn is expressed in dB (decibels). A Makita cordless strimmer can stand out positively here. Even directly at the motor, the noise level is sometimes less than 75 dB. Therefore, you definitely don’t need to wear hearing protection and can theoretically even work during lunchtime, because neighbours usually don’t feel disturbed by such a background noise.

Price

Of course, the costs also have an influence on the decision. They depend primarily not only on the manufacturer, but also on the design. With all suppliers, the mains cable units, for example, are the cheapest to buy. In general, the price should be in reasonable proportion to your own requirements. The more power you want to unleash and the more area you want to cover, the more you have to invest.

A Makita cordless strimmer is clearly a branded product. It has a high-quality finish and works reliably. In terms of price, the manufacturer ranks in the upper midfield. Premium suppliers, such as Stihl and Husqvarna, offer even better solutions for commercial use, but for private use there is nothing wrong with the devices.

Makita cordless strimmer – It has advantages & disadvantages

The battery-powered lawn strimmers from Makita offer various advantages. They are easy to operate and have a light weight. Therefore, they are especially recommended for women and senior citizens. In addition, the motor technology can be described as environmentally friendly. Nevertheless, not everything speaks for the devices. So that you can comfortably weigh up their pros and cons, we have provided you with an overview below:

Video: Makita DUR181Z Review