What type of user are you when it comes to OPE (Outdoor Power Equipment)? Are you a gas or a battery-powered type of user? Please don’t tell me you like pulling around a power cord, do they even make those mowers anymore? A while ago, you couldn’t pay me enough to get rid of my gas mower. Now, you couldn’t pay me to use a gas mower. Sure gas has its place and I know for larger lawns you need gas, which there are some awesome options for gas mowers. But for me, someone with a smaller lawn, I want a cordless solution. Which brings me to the Makita Lawn Mower.
Makita Cordless Lawn Mower Overview
When it comes to power tool manufacturers, I wasn’t sold on the idea of them moving into my lawn maintenance. However, over the last couple of years, we had the opportunity to use the Makita line of OPE products. For me, I fell in love with them right off the bat. I love the quality, performance, and durability. So what don’t I like about them? Well, the one thing I really don’t like is they don’t offer a snowblower. See, I am a huge fan of their OPE stuff and think they do an awesome job at designing them and building them to last. However, I can’t find a good cordless snow blower. I really think if Makita built one, they would do it right.
When it comes to cordless OPE products, there are only two options in the market place, Makita and Ego. While both are the top dogs in the OPE world, Makita does have an advantage. One of the biggest advantages of Makita, is they do so much more than just OPE. So if you have the Makita batteries, you can jump into their power tools and other cordless products, which is huge.
Makita Cordless Lawn Mower Features
The Makita mower uses a brushless motor and delivers up to 3,300 rpm unless you are in quiet mode, then the motor sets the RPMs at 2,500. The mower can cut up to 7,300 square feet using two 5.0Ah batteries.
The mower is powered by two 18v 5Ah batteries making this a 36V mower.
The batteries are placed on the back of the mower and covered up by a plastic shield to protect from water and dust.
The mower is built with a steel deck for longevity and durability.
On the back wheel, you can raise or lower the deck height (13/16″- 2-15/16). One nice feature is how smooth and easy it is to push the mower around. The wheels are small but I feel like they roll very easily and the smaller wheels make it easier making turns while mowing.
One huge feature is the handlebar. Most mowers seem to use cheap handlebars and it gives you a cheap feeling of the mower. The Makita handlebar is thick and just feels like what you would find on a high-end mower.
My only knock of this mower is there is no quick fold-down of the handlebars. Not a big deal if you have space. But some times we are limited by space and it would be nice to easily collapse the handlebars and allow easy storage.
If you want to store your mower or lift it up, there is a handle on the front to assist and make it easier to lift the mower.
On the handlebar, you have the control panel. One button is for power and the other is for a quiet mode which reduces RPMs. Above these buttons, you can see the battery status level without having to actually bend down and check each battery.
To start the mower, you press in the red button and pull back on the red lever. No pulling strings or anything else.
The Makita mower uses the typical handlebar set up which is comfortable. You can either have your hands on the side for an angle feel or the top approach has your hands at a flat set up.
While some cordless mowers use a two-blade system, Makita uses a single blade which I feel is much better.
The mower offers either a mulching option or a bagging option. The bag holds 16 gallons of grass. You can not side discharge with this mower but let’s be honest, does anyone use side discharge anymore?
Makita Cordless Lawn Mower Performance
I have been busy and we have had a ton of rain this year, so my grass was really high before the mow. I have used other cordless mowers in the past and I know how most cordless mowers perform great with short grass, but not this tall grass. So I was curious to see how the Makita would perform.
Going through the tall grass, the Makita mower didn’t bog down, didn’t stall or even cut out. The mower ran through it with ease. We have had other brands in the past not be able to cut this grass and would bog down.
So here is what really surprised me, the bagging and cut quality. With the tall grass, I was expecting to see some of the grass cut and some of the grass pushed down. Not only did it cut all the grass and leave the lawn looking professional, but it bagged all the grass. Sure, the bag filled up quickly but it bagged the clippings. I never had any clippings piled up.
So as far as I am concerned, this mower performs like a champ.
Makita Cordless Lawn Mower Value
In regards to value, you can get the Model XML03PT1 for $550 on Amazon which it comes with the dual charger and 4 5Ah batteries. If you have the batteries, you can pick up the XML03Z which is the mower only option for $440.
I know this is a big upfront cost but over the long haul, it’s worth every penny. I love the build quality of this mower and considering I have been using the 36V OPE over the recent years, they have lasted, so you also get durability. I love the power and ease of use. So I do think this is worth the cost and a fair price.
Makita Cordless Lawn Mower Final Thoughts
When it comes to Makita and OPE, they are the only power tool manufacturer that has a real platform. Sure others might have a mower, a blower or something else, but the Makita is the standard. I have been using their platform for years and I love it. Powerful, durable and dependable. The mower is another reason to invest in the Makita OPE line of products.
