We had a chance to test and try out the Makita 36V string trimmer, but if your serious about Outdoor Power Equipment, how can you avoid talking about a blower. I know there isn’t much to a blower, but wanted to give a you a quick rundown of the new Makita 36 Blower model XBU02. As I noted earlier, this is a 36V blower which is powered by two 18V Makita batteries. The first thing I really liked about this blower was the batteries fit directly into the blower. In the past you needed an adapter, which is no longer needed.
As with the other OPE items we tried from Makita, the blower has a great balance and feel to it, not to front or back end heavy. In fact the tool only weighs 9.9 pound and that is including the batteries. Makita did a great job with the nozzle design. As a user you can easily adjust the length of the nozzle. There are notches in the nozzle that allow you to make the adjustment. OK so now the important aspect of the tool, the power. I have to say this is a very powerful blower. The max air volume is 473 cfm and the air speed velocity is is 120 mph. Now that all sounds great, but if you can’t really control it, who care? Well Makita designed this for ease of control which is a huge selling point for me. First when you’re using the tool, you don’t feel the push back from the air movement, so you don’t have to worry about your arm getting tired. My favorite part of this blower is the speed dial and trigger lock. A user can access both of these features with one hand, in fact just your thumb. The trigger lock is pretty straight forward with a push button lock. The speed dial is exactly that, a speed dial. With your thumb you can increase or decrease the speed of the flow, great idea. My guess is your wondering about the run time. This has an impressive run time of 29 minutes.
As with the Makita string trimmer, they did an awesome job in not only designing a powerful blower, but a functional blower. The balance and features are well though out. Another winner from Makita.
I like how Makita is becoming the premier brand for landscaping as well as construction. While a professional may not choose this specific cordless blower, it’s great for a homeowner.
I also love their 4-stroke backpack blowers. Too bad I can’t justify the price in my line of work!