Makita Lawn Mower: How to choose & Buyer’s Gide

Makita cordless lawnmower

For a garden with a neat appearance, a lawnmower is indispensable. But what kind of lawnmower to take? An electric lawnmower or a gasoline mower? And which brand should you choose? Makita lawn mowers are a good choice. Makita has been a trusted brand. They also offer a wide range of electric, cordless, and gasoline lawnmowers.

In our Makita lawn mower test, we want to present you with the different options in more detail. You will get important information about the different factors that will help you find the best option for you. We will also show you the factors that you should take into account in order to choose the best lawn mower for you.

But Makita has not only lawnmowers, the brand offers over 700 machines plus accessories.

Makita machines are known for being particularly durable and powerful. In addition, the brand is also committed to the environment and is therefore focused on ensuring that its power tools are particularly energy-efficient.

If you want to buy a Makita lawn mower, you have three alternatives to choose between:

• Petrol lawnmower
• Cordless lawnmower
• Electric lawnmower

The different options each come with advantages and disadvantages. Depending on what you prefer and for what type of lawn you want to use your lawnmower, one or the other lawnmower is more suitable. Hopefully, the following section will help you decide.

With zero emissions, lower noise, and reduced maintenance, the 18V X2 (36V) cordless lawn mower is a welcome solution for efficient grass cutting. The Makita-built motor delivers up to 3,300 RPM. The mower offers ease-of-use features including quick height adjustments and folding handles for compact storage. The lawn mower also features Makita extreme protection technology (XPT). XPT is a protective seal inside the tool and is engineered for improved operation in harsh conditions by channeling water and dust from key internal components.

Best Makita Lawn Mowers

Makita Lawn Mowers Review

Makita Lithium‑Ion Brushless Cordless 21″ Self Propelled Lawn Mower Kit with 4 Batteries

The mower offers ease-of-use features including quick height adjustments and self-propel. It features a 3-in-1 design for bagging, mulching, or rear discharge. The commercial-grade aluminum deck resists corrosion and is still durable for demanding applications. Single lever cutting height adjustment for quick adjustment of cutting heights (1-1/4” – 4”). Grass catcher bag holds up to 2 bushels of grass.

Makita Lithium-Ion Cordless 17″ Lawn Mower Kit

With zero emissions, lower noise, and reduced maintenance. It’s powered by two 18V LXT Batteries (sold separately). The 4-bay battery system holds 4 batteries for twice the run time, but without leaving the 18V battery platform. The Makita-built motor delivers up to 3,600 RPM for faster cutting. The compact 18″ deck is ideal for detailed landscaping and the 17″ cutting width provides optimal performance.

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Makita gasoline-powered lawn

A gasoline lawn mower is especially recommended for a large garden because with a gasoline-powered lawnmower you can mow the lawn in a fast and efficient way. In addition, it is not necessarily recommended for a small lawn, as they are usually a bit larger. Therefore, you need a larger storage space than for the other two alternatives and it has greater maintenance needs than an electric or cordless lawnmower. Therefore, you should only reach for a gasoline lawnmower if the lawn area to be mowed requires it.

Advantages:

• no cable
• very powerful
• wheel drive

Disadvantages:

• very loud
• not very environmentally friendly

Still, a gasoline lawnmower has the same advantage as a cordless lawnmower, which is that it has no cord. You can mow the lawn without worrying about the cable getting tangled. That being said, the gasoline lawn mower is more powerful than the battery or even the electric-powered lawnmower. This is especially helpful when you want to mow high or wet grass. Another advantage is that it often has wheel drive. This makes mowing the lawn immensely easier.

However, a gasoline lawnmower also has disadvantages. One of these disadvantages is the volume with which a gasoline-powered lawn mower works. This can quickly lead to problems with the neighbors, should you mow the lawn on the weekend. Another disadvantage is the emissions. A gasoline lawn mower is not the most environmentally friendly alternative to mow his lawn.

Makita cordless lawn mower

A battery-powered lawn mower is, as the name suggests, a lawnmower that is usually powered by a lithium-ion battery. This must be charged before use, and then properly attach, and the lawn mowing can start.

The advantage of a cordless lawn mower, as opposed to an electric-powered lawnmower, is clearly the independence from a cord. You can easily avoid possible obstacles with the lawnmower without worrying about the cable getting tangled. Of course, it shares this advantage with the gasoline-powered lawnmower, but the cordless lawn mower is a lot quieter than its gasoline-powered brother. Thus, with a battery lawnmower, you could mow the lawn even on Sundays. A clear advantage over the gasoline-powered lawn mower is that the cordless lawn mower emits no emissions, making it much more environmentally friendly to use.

Advantages:

• very quiet
• no cable
• no emissions

Disadvantages:

• not very powerful
• shorter life span

One clear disadvantage of a cordless lawn mower is that it can never provide the same power as, say, a gasoline engine. This means that a cordless lawn mower could quickly reach its limits in the high, wet, or damp grass. Another disadvantage of a cordless lawn mower is its lifespan. Already after 1000 charges, a battery gives up the ghost. Thus, the life of an electric or gasoline lawn mower is much longer.

Makita electric lawn mower

An electric lawnmower is a lawnmower, which you need to plug into a power outlet. Therefore, the first disadvantage is already readily apparent. The lawnmower is constantly hanging on a cable and thus limits the range on the one hand, and on the other hand, you have to be careful not to run over the cable.

Advantages:

• quiet
• easy to maneuver
• maintenance-free

Disadvantages:

• cable
• not so powerful

However, one advantage is that an electric-powered lawn mower is a lot quieter than a gasoline lawnmower, but it has this in common with the battery lawnmower. Another advantage over the gasoline lawn mower is that an electric lawn mower is virtually maintenance-free. You do not have to change the oil, nor do you have to change the air filter. The electric lawn mower is also lighter than its gasoline-powered brother, making it easier to maneuver and well-suited for smaller gardens.

However, it must also be noted with the electric lawn mower that it is a lot less powerful than a gasoline lawnmower and thus may fail on high, wet grass.

Buying criteria

The criteria you can use to compare lawn mowers include:

• Weight
• Cutting height adjustment & cutting width
• Grass catch bag
• Wheel drive
• Mulching kit

In the following paragraphs, we will explain to you what is important in the various criteria.

Weight

Here we have to distinguish between the different types of lawnmowers. In general, we can say that cordless lawn mowers are usually the lightest, closely followed by electric-powered lawnmowers. The heaviest are the gasoline-powered mowers.
Although it sounds tempting in this case to choose the lightest lawn mower because it is easy to handle, you have to weigh what kind of garden you want to mow. Indeed, while the lightweight lawn mowers are particularly well-suited for lifting over or maneuvering past obstacles, the heavier models are often more stable. In addition, they are particularly well suited for straight paths, should you have an open lawn, as they do not slip easily and drive their way stably.

Makita cordless lawn mowers vary in weight from 35 lbs to 62 lbs. The electric-powered mowers have an even wider range, they are available ready from 22 lb, but the heaviest model is 70.5 lb. The heavyweight in this listing is of course the Makita gasoline-powered lawnmower, it comes in a weight range from 62 lb to 88 lb.

Cutting height adjustment & cutting width

For the cutting width, you should also consider the needs of your garden. If your garden is large and open, you should choose the highest possible cutting width, as you will need less time to mow. However, if you have a small, winding garden, it is better to choose a small cutting width. With these you can work more filigree, you can better reach corners and edges, and it is of course lighter than a large lawnmower. So take a good look at your garden before you buy a lawnmower.

The cordless lawn mowers come in cutting widths from 15″ to 18″. The electric-powered lawn mowers are available from a cutting width of 13″ and also range up to 18″. The gasoline-powered lawn mowers have a cutting width of 16″ to 22″.

A central cutting height adjustment should be standard by now. A cutting height adjustment allows you to decide for yourself how short you want your grass cut. This is especially helpful if there are areas in your yard with rocks or bumps that you couldn’t possibly cut at the lowest setting. Makita offers many cutting height adjustments. Some models only have a 5-way cutting height adjustment, while others already have a 13-way.

Grass catch bag

A simple principle applies to the grass catcher bag. The larger the bag, the less often you need to empty it. So when buying, pay attention to the size. Nevertheless, this is related to the cutting width of the lawnmower.

In Makita cordless lawnmowers, the grass catcher bags have a volume between 9 and 13 gals. The electric-powered lawn mowers are also available one size smaller, these have a volume of 6.5 to 13 gals. The largest lawn mowers are the petrol ones, these have a grass catcher bag with a volume of 11 to 15 gals.

Wheel drive

A wheel drive is an aid to pushing. Here, part of the drive is used to facilitate pushing. This is an advantage for heavy mowers and indispensable if you live on a slope. Not all lawnmowers have wheel drive, so it is necessary that you pay close attention.

At Makita, however, there are numerous lawnmowers with wheel drive. Both electric and gasoline lawnmowers are equipped with it.

Mulching kit

Mulching mowing means that you leave the grass clippings on the lawn and do not throw them away. In this process, the grass blades are cut very small, thus they become valuable raw material. This is done to improve the nutrient supply of the lawn, as a lot of moisture is added to the lawn. In fact, the newly created mulch consists of 90% water. But mulching is not only good for the lawn but also ecologically valuable, because the grass clippings return to the natural cycle.
So, if your lawnmower is equipped with a mulching kit, it means that it will carry the cut grass to the lawn without interfering with your lawn mowing. Makita offers many models that have both a grass catcher bag and a mulching kit.

Can I change the oil on my Makita lawnmower myself?

To maintain the performance of the lawnmower, you need to change the oil regularly. Regular in this context means at least 1x a year. Here is a step-by-step guide:

1. Warm up the lawnmower: You should always change the oil when the lawnmower is warm. So this means you should turn on the lawnmower and let it run for a few minutes before turning it off again.
2. Secure the ignition cable: Now you need to disconnect the ignition cable and secure it at a safe distance from the spark plugs. This way, you’ll avoid an accidental start and, consequently, injuries.
3. Tilt the lawnmower: You should put some newspaper under your lawnmower, then tilt your lawnmower slightly to the side to allow the oil to collect over the drain plug.
4. Drain the oil: Now you need to place a collection container under the drain plug and then open it. Then you have to wait until all the oil has drained out.
5. Refill oil: Once all the old oil has run out, you can refill with new oil. Which oil is the right one for your lawnmower can be found in the operating instructions.
6. Dispose of oil: The old oil must be disposed of! So take it to your local disposal center.

Makita Lawn Mowers Price:

Under $500

• Makita Lithium-Ion Cordless 17″ Lawn Mower Kit
• Makita Brushless 18″ Lawn Mower Kit with 4 Batteries

Under $700

• Makita Lithium‑Ion Brushless Cordless 21″ Self Propelled Lawn Mower Kit with 4 Batteries