Makita DLM380Z Twin 18V (36V) Li-Ion LXT 38cm Lawn Mower - Batteries and Charger Not Included

This is a good mower for a small/medium sized garden. I wanted to go battery powered after my Bosch Rotak 32 died after 12 years fo use. Trailing the power cords and extensions leads from the house and across the garden or driveway is a pain. I researched a few brands and ultimately settled on Makita, my first tool from them, given the huge range of battery power tools that I could use my new batteries with. Ultimately, I bought into their ecosystem for the choice of future tools. Bosch might have been an alternative for me, in reality I won't need that many tools in the years to come.This mower feels just as powerful and noisy as my Bosch corded Rotak mower. Feels like it will cut medium to long growth grass just as well, having tried it on some newly seeded and long length grass during it's first cut. It's so convenient to just wheel it out of the shed and start cutting, from the back to the front of the house. The batteries have held their charge well, and good job too given the cost (about £75). I can cut three times without having to charge up, but my garden is probably on the smaller side.The grass box is good, with a little indicator flap to show you if it's full. Tipping the grass out of the box is easy, unlike my Bosch, where the grass would collect in the corners and side of the box. With this mower the grass just slides out, all of it.I would recommend this mower, I can't find any faults with it. Minor comments are:- Does not cut as close to the edge as my old Bosch Rotak- Surprisingly heavy in a sturdy way, so if you need to lift it watch out for that.+ The cross bar trigger thingy that you have to hold down to keep the mower on is better than my Rotak, that had a trigger on one side only. This has a bar all the way across so you can hold the power down with either hand and a choice of grips across the mower.+ Grass box, slips the grass out easily

The usual Makita quality. Lightweight and well constructed. I've been using mine for several months now without a hitch. Pricey when one factors in the additional cost of batteries and charger but if you own several Makita tools designed for the 18V battery packs, you'll find this a useful addition.It takes 2, 18V batteries that each take about 45 minutes to charge from fully depleted. If I cut my grass with reasonable regularity I find I can cut the whole of my 30m x 20m lawn on just one charge of the batteries. If I leave the grass to grow for a couple of weeks I may need to stop for a recharge midway through the job as that extra growth seems to require far more power. I should also note that when cutting overly long grass, this mower will choke and stop until the grass blockage is freed. I do this quite easily with a quick bump against the ground usually. I don't think this is unreasonable given the grass length, (10-15cm+), that I'm trying to tackle occasionally.Other benefits are the light weight of this item. Easy to carry from my shed and through the house with one hand and that lightness also helps when pushing the mower uphill. The handle folds up neatly for compact storage by loosening four hand bolts.One flaw is the cable stay clip that holds the short cable to the handle. Mine is utterly useless and falls off as soon as I reattach it. I've also noticed that once or twice if a wheel gets caught in a small rut on uneven grass such as on a bank, if you push too forcefully to move it forward it's possible to twist the mower-housing sufficiently that the blade scrapes momentarily against the inside of the housing. Bear in mind this is a plastic unit and although reasonably made, the lightness does very occasionally allow this sort of thing to happen. This is not a regular occurrence however and I believe made up for by the light weight that helps when pushing and carrying the unit. Loudness is labelled as a very reasonable 98dB which compares favourably with all other mowers I've used, both electric and petrol.In conclusion, a good mower but not without its flaws. Given the reasonable build quality and convenience of using with battery packs I already owned, I would recommend this to others who also own Makita 18V tools.