Makita DLM380Z
VerifiedMPN: DLM380Z18 reviews
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Struggle street – The overall build quality I believe is questionable, as the mower seems to buckle under weight on its handles. Doesn't seem to be enough resistance to steering this mower. Plus, the batteries will run out within 10-12 minutes of use, needing more batteries and power packs. I would never buy one again, option to go back to petrol. Show details
Good Mower - Except for the flimsy wheels – Good for small lawns. I like it, no fuel or oil to worry about. The only issue is the rear wheels. They are rubbish. Broke just after the warranty expired and I can't find a decent alternative as the rear axle design is not standard. Show details
Very poorly designed, bad ergonomics and flimsy – front wheels are far too small in diameter and too narrow such that pushing through buffalo grass simply makes the nose bury itself, it then becomes almost impossible to push, meanwhile the plastic base is distorted too, the whole frame flexes under any sort of load. The fact that the handle is non adjustable is a nonsense..I"m 6" ft. my wife… Read more
5'2", who was designed for? Does it cut grass? Well yes, but only light growth, anything thick and it becomes useless
Has no power – Do not waste your money , has no power. Just stops if grass is slightly thick or high. Catcher and ease of use is ok. Only buy if your grass isn't very thick at all. Show details
Easy to use – Good for small yards a little jobs. Not a big catcher so I have to empty quite frequently. It is ideal for me as I am a small framed you woman who does not have a lot of strength and can’t not start a petrol mower. It starts very easily and the batteries (we had to buy separately ) charge very quickly. Overall, it was quite expensive for what we got but it does the job. Show details
Don’t waste your time or money on this – I use all of Makita tools and this is really el cheapo and not up to standard. The wheels are flimsy and bend around as you push it. They remind me of a toy mower we had as kids. This thing is $400, you can buy mowers with alloy base and ball bearing wheels for less. There are other battery mowers out there so save your money on this one and buy another brand Show details
Disappointing from Makita, rear wheels keep failing – Makita is usually a solid brand, and I bought the DLM380Z (upgraded from an old Victa cordless with lead-acid battery) because I have some of their cordless tools and batteries, however I have had a lot of problem with the rear wheels keep failing. The first time I got it home and mowed the lawn, I had done only a bit when I noticed the rear… Read more
wheel was failing, with the plastic buckling. I thought it had been damaged in the box (e.g. dropped on that wheel), so took it back and exchanged -- Bunnings has a very good policy.
About 7-8 months later another rear wheel failed with similar issue, which I got replaced under warranty. About 16 months in now and another wheel has failed. Going to look on the Internet if I can get spare parts. I've never had any similar issues with the last 3 mowers, each lasting 5-10 years.
Apart from the wheel issue, the motor is good. The convenience of battery is much better than petrol (provided you remember to charge).
Due to the rear wheel issues it is difficult to manoeuvre, but usually okay as it is small and light. I have about 200 m^2 of lawn, the front on a slight slope. I have two 5.0 Ah batteries that easily last the whole lawn. It is a new house, grass is Zoysia, the front from turf and the rear from seed.
I mow fairly regularly, so it doesn't grow too high, and cut on a high setting (Zoysia is pretty slow growing anyway). Need to empty maybe four times (twice rear, twice front), or sometimes less.
I'm fairly tall, but the mower handle is okay (often they feel a bit short), but I checked this when buying. For the safety key, I kept the lanyard from my old mower and loop it on the handle when not in use (because the Makita didn't have one. Easy enough to buy or just tie a cord).
Overall, it is still usable, but a bit disappointing and I'm thinking of moving up to the metal body model that looks like it has much sturdier wheels.
Greatest waste of money no guts useless not worth a pinch – Can’t mow a lawn with it jams up not a tool it’s a toy not buy one especially from Sydney tools greasiest waste of money Plastic cheap useless Show details
Quiet and clean – Good if your yard is small and not overgrown. Struggles with some types of grass(even when it is short) but if you have the right grass it is quiet and literally vacuums up all the mess. No good if you have a big project. You need lots of batteries to do a whole yard but two 6ah should be ok. Show details
I love my Makita – I had to choose a mower that I could rely on and after 6 months; I do feel that I made the right choice! I never use a mower before and it was easy to understand and use it after a basic info got from the seller. I have not yet made any maintenance and use it in a regular base - I highly recommend it. Show details
A good product but may not be for all. Read for detail – Hi after looking at many reviews of this product and opinions of other owners of cordless lawn mowers I took the plunge and got this one for $320 from bunnings with no extra batteries. Missed the promo so the assistant offered me $75 off the retail $395 which I took. I chose the DLM380Z for 2 main reasons: 1 - I already own makita cordless… Read more
tools so no need to purchase batteries and charger which would roughly be $500 for 2 x bl1850 and a dc18rd
2 - my lawn is roughly 200m2 and relatively flat and well kept
Otherwise I would've looked at other models offered by other brands.
Now, I've used many types of mowers from push, self propelled ride on's(from working with my dad who does lawn mowing when I was younger so I think I have pretty good experience when it comes to mowing. From this experience, I keep my lawn pretty high. I believe keeps it healthy and hinders weeds coming through so at the max height setting from this mower its fine. Its no manicured lawn but I'm happy with it. I was looking forward to purchasing one of these since I bought the cordless makita DUR182LZ line trimmer a year ago. Slowly changing over from petrol driven garden tools since its only for my small yard.
Pros:
- Does what it should, cuts and doesn't have much trouble even with damp/wet grass.
- Easy quiet operation, even the wife doesn't mind using it and she doesn't have to try use a pull start and we don't need to worry flooding the motor or having problems starting it
- Small and lightweight
- No dealing with all the petrol mower associated maintenance and ongoings
Cons:
- Plastic chassis doesn't feel strong
- Small catcher opening could clog easily if being cut is long or really wet
- Have to mow regularly before lawn gets over 15cm tall otherwise its useless
- Definitely not as powerful as a petrol one
- Wheels slide around on the driveway too easily
- Where are spare blades for when it needs to be replaced? none on ebay so will check the local mower store
Features you may or may not be aware of:
17mins run time
270m2 cutting on charge
40L catcher is quite small
Pretty much completely plastic except for handle
Important things to consider before purchasing this mower:
- Do you like to keep your lawn cut down really low to the ground?
- Do you tend to leave your lawn til its pretty rough before pulling out the machine to do the yard?
- Do you need to purchase the batteries and charger for this tool?
- Is your mowing area larger than 270m2 or quite hilly?
If you answer yes to any of the above I would not purchase this and look for a petrol mower in the $500-$800 range because for that amount of money you'll get a more capable machine suitable for your needs for the same amount of money spent.
In Summary, very happy with my first use of the machine. Did the yard in one charge and I did have to go a little slower than I would've with the petrol one but it still cut fine and it was done in 15mins. Grass was damp from the wet weather we've had recently so the cutting chute and cutting area was getting clogged with wet grass so I needed to clean it out at the end but then that would be the same for nearly any mower. No mulching option. Grass full catcher indicator is a nice touch. Wouldn't bother with the DLM431Z for the extra $100
TLDR: Great machine if you already own the batteries and enjoy looking after 200m2 of well kept lawn. Don't buy it if you regularly have a jungle at your place.
Amazing mower and petrol free! – Incredible mower and so easy to use... perfect for anyone who's sick of having to mix oils, petrols and deal with their smell too. Makita have done a great job brining this out, it's a lot quieter compared to petrol mowers too. Great buy and lookout for the deals that come with batteries as it usually aren't included... Show details
Easy as, love it – I couldn't start the old petrol mower anymore, even after the hubby serviced it, we live in a quiet neighbourhood and had downsized our lawn, very nervous after reading the reviews on battery mowers. However, we are long time Makita fans, we have batteries and charges (and about 10 skins of various tools) I knew the quality of Makita was good. I… Read more
tried it out as soon as I got home, easy to set up, our Makita batteries were not fully charged so I didn't expect much. It cut through wet thick buffalo grass really well, better than any petrol mower, so quiet, the catcher so easy to put on and off. was surprised how perfect the lawns was afterwards. Doesn't like bits of palm fronds,(makes a racket) but not many mowers do. We get 3 -4 years from our batteries.
Find out how Makita DLM380Z compares to other Battery Lawn Mowers
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Fantastic for us . . . but probably not everybody – Having read other reviews I know why some users would mark this mower down especially on cost. So straight away let me say we already had a charger with the tool kit that I inherited from my carpenter son. His batteries, which were pretty well-flogged, plus two new ones, are all working perfectly with the mower, plus two tools and a leaf blower.… Read more · 3
With 4 fully charged batteries we can complete a rough, Blue Mountains lawn provided it is not too damp or long. The Makita follows a Chinese on-line petrol monstrosity which was quickly sent to mower hell (see elsewhere) so for two ageing humans with breathing difficulties the Makita is a blessed relief. No it is not "beefy", but for us it does the job. Mitre10 in Blackheath were terrific. They arranged with the Makita rep to deliver a demo mower to try out and they did us a great deal on batteries which more than matched Sydney outlets. After nearly a year of use our advice would be, if you have a "boutique" lawn, this mower is perfect and quiet enough not to annoy the people next door. If you have something that Mad Max would ride over, forget it. If you are in-between and undecided, try and get your hands on a demo unit first. We would hate to go back to petrol, though we would have been reticent but for the free charger and we do have to be prompt before the grass gets too long.
money pit – Before I decided to purchase it , I discovered , you would need 2 batteries, at a cost of $ 300 when you buy it and every year because the batteries dont last . you then have to charge it regularly even you are not using it because it can not stay in the shelf flat, so expenses there and time consuming. Wonder why 2 batteries? i believe no much… Read more
power with one. Is all cheap poor quality plastic, which unlike others are stronger. The blades are of poor quality , very thin , so another wear much faster. iT reminds me of toy mower the , a pretend mower, of the quality . another reason that is why is so light , everything is poor quality materials. money down the pit.
not up to scratch – I have a couch lawn this mower will not mow on the lowest setting, it gets stuck and because the construction of the mower is so flimsy it will break. On next setting it will cut but very slowly. I have many Makita tools including a line trimmer. Afraid im very disappointed with this product but must stress that this is the only Makita product that I have been unhappy with. Glorified toy! Show details
No guts – Bought this to mow a 10m x 2m nature strip with short grass and it struggled. Took 30 mins to mow nature strip. Had to lift up after every push to get the blades going. Batteries also drain quickly. Very very disappointed. The lawn mower is extremely quiet which is a plus.
Very happy with this product, 100 out of 100 – After reading the only review online, I was hesitated to buy it. But, being a Makita lover and knowing, that mower came out only last year, I had the gut feeling, it couldn't be that bad. As long you have good batteries. I bought recently, two 6Ah batteries. That was the reason, why I actually bought the mower. I used it today and cut about… Read more
200sqr meters, no problem at all. So quiet, didn't use any ear protection and powerful enough, even through thick patches. Of course, you have to take it gentle, but its common sense.
I used the 18V line trimmer Model Makita 18v Li-ion Line Trimmer DUR181Z after that with one battery out of the mower. I worked 90min all up and not the slightest sign of batteries going flat.
It looks like a toy, sounds like a toy, BUT got balls and I LOVE IT !!!
Haven't used it in wet grass, but not planning to, because I can wait for a sunny day anytime !
It does what the specs state and the quietness and ease of use is a dream.
LOVING IT, GO MAKITA !!!
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