Makita DLM431Z

WHEEL CONNECTION POINTS POORLY DESIGNED. Front wheel BROKE off !! – The axle for the front wheel appears to be only 1/4” thick. I realized over the last 2 years that the wheel was towing in…….if I put the mower on a flat surface (driveway)and gave it a push it would travel in a circle and not in a straight line. A terrible oversight in design. I’m sure I have to try and take the housing apart and replace the whole front wheel assembly. Three years old and only used for trim work and cost over $550. CA. Grass is growing and I’m out of commission! Repair shops for Makita hard to find, so I hope I can get parts quickly.

Still needs work , its not a complete mower – Ive owned one now for 2 years , the rear wheels constantly fracture around the axle entry points. This causes the mower to lower itself when the catcher get more cut grass , this causes the wheels to buckle therefore the cut gets lower at the back and the mower clogs up. Ive replaced the wheels thinking it was a one off issue , the new ones broke also.Ive since modified it myself , this has elevated the problem to some extent The original design is very poor in this area . Until they strengthen the wheel connectivity point, the mower is useless.

Made mowing enjoyable – Manoeuvrability - Light and easy to turn/ push into awkward positions. Battery life (5 amp) - 30 mins on long wet grass. Catcher - Average size, has problems filling, grass needs to be pushed deeper in by hand occasionally. Terrain - Perfect on my suburban block. Also works well beyond my expectations on my rough rural acrage. This mower may look and feel flimsy but has put up with rough terrain without issue. If you are looking for a quiet, light, easy to use and clean mower for a regular lawn than this one will be perfect.

Only for very light conditions and small cottage garden lawns – Construction is light - almost toy-like as per earlier criticism and the steel struts for the wheels bend very easily - not sturdy at all. Cuts well and with Makita stable I have lots of batteries to keep going. The catcher has poor mounting ability and is difficult to position - and is small. Looking at a changeover deal from Makita for the larger cut width (460) and sturdier - better engineered? DLM460 steel chassis and thicker struts for the wheels.

Still waiting for Makita