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Maintaining a regular mowing schedule is critical to achieving lush and sizeable turfgrass . However , a battery - powered lawn mower is worth considering if you prefer a quieter and eco - favorable choice to loud throttle - powered lawn mower . I have plenty of experience with lawn mowers , but until now , they ’ve all been gas - power models . I put off corrupt a barrage - powered electrical lawn mower because many exemplar are pricy , plus I had my doubts that the shelling would last long enough to mow my intact one thousand . I was wrong .
Thanks to constant improvements in rechargeable battery , manufacturer like Makita — an diligence leader in battery - operated creature and widget — are producing some of today’sbest battery - powered lawn lawn mower . I ’ve used dozens ofMakita cordless toolsover the year , and I ’ve add up to know the stain for its high-pitched - quality workmanship and slip - sharpness technology . lately , I got the probability to try out aMakita lawn mower — the XML03 , an 18 - column inch model — in my own grounds . Over 3 week , I mow a large section of my pace ( about ⅓ acre ) six times — doubly per calendar week — with the XML03 . Keep reading to find out how the Makita lawn mower fared in my hands - on examination and check the feature of speech I like well , plus a couple I wish Makita would consider changing .
Photo: Glenda Taylor for Bob Vila
The Makita XML03 Brushless Cordless 18-Inch Lawn Mower: At a Glance
Rating : 9.5/10
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Photo: Glenda Taylor for Bob Vila
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What is the Makita lawn mower?
TheMakita XML03is a battery - power lawn mower with an 18 - inch - broad cutting belt . The lawn mower ’s comparatively narrow belt width put it in the class of a diminished - to - sensitive M mower . Makita claims the four electric battery , which are included , will mow up to ⅓ Accho on a single commission . However , the XML03 is not a self - propelled mower , so the literal area it will mow will depend on how quickly you push the lawn mower and how thick the grass is . The Makita lawn lawn mower has a detachable grass - catching bag and an optional mulching affixation . The pocketbook holds up to 1.7 bushels ( 16 congius ) of grass clippings , and I emptied the bag an average of six fourth dimension every meter I mowed the psychometric test area .
The XML03 sport a individual mowing blade that spins at up to 3,300 gyration per bit ( rpm ) . That ’s right in - ancestry with gasoline - powered mowers that typically range between 2,800 and 3,600 rev . But revolutions per minute also depends on resistance — because the thicker or higher the skunk , the more resistance the blade will run into , which can slow down down the spinning speed . This is also a gene with natural gas - powered mowers but to a lesser extent . The best mowing practice for any lawn is to cut no more than ⅓ of the grass leaf blade . This will require mowing more frequently during spring and early summer when sess grows the nimble . Cutting ⅓ of the grass vane or less puts less melodic phrase on a mower , and it ’s good for the health of the skunk .
How long do the batteries last when mowing with theMakita lawn mower?
One of my goal when test theMakita lawn mowerwas to see if it would meet the maker ’s title of mowing ⅓ acre without stop for reload of the stamp battery . The XML03 race on two 18 - volt batteries at the same time , give it the eq of 36 volts of great power . The barrage fire that come with the mower are 4.0 amp hours ( Ah ) , which are considered mid - to - gamey content batteries .
Before each pout test , I amply lodge all four assault and battery . In all but one of the six times I mow , the battery not only lasted long enough for me to wind up cut the examination area , but I also still had some remnant charge according to the stamp battery indicator on the grip . The only clip I could not mop the entire test domain — a 130 - metrical unit - long by 112 - feet - wide section — was when the grass was still moist from an all-night rain cascade . Even thebest cordless lawn mowersare typically a mo less powerful than gas - powered mower .
mow when the grass is moist increases the opposition on the cut blade , plus it ’s not a good melodic theme to mop wet grass for the health of the turf — but I wanted to conduct a thorough trial . I had just two strips of lawn entrust to go when the 2nd readiness of batteries ran down . But when the grass was juiceless , I had no problem swerve the entire test area .
Photo: Glenda Taylor for Bob Vila
The XML03 has a brushless motor , which helps with both power and battery runtime , but recollect that lithium - ion barrage lose power over time . For the best battery life sentence , always charge the batteries completely before use . In gain , murder electric battery from the battery charger when they ’re fully charged , which is better for battery health .
Is the grass-cutting height on theMakita lawn moweradjustable?
Nearly nothing could be dim-witted than conform the mowing superlative on the XML03 . It features a world-wide adaptation lever on the back right steering wheel . I found it easy to use the height - readjustment lever to raise or low the mower ’s deck tallness as want . While adjusting the acme is easy , however , this is also where I experience Makita could have done a small better . The XML03 cuts as down in the mouth as 13/16 in and as high as 3 inches . The lowest tiptop fitting works well for the buffalo grass I have planted in the front of my yard , but I also have tall Festuca elatior arise in another area , and I wish to keep it mop at 3½ inches . Still , 2½ to 3 inches is a typical tiptop for many character of grass , so not being able to raise the deck altitude to 3½ inches was n’t a deal ledgeman for me .
How does theMakita lawn mowercompare to a traditional gas mower?
A gas - powered mower will bleed as long as you have gas to dump in the tank . The Makita XML03 will run as long as the battery hold a charge . Buying an extra hardening of Makita batteries will increase overall runtime , so if you need to mop more than ⅓ acre at one metre , consider investing in another set or two ofMakita 18 - volt rechargeable batteries .
The last couple of petrol mowers I owned came with scratch buttons , but they stop working after a few months , and I had to overstretch the starter cord to get the engine to fire . The Makita lawn mower has the easy start of all — I just turn on the lawn mower from the control gore on the hold , press the release , and the motor started in good order up . There ’s no need to repeatedly pull in a start cord , and no fume or fume .
The most important differences between the Makita lawn mower and traditional gas mowers are noise and pollution . A conventional gas mower can generate up to 95 dB of noise — anything over 85 decibels may damage hearing . Many electric mower top out around 75 decibel , but fit in to my decibel tester , the Makita XML03 generated even less noise — about 71 decibels . For comparison , a typical vacuity cleaner generates about 70 decibel .
Photo: Glenda Taylor for Bob Vila
There ’s no question that a battery - powered lawn mower is more eco - well-disposed . There ’s no gasoline to corrupt or store ( a fire luck ) , plus there are no toxic fume emitted as you mow . The sustainability value alone is rationality enough for me to consider tack to a more eco - friendly way to cut down .
How easy is theMakita lawn mowerto maneuver?
The Makita XML03 is not a ego - propelled mower , so I had to promote it along physically . That say , I did n’t ascertain it too hard to push . The bicycle wave smoothly , but it ’s purely a mower for a flat yard . I render tug it up and down slopes as well as horizontally along the English of slopes . pout down a slope was super slowly , but pushing the lawn mower up an incline was gainsay , to say the least .
Mowing horizontally on an incline was less demanding , but like most mower , the XML03 run to slip one’s mind downward as I mowed . Although the XML03 is n’t ego - propelled , some battery - power lawn mowers are , such as theDeWalt 2X20V MAXthat another Bob Vila product - examination squad fellow member late tested .
Making uniform back - and - Forth River bout was prosperous , but I discovered something as I was mowing the tryout domain — the Makita lawn lawn mower does n’t leave noticeable wheel stripes in the lawn . I guess this was due to its relatively light weight—63.3 pounds with batteries — compare to my gaseous state - powered mowers , which weigh closer to 100 Cypriot pound . Less weightiness on the tires leave less of a track behind in the grass .
Photo: Glenda Taylor
Maneuvering is n’t only about push and turning a mower ; it ’s also about how soft it is to clean house out from under the mowing deck and taper the blade . It was dainty to tip the Makita lawn mower over on its side to enter the underside without oil color run out out of a tank ( like a gas mower ) . I was conservative about remove the battery before tipping it over . Included with the lawn mower , Makita sent along a thymine wrench that fits the freak that holds the blade in position . That ’s a nice fringe benefit that I ’ll value when sharpen or put back the steel .
Should you buy a battery-poweredMakita lawn mower?
Before corrupt theMakita lawn lawn mower , or any battery - powered lawn mower , consider a few things . While the XML03 betray for a fairish $ 399 at a handful of retailer , many shelling - powered mowers are significantly more expensive than corresponding gas - powered ones . Makita can keep the toll down on the XML03 by offer a minute ( 18 - in ) swatch width and omitting a self - propulsion feature . This is an excellent choice for when I need to mow ahead of time in the first light without waking up the rest of the family and for reducing my carbon paper footmark .
It takes a small bit more get-up-and-go and strength to tug a nonpropelled lawn mower , but I found that by mow frequently — so the grass was n’t too high between mowings — and by cutting only when the grass was dry , the mowing operation was pretty pleasurable . However , if you ’re not thrilled about advertize a lawn mower , this might not be thebest lawn mowerfor you . The XML03 is among the smaller electrical mowers usable . However , it ’s perfect for those who are serious about reducing greenhouse gasolene emission while still experience a utterly manicured lawn .
Where to Buy the Battery-powered Makita Lawn Mower
Meet the Tester
Glenda Taylor is a seasoned product examiner and author focusing on building , remodeling , and DIY house improvement . As a general catching company co - proprietor with experience in residential and commercial building coating , she bring a wealthiness of knowledge and expertness to her reviews . She quiz and reviews a wide of the mark mountain chain of products , include business leader dick , home widget , and lawn - and - garden products to help consumers make informed decision .
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Photo: Glenda Taylor for Bob Vila
