Makita XRU02Z 18V LXT Lithium-Ion Cordless String Trimmer, Tool Only, (Battery Not Included)

Low cost and delivered quickly. The product functioned as described.

Makita is a quality brand, so far as anything is quality anymore, now that the standard of every industry is "built-to-fail" so all us idiots will have to buy another sooner.The bump-feed mechanism that feeds out the line and automatically trims its length is SO wonderful compared to the manual-feed you may have used a long time ago.I'd like to see the motor be near the handle instead of the feed, the way the Makita gas-powered trimmer is designed, so you're not working against gravity, using the middle handle like a mis-positioned fulcrum. (A fulcrum only really does its job when it's closer to the load than it is close to yourself, but since we can't lengthen human arms, we'll have to put the motor near the handle if we want to optimize this mechanically.)After multiple intense uses, I found the metal shaft rotated the business end. No problem, just put it back by twisting the black locking mechanism above the metal shaft, turn the shaft, and twist the locking mechanism back again. You may have seen this feature on high-end ice scrapers or tripod legs. It's the same mechanism that allows the shaft to be adjusted to the length you want.Since many readers will be eager to know how this electric trimmer compares to gas trimmers is terms of power and run-time, I'll say I'm sorry you haven't heard, but those feature of gas trimmers have been rendered moot points by oil company CEOs who've admitted man-made global warming is caused by fossil fuels and is really happening. (Look it up. I'm sorry if you didn't get the memo on that or if it bothers you to read it, but since it's a fact of life now, I'll continue this review in the light of reality, instead of discussing moot points.)I found this trimmer powerful enough for a seriously overgrown lawn after having hurt my back. I even used it more like a lawnmower in some places. Of course once the weeds turn slightly "wooden" string trimmers won't do no matter how powerful because the line itself breaks, so you'll have to use a lawnmower or a serrated knife or something at that point.This line trimmer seems solid/sturdy but it's also light enough that my back didn't have much trouble while using it.Notes about battery options:This trimmer can use either the smaller or larger Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) Makita LXT battery. I found the smaller Makita battery too short and the larger Makita battery enough to finish some overgrowth at the edges of a medium-large suburban lawn with front and back yard, but if you're trying to do a quicker job the smaller battery may do alright for you.There's also a non-OEM battery for this which I haven't tried but just letting you know it exists, if you want an even longer run-time. That's 4500mAh by Powerextra™ on Amazon as of this review, and it has pretty good reviews itself.

I bought my first Makita product 16 years ago, and it has been Makita tools ever since then. Any power tool you can probably think of I most likely have from Makita, and they have yet to disappoint me. Now, I have used other brands before, so I am aware of what is out there. Plus, Makita is on the pricier side, so I've considered other brands, but one thing I've noticed with Makita compared to other brands is the consistency and repetitive durability. I've had this trimmer for over 3 years now and have no complaints.

I live in an area with a lot of fence posts. This eats the long grass and took care of all the weeds on the side of the barn. 3 ah battery went around the barn and A frame house before needing a recharge. I was worried about over heating but it had no issues running an entire battery down. The string it comes with is so so. Great weed whacker, so good I wonder why people would even consider the 36v version?Updated 8/13/20: So. I asked why someone would consider the 36v. Well after using the 18v for several months i tried using a heavier line as to prevent breaking of the line the whole time. .95 line is too large and destroys the head of this weed whacker. After learning how well the .95 line worked i purchased the 36v version with more power and double strings. The 36v is far more powerful and works much much better then the 18v system on heavy weeds. That said, I am trying to help people with the correct choice of string trimmer. People living in a town house or a single family home with less then .5 acre the 18v will work perfectly fine with a fence or without. The 18v has lower power but i found the battery life to be excellent and if you string trim every other week you will be great. The 36v version is for much larger properties for the simple fact that: The farm I live on has a lot of fences. I can manage to string trim half the farm per day of work. Since i only have time to string trim every other week the weeds get very long and I need the extra power of the 36v and .95 string to get through them at the 1 month mark. TBH I also think i will be going back to the .8 line as it spins faster and quieter then .95 and with both models 36v and 18v sometimes overload shutoff because of the heavier line.

I’ve owned this unit for a couple of months and would recommend it.It’s well balanced and maneuverable. I don’t have much need for it. My yard is gently rolling, pop up sprinklers and drains are properly height adjusted for my mower and I have a solid border on the perimeter of my lawn. I use it just enough to edge off anything growing over the borders.Would recommend a 4Ah or 5Ah battery to use with it. The auto feed bump mechanism to extend the line and trim it to length works well, but you need to have somewhere to bump it on the ground to do it. Definitely not a hard concrete or similar surface. I have a 12” resin catch basin the I use to do that. A flat block of wood or a patch of bare dirt would work.I use it with an 3Ah battery that is used daily and is a couple years old (great batteries). Beware of 3rd party cheaper batteries/chargers. While they are significantly cheaper than Makita, it’s not worth it. Ive found that there is a slight voltage difference between the Makita charger and the after market units that reek havoc with the batteries making them useless if you put the wrong battery in the wrong charger. Not worth it and time consuming to revive.