Makita XML03CM1 36V (18V X2) LXT® Brushless 18" Lawn Mower Kit with 4 Batteries

Pros -Unit arrived on time. Box was dinged up but no damage. Weighs 80 lbs and it’s a tank. I read a lot of bad reviews on top rated / top selling units that were lighter weight plastic that arrived broken or parts broke during use. Don’t see that happening here.I’ve owned Makita tools for decades and it is my preferred cordless brand. When all the big cordless manufacturers started producing all these different tools aside from construction, reviews were mixed, so I held off. 2 years later I have a great mower, weed wacker and leaf blower. Will likely get the hedge trimmer as well.The dual 18v (36v total) 4Ah batteries are awesome. I mow about 1,800 sqft of lawn every 5 days and I’ve had the mower for 2 months. I use the highest setting rather than econo. I am just recharging the batteries for the first time in the rapid charger. Makita batteries are great and charge optimally with a couple of years of daily heavy use.My grass is Kentucky bluegrass / fescue mix. I have it set on the maximum 3” height and it’s perfect. Seems more like 4”. My lawn was 8” high when I used it for the first time. Made 2 quick passes ✔️ I have no issues with backing up the mower to change directions. The rear flap does not hang up and I have the grass catcher bag attached. If the rear flap should accidentally flip under the unit, there shouldn’t be any damage. It’s designed to stop at a level point, well away from the blade, and it’s rugged enough.Makita recommends lapping your previous cut by 50%. I’ve found just passing over the previous wheel track adequate. While this is a narrower 18” cut, it is not a deterrent to me. I get my lawn cut quickly.Cons:The folding handle and control projects extremely far to the rear. Would prefer it a foot shorter. Most likely this is a safety feature so you don’t run your foot over? Many of the reviews on other units have an anti reverse lock on the wheel to prevent you from backing up at all.While the factory blade is a “dull” sharpness, I will be honing it to a keener edge with a diamond file.If you are expecting it to pick up the leaves on your yard, it won’t. It has just enough suction to bag the grass. This is likely a noise and battery life issue.*** I would definitely recommend this mower to anyone. I don’t see a need for a power drive unless you have hilly terrain and / or fatigue easily. It seems well thought out, engineered and durable. It’s quiet on the high setting. There’s no cord or gas. It comes with (4) 4Ah batteries. So, if you have a large property and you run out of juice, swap your batteries out and your batteries will be adequately charged before you need to swap them again. (You can always buy 5Ah or 6Ah batteries if you need more run time).

To all you battery powered lawn tool haters: you don’t know what your missing.I never thought I would buy something like this but I needed a new mower and I already own and loved Makita power tools. For the cost of 4 of these large 4.0ah batteries I got an additional mower and a double charger. I wanted to buy more batteries anyway so I found this to be a great value. The lawn mower does an amazing job I can do my entire lawn on one charge and I always do two passes. The mulch option works great as well as the bag. The mower is quiet so I can mow later without worry of the neighbors being bothered. There is even a low noise option. It is light and stores easy. It is also well built. The only issues that I have, and I hope that makita corrects, are that the handle is uncomfortable - something I read in reviews but thought that people were just being weak. I can say it is uncomfortable for me if I am pushing it for long periods, but it doesn’t bother me as much as when I first got it. My other dislike is the limited deck height option. I would like at least another 1” or two of deck height for those times when my lawn misses a mow or two and has to be tamed back. The single handle deck adjustment is amazing though. I works great and makes changing the height so easy. Way better than those old single wheel tab adjustments. The last issue I had was the 18” deck diameter. I wish this mower was a 21”. Makita does make a 21” but it is a self propelled unit for more money and I would like the 21” deck with out all the other stuff the current 21” model has. Overall this is an amazing mower. It made me a believer in battery powered yard and lawn tools. It is better than I ever expected.

Makita has built a quality machine. Pre-purchase I was unsure if a mower would drain batteries too quickly and if the mower would have enough power. I have Makita power tools and know their battery capacities for hand tools, which I believe are the best along with Milwaukee; however, this is a high speed motor so I had doubts. That said, I own an oversized corner lot by L.A. standards with plenty of grass to cut. I have a medium blade grass, not as thick as Marathon but thicker than Rye and other perennials with some St. Augustine mixed in. The mower cuts well in one pass, and I only use one bar of the four of fully charged batteries. My run time is an hour, and it is consistently the same use of energy each time. The sweep of the blade is strong enough to pick up some loose materials such as leaves and twigs and of course all the grass. It is not as strong as a conventional gas mower, so I find myself raking a few leaves a little more than I used to. To be fair, it is not a vacuum, and I have two huge Camphor trees and a Chinese Elm so more than the average amount of debris weekly. The width is narrower than my old-school gas mower so there are more passes to be made, but the machine is very light and easy to maneuver so to me a fair trade off. With the four batteries, I really only rotate in twos to keep them exercised not because of the need for power. Makita nailed it with this mower, charger, batteries and bag. It is a great mower that I expect will last me a long time. BTW, I also bought the Makita XRV23Z, 13" trimmer, and it is also awesome.