DeWalt DCM571 vs Metabo FSB 36-18

Cordless brush cutters that can actually take a metal blade are still a fairly small club, and the DeWalt DCM571 and the Metabo FSB 36-18 are two of its more credible members. Both step past the line-only trimmers that dominate the battery market and offer genuine blade capability for brambles and light scrub. Where they differ is in how they get their power — one large 54V FlexVolt cell against two shared 18V packs — and that single design choice ripples through cost, weight, and which existing tool ecosystem each one rewards.

At a glance

	DeWalt DCM571	Metabo FSB 36-18
Power system	54V XR FlexVolt, single battery, brushless	2× 18V Metabo CAS, brushless
Cutting width	38 cm	40 cm
Cutting attachment	Nylon line or metal blade	Nylon line or metal blade
Handle	Auxiliary handle	Adjustable bike handle
Weight (bare)	About 4.6 kg (UK retailers)	3.9 kg (Amazon item weight)
Battery supplied	DCM571N bare; DCM571X1 kit with one FlexVolt pack	Bare (601611850) — two 18V CAS packs needed
Battery ecosystem	DeWalt XR/FlexVolt (very wide trade range)	Metabo 18V CAS (Metabo and partner brands)
Best suited to	Existing DeWalt battery owners tackling scrub	Existing Metabo 18V owners wanting blade capability
Character	Higher single-cell torque, trade-leaning	Brushless efficiency, shares packs across the shed

Single 54V cell vs twin 18V packs

This is the real fork in the road between these two machines. The DeWalt DCM571 runs on DeWalt’s FlexVolt system: one battery, rated at 54V, slots into the tool and that’s it. The Metabo FSB 36-18 gets to a broadly similar power class a different way, drawing on two separate Metabo 18V CAS batteries together. Neither approach is wrong, but they suit different buyers. If you already own DeWalt XR or FlexVolt batteries from drills, saws, or other outdoor tools, the DCM571 slots straight into that pool with no extra thinking. If your shed already has Metabo 18V packs from drills or grinders, the FSB 36-18 lets you borrow spares rather than buying a dedicated 36V-only battery format. Starting from zero, the maths is close either way — one 54V pack against two 18V packs isn’t a huge cost gap, but it is worth pricing out before you commit.

Cutting performance and blade capability

Both machines have brushless motors and both will take a metal blade as well as a line head, which puts them a step above ordinary grass trimmers. The Metabo has an adjustable bike handle and comes with a blade for brushwood; the DeWalt gets its blade through the adaptor kit. The DeWalt’s single large FlexVolt cell tends to deliver strong, consistent torque that copes well with brambles and light woody scrub, closer to petrol-like performance than most battery trimmers manage. The Metabo, at a slightly wider 40 cm cutting width against the DeWalt’s 38 cm, covers a touch more ground per pass, and its line can be changed without tools and without opening the spool. In practice, neither is a substitute for a proper petrol brush cutter or a dedicated clearing saw against thick saplings — both are aimed at brambles, rough grass, and light woody stems rather than genuine forestry work.

Cost, weight, and what’s actually in the box

Check the listing carefully before buying either of these. Both are very commonly sold as bare tools — the DeWalt needs one 54V FlexVolt battery and charger, the Metabo two 18V CAS packs and a charger — and the advertised tool price rarely reflects what you’ll actually pay to get either one running from scratch. Once fitted with batteries, both sit in a similar mid-weight bracket: heavier than a basic 18V line trimmer, lighter than most petrol equivalents, and not dramatically different from each other. Where they diverge is battery logistics day to day — the DeWalt runs on one cell you charge and forget, while the Metabo’s twin-pack setup means keeping two batteries topped up, which some owners find fiddlier and others find reassuring, since a flat pack doesn’t necessarily end the job if a spare 18V is on the shelf.

Choose the DeWalt DCM571 if…

• You already own DeWalt XR or FlexVolt batteries and want a brush cutter that shares that pool
• You want the strongest single-cell torque for brambles and light woody scrub
• You’d rather manage one battery than two
• You value DeWalt’s wide trade-tool ecosystem

Choose the Metabo FSB 36-18 if…

• You already own Metabo 18V LiHD batteries from drills, saws, or other tools
• A slightly wider 40 cm cutting width matters for your ground
• You’re happy managing two 18V packs instead of buying into a dedicated 54V format
• You want a bike handle for two-handed blade control

Which should you buy?

If DeWalt batteries are already on your shelf, or you want the most trade-capable single-battery cordless brush cutter for scrub and brambles, the DeWalt DCM571 is the more focused choice — one strong cell, real torque, and a battery platform with huge reach across DeWalt’s wider range. If you’re already invested in Metabo’s 18V tools, or you’d rather split power across two packs you can borrow from elsewhere in the shed, the Metabo FSB 36-18 is just as capable a blade-cutter and slightly wider at the head.

Neither is the cheapest way into cordless brush cutting from a standing start — both routinely sell bare, so budget for batteries on top of the tool price whichever you pick. The decision that actually matters is which battery ecosystem you’re already in, or want to be in, since that’s what determines the real cost and convenience of either machine once it’s in your hands. Compare more in the best 36V brush cutters.

Full specifications

	DeWalt DCM571	Metabo FSB 36-18 LTX BL 40
Type	Cordless	Cordless
Engine / power	54V XR FlexVolt	36V (2×18V) Brushless
Type	Cordless line trimmer, blade-capable	Cordless brush cutter, line and blade
Power system	54V XR FlexVolt, brushless	—
Cutting width	38 cm (2 mm line)	40 cm
Speeds	0–5,100 / 0–5,600 rpm	—
Blade	Adaptor + blade in X1 kits; DT20654 for bare tool	—
Weight	4.6 kg bare (UK retailers)	3.9 kg (Amazon item weight, bare)
Versions	DCM571N bare; DCM571X1 with 3.0 or 9.0 Ah battery	—
Power	—	2 × 18V CAS batteries, brushless motor
Speed	—	6,000 rpm (listing)
Cutting attachment	—	Twin-line spool (tap feed) or blade for brushwood
Handle	—	Adjustable bike handle
Battery system	—	Metabo 18V CAS, two packs required
Supplied	—	Bare tool (601611850): no batteries or charger
Best for	DeWalt FlexVolt owners who need a trade-grade cordless trimmer that can take a blade for scrub and rough ground	Metabo 18V platform owners who want brushless power and a real blade option
Our rating	8.2 / 10	8.1 / 10

Strengths and drawbacks

DeWalt DCM571

• + 54V brushless motor with two speed ranges for runtime or power
• + Wide 38 cm cut with 2 mm line
• + Takes a brush blade as well as line, so it copes with light woody growth
• + No fuel, no mixing, no choke routine, and none of the fumes of a two-stroke
• + FlexVolt batteries also run DeWalt's 18V XR tools
• − Bare DCM571N needs a FlexVolt battery and charger — an expensive start from scratch
• − Runtime per charge trails a petrol tank in heavy growth
• − About 4.6 kg before the battery — heavier than a basic trimmer
• − Overkill if you only need to trim lawn edges

Metabo FSB 36-18 LTX BL 40

• + Brushless motor gives strong, consistent power with less wear over time
• + Runs on two Metabo 18V CAS batteries, shared with Metabo's wider tool range
• + 40 cm cutting width and blade capability handle more than soft grass
• + Tool-free line change without removing or opening the spool
• + Twin-battery layout avoids the cost of a dedicated proprietary 36V pack
• − Sold bare on most listings — two 18V batteries and charger add real cost
• − Needs two charged batteries at once
• − Metabo's garden range is smaller than the big outdoor brands'