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	36V from 2× 18V LiHD, brushless
Cutting width	38 cm	40 cm
Cutting attachment	Nylon line or metal blade	Nylon line or metal blade
Handle	Bike handle	Bike-style dual handle
Battery supplied	Usually bare tool — one 54V FlexVolt pack needed	Usually bare tool — two 18V LiHD packs needed
Battery ecosystem	DeWalt XR/FlexVolt (very wide trade range)	Metabo 18V LiHD (wide power-tool range)
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 36V from two separate 18V LiHD batteries wired 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 are built around a bike handle and brushless motor, and both will take a metal blade as well as a line head, which puts them a step above ordinary grass trimmers. 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 benefits from Metabo’s typically solid German build quality. 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 needs two 18V LiHD 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 and dealer support

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
• German build quality and Metabo’s power-tool ecosystem appeal to you

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.