DeWalt DCMAST561 vs Makita DUR190LZX3

Both of these are compact 18V cordless trimmers rather than full-size brush cutters, and on paper they look similar: brushless motors, loop handles, bare-tool sales. The real difference only shows up once you look at what each cutting head can actually take. The DeWalt DCMAST561 is a line-only trimmer built for tidy lawn edges and borders. The Makita DUR190LZX3 shares the same 18V footprint but adds something the DeWalt doesn’t offer at all: a multi-purpose head that also accepts a metal blade, stepping it just past grass into light scrub territory.

At a glance

	DeWalt DCMAST561	Makita DUR190LZX3
Power system	18V XR, brushless	18V LXT, brushless
Cutting attachment	Line only	Line, plastic cutter or metal blade
Cutting width	33 cm	23 / 25.5 / 30 cm
Weight	Light to mid-weight for a cordless trimmer	~3 kg with battery
Handle	Loop handle	Loop handle
Best suited to	Lawn edges, borders, tidy grass	Grass and light scrub, occasional woody stems
Supplied	Bare tool — battery/charger extra	Bare tool — battery/charger extra
Battery platform	DeWalt 18V XR	Makita 18V LXT

Line only vs blade-capable: the key difference

This is really the whole comparison in one line. The DCMAST561 is built exclusively around nylon line, and DeWalt hasn’t given it any way to accept a metal blade — it’s a grass-and-weeds tool, full stop, however well the brushless motor and trade-grade build hold up. The DUR190LZX3 takes the same broad 18V category and pushes it slightly further: its head is designed to swap between line, a plastic cutter and a metal blade, which means it can shave through light brambles or tougher weed stems that would simply overwhelm a line head. Neither machine is a substitute for a proper brush cutter on genuinely woody or overgrown ground, but if there’s any chance you’ll meet something a line head can’t handle, only the Makita gives you an answer to that on this pair.

Cutting width and everyday handling

The DeWalt’s 33 cm cutting width is noticeably wider than any of the Makita’s three settings (23, 25.5 or 30 cm), which makes the DCMAST561 the quicker tool for covering a plain, open lawn edge — fewer passes for the same strip of grass. The Makita’s narrower head is partly the trade-off for its blade capability; a wider blade-capable deck at this weight and price point isn’t really on offer here. In practice, if your priority is simply mowing down grass along a straight edge as fast as possible, the DeWalt’s width works in its favour. If you’re weaving around borders, raised beds or the odd clump of tougher growth, the Makita’s flexibility to switch cutting tool matters more than a few extra centimetres of width.

Weight and everyday comfort

Both machines sit in the same general weight class for 18V trimmers, and neither should feel like a burden over a typical lawn session. The DUR190LZX3, at around 3 kg with its battery fitted, is genuinely light for a tool that can also carry a metal blade — Makita hasn’t had to add significant bulk to buy that versatility. The DCMAST561 is similarly manageable, with DeWalt’s XR brushless motor keeping things compact despite the trade-oriented build. Neither tool gives the other a decisive edge on comfort; the real question is what each one can do once it’s in your hands, not how it feels to carry.

Battery platform: 18V XR vs 18V LXT

Both trimmers are commonly sold bare, so the tool price alone doesn’t tell you the full cost. The DCMAST561 draws on DeWalt’s 18V XR system, a battery platform that also covers a wide range of DeWalt’s other cordless tools, from drills to other garden equipment. The DUR190LZX3 sits on Makita’s 18V LXT platform, one of the largest cordless ecosystems in the trade and DIY market. Neither battery is interchangeable with the other tool, so if you already own one of these platforms, that ownership will usually settle the decision for you long before capability or cutting width comes into it. Starting from zero on either platform means budgeting for a battery and charger on top of the tool price.

Choose the DeWalt DCMAST561 if…

• You only ever need to cut grass and light weeds, never brambles or woody stems
• You already own DeWalt 18V XR batteries and want to add a trimmer to that kit
• A wider 33 cm cutting width for faster lawn-edge passes matters more than blade flexibility
• You want a straightforward, single-purpose line trimmer with no extra features to think about

Choose the Makita DUR190LZX3 if…

• You want the option to fit a metal blade for occasional brambles or tougher stems
• You already own (or plan to buy into) Makita’s 18V LXT battery platform
• Versatility across line, plastic cutter and blade matters more than outright cutting width
• You’d rather have one 18V tool that can flex between grass and light scrub than two separate machines

Which should you buy?

If your garden is genuinely just grass, edges and borders with nothing woodier ever showing up, the DeWalt DCMAST561 does that job well, and its wider 33 cm head means fewer passes along a straight edge. But if there’s any realistic chance of brambles, tough weed stems or light scrub creeping into the picture, the Makita DUR190LZX3 is the more flexible tool by a clear margin — the ability to fit a metal blade is a capability the DeWalt simply doesn’t have, and it’s not something you can add later.

As with most cordless comparisons, existing batteries should carry real weight in the decision. If you’re already on DeWalt 18V XR or Makita 18V LXT, that alone may settle it before capability or cutting width even come into the conversation. Starting from scratch, weigh the cost of a battery and charger into whichever platform you choose, since neither trimmer includes one as standard.