EGO ST1300E vs Makita DUR368LZ

Neither of these is a blade-ready brush cutter, and neither comes with a battery — so the comparison isn’t about which one clears rougher ground, it’s about which cordless platform and which trade-off suits you. The EGO ST1300E leans on a big 56V platform for near-petrol cutting power, while the Makita DUR368LZ leans on a lighter, brushless build that’s easier on the arms over a long session. Both are line-only, both are bare tools, and both ask you to already have — or be willing to buy into — their respective battery ecosystems.

At a glance

	EGO ST1300E	Makita DUR368LZ
Power	56V ARC Lithium	36V (2× 18V LXT), brushless
Cutting width	33 cm	23-35 cm
Weight	Mid-weight	~3.9 kg (lighter)
Cutting head	Line only, no blade option	Line only, no blade option
Battery supplied	No — bare tool	No — bare tool
Battery ecosystem	EGO 56V ARC Lithium	Makita 18V LXT (huge, cross-tool)
Best suited to	Longer grass, wants raw power	Long sessions, wants low weight

Power vs weight: the real trade-off

This is where the two machines actually separate. EGO’s 56V ARC Lithium platform is a genuine step up in voltage over most cordless trimmers, and the ST1300E is built to show it — it holds cutting speed through longer, denser grass rather than bogging down, closing much of the gap to a petrol trimmer. The Makita DUR368LZ doesn’t chase that same headline power figure. Its 36V twin-LXT brushless motor is smooth, efficient and produces three speed settings, but the DUR368LZ’s real selling point is weight: at around 3.9 kg it’s genuinely one of the lightest professional-grade cordless brush cutters you can buy. If your priority is cutting through tougher, longer grass with fewer passes, the EGO has the edge. If your priority is comfort across an hour-plus session — less arm and shoulder fatigue — the Makita is the more considered tool.

Cutting width and capability

The EGO’s 33 cm cutting width and the Makita’s 23-35 cm range put them in similar territory for day-to-day lawn edging and general grass maintenance — neither is markedly wider than the other in practice. Where they’re identical is what they can’t do: both are strictly line trimmers. Neither accepts a metal blade, so brambles, woody saplings and genuinely dense scrub are off the table for both machines. If your garden includes that kind of growth, you’d need to look elsewhere — Makita’s own blade-capable DUR369AZ is the natural step up within the same brand, or a petrol brush cutter if you want more headroom still.

Bare tool, twice over

Neither trimmer includes a battery or charger, so the number on the box is only part of the real cost. The EGO ST1300E takes a 56V ARC Lithium battery, a platform that’s less widely spread than Makita’s but shared across EGO’s broader 56V range of mowers, blowers and chainsaws. The Makita DUR368LZ takes two 18V LXT batteries — arguably the largest cordless battery ecosystem in the trade and DIY market, covering everything from drills to saws. If you’re starting completely from scratch, either investment is defensible for the long term, but check what you (or your household) already own before adding up sticker prices, because the “cheaper” tool on paper can easily end up costing more once batteries are included.

Choose the EGO ST1300E if…

• You want the most cutting power available in a line-only cordless trimmer
• Your grass tends to be longer or thicker rather than a tightly maintained lawn
• You already own — or plan to build — an EGO 56V tool collection
• Quiet, fume-free running near a house matters more than outright lightness

Choose the Makita DUR368LZ if…

• Low weight and all-day comfort matter more to you than maximum power
• You already own (or plan to buy into) Makita’s 18V LXT battery system
• You mainly trim grass and light growth rather than dense, overgrown patches
• You value a brushless motor and Makita’s professional-grade build quality

Which should you buy?

If raw cutting power through longer grass is what you’re after, and you’re happy to invest in — or already own — EGO’s 56V platform, the EGO ST1300E is the stronger performer. If you’d rather trade a little top-end power for a noticeably lighter, more comfortable tool, and you’re already in (or open to) Makita’s LXT ecosystem, the Makita DUR368LZ is the better long-session companion.

Either way, remember both are sold bare and both are line-only. Price up the batteries you’ll actually need before comparing totals, and rule both out if brambles or woody scrub are a regular part of your garden — that’s a job for a blade-capable machine, not either of these.