Einhell GP-BC 36/430 vs Makita DUR368LZ

Both are 36V brushless cordless brush cutters aimed at serious garden work, but they solve different problems. The Einhell GP-BC 36/430 is built to clear the most ground per pass and to double as a light blade tool, while the Makita DUR368LZ is built to be carried comfortably for as long as possible. Picking between them comes down to whether width and cutting versatility or low weight and all-day comfort matters more for your plot.

At a glance

	Einhell GP-BC 36/430	Makita DUR368LZ
Power	36V (2× 18V Power X-Change), brushless	36V (2× 18V LXT), brushless
Cutting width	43 cm line (class-leading) / 25.5 cm blade	23–35 cm line only
Blade capable	Yes — 3-tooth metal blade included	No — line head only
Weight	~6.75 kg with batteries	~3.9 kg (much lighter)
Battery supplied	No — bare (Solo), buy 2× 18V PXC separately	No — bare tool, buy 2× 18V LXT separately
Battery ecosystem	Einhell Power X-Change (large, cross-tool)	Makita LXT (very large, trade-focused)
Best suited to	Wide open ground, mixed grass and light scrub	Grass and light growth, long comfortable sessions

Cutting width and blade capability

This is the clearest split between the two machines. The Einhell GP-BC 36/430’s 43 cm line-cutting width is a genuine record for a battery-powered brush cutter in its class, which means fewer passes over open ground and less time spent walking back and forth over a lawn edge or field margin. It backs that up with a 25.5 cm 3-tooth metal blade included in the box, so when the line head meets brambles or woody stems you can swap to something with real bite. The Makita DUR368LZ, by contrast, ships with a 23–35 cm string head and nothing else — it’s a line-only tool by design, with Makita reserving blade capability for the heavier DUR369AZ in its range. If your ground includes any scrub, saplings, or dense weed growth alongside grass, the Einhell’s blade option is a meaningful practical advantage, not just a spec-sheet number.

Weight and handling over a long session

Flip the comparison around and the Makita wins decisively. At around 3.9 kg with batteries fitted, the DUR368LZ is one of the lightest professional-grade cordless brush cutters available, and that shows up directly in arm and shoulder fatigue once you’re past the first twenty minutes of trimming. The Einhell, at roughly 6.75 kg with its two Power X-Change batteries in place, is a noticeably heavier tool to swing for an hour — the trade-off for that extra cutting width and blade capability. If you have a smaller frame, back or shoulder concerns, or simply prefer to work in short comfortable bursts rather than power through a big plot in one go, the Makita’s lighter build is the more forgiving choice day to day.

Battery ecosystem: Power X-Change vs LXT

Neither machine includes a battery or charger, so both effectively become “bare tool plus battery investment” purchases unless you’re already inside the right ecosystem. Einhell’s Power X-Change platform is one of the largest 18V ranges for home and garden use, spanning everything from lawnmowers to pressure washers, and it tends to be priced accessibly for newcomers building a collection from scratch. Makita’s LXT platform is even larger on the professional and trade side, covering an enormous spread of drills, saws and outdoor power equipment, though batteries and tools at that end of the market often carry a premium price. In practice, whichever brand’s batteries are already charging in your shed should weigh heavily on the decision — buying into a second 18V ecosystem just for one tool rarely makes financial sense.

Choose the Einhell GP-BC 36/430 if…

• You have wide open ground — a field margin, paddock, or big lawn edge — where cutting width saves real time
• You want the option to swap to a metal blade for brambles or light woody growth without buying a second machine
• You already own, or plan to build, an Einhell Power X-Change battery collection
• Outright cutting capability matters more to you than shaving off kilos

Choose the Makita DUR368LZ if…

• Low weight and all-day comfort are your top priority, especially over long grass-trimming sessions
• You mainly deal with grass and light growth, with no real need for a blade
• You’re already invested in Makita’s 18V LXT ecosystem
• You value a compact, easy-to-manoeuvre tool over maximum cutting width

Which should you buy?

If your land has any woody growth mixed in with the grass, or you simply want to clear more ground in fewer passes, the Einhell GP-BC 36/430 is the more capable tool — the 43 cm cut and included metal blade are hard to match at this level. If you mostly trim grass and light weeds and would rather carry a lighter, easier tool through a longer session, the Makita DUR368LZ is the more comfortable choice, provided you’re happy paying LXT prices for that comfort.

Either way, remember both come bare: factor in the cost of two 18V batteries and a charger for whichever ecosystem you don’t already own before comparing tool prices side by side.