Makita DUR190LZX3 vs Ryobi RLT1831

Both of these sit in the compact 18V trimmer class, and at a glance they solve the same problem: grass and edges kept tidy without a cord in the way. Look closer and one clear difference splits them. The Ryobi RLT1831 is a dedicated line trimmer, built purely for grass and never intended to be anything more. The Makita DUR190LZX3 shares the same 18V footprint but its head is designed to also take a metal blade, nudging it just past grass and into light scrub territory when needed.

At a glance

	Makita DUR190LZX3	Ryobi RLT1831
Power system	18V LXT, brushless	18V ONE+
Cutting attachment	Line, plastic cutter or metal blade	Line only
Cutting width	23 / 25.5 / 30 cm	25–30 cm
Weight	~3 kg with battery	Light, one-handed friendly
Handle	Loop handle	Second handle for two-hand control
Best suited to	Grass and light scrub, occasional woody stems	Grass tidying and edging, small to medium plots
Supplied	Bare tool — battery/charger extra	Bare tool — battery/charger extra
Battery platform	Makita 18V LXT	Ryobi 18V ONE+

Blade capability: the deciding factor

This comparison really comes down to one question — will you ever need to cut something tougher than grass? The RLT1831 has no answer for that; Ryobi has built it exclusively around nylon line, so brambles, saplings and anything remotely woody are simply outside its remit, however tidy it keeps a lawn edge in the meantime. The DUR190LZX3 takes the same 18V category and stretches it a little further: swap the line spool for a metal blade and it can shave through light brush that would bog down or snap a line head entirely. Neither tool is a substitute for a real brush cutter on genuinely overgrown ground, but if there’s any chance you’ll meet growth a line trimmer can’t handle, only the Makita gives you a way through it without buying a second machine.

Cutting width and everyday coverage

The two machines are closely matched here. The Makita’s three width settings top out at 30 cm, and the Ryobi covers a similar 25–30 cm band, so neither has a meaningful advantage for plain, open grass. Where they differ is in what happens at the edges of that range: the Ryobi’s narrower low-30s ceiling is fine because line is all it will ever need to push through, while the Makita’s similar width has to accommodate a metal blade too, which is a harder engineering ask at this size. In practice, day-to-day mowing speed will feel about the same on either tool; the real gap opens up only when the terrain gets tougher than grass.

Weight, handling and battery ecosystem

The RLT1831 is the lighter, more forgiving tool to swing one-handed, and its second handle helps steady longer sessions or awkward corners — a sensible design for a trimmer meant for quick, regular touch-ups. The DUR190LZX3, at roughly 3 kg with its battery fitted, is still a comfortable 18V weight; Makita hasn’t had to add much bulk to buy that blade capability. Neither tool is going to tire out a typical user over a normal lawn session. The bigger practical question is battery ecosystem: the DUR190LZX3 draws on Makita’s 18V LXT platform, one of the largest cordless ranges on the market, while the RLT1831 sits on Ryobi’s 18V ONE+ system, equally sprawling and popular with DIY users who already own drills, blowers or other ONE+ tools. Both trimmers are typically sold bare, so whichever platform you’re already invested in — or plan to build into — will usually settle the decision before blade capability even comes into play.

Choose the Ryobi RLT1831 if…

• You only ever need to cut grass and tidy edges, never brambles or woody stems
• You already own (or plan to build) a Ryobi 18V ONE+ battery collection
• You want the lightest, simplest tool to swing one-handed for quick jobs
• A no-fuss, line-only design with nothing extra to think about suits you best

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
• Flexibility across line, plastic cutter and blade matters more than shaving off a little weight
• You’d rather have one 18V tool that can flex between grass and light scrub than own two machines

Which should you buy?

If your garden is genuinely just grass and edges with nothing woodier ever likely to show up, the Ryobi RLT1831 is a sensible, lightweight choice, especially if you’re already sitting on ONE+ batteries from other tools. 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 capable tool — the ability to fit a metal blade is something the Ryobi simply doesn’t offer, and it’s not something you can add to it later.

As with most cordless comparisons, existing batteries deserve real weight in the decision. If you’re already committed to Makita LXT or Ryobi ONE+, that alone may settle it before capability or cutting width even enter the conversation. Starting from scratch on either platform, factor the cost of a battery and charger into your budget, since neither trimmer includes one as standard.