Makita DUR368AZ vs DUR368LZ: kit vs bare, which to buy?

The Makita DUR368AZ and DUR368LZ share the same 36V twin-LXT brushless engine, but Makita built them for different jobs. The AZ is the bike-handle, blade-and-heads version aimed at mixed grass-and-scrub work; the LZ is the loop-handle, line-only version built to be as light as possible. Neither includes batteries — the choice is really about handle, handling, and what’s in the box.

At a glance

Attribute	Makita DUR368AZ	Makita DUR368LZ
Handle type	Bike handle (dual-grip, U-bar)	Loop handle
Power	36V (2× 18V LXT), 550W brushless	36V (2× 18V LXT), brushless
Cutting supplied	4-tooth metal blade + 2 line heads	String head only (23–35 cm)
Cutting width	350 mm line / 230 mm blade	23–35 cm line
Weight (excl. battery)	~4.7 kg	~3.9 kg — the lighter of the two
Best suited to	Grass, weeds and light scrub	Grass and light growth only
Batteries/charger	Not included (bare tool)	Not included (bare tool)
Price positioning	Marginally the pricier of the two	Marginally cheaper

Clear wins: the DUR368AZ wins on out-of-the-box versatility (blade included); the DUR368LZ wins on weight and comfort.

What the naming actually tells you

Makita’s model codes look cryptic but they’re consistent. The “A” in DUR368AZ signals the bike handle — the dual-grip bar you hold with both hands out in front, which gives better control when swinging a metal blade through scrub. The “L” in DUR368LZ signals the loop handle — a single closed loop that’s lighter and quicker to manoeuvre but less suited to blade work. The trailing “Z” on both simply means bare tool: no battery, no charger, in either case. So this isn’t a case of one being a “proper kit” and the other cut-down — it’s two different configurations of the same engine, matched to two different handle styles and cutting jobs.

Handle and handling

The bike handle on the DUR368AZ spreads your grip wider and keeps the cutting head further out, which is exactly what you want when running a metal blade through brambles or woody stems — it gives more leverage and a safer sweeping motion. The loop handle on the DUR368LZ is more compact and nimbler for trimming around beds, fences and obstacles, and it’s the handle most people find more natural for pure line-trimming. Neither is “wrong” — it’s a case of matching the handle to the cutting job you’ll actually be doing most.

What’s in the box

This is the biggest practical difference. The DUR368AZ ships with a 4-tooth metal blade and two cutting heads, so it’s ready for grass one day and light scrub the next without buying attachments separately — genuinely unusual for a cordless machine sold bare. The DUR368LZ ships with just a string head, and Makita positions it purely as a grass-and-light-growth tool. If you want to add a blade to the LZ later, you’d be buying it as an aftermarket extra; with the AZ it’s already there.

Weight and fatigue

Weight is where the LZ claws back the advantage. At around 3.9 kg it’s noticeably easier on the arms and shoulders than the AZ’s roughly 4.7 kg, and that gap compounds over a long session of overhead or extended-reach trimming. If most of your work is grass and edges rather than scrub, the lighter LZ will simply be more pleasant to use for longer.

Batteries and the LXT ecosystem

Both machines are bare tools — the “Z” suffix means no battery or charger is included with either. Both run on two 18V LXT packs, so if you already own Makita LXT batteries from other tools, either machine slots straight in at no extra cost. If you’re starting from scratch, batteries and a charger are a mandatory add-on cost on top of whichever tool you pick, and that’s worth budgeting for before comparing headline prices.

Full detail on each machine is in our Makita DUR368AZ review and Makita DUR368LZ review.

Choose the DUR368AZ if…

• You want one cordless machine that handles both grass and light scrub without buying a blade separately
• You expect to swing a metal blade at least sometimes, and want the bike handle’s extra control for it
• You don’t mind the slightly higher weight in exchange for more out-of-the-box capability

Choose the DUR368LZ if…

• Your work is almost entirely grass, weeds and light growth — no brambles or woody stems
• Low weight and easy handling matter more to you than having a blade on hand
• You prefer the loop handle’s compact, nimble feel around beds, fences and obstacles

Which should you buy?

If there’s any chance you’ll need to cut through scrub or brambles as well as grass, the DUR368AZ is the smarter buy — the included blade and heads mean you’re covered for both jobs from day one, and the bike handle gives you the control to use that blade properly. If your land is purely grass and light growth and you’d rather carry the lightest machine possible, the DUR368LZ is the better fit, and you likely won’t miss the blade you’d never use anyway. Either way, check your existing LXT battery stock first, since neither machine includes power.