Makita DUR368LZ vs Ryobi RBC36X26B

Both of these are 36V cordless machines, but they’re solving different problems. The Makita DUR368LZ is a bare, professional-grade tool built to slot into an existing Makita LXT battery collection, prized above all for its low weight. The Ryobi RBC36X26B is a heavier, more versatile all-rounder that ships complete with a battery and a steel blade, aimed at buyers who want one box that does more than trim grass. Line them up on spec sheets alone and you’ll miss the real question, which is what you already own and what you actually need to cut.

At a glance

	Makita DUR368LZ	Ryobi RBC36X26B
Power	36V (2× 18V LXT), brushless	36V MAX Power
Weight	~3.9 kg (lighter)	Noticeably heavier — built for a blade
Cutting	Line head only, 23-35 cm	Line head + TriArc 3-tooth steel blade
Battery supplied	No — bare tool, buy 2× 18V LXT separately	Yes — 4 Ah battery included
Battery ecosystem	Makita LXT (huge, cross-tool)	Ryobi 36V MAX Power / ONE+ (large)
Best suited to	Grass and light growth, long sessions	Medium plots with tougher grass, light scrub
Handle	Loop handle	Bike handle

Weight vs cutting capability: the real trade-off

This comparison boils down to one honest trade-off. The Makita DUR368LZ’s headline feature is its weight — at roughly 3.9 kg it’s one of the lightest professional-grade cordless brush cutters you can buy, helped by a brushless motor that runs cooler and more efficiently than a standard one. Over an hour of trimming grass and light growth, that lower weight is felt directly in your arms and shoulders. But it comes at a cost: the DUR368LZ runs a string head only, with no option to fit a metal blade, so it’s simply not built for anything woody.

The Ryobi RBC36X26B takes the opposite approach. It’s a heavier, bulkier tool with a bike handle designed to control a spinning blade, not to be swung one-handed all afternoon. In exchange, it ships with a hardened TriArc 3-tooth steel blade as well as a line head, so it can genuinely take on light scrub and tough, tall growth that would stall a line-only machine. If your ground is tidy lawn and verges, that extra capability is dead weight you’re carrying for nothing. If it includes brambles, nettles, or patches of woody growth, it’s the difference between finishing the job and giving up halfway through.

Battery included vs bare tool: the real cost question

The other fork in the road is what’s in the box. The Ryobi RBC36X26B is sold as a complete kit — a 4 Ah battery on Ryobi’s 36V MAX Power platform is included, so its price is close to the true out-the-door cost. The Makita DUR368LZ’s “LZ” suffix means bare tool: no battery, no charger. Buying it from scratch means also funding two 18V LXT batteries, which typically pushes the real total well above the Ryobi. That equation flips completely if you already run Makita LXT tools — mowers, drills, hedge trimmers — because then the DUR368LZ effectively costs only the tool itself, and a bundled battery you don’t need stops being a saving at all.

Ecosystem: LXT vs 36V MAX Power / ONE+

Both brands run large cordless battery platforms, so this decision often comes down to what’s already in your shed rather than the brush cutter alone. Makita’s LXT platform is one of the most extensive in the trade and DIY markets, spanning drills, saws, blowers and more. Ryobi’s 36V MAX Power system, alongside its wider 18V ONE+ range, is similarly broad and well stocked in most DIY retailers. Starting from zero, either is a reasonable long-term bet — but check what you already own before choosing, since batteries are usually the more expensive half of any cordless setup.

Choose the Makita DUR368LZ if…

• You already own (or plan to buy into) Makita’s 18V LXT battery system
• Low weight and all-day comfort matter more than a bundled battery
• You mainly cut grass and light growth and don’t need a blade option
• You value brushless motor efficiency and a professional-grade build

Choose the Ryobi RBC36X26B if…

• You want a battery and charger included, ready to run out of the box
• Your ground includes light scrub, brambles or tough tall growth, not just lawn
• You’d rather have blade capability built in than buy into it later
• Carrying a bit more weight is an acceptable trade for extra versatility

Which should you buy?

If you already own Makita LXT batteries, or you mainly cut grass and light growth and want the lightest, most comfortable 36V cutter around, the Makita DUR368LZ is worth paying for as a bare tool. If you’re starting from scratch and want one complete package that can also handle light scrub thanks to its TriArc steel blade, the Ryobi RBC36X26B is the more practical all-rounder.

Don’t compare these two on cutting width or price alone — factor in whether you’re buying batteries from zero, and whether your ground ever gets tougher than tidy grass, because those two answers decide which one actually suits you.