Makita DUR368LZ vs Stihl FS 70 C-E: cordless vs petrol

Choosing between the Makita DUR368LZ and the Stihl FS 70 C-E is really a choice between two different ways of working. The Makita DUR368LZ is a 36V cordless string trimmer built around minimising weight for long grass-cutting sessions, while the Stihl FS 70 C-E is a 27.2cc petrol all-rounder that ships with both a line head and an 8-tooth blade for tougher, mixed growth. Neither is objectively “better” — they solve different problems, and which one suits you depends heavily on what grows on your land and how you feel about fuel versus batteries.

At a glance

	Makita DUR368LZ	Stihl FS 70 C-E
Power system	36V (2× 18V LXT), brushless, cordless	27.2 cc, 2-stroke petrol
Weight	~3.9 kg (lighter)	~5.5 kg
Cutting attachment	Line only, 23–35 cm	Line head + 8-tooth blade included
Starting / power-up	Instant — press the trigger	ErgoStart soft-pull recoil
Fuel / power supply	Two 18V LXT batteries (sold bare, extra cost)	Petrol/oil mix — no batteries needed
Availability	Widely sold online	Stihl dealer network (rarely online)
Approx. price (tool only)	Lower (≈ €325, bare tool)	Moderate (≈ $290)

Weight, noise and fumes: where cordless wins

If your priority is comfort over a long session, the Makita DUR368LZ has the clear edge. At around 3.9 kg it’s one of the lightest professional-grade cordless brush cutters available, and that difference is felt directly in your arms and shoulders after an hour of trimming. It’s also near-silent at idle, produces no exhaust fumes, and starts instantly at the pull of a trigger — no choke, no pull-cord, no warm-up. For grass, verges and light growth around a home garden, especially in noise-sensitive areas or for anyone who finds 2-stroke fumes unpleasant, the DUR368LZ is simply a more pleasant tool to use. The trade-off is battery life: it’s sold as a bare tool, so you’ll need two 18V LXT batteries and a charger, and run time is finite before you need to swap packs or recharge.

Power and versatility: where petrol wins

Flip the priority to raw capability and the Stihl FS 70 C-E pulls ahead. Its 27.2cc 2-stroke engine gives it more sustained power than a battery-limited trimmer, and — crucially — it ships with an 8-tooth blade alongside the standard line head, something the line-only DUR368LZ simply isn’t built for. That means the FS 70 C-E can move from mowing grass to clearing brambles and light woody growth without changing tools or buying an attachment. Petrol also means unlimited run time as long as you’re carrying fuel, which matters on larger plots or smallholdings where a cordless machine’s battery life becomes a real constraint. The cost is fuel mixing, exhaust fumes, more noise, and Stihl’s ErgoStart soft-pull starting system, which is genuinely easier than a standard recoil cord but still requires a pull-start rather than a trigger.

Buying and running costs: battery ecosystem vs dealer network

The two machines also sit in very different buying worlds. The DUR368LZ is sold bare and plugs into Makita’s 18V LXT ecosystem — one of the largest cordless battery platforms in the trade market — so if you already own LXT batteries from drills, saws or blowers, the real cost of this tool drops sharply. If you’re starting from zero, budget for batteries and a charger on top of the tool price. The FS 70 C-E, on the other hand, needs no batteries at all, just fuel and 2-stroke oil, but Stihl products are sold almost exclusively through the brand’s authorised dealer network rather than general online retailers — so plan on a visit to a local Stihl dealer rather than adding it to an online cart, and factor in that servicing and spares typically go through that same dealer relationship.

Choose the Makita DUR368LZ if…

• You mainly cut grass and light growth, with nothing woody or thick enough to need a blade
• Low weight and all-day comfort matter more than raw cutting power
• You want instant, trigger-start operation with no fumes or fuel mixing
• You already own (or plan to buy into) Makita’s 18V LXT battery system

Choose the Stihl FS 70 C-E if…

• Your ground includes brambles, scrub or tougher growth that benefits from a blade
• You’d rather deal with fuel than manage battery charge and run time
• You’re comfortable buying and servicing through a local Stihl dealer
• You want one machine that handles both grass and mixed woody growth out of the box

Which should you buy?

If your land is mostly lawn, verges and light growth, and you’d rather carry as little weight as possible through a long trimming session with zero fumes, the Makita DUR368LZ is the easier tool to live with — provided you already have, or don’t mind buying into, the Makita LXT battery platform. If your ground is more varied, with brambles or woody growth mixed in among the grass, or you simply prefer unlimited run time from a fuel tank over managing battery charge, the Stihl FS 70 C-E is the more versatile machine, and its included blade means you’re covered for tougher jobs from day one — just plan to buy it through a Stihl dealer rather than online.

Either way, think about what you’ll actually be cutting before you decide: a line-only cordless trimmer and a blade-equipped petrol all-rounder aren’t really competing for the same job, they’re offering two different ways to get it done.