Makita DUR369AZ vs DUR369LZ: differences explained

The Makita DUR369AZ and Makita DUR369LZ share the same 36V LXT brushless engine and near-petrol cutting performance, so this isn’t a power comparison - it’s a handle and handling one. Pick wrong and you’ll either fight a twitchy tool through brambles or lug unnecessary heft around a tidy lawn.

At a glance

	Makita DUR369AZ	Makita DUR369LZ
Handle	Bike (double) handle	Loop (single) handle
Power	36V (2× 18V LXT), brushless	36V (2× 18V LXT), 1000W brushless
Cutting width	Up to 43 cm	43 cm line / 25.5 cm blade
Weight	~6.5 kg with batteries	~5 kg excl. battery (lighter)
Supplied	Bare tool, no battery/charger	Bare tool, no battery/charger
Best suited to	Blade work, scrub, uneven ground	Grass, edges, lighter clearing
Price position	The pricier of the two	Sits below the AZ
Site rating	8.6/10	8.5/10

Both are near-identical on paper power-wise - the real split is in how each one feels in your hands over a long session.

Bike handle vs loop handle: why it matters

This is the entire story of the DUR369 pair. The DUR369AZ ships with a bike (double) handle - a horizontal bar you grip with both hands, spaced roughly shoulder-width apart. That wider stance gives noticeably more control when a metal blade bites into a woody stem, snags, or kicks, which is exactly why bike handles are the standard fit on semi-pro and blade-focused machines.

The DUR369LZ uses a loop (single) handle instead - one D-shaped grip mounted further up the shaft. It’s lighter to swing, faster to manoeuvre around obstacles like fence posts and flower beds, and generally the more comfortable option for line-trimming and general grass work. The trade-off is less separation between your hands, so it’s a touch less planted when a blade is doing the heavy lifting in scrub.

Neither is objectively “better” - it’s a question of what you’re mostly cutting. If brush and brambles dominate your work, the bike handle earns its keep. If it’s mostly grass, edges and tidying, the loop handle’s agility wins out.

Weight and handling

The DUR369AZ comes in at roughly 6.5 kg with batteries fitted, while the DUR369LZ is closer to 5 kg excluding the battery pack - so the gap in real-world carried weight is smaller than it first looks once you add batteries to both, but the LZ still tends to feel the nimbler tool thanks to its slimmer handle and shaft balance. Over a long session on flat, open lawn that lighter, quicker-swinging feel is welcome. On rough or sloped ground with a blade fitted, the AZ’s wider bike-handle stance helps you brace and steer more confidently.

Cutting width and power

Both machines cut to essentially the same 43 cm width with a line head, and the DUR369LZ’s spec sheet quotes a 1000W brushless motor delivering genuinely near-petrol performance - close to what you’d get from a small petrol machine, without the fuel or exhaust. The DUR369AZ’s brushless motor is built to the same standard and handles the same range of jobs, from tall grass through to light brambles with a metal blade fitted. Don’t expect a meaningful power gap between them; the difference in what each machine can comfortably tackle comes down to handle stability, not raw output.

Kit vs bare: what you actually get

Neither the DUR369AZ nor the DUR369LZ is sold as a kit. Both are bare tools - the “Z” suffix on both model codes flags that there’s no battery or charger in the box. That’s standard practice for machines aimed at people already running Makita’s 18V LXT battery system: you fit whatever LXT packs you already own, or you buy two 5 Ah-plus batteries and a charger separately. Budget for that upfront if you’re starting from zero, since it adds meaningfully to the all-in cost of either machine.

Choose the DUR369AZ if…

• You’ll fit a metal blade regularly for brambles, scrub or woody stems
• You work uneven or sloped ground where a wider, more stable grip helps
• You want the handle configuration closer to a semi-pro clearing tool

Choose the DUR369LZ if…

• Your work is mostly grass, edges and lighter mixed growth
• You want the lighter, more manoeuvrable feel for long sessions
• You’d rather save a little and still keep blade capability in reserve

Which should you buy?

If brambles, scrub or genuinely rough ground are part of your routine, the Makita DUR369AZ’s bike handle gives you the control that blade work demands, and it’s worth the higher price for that stability alone. If your ground is mostly grass and tidy edges with only occasional blade use, the Makita DUR369LZ delivers the same brushless power in a lighter, easier-handling package for less outlay. Either way, remember both come bare - factor LXT batteries and a charger into your budget before you compare final costs.