Metabo FSB 36-18 vs Makita DUR368LZ

Both the Metabo FSB 36-18 and the Makita DUR368LZ draw their power from two shared 18V batteries wired to give roughly 36V, and both run brushless motors for steadier, more efficient cutting than an older brushed design. On paper they sound like close rivals. In practice they’re aimed at different jobs — the Metabo is built to take a metal blade and cut a wider swath, while the Makita is a deliberately light, line-only tool that prioritises comfort over brute capability. Picking between them mostly comes down to what you’re cutting and what’s already in your battery drawer.

At a glance

	Metabo FSB 36-18	Makita DUR368LZ
Power system	36V from 2x 18V LiHD, brushless	36V from 2x 18V LXT, brushless
Cutting width	40 cm	23-35 cm (line)
Cutting attachment	Nylon line or metal blade	Nylon line only
Weight	Heavier once two LiHD packs are fitted	~3.9 kg — one of the lightest in its class
Handle	Bike-style dual handle	Loop handle
Battery supplied	Usually sold bare — two 18V LiHD packs needed	Sold bare (the “LZ” suffix) — two 18V LXT packs needed
Battery ecosystem	Metabo 18V LiHD (power-tool range)	Makita 18V LXT (very wide range)
Best suited to	Brambles, rough grass, light woody growth	Long grass, lawn edges, comfort-first sessions

Blade capability vs a genuinely light build

This is the real dividing line. The Metabo FSB 36-18 is built to accept a metal blade as well as a line head, and at a 40 cm cutting width it can take on brambles and light woody stems that would stall a line-only trimmer. That extra capability comes with extra bulk — running two batteries and a bike handle designed around blade use, it sits at the heavier end of the twin-18V bracket.

The Makita DUR368LZ takes the opposite approach. It ships as a line-only tool with a 23-35 cm cutting width and a loop handle, and in exchange it’s remarkably light at around 3.9 kg — one of the lightest cordless brush cutters you’ll find in this power class. If your work is mostly long grass, lawn edges, and areas where an hour of trimming shouldn’t leave your shoulders aching, that weight saving is worth more than a wider cut. If you actually need to clear brambles or woody scrub, though, the DUR368LZ isn’t the tool for it — Makita’s own blade-capable machine in this power range is the heavier, wider-cutting DUR369AZ, not this one.

Battery ecosystem: LiHD vs LXT

Neither machine comes with batteries in most listings, so the real cost of either one depends heavily on what you already own. The Metabo draws on Metabo’s 18V LiHD platform, shared with its drills, saws, and other power tools — a reasonable proposition if you’re already a Metabo owner, though the outdoor-tool range and dealer network are thinner than some rivals in a lot of markets. The Makita draws on the LXT platform, which is about as widely stocked and widely shared across trade and DIY tools as any 18V system on the market, so spare packs and chargers are easy to find secondhand or on sale. Starting from zero, neither system is obviously cheaper, but if you already own one or the other, that ownership should be the deciding factor before you look at anything else.

Handle, control, and everyday use

The Metabo’s bike-style dual handle is the standard layout for blade work, giving two-handed control that matters when a blade catches on something solid. The Makita’s loop handle suits its line-only, lighter-duty brief, and combined with the low overall weight, makes for a genuinely easy tool to swing around a garden for extended periods. Neither is a substitute for a proper petrol brush cutter or dedicated clearing saw against real forestry-grade growth — both are aimed squarely at garden and smallholding-scale jobs, just at different ends of that scale.

Choose the Metabo FSB 36-18 if…

• You need to cut brambles or light woody growth, not just grass
• A wider 40 cm cutting width matters for the ground you cover
• You already own Metabo 18V LiHD batteries
• You don’t mind a bit more weight in exchange for blade capability

Choose the Makita DUR368LZ if…

• Your work is mostly long grass, lawn edges, and light growth
• Low weight and all-day comfort matter more than raw cutting width
• You already own Makita 18V LXT batteries from other tools
• You don’t need blade capability — line cutting covers what you do

Which should you buy?

If brambles, scrub, or light woody stems are part of your regular workload, the Metabo FSB 36-18 is the more useful machine — its blade capability and wider 40 cm cut do a job the Makita simply isn’t built for. If your cutting is mostly grass and edges and you’d rather carry the lightest tool that gets the job done comfortably, the Makita DUR368LZ is hard to beat at around 3.9 kg, provided you’re happy staying line-only.

Battery ecosystem is the tiebreaker if capability alone doesn’t settle it. Owning Metabo 18V tools points you toward the FSB 36-18; owning Makita LXT points you toward the DUR368LZ — and if you’re starting from zero and actually need blade capability from Makita, remember the DUR369AZ, not this model, is the one built for it. Either way, budget for two batteries and a charger on top of the tool price, since both routinely sell bare.