Makita Open Day At Ragley Hall
A muddy field on a cold, wet day in October is, on the face of it, not a great place to be. But thanks to good organization, some superb products and a good lunch, the invitees to the Makita Open Day managed to keep smiles on their faces.
integrated chain brake and tool-free filter changing. All of these make for a chainsaw that is easy to use, but combine that with Makita service and spare parts and you have a tool that will outlast many other chainsaws. A forester from the Ragley Hall Estate told me he had been using his Makita for seven years. Another cup of tea and I headed straight into the
woods to try out a new four-stroke powered brushcutter. Most readers would say that these machines are just noisy, so get used to the loud two- stroke popping and general noise associated with them. However, Makita has done a lot of work on developing a range of four-stroke machines that are proven to cost much less to run and are much more eco-friendly than similar two-stroke machines. The MM4 engines manage to be lighter than equivalent two-strokers as well as easier to start and with no need to mix fuel. Check the Makita website for the figures. The group of four people who were with me
testing the EX2650LH brushcutter all remarked on how easy the machine was to start and how quiet and powerful it was in use. This machine is in fact a split shaft machine, so can be fitted with a hedge trimmer, pole saw, cultivator and line trimmer, providing a
By Peter Brett
barely any effort on my part, apart from guiding the blade in the kerb. In the middle of a field where proper safety equipment would be enough protection against dust, particles and noise, Makita added a pressurized water bottle system to the
Makita has a vast range of power tool products so
I welcomed the chance to try out some of the horticultural ranges that I don’t normally get a chance to test. Since these products usually imply having a bit of rough scrub and some trees around to test them on, the Ragley Hall Estate was a good venue as it has all of these. After a welcoming cup of tea, I headed straight to
the chainsaw testing venue in a patch of woodland. There were several sizes of Makita chainsaws on test, but the one that most interested me was the 35cc, 40cm bar machine that I have been looking at for a while. Having donned all the necessary safety gear, I was let loose on a couple of 35 or 40cm diameter trunks of timber. The cuts were quick and precise, no doubt helped
by a new sharp chain, but it didn’t take me long to feel confident with the saw. There was ample power, stopping was achieved at the touch of a switch, and starting was easy with a few pulls of the cord. With M2M vibration dampening technology
together with BIOTOP bio-degradable chain oil makes this chainsaw particularly user and environment friendly. Other features I really liked were the tool-free chain tensioning system, the
versatile answer for landscape gardeners or those lucky enough to own a small country estate. Just before lunch I hit
the field again to try out the four-stroke disc cutter. Again, with all the advantages and power of a decent-sized four- stroke engine and a Makita diamond blade I was soon cutting concrete kerb blanks in half with
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demonstration. This provides a spray of water right to the disc, and it is very effective. All I could see leaking out of the back of the blade guard was a fine grey sludge. There was no dust to speak of and the four- stroke motor was much quieter than a two-stroke equivalent. Fortunately, lunch was called, a chance to retreat
to the main tent to warm up. Lunch was a hog roast – very hearty and warming of cold feet and hands, and I then had a chance to chat with dealers from all over the UK. I guess they might be biased because they stock Makita products, but they all agreed that Makita machines were a good bet. There is a comprehensive range of Makita machines available so most market sectors are covered. There is general agreement that they are easy to service with good spare parts availability and they are usually very reliable and simple to use. They are therefore good for stocking in hire shops where hard and unskilled use of machines comes with the territory. I just had a chance to check on the chainsaw
carver before the traffic on the M25 called. Appropriately, he was about three quarters of the way through a carving of a classic Samurai warrior. Those small bar Makita chainsaws are versatile too!
Reply No. 213
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