MARKET REPORT GARDEN CARE
Tick the green box
Makita reports growing interest in its range of cordless products for grounds care and landscaping tasks.
Technological advances in cordless products have led to a steady increase in the number of such tools available for gardening and landscaping tasks. Delivering performance improvements and greater convenience, they are arousing growing interest among users and hirers.
Makita now offer more than 180 cordless tools across its 18V and 36V platforms (the latter cleverly combining two 18V batteries to deliver greater power). Many are now carving a niche for themselves in the grounds care market.
“Battery technology is constantly evolving, delivering more power and longer running times,” said Mark Earles, Outdoor Power Equipment & Contracts Manager with Makita (UK). “The chargers are also designed for optimum performance and safety. They prevent overheating and charge each cell in a fixed cycle to preserve their useful life and give maximum return on investment. An electronic chip measures the temperature and cell degradation, and should a fault be detected, then the charger shuts down for safety.
Performance
“In addition, battery powered equipment costs much less to recharge than it would to refuel petrol equivalents, and they can now deliver the same performance, or better, which is appreciated by users. Similarly, less maintenance is required, which reduces the pressure on hirers’ workshops. The brushless motors that are incorporated into many tools also prolong their operational life and reduce the amount of servicing required.”
Recent additions to the Makita portfolio include a trio of cordless hedge trimmers, comprising the 50cm DUH502Z, the 60cm DUH601Z and the 75cm DUH751Z (pictured), each of which is powered by a single 18V lithium-ion battery. The two larger models have a new blade with triple-edged cutting teeth, designed to easily catch and firmly hold branches. The teeth are also curved to reduce friction and increase running time.
Another newcomer is the DLM 460Z cordless rotary mower, which has a 460mm-wide metal cutting deck and is driven by two 18V LXT
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The DUH751Z hedge has a blade with triple-edged cutting teeth for better performance.
batteries. Mowing height can be adjusted between 20mm-75mm and the manufacturer states that the machine can be used to cut lawns of up to 800m2
. A ‘quiet mode’ is incorporated, which reduces the blade rotation speed to 2,500rpm from a maximum of 3,300rpm.
Makita, which will be exhibiting at the Saltex grounds maintenance equipment exhibition at the NEC on 30 and 31 October, reports growing interest in another cordless product, in the form of the DCU180Z wheelbarrow. This 18V unit has two forward speeds plus reverse and is claimed to be able to shift a 130kg load up 12° inclines. The trailing rear wheels are detachable and the machine can be fitted with pipe frame or bucket frame options.
Environmentally friendly
The DLM 460Z cordless rotary mower is driven by two 18V batteries.
Mark Earles says that another factor driving interest in battery powered products like these is that users are actively seeking environmentally friendly
ways of working. “Increasingly, local authorities and contractors have to demonstrate they are using a genuinely eco-friendly option and ticking the ‘green’ box. This requirement is often now stipulated on tender documents.
“Such products are also beneficial to the operator because fuel does not have to be stored or transported in vehicles. There is no risk of spillages, no fumes and no fire hazard, making them better from a Health & Safety perspective.”
01908 211678
www.makitauk.com
The DCU180Z barrow can transport a 130kg load up 12° gradients. •
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