WHY CORDLESS MACHINES ARE BECOMING INCREASINGLY POPULAR

More and more professionals are opting for battery-powered machines. From hedge trimmers to brushcutters, from chainsaws to lawnmowers: the rise of the battery is unstoppable. This trend has also not escaped a manufacturer like Makita, a trusted partner for professional users for many years. Even more: electric motors are the basis of Makita tools.

That some craftsmen are still somewhat skeptical about cordless applications is understandable. Are such machines powerful enough for (heavier) professional applications? Is the autonomy sufficient to work for a longer period of time? And are they sufficiently reliable?

These legitimate concerns are quickly dispelled when one sees cordless machines in action. They offer numerous advantages that make the work of professional craftsmen much more comfortable, safe and healthy. What are the main advantages of an electric drive?

Ideal combination

Battery powered machines combine the mobility of a combustion engine machine with the ease of use and reliability of an electric motor. A battery machine offers its user pleasant working conditions, and this thanks to less noise, no exhaust fumes, easy starting and less maintenance.

Occupational health and safety legislation and standards are becoming increasingly stringent. There is also growing environmental awareness, which is boosting the use of electrically powered machines. The Makita team sees municipal and green services leading the way in this area. More and more services are making the switch from gasoline-powered models to battery-powered machines.

Lower energy cost

That switch is a smart move because battery-powered machines often have additional features that increase comfort, such as automatic speed control. In terms of safety, there are additional features such as accelerated braking when turning off or in the event of a kickback.

In these times of rising fuel prices, it is also more than welcome that a battery-powered machine has particularly low energy consumption. Especially compared to alkylate gasoline - often used to reduce harmful emissions from two-stroke gasoline engines - the cost savings are not insignificant.

Growing assortment

Battery-powered hedge trimmers have long been popular with professionals. After all, these devices require relatively little power and offer sufficient autonomy even for heavier work. Thanks to innovative new technologies, the efficiency and maximum power of battery-powered machines are increasing rapidly. As a result, cordless chainsaws, high pruners, brush cutters, leaf blowers and lawnmowers are also entering the picture today.

Pushing technical limits

At Makita, we note that the technical bar for cordless machines is constantly being raised. Thanks to the optimized 40Vmax battery technology, BL motor and forced cooling, battery machines can deliver power in excess of 1 kW, and even 2 kW for the 2x 40Vmax versions. The latter version can be compared to a 40cc two-stroke engine in terms of power.

In practice, this development delivers handsome results. One example: the 2x 40Vmax UR012G brushcutter delivers a peak power of 2.0 kW and is also mechanically reinforced, so it effortlessly cuts its teeth in heavy work, such as cutting tall, tough grass or cutting bushes and thin trees.

Ready for new challenges

Along with the many advantages of electrically powered machines and devices, there are also some challenges for battery technology. One is to maximize energy capacity for the lowest possible weight. A short charging time is also important, and this is clearly a strength of Makita. By alternating batteries, you can work continuously as a professional in most cases without having to use batteries that are too heavy. 

For even greater automie, a back-borne battery pack is a very interesting addition. The PDC1200 battery pack, for example, has an energy capacity of 1206 Wh, which is about thirteen times that of the popular 18V 5.0 Ah battery (90 Wh). Moreover, the PDC1200 also excels in flexibility: the pack can not only be connected to machines that have a specific connection for this purpose, but via an adapter it is also possible with 2 x 18V and 40Vmax machines. 

As the icing on the cake, you can mount this battery pack on specific grass machines such as the LM001C, giving a big boost to the autonomy and performance of the machine.