Makita LM001G vs LM002G: Two 40V Electric Lawn Mowers Put to the Test

Introduction

Battery-powered lawn mowers have finally reached the point where they can take on serious, overgrown grass, and the Makita LM001G and LM002G are two 40V models that make that case convincingly. They share the same basic design: a steel deck, dual 8.0Ah battery bays, self-propelled drive, and a very quiet cutting experience. The main difference is cutting width, 480 millimetres for the LM001G and 534 millimetres for the LM002G. We ran both through several hundred square metres of thick grass to find out how they compare in real use.

The Line-Up

The setup was simple: two mowers, each fitted with two 8.0Ah batteries, working side by side across the same patch of long grass until the batteries gave out. The 480mm LM001G worked one strip while the 534mm LM002G worked the strip next to it, so both mowers faced the same conditions.

After the first stretch of cutting, roughly 700 to 800 square metres, the battery readings were remarkably strong: one battery still showing full and the other down to just two bars. All of that was done in thick, dense grass rather than a tidy suburban lawn, which makes the endurance figure even more notable. The full session, including all the tall overgrown sections, was completed on a single charged set of batteries.

Controls and Self-Propelled Drive

Both models use the same layout: a power button with a green indicator light, a red lever that engages the blade, and a separate control lever for the self-propelled speed. Notably, the self-propelled drive works with or without the blade spinning, so you can shuttle the mower around quickly without the blade running at all.

Speed settings span a useful range, from a brisk pace down to a slow crawl you can comfortably keep up with. You can also disengage the drive entirely and push the mower manually, and both units are light enough that this is genuinely practical. A quiet mode keeps the noise down further, and the front light runs in auto mode, ramping RPMs up when the grass thickens and easing back when it thins out. The power system does not time out quickly either; leave it to collect something and the machine is still ready when you return. Two handle heights are adjusted with quick-release knobs, and the handle folds fully over so the mower stores standing on its rear end without taking up much room.

Cutting Options: Catcher, Mulch Plug and Side Shoot

Each mower comes standard with a catcher, a mulch plug and a side shoot. The catcher performs well, including in long grass, and hooks on easily with a couple of hooks over the top bars.

The mulch plug and side shoot are a different story. Because the self-propelled motor sits behind the deck, the discharge opening is effectively only half width, so these two options tend to clog up when the grass is thick. They are better suited to well-maintained lawns mowed regularly. For seriously overgrown grass, the practical approach is to run the mower with nothing fitted: the rear flap holds up and a two-inch opening along the bottom lets clippings fall straight out the back, saving you from constantly emptying a catcher.

Runtime, RPM and Cutting Performance

The quiet mode RPM figures differ slightly between the models. The LM001G runs at 2,500 RPM in slow quiet mode and 3,200 RPM at full speed, while the LM002G runs at 2,300 RPM in quiet mode and 2,800 RPM in its standard mode. That extra RPM gives the 480mm model a slightly better feel for firing grass out the back, since its narrower deck has less material to eject, whereas the 534mm deck has a couple of extra inches of cut and has to clear considerably more.

In testing, both mowers handled tough, spongy kikuyu grass around 200 millimetres tall. Running the blade and self-propulsion at maximum, roughly 1,000 square metres of thick grass proved achievable on the highest settings. A low-battery indicator light per battery flashes red when either side runs low. And because the machine is only a 40V tool, you can run it with a single battery inserted rather than a matched pair, which is a handy flexibility bonus. The standard single-bar blade coped fine with suburban conditions, and an optional four-blade swing-back blade is available for people who regularly deal with rough terrain.

Which One Should You Buy?

If you can only choose one, the LM001G, the 480mm model, edges ahead. Its faster blade RPM ejects grass more quickly and is a little less likely to block, and its smaller size makes it easier to handle. That said, both are genuinely good mowers, and the extra cutting width of the LM002G is a real advantage on large, regularly maintained lawns where clippings are shorter and the extra width covers ground faster.

Think about your lawn before deciding: overgrown or dense grass favours the LM001G, while wide open suburban lawns may justify the LM002G’s wider deck.

Conclusion

The Makita LM001G and LM002G show how far 40V battery mowers have come: impressive runtime on a single charge, quiet operation, a flexible self-propelled drive, and enough grunt for thick, overgrown grass. Pick the LM001G for easier handling and better clippings flow, or the LM002G if you want the extra cutting width. Either way, you are getting a very capable battery mower.