Makita XGT String Trimmer Kit Review: What You Get for the Price

Introduction

The Makita XGT string trimmer kit has been on a lot of shortlists, and it is easy to see why people hesitate at the price. This is a kit that has been selling for close to $600, which puts it in the same territory as professional-grade gas equipment. That is exactly why waiting for a deal has been the sensible move for many buyers.

This kit matters most if you are already invested in Makita’s XGT platform. The 40V system has a strong reputation for staying cool through hot summers, which makes it appealing for outdoor power equipment. If you can find the kit on clearance or with an additional discount, the value equation changes completely.

What Comes in the Kit

Opening the box, the kit includes the string trimmer itself, a battery charger, a cutting guard, and a 4.0Ah battery. The packaging is done well, with the charger nicely wrapped and everything protected for shipping.

One point worth raising: at a $500-plus list price, it is surprising that the kit ships with a 4.0Ah battery rather than a 5.0Ah pack. String trimmers tend to burn through battery capacity quickly, so bigger batteries are generally preferred on this type of tool. That said, plenty of 4.0Ah packs circulate through kit deals right now, so many buyers will already have spares.

The build date on units found recently is well over a year old, which suggests stock has been sitting in warehouses for a while. Keep your purchase receipt, because the three-year warranty starts from your purchase date, not the build date stamped on the tool.

Side-by-Side With the 36V Trimmer

Placed next to the 36V string trimmer, the XGT version looks very similar at first glance. The biggest and most welcome change is the button panels. On the 36V model, the controls have always been small and hard to see without bringing them close to your face. The XGT buttons are noticeably bigger and more visible in the hand, which is a genuinely practical improvement.

The second control button has also been enlarged, and it feels noticeably more comfortable to press. On the 36V model, that button is quite small. On the XGT, the larger surface makes it more ergonomic overall.

Head and Guard Notes

Moving down to the cutting head, there is a small change in the screws, but the head is overall about the same size as the 36V version. Many owners swap the stock head for an Echo Speed-Feed head anyway, and that remains an easy, sensible upgrade path here too.

The guard is an area where the 36V model drew complaints for being too small, and honestly, it is small. On the XGT, the guard looks like it may have grown slightly, but in direct comparison the difference is minimal. Anyone hoping for a dramatically larger guard will be disappointed.

Performance Expectations

A full power comparison is still to come, but expectations are set based on the 36V experience. The 36V model has plenty of power, so much that many users find themselves running speed two more often than speed three. Runtime on the 36V is already described as fantastic.

For the XGT version, the main hope is better run time. That is the area where the 40V platform could realistically pull ahead, and it is the metric worth watching once a full test is done.

Buying Advice

At full retail near $600, this is a hard kit to recommend. That is professional-grade gas equipment money, and the pricing explains why clearance shelves still had units sitting on them. The hedge trimmer from the same line has also appeared at around $230 on clearance, which says something about how Makita’s XGT outdoor pricing is landing with buyers.

The better play is patience. Clearance pricing plus an additional discount brought one kit down to $299. If you already own XGT batteries and chargers, the included battery and charger can resell for roughly $70 to $80, which can bring the effective tool-only cost down to around $250, or roughly $125 each for the tool and battery. Combined with the three-year warranty, that is a much easier number to justify.

If you are consolidating your outdoor power equipment onto the XGT platform, watching for clearance deals is the way to go. The kit itself is well built, and the improvements over the 36V model, while modest, are real.

Conclusion

The Makita XGT string trimmer kit is a good tool held back by aggressive pricing. The larger, more visible buttons and more ergonomic second control are clear improvements, and the platform itself has a strong reputation for handling heat well. Buy it at full price only if you must have it now. Otherwise, wait for clearance, keep the receipt for the three-year warranty, and consider recouping cost on the battery if you already have XGT packs.