Features:

  • Delivers up to 29 minutes of run time at 15,800 RPM using two BL1850 18V LXT 5.0Ah batteries (not included)
  • Two 18V LXT Lithium-Ion batteries (not included) deliver the power and run time for gas powered demands without leaving the 18V LXT platform
  • 6-stage air velocity/volume selection dial with variable speed control trigger
  • Zero emissions and reduced maintenance; no need for gas or oil
  • In-line fan design provides better tool balance and improved ergonomics
Great Blower - Highly Recommended

Our old gas-powered leaf blower started to act up ...so, since already have Makita tools, figured to give their blower a try. Was skeptical at first, but now a believer. The Makita blower is powered by, not one, but two 18V LXT rechargeable batteries so it has a decent amount of blowing power and run time. It's surely more quieter that the old gas powered one. And, it was able to complete front and rear yard leaf gathering on just one pair of freshly charged batteries (about 20 minutes use). It's definitely not as powerful as the old gas-powered leaf blower, but it does the job just the same. And, no dealing with oil/gas mixture, spark plug, draining out tank at end of season, etc. makes this a great replacement blower. Plus, now when I want to just sweep out the garage or the porch, no more prepping up the gas blower for such a small job. Just pop in 2 batteries and the Makita is instantly ready to go! Overall, very happy with the Makita blower and, if you already have Makita tools and batteries, then this is a no brainer choice. The nicely-priced combo kit that Amazon has with this blower, dual battery charger, and four 5.0 batteries just sweetens the whole deal - and received in 2 days with Amazon prime.

Great yard tool

This is the handiest tool I have in my collection of yard tools. I quit buying cordless tools when I discovered that they all used the same cheap multi-battery nicad batteries. After a year the battery would become useless. They're finally making quality products with LI batteries that will last for years. And this is one powerful blower. True, the battery won't last long at full throttle, but i can amp it down for longer battery life. I can do my entire roof and driveway on set of batteries and that's good enough for me.

Favorite tool of all time.

This has quickly become my favorite tool of all time. I had a corded Greenworks (which broke, was replaced by the manufacturer, and the replacement of which also broke) and also had a Craftsman gas blower that broke down after many years. Going cordless electric 36v was a great decision. I am already invested in Makita, and I am dead-set on using tools with a common battery/charger system - if you're going to pick one, Makita is a *very* solid choice. So I considered the smaller Makita blowers (there are at least two) because one of the main duties I was looking for was going up on the roof; I have a flat roof and several oak trees dump leaves all over it through autumn and fall. The smaller units would be lighter, but I didn't want to sacrifice any oomph. As it turned out, this one may be on the heavy for smaller people, but I have no problem lugging it up the ladder all the time. It was precisely what I was looking for. This blower is very strong, and has no problem clearing huge piles of leaves. It'll push stuff about 20' away at full bore. I even use it to evacuate puddles of water in sagging spots in the roof. Further, it'll go for about 20-30 minutes on a full charge. Makita put a lot of thought into the controls. There is a dial that allows you to set the 'max' speed of the blower, and then the trigger allows you to throttle between zero and that selected max speed. The result is that you can have it going at almost a human exhalation on one side of the spectrum, while on the other side of the spectrum it has enough force to almost levitate itself (noisily) if you point it straight downward. This makes it so that you can dial in the exact max speed you want for the job and your comfort level, and get a lot more life out of the charge by not wasting energy. There are also buttons on the side of the handle that can be used to lock in the trigger if your fingers get tired. One side locks in at 100% of selected throttle while the other side locks in at 50% (it does this by stopping the trigger in the appropriate spot). Lastly, the double charger and the double 5.0Ahr batteries are very nice now that I have a lot of home improvement to do and millions (literally) of leaves to blow. I toss the batteries on the charger two at a time a few times a week, or as needed. I can also charge while working on multiple projects, and one of these is super handy if you go into the other 36v tools of the Makita line. So yea, if you're looking for one of the finest cordless blowers ever, look no further. This tool gives me a spotless and dust/leaf free garage floor, yard, leaf- and puddle-free roof, and it even can be flipped back over your shoulder to look like a sweet-ass futuristic laser bazooka.

Unwieldly, but GREAT

Way too big for the little gain you get in blowing speed. I've got the little blower I like 10x better. If I had it to do over again, I'd return it. The only positive about this purchase are the batteries. Four 5.0 AH batteries are included and they pack a punch. I think Makita may be pushing it with respect to doubling up with 2 battery packs - there's a weight factor that's making cordless tools with power too cumbersome. The extra end I purchased for the tool was worthless, it didn't even fit the blow shaft. This might be the only negative review I've written about a Makita tool but it's convinced me they've gone too far. CORRECTION and Update, the tool is still rather heavy and cumbersome but I have to say it works very well - in a side by side comparison with my little blower from Makia it's at least twice as powerful.

Another Great Makita Tool!

First and foremost - Makita has really made a great product. Having used a variety of corded electric and gas blowers, I can say that this blower is more than adequate for 99% of the yard work that someone may encounter. I probably put out ~50 mulched bags of leaves a year - so I do a LOT of blowing. It makes short work of leaves, is relatively quiet, and is easy to use. The blower has an adjustable dial for maximum output, an easy to control pressure sensitive trigger, and a locking mechanism to keep the blower going. It takes two 18V batteries, with the suggesting being to use 5.0Ah batteries for maximum time. I had two 3.0Ah batteries lying around and I can say that I can complete my yard pretty easily, although it only takes 15 or 20 minutes. If you happen to have smaller batteries already, it might be worth trying your project with those batteries before shelling out another $120 for a pair of 5.0Ah batteries.

Much more powerful than I imagined, for those who own a couple of 3+ amp batteries

I have the Makita BUB185? one battery model that I really enjoyed using. This model, using mh two 3 amp batteries fully charged, this blower creates a F5 hurricane. On high setting, this blower seems like it wants to fly, because my arm pushes back from the amount of air that its pushing out the front. Quite impressed with the Bruseless motor, smooth and no vibrations (my smaller one does). Has a nice whine to it, like a jet engine warming up. Somewhat heavy but I' m not a strong person in general. I do have a pair of 5 amp batteries, but its on my Makita chain saw that is missing at my sons house. Its made in Japan and my blower is slightly damanged from shipping, not a big deal I will attach a photo. A fully loaded blower with 5 amp batteries will cost you over $500 as a package. But the advantages are low noise, no gas and oil to mix, instant start, incredible high output, portable unit, stays clean, safe to store. I do recommend safety glasses because you can move alot of debris in a few seconds. The only thing missing are accessaries, like extensions, curvepd nozzles, etc.

Recommended!

This blower works great. I only occasionally use the highest speed. I have tried it with a rain gutter attachment with limited success. It has plenty of power, but it is difficult to hold with that sort of attachment. You need at least 4 - 5amp/hr batteries with this. If you heavy use with leaves I would suggest having 6 batteries for continuous use. So far I have not had occasion to need more power. I have a 110 volt blower and this "blows it away", sorry for the pun. It has a nice balance, though it can get just a bit heavy with the large batteries and long term use. I have many Makita products and this is a good one for sure.

A perfect leaf blower! Love it!

Wow. I have never had such a high quality blower. It is perfect. It puts the previous Black & Deckers I have owned (terrible) to shame. This leaf blower is the perfect weight. It has different settings so it can be used to blow heavy debris and wow what power...or the lowest setting is perfect for blowing leaves off the mulch without actually blowing the mulch away. The batteries last a long time. I used it for about 30 minutes one day, and use it the following weekend without recharging. I was initially hesitant to purchase due to the price, however, I am happy with my decision. It is worth every penny. No more cheap leaf blowers that last 1 year or are worthless. Thank you for a great product!

It is 4 batteries with a charger with a blower thrown in!

great price includes 4 batteries, that is $300 worth of batteries. I you thinking of starting a Makita cordless collection start with a set that includes batteries at a great price like this - I have noted these battery deals on several Makita products over the last couple years. The blower is good, handles our patio and sidewalks on a 3-4 setting, we added a nozzle for $16 that help defect the air flow to parallel to the ground. 08/24/18 update - still loving it. 15+ minutes under full power 20-25 minutes with a little lower setting. What a deal!

Great tool for carpenters

If you're a carpenter like me and are invested in the Makita 18 volt battery platform, this is the he blower for you. I got the kit with the free cordless grinder, and I used it today to cut off some protruding staples in an aluminum threshold that I was replacing the rotted wooden insert. The blower has a 1-6 setting speed control. Settings 1 and 2 let you blow sawdust off your workbench without blowing hand tools and materials away. Settings 3 and 4 are what you use for most cleanup purposes, and give you plenty of battery time. Settings 5 and 6 are for serious blasting or when you're in a hurry, and of course, eat up the battery life faster than the lower settings, but overall, the batteries will last plenty long enough for most clean up operations. It's really great to be able to efficiently clean up your chop saw and table saw before loading them up at the end of the day. No tool is perfect, but my only complaints are pretty minor: it's not overly heavy, but it's not a lightweight tool either. There are times that you need two hands on it to hold it in awkward positions, but that's not really a big concern. If you pass it in front of yourself it will suck your clothing up against the intake grid on the back as it goes by, but again, not a huge concern. It comes with a long tube and a short tube, and both have adjustable settings for length and can be used independently or together so there is a good range on the nozzle length. I mostly use the short tube in it's shortest setting for tool and work area cleanup. If you want to keep your new expensive blower protected, Home Depot's 24" Husky carpenter tool bag will hold the tool with the batteries in it, the dual charger and both nozzle tubes for a reasonable $29.99, and it's a sturdy bag with a heavy duty zipper. if you can see fit to pony up the high initial purchase price, you'll have a tool that will get plenty of use, get a couple more 18 volt batteries and a really handy dual port charger to boot. Initially, the "fuel gauge" feature on the new batteries will seem kind of like unnecessary flash if you're an old fart like me with lots of the old plain batteries, but just wait until you find yourself automatically checking the charge level on those batteries and start depending on it. Kind of like your first (I don't need one of those damn things!) cell phone. I pretty much use it every day and I'm happy I got it. Hope this helps you in your search for better tools and more efficient work days.

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