Good quality, poor design.
I have a wide range of Makita tools and have always been impressed with their quality and durability. This trimmer remains satisfactory from that point of view.
However, what is definitely a problem compared to other strimmers I own, is the angle of the cutting head which instead of moving parallel to the ground for an even, consistent strim, seems angled down with a tendency for the line to dig in and gouge the grass/soil.
Obviously, the position of the head can be adjusted by lowering or raising the strimmer on its strap but this is very basic indeed and doesn't achieve the desired result anyway. For the cutting head to move parallel to the ground requires the strimmer to be operated at a height of just a couple of feet - and I am a fairly ordinary 6-footer!
Perhaps a shorter person could get on with it but I can't and it's a real pity because the brushless Makita motor with a 5 or 6ah battery can do a significant amount of work and that makes struggling with the design particularly annoying.
Verified purchase: YesCondition: New