--- title: "Makita vs Stihl: Which is searched more in New Zealand?" description: "Is Makita or Stihl more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Garden tool brands set in New Zealand. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time." canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/categories/nz-garden-tool-brands/compare/makita-vs-stihl" publisher: "Brandwave" --- # Makita vs Stihl: Which is searched more in New Zealand? Is Makita or Stihl more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Garden tool brands set in New Zealand. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time. ## Key facts - **Compared**: Makita and Stihl - **Competitive set**: Garden tool brands - **Market**: New Zealand - **Month measured**: Sep 2026 - **Makita Share of Search**: 29.1% - **Stihl Share of Search**: 19.8% ## Is Makita or Stihl more popular in search? - In September 2026, Makita had more branded searches than Stihl among garden tool brands in New Zealand. Makita had about 10,400 branded searches, while Stihl had 7,080. Makita made up 29.1% of all garden tool brand searches we track, and Stihl accounted for 19.8%. - The lead changed hands 2 times in the 12 months ending September 2026: Stihl took it in May 2026, Makita took it in June 2026. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Makita’s share of searches among garden tool brands in New Zealand moved from 26.5% to 29.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 9.8K to 10.4K. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Stihl’s share of searches among garden tool brands in New Zealand moved from 18.9% to 19.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 7K to 7.1K. ## Top garden tool brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Stihl was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Makita was mentioned in two out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Stihl was listed before Makita in three out of four answers that named either. Brands get a higher AI rank if they are mentioned earlier in the answers that list options. | Brand | AI rank | ChatGPT answers that named it | Google AI Overviews that named it | All answers that named it | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Fiskars | 1st | 3 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 5 of 5 | | Felco | 2nd | 2 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 3 of 5 | | Stihl | 3rd | 3 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 4 of 5 | | Ryobi | 4th | 2 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 3 of 5 | | Makita | 5th | 2 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 2 of 5 | | Trojan | 6th | 0 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 1 of 5 | | Cyclone | 7th | 0 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 1 of 5 | | Gardena | 8th | 1 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 1 of 5 | | Bahco | 9th | 2 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 2 of 5 | | Wolf-Garten | 10th | 0 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 1 of 5 | | Husqvarna | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 | | Darlac | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 | | Spear & Jackson | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 | ## Every AI answer about garden tool brands - Asked ChatGPT "Which garden tool brand should I buy in New Zealand?": 1. Makita, 2. Stihl, 3. Ryobi, 4. Fiskars - Asked ChatGPT "What are the best garden tool brands in New Zealand?": 1. Felco, 2. Fiskars, 3. Gardena, 4. Ryobi, 5. Stihl, 6. Makita, 7. Bahco - Asked ChatGPT "What's the best garden tool brand in New Zealand for pruning and trimming?": 1. Fiskars, 2. Felco, 3. Stihl, 4. Bahco - Searched Google, AI Overview "gardening tools nz": 1. Trojan, 2. Cyclone, 3. Fiskars, 4. Wolf-Garten - Searched Google, AI Overview "secateurs nz": 1. Felco, 2. Fiskars, 3. Stihl, 4. Ryobi Not named in any answer: Husqvarna, Darlac and Spear & Jackson. Brands are listed in the order each answer named them. The answers were collected in New Zealand on October 21, 2026. ## How did search popularity change for New Zealand garden tool brands in September 2026? - In September 2026, Ryobi overtook Stihl to rank 2nd among garden tool brands in New Zealand, with 23.7% of the searches. - In September 2026, Makita gained share of searches among garden tool brands in New Zealand, from 26% to 29.1%. - In September 2026, Stihl lost share of searches among garden tool brands in New Zealand, from 22.8% to 19.8%. ## Month by month | Month | Makita estimated searches | Makita Share of Search | Makita rank | Stihl estimated searches | Stihl Share of Search | Stihl rank | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Oct 2025 | 9.8K | 26.5% | 2 | 7K | 18.9% | 4 | | Nov 2025 | 10.1K | 23.6% | 3 | 8.4K | 19.7% | 4 | | Dec 2025 | 9.5K | 23.5% | 2 | 8.4K | 20.6% | 4 | | Jan 2026 | 9.2K | 24.7% | 1 | 8.4K | 22.6% | 3 | | Feb 2026 | 8.9K | 25.4% | 1 | 8.5K | 24.2% | 3 | | Mar 2026 | 8.6K | 25.1% | 1 | 7K | 20.4% | 4 | | Apr 2026 | 8.5K | 25.8% | 1 | 7.1K | 21.6% | 3 | | May 2026 | 8K | 24.5% | 3 | 8.6K | 26.1% | 1 | | Jun 2026 | 7.9K | 26.7% | 1 | 7.1K | 23.9% | 2 | | Jul 2026 | 7.8K | 26.5% | 1 | 7.1K | 24.2% | 2 | | Aug 2026 | 8.2K | 26% | 1 | 7.2K | 22.8% | 2 | | Sep 2026 | 10.4K | 29.1% | 1 | 7.1K | 19.8% | 4 | ## How each brand is measured Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Makita’s and Stihl’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading. - **Makita**: Measured on the search terms “makita”, “makita mowers” and “makita trimmers”, summed into one figure. - **Stihl**: Measured on the search terms “500i stihl” and “stihl”, summed into one figure. - [Makita profile](/demand/nz/brands/makita) - [Stihl profile](/demand/nz/brands/stihl) - [All garden tool brands in New Zealand](/demand/nz/categories/nz-garden-tool-brands): The set both shares are measured inside, 13 brands. ## Methodology - [How is the Brand Demand Index measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is Makita or Stihl more popular in search? In September 2026, Makita had more branded searches than Stihl among garden tool brands in New Zealand. Makita had about 10,400 branded searches, while Stihl had 7,080. Makita made up 29.1% of all garden tool brand searches we track, and Stihl accounted for 19.8%. ## Cite this page Brandwave. "Makita vs Stihl: Which is searched more in New Zealand?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/categories/nz-garden-tool-brands/compare/makita-vs-stihl This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/categories/nz-garden-tool-brands/compare/makita-vs-stihl. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.