Brandwave

Makita vs Stihl:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, Stihl had more branded searches than Makita among grass trimmer brands in New Zealand. Stihl had about 9,310 branded searches, while Makita had 8,100. Stihl made up 27.9% of all grass trimmer brand searches we track, and Makita accounted for 24.3%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about grass trimmer brands, both Makita and Stihl appeared in all five answers. Makita was mentioned before Stihl in three out of five answers.

Among grass trimmer brands in New Zealand in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

Stihl, about 15% more searches than Makita

Stihl 9.3K searchesMakita 8.1K searches

Who does AI mention more?

Both are mentioned in every answer we collected.

Makita in 5 of 5Stihl in 5 of 5

Who does AI recommend more?

Makita, named ahead of Stihl in 3 of 5 answers

Makita first in 3Stihl first in 2

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Top grass trimmer brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, both Makita and Stihl showed up in all five answers. Makita was listed before Stihl in three of them.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Makita1st
  2. Stihl2nd
  3. Ryobi3rd
  4. Husqvarna4th
  5. ECHO5th
  6. Greenworks–
  7. Bosch–
  8. Milwaukee–

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • Stihl5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Ryobi5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Makita5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Husqvarna2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • ECHO1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Greenworks0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Bosch0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Milwaukee0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about grass trimmer brands

5 answers

Not named in any answer:

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 21, 2026.

Is Makita or Stihl more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for Makita and Stihl by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all eight grass trimmer brands we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.

Makita and Stihl among grass trimmer brands in New Zealand, by month

Share of searches by month for Stihl, Makita. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthStihlRyobiMakitaHusqvarnaECHOGreenworksBoschMilwaukee
Oct 202527.9%21.6%19.2%30.4%0.35%0.32%0.09%0.03%
Nov 202529%27.9%16.3%25.9%0.35%0.35%0.1%0.02%
Dec 202529.3%29.6%17.3%23%0.37%0.37%0.1%0.05%
Jan 202630.8%25.2%18.6%24.6%0.37%0.39%0.06%0.03%
Feb 202632.2%22.1%19.2%25.7%0.32%0.32%0.09%0.03%
Mar 202628.5%25.4%19.7%25.8%0.36%0.21%0.03%0.03%
Apr 202630%22.6%20.4%26.3%0.31%0.28%0.09%0.03%
May 202634.8%18.2%20.4%25.9%0.43%0.22%0.06%0.03%
Jun 202631.3%20.8%22.8%24.3%0.42%0.24%0.03%0.03%
Jul 202631.9%20.1%23.3%24.1%0.35%0.18%0.04%0.04%
Aug 202630.8%23.5%22.2%22.8%0.4%0.24%0.07%0.03%
Sep 202627.9%25.4%24.3%21.7%0.42%0.21%0.06%0.03%

How has the Makita and Stihl comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • Stihl was ahead of Makita in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Makita’s share of searches among grass trimmer brands in New Zealand moved from 19.2% to 24.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 6.6K to 8.1K.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Stihl’s share of searches among grass trimmer brands in New Zealand held steady at 27.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 9.6K to 9.3K.

How did search popularity change for New Zealand grass trimmer brands in September 2026?

2 changes

  1. In September 2026, Makita overtook Husqvarna to rank 3rd among grass trimmer brands in New Zealand, with 24.3% of the searches.

  2. In September 2026, Stihl lost share of searches among grass trimmer brands in New Zealand, from 30.8% to 27.9%.

How are branded searches counted?

9 search terms

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

1 branded search term

  • makita

Stihl

8 branded search terms

  • 500i stihl
  • stihl
  • stihl air blower
  • stihl blower
  • stihl brush cutter
  • stihl concrete saw
  • stihl hedge trimmer
  • stihl pole saw

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among grass trimmer brands

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