Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Very nice and powerful battery-powered blower as long as you understand the trade-offs. My property is about 1/6 acre with a lot of trees, so I needed a powerful blower that would be effective on grass, and when the leaves are a bit damp. But due to environmental + maintenance + noise concerns I refuse to buy gas-powered. For years I've been using a 40V corded unit that did the job, but slowly. I've been eyeing cordless versions for a while now, so I was thrilled to see this for less than $100 on a Black Friday in March special at a local big-box store. It is very powerful compared to my old corded version. Normal operation on the high setting is good enough for getting leaves off my lawn, and the turbo is powerful enough to handle piled up wet leaves or gumballs, even when they're stuck in ivy. But what you get in power, you lose in battery life. On a full charge, the device lasted about 35 minutes, of which maybe 1/3 was in turbo, 1/3 in high mode, and 1/3 not being used while I took water breaks and gazed into space (it was Sunday, I shouldn't be working too hard). Realizing that the black Friday deal was significantly cheaper than buying an extra battery, I ran back to the store and bought a second unit. Starting with two fully-charged batteries, I can get maybe 30 minutes on one, then charge the first while getting another 30 minutes on the other, then maybe get 15-20 minutes on the partially charged first battery. Or I can take more breaks, drink a beer, and give the charger more time. The battery charges very quickly - definitely less than an hour. In any event, with two batteries, given how powerful this thing is, a person can clear an average lawn pretty easily. One battery would suffice for smaller lots. I was happy to see in the instructions that the lithium-ion batteries don't need to be stored in a partially-depleted state, and won't die if you leave them on the charger too long. The unit is a bit heavy. I would recommend getting a should strap. I will update in about 6-12 months to report on how the battery does over time, but on first impression I am very pleased with the performance. UPDATE: The blower got through the autumn leaf season with no issues. The two batteries continued to hold up and get the job done as described above. I stored the batteries indoors (not the garage) for the winter. One complaint that is maybe worth taking off a 1/4 star - with a shoulder strap, the design is very biased in favor of right-handed people. As a lefty that definitely makes the job more difficult. Even righties might prefer a more symmetrical design to allow them to switch shoulders now and then. UPDATE II: After 18 months one of my batteries died. I was sure I was going to be out >$100 for a replacement, but lo and behold - the warranty is three years, not one. After a quick phone call and sending them the receipt, I'm expecting a replacement in 5-7 bus. days. Kudos to Ego for great customer service.