When it comes to leaf blowers, most pros will tell you gas-powered backpack blowers are the way to go. But EGO has made it their company mission to replace gas-powered lawn tools with battery-powered machines that are equal to or better than many gas-powered tools. Their latest blower is no exception and is, in fact, more powerful than a good number of gas-powered backpack blowers and even more handhelds.
For a while now, the EGO Power+ 530 has ruled the handheld cordless leaf blower space with excellent reviews just about everywhere you look. Suitable for both residential and commercial use, the 530 CFM model is powerful, lightweight, and boasts impressive runtime on a single charge—even on the smaller 2.5Ah battery.
Recently, EGO released an updated model to their popular leaf blower. The new EGO Power+ 575 CFM 56V Cordless Blower looks very similar to its second-generation 530 CFM predecessor but packs more power and two very practical feature additions—a variable-speed trigger and built-in “cruise control.” More on those in a sec.
Design & Build Quality
EGO products, for the most part, are thoughtfully designed and the 575 blower is no different. Many consumer leaf blowers use twist-on tubes, cheap triggers, and thin fan grating. EGO’s are strong. During assembly, the various parts and pieces gave us a satisfying “click” that we so enjoy—knowing that the part isn’t going anywhere.
The batteries are heavy but feel very solid and well-sealed. In fact, the 575 is weatherproof, so a bit of rain won’t hurt the machine. Overall, though, the blower is lightweight at just under 8lbs with the 5.0Ah battery installed.
The motor’s placement makes for a well-balanced machine with the extension tube installed and we like that the air vent is in-line with the body of the machine so your clothes won’t get sucked in.
Variable Speed & Cruise Control
Like any tool with a variable-speed trigger, the more you depress the trigger on the EGO 575, the more air power the unit produces. Normally, you would have to hold the trigger just right to maintain anything less than maximum airflow, and doing so with any kind of consistency can be difficult because there is no real trigger feedback—like our beloved “clicks.” That’s where the EGO’s new cruise control feature comes in…
Just in front of the trigger on the EGO 575 blower is a dial with nine subtle detents. Even without depressing the trigger on the unit, turning this dial to one of its eight settings (one is off) will lock the blower in the “on” position with an air output of between 260 CFM and 575 CFM. You can still squeeze the trigger for variable- or full-power and, once released, the unit returns to it’s “cruising speed.” Very cool.
This super-useful feature not only gives your fingers a break, but it can also help to maximize battery life by maintaining a constant power level consistent with whatever material you’re trying to move. For example, it would be a waste of battery power to run the unit wide-open at 575 CFM just to move a small number of dry leaves. EGO’s cruise control, when used as intended, is a powerful and smart feature.
The only real negative—if you can even call it that—is that the actual sticker behind the cruise control dial doesn’t line-up with the dial’s actual detents. When in the off position, the sticker’s gauge (for lack of a better word) shows the knob being at about ½ power. Certainly not a big deal, but seems like an oversight. Perhaps the sticker is just for decoration.
Powerplant & Battery Life
EGO’s new 575 CFM cordless blower is powered by a high-efficiency brushless turbine fan motor and the same patented 56V Arc-Lithium battery platform that powers all EGO products. Even wide-open, the 575’s motor is liquid smooth compared to so many less powerful blowers. We didn’t experience any vibration at any speed and it’s much quieter than anything in its class at about 65db max. For reference, typical gas blowers can range from 95-115db.
While the 530 CFM model was bundled with the 2.5Ah battery and standard charger, the 575 comes with a 5.0Ah battery and standard charger. Of course, you could opt for the longer-lasting and slightly heavier 7.5Ah battery, but not as part of a bundle (that we know of). You can also just buy the bare tool if you already own other EGO product with compatible batteries.
The older 530 CFM model had an advertised runtime of 75 minutes on the 2.5Ah battery. With its more powerful motor, the advertised runtime for the new 575 CFM model is only about 18 minutes. We ran the unit at 100% power (575 CFM) five different times and averaged just under 15 minutes. Although we didn’t have an airflow meter, we think the halfway mark on the cruise control is about 300-400 CFM. If so, the unit ran for just over 30 minutes at that power setting.
Using the standard charger that comes with the 575 kit, the 5.0Ah battery needed about 90 minutes to fully charge. In a rapid charger, the same battery would charge in about 30 minutes or so. We don’t have a 7.5Ah battery or rapid charger to test with, so the numbers here are based on information obtained from EGO’s website.
One negative about all EGO batteries is that they don’t have a very good means of predicting battery life during tool use. The battery button with the power symbol on it simply lights up to indicate battery life—green means you’re good-to-go, red means you’ve got 15% or less juice remaining, and a flashing red icon means the battery has been completely depleted.
Performance & Practicality
The EGO Power+ 575 CFM 56V cordless blower really blows. Seriously. It’s powerful and satisfying to use. We didn’t conduct any so-called ‘official tests’ like seeing which blower could move a certain number of leaves to the red line across the yard fastest. We just used the blower like most of you would and for a total of ~12 hours. Most of our testing was conducted on a large residential lot with a ton of mature trees and where—during this time of the year—it’s literally raining leaves non-stop.
On its lowest setting, the 575 moved the leaves perfectly on dry ground but struggled just a little bit with larger twigs and small rocks. Attaching the included spreader adaptor and nudging the stuck debris until it comes loose and blows away worked fine. On hard surfaces, even the 575’s lowest setting moved debris with ease.
Wide-open, at 575 CFM, the blower moved everything. Speaking of wide-open: it’s easy to want to run the blower at max speed all the time (insert Tim Allen grunt here) but, around flower beds and the like, air moving at ~142 MPH also moves topsoil and mulch. Use the force wisely, young Jedi.
One thing we didn’t like about this unit is its lack of a trigger lock. Each time we went to pick the blower up, we subconsciously grabbed the handle with our fingers on the variable-speed trigger. Of course, the motor starts to wind-up, so we have to adjust our hand. Several people who tried the tool did the same thing, so either we’re all dummies (quite possible) or a trigger lock is a solid request.
Final Thoughts
The EGO Power+ 575 CFM 56V Cordless Blower with a 5.0Ah battery and standard charger (vs. rapid charger) retails for about $350. The batteries are not cheap, either. A 5.0Ah will run you about $220 and a 7.5Ah about $375. That’s a sizable investment for any non-professional user.
Still, we think it’s a wise investment if you find yourself blowing the yard, garage, patio, or driveway often. And if you’ve only been using a small sub-$100 rechargeable leaf blower up until now, the EGO 575 CFM blower will change how you work in your yard. In fact, you’ll want to do more of it. ????????
