This was a half impulsive, half practical purchase.........



I went cash in hand into a large tool retailer a few weeks ago to buy an EGO blower, only to find they did not stock the model I wanted, and nor did the competition right next door.



I'm not sure if this is just limited to living in a regional town, but retailers not stocking high end tools and equipment annoys the crap out of me. I tend to buy things with the intent of not being disappointed down the track for not getting the better tool or product.

Yet, it seems there is not many people like me as 9 times out 10, I end up having to special order what I want. How is a retailer going to upsell and make better profits if they refuse to stock higher end models. I have found this a lot with lawn mowers, but it seems pretty universal across the board for this area. In other words, catering for Beer Bob Boys who want to spend as little as possible, and then complain about how crappy things are these days.



Anyway, back on topic.

I have had a complicated run with blowers over the last year or so, limping along with a wearing gas powered Stihl while a virtually brand-new Husqvarna sits unusable in the back shed. The battery Stihl BGA 56 I also have doesn't have the stamina for commercial work and has been resigned to cleaning down my driveway or garage.

This is where EGO comes in, a company that seems to have a very robust battery and battery charging system in place to power the usual range of outdoor power equipment. Blowers are what interest me the most here, with several models in varying output levels. Me being me, I went straight to the top and focused on the LB-765. As mentioned, because these are not stocked at either of my local retailers, I had to order this online.

I liked that this particular kit included two 5.0 Ah batteries along with a Rapid Charger and the tool itself. Considering two of those batteries on their own would cost $698 AUD, I think that kit is decent value. I also have intentions of using those batteries elsewhere, the cordless misting fan has my eye........



The LB-765 is considered the most powerful blower on the market, battery or petrol! Unlike my Stilh BGA 56, these blowers have a variable-speed throttle dial which delivers 440-980 M3/H. The "turbo" mode increases that to 1300 M3/H. The average run time from a 5 Ah battery charge is 90 minutes, 15 minutes on Turbo and 150 minutes on the lowest speed. Weight with a battery fitted is 4.3 kg, about 200g less than a Stihl BG 86C.

The box is well packaged, the two batteries boxed separately from the rest of the components.



The kit comes with a long extension tube which either the tapered nozzle or spread nozzle is connected to. A useless shoulder strap is also included.





I will at some stage order a stubby nozzle to make it suitable for car drying as well.

Battery wise, the 5.0 Ah units take 40 minutes to charge via the supplied Rapid Charger. The battery also displays the fuel charge when being used or when pressed. The Rapid Charger is fan cooled, preventing the battery and charger from overheating.





I also love the spring release on the blower, making removal and install of the batteries much easier.



Using the blower while mowing the front lawns this afternoon, the machine is not as loud as I was expecting. The "turbo" mode is very impressive, so powerful it takes a bit to resist the output, straining my arm in the process.

For the most part, this machine will be used for my gardening business, however I will probably use it for drying cars from time to time as well.