I like that it’s a real blower. It’s powerful - not as powerful as some out there or even in the eGO lineup, but it works for me. I was really skeptical about the power before I bought it, even kept the box for the inevitable return of a battery powered blower - but I kept it. I was ver surprised with the oomph this thing has. Even without using the Turbo boost. The high level is plenty. The only issue I have is the battery life - it lasts if you don’t touch the turbo. If you do, then say goodbye to the battery. This is just a common sense thing, but people have and are bound to miss that common sense caveat. If you have a huge yard and huge tasks, maybe battery isn’t the best for you. Act accordingly. I don’t love the positioning of the turbo button, it’s on top where your thumb naturally wants to go, so be aware of it and you’ll be fine. But for me and my minimal front and back yard, it works. My other gripe is the sheer cost of the additional batteries. That is just highway robbery, there’s no way a battery should cost the same or more than the appliance itself - cmon now - battery technology has improved greatly and should not cost that much. Period. I’ll be looking into a myriad of third party batteries where even if they suck, it gives me a chance to have three for the price of one OEM battery and I can keep going if I need to. Overall, 4 stars - aside from my minor gripes, this is something I’m keeping.

Pros:
- Lots of power
- Good battery life
- Loading the trimmer string is very easy and convenient with the powerload head technology.
- Easy to use trigger and safety lock
- Noise on both is very reasonavle considering the power they expel. Its more of a preference depending on individuals hearing and tolerates. I don't find the trimmer or blower to be unreasonably loud at all, especially compared to any gas model out there.
- Excellent trigger response on the blower and the cruise dial is a nice touch for steady control
- charging time is very reasonable (40 minutes from dead battery) with included standard charger
- Quality of build materials is very good and feels sturdy except the trimmer "d" handle which I explain in the cons below.
- Contacting customer service is easy and straight forward with little wait time.

Cons:
- Trimmer is a little awkward. Good balance but on the heavy side. (heavier than the gas model it replaced). Not a big concern for me being a stronger male, but for smaller people, it could be uncomfortable.
- The trimmer came with a broken "d" handle in the box. The design is thin plastic and I can see the replacement breaking again in the future. Metal bracketry could be an improvement to this specific piece for a perfect trimmer. Customer service is sending a new one which is good, but inconvienient to have to wait 3 weeks to use it.
- The customer service agent who helped me was professional but not super friendly and personable which isn't a huge deal but important to me.
- All different size Ego batteries are pretty expensive compared to the products they power. Once the battery is done and worn out, it would be a better value to replace the whole combo kit (Trimmer and Blower) that includes a new battery, than replace the battery alone. Many companies are like this and its considered a waste in my opinion.

I got 30 minutes of run time at medium speed. At high speed I was able to blow pine needles embedded in the lawn somewhat effectively when the grass was short and dry. The blower worked well for the driveway. The maximum power is good. You would need the highest setting to do large quantities of leaves, but the battery isn't going to last very long at that setting, so I don't see this as an effective leaf blower unless you have a 5 amp battery, which should give you about 40 ,minutes of run time.

Whatever good features this blower has, they are defeated by the very poor ergonomics.
(1) The blower is pretty heavy so you need a strap for longer use. But there is no place to attach a strap. You can't run it through the handle because that interferes with the trigger. I ran the strap through the plastic cage on the bottom of the blower, which isn't a logical location.
(2) The blower isn't balanced. I tried it with a 2.5 and a 5 amp battery. Both are too weighty on the rear, so you have to use your hand, arm, and shoulder to keep the blower pointed down. This quickly became tiring, with or without a strap.
(3) There is no grip handle ahead of the trigger area to hold the blower and keep it balanced. It's hard to even get a decent grip on it. I ended up turing the blower on its side and gripping it by the cage much of the time---obviously not how you're supposed to use it.
(4) The speed knob is inconveniently placed and too small. I found myself adjusting the speed often for changing conditions and to save the battery. The little knob was a pain.

What is wrong with EGO designers? Don't they go out and test these machines in the real world? These ergonomic problems are obvious as soon as you pick up the machine.

Finally, Lowe's should not allow the EGO AI bot to reply to negative reviews. I'm gonna scream if the bot says, "We are sorry about your experience. Please call XXX so we can help you figure out how to use your blower properly" because EGO customer service is also legendarily bad. I only buy their products because I can usually get helpful service at my local Lowe's.

At 12.5 pounds, this is not a lightweight blower. I have Ryobis that are 4-5 lbs. that blow just fine and have lasted for years.
The EGO battery (even the smaller version for this unit) is still huge and heavy.
This unit is obviously NOT "ergonomic" as claimed in the specs. In no way. No how. I hate this blower.
It selling point: It is very powerful used with wet, heavy material. That is the only good thing about it. If you weigh 185–230 lbs and are mostly muscle and have huge surfaces to blow, this may work for you.
If you can throw a goat or a calf, push a mower, etc. but wouldn't want to carry one around for an hour or so without pain medication, this is not for you.
If you have long hair, fringe, loose clothing, it's dangerous unless you cover your hair or remove the loose stuff. It's also pretty loud and, compared to other blowers, has a tendency toward less side-wise control of smaller debris—so you may get to go over areas a second or third time.
Especially if you go about changing the level at which you hold the unit (to blow off surfaces above the ground), be aware of the hazards of the power in this machine. As you do with guns and ammo, separate the battery from the unit lest some unsuspecting person casually try the trigger on a "loaded" and "charged up" unit. Just imagine.
Per Lowe's return policy for this type of item, must be un-used to be returned. Caveat emptor.