Ego Power+ 615 CFM Blower LB6151 Review

The Ego Power+ 615 CFM Blower has power to spare with residentially acceptable noise levels and a decent runtime thanks to the speed control dial. As stated in the name, it can crank out an impressive 615 cubic feet per minute when you kick it into turbo mode, and our testers are equally delighted with the lower power settings that milk a longer runtime from the 2.5 amp-hour (Ah) battery. This blower has the perfect combination of battery life and power, allowing you to stay on top of your leaf game in the thick of Autumn while giving you easy access to the farthest reaches of your property.

Performance Comparison

Power

When it comes down to it, power is our most important consideration when considering a cordless leaf blower, and the Ego Power+ 615 CFM Blower proves that you can move a substantial amount of material without the noise of a gas motor or the restraints of a power cord. At its lowest setting, this blower moves a blustery 200 CFM, which is plenty of air to quickly blast a day's worth of leaves off the porch. At its highest setting, it can clear clumped pine needles, wet leaves, and dirt with ease.

Our real-world testing shows that in reality, the Ego Power+ 615 CFM Blower's brushless motor is powerful and can move a significant amount of air. The advantages are two-fold. In turbo, we found heavier debris is easier to shake loose and get out of the way. Additionally, the extra power gives this blower a substantial reach, allowing you to maximize your efficiency, clearing a small driveway while standing in one place, perhaps while sipping coffee.

In our sand clearing tests, we observed this blower moving sand from 20 feet away, clearing it off the driveway efficiently with a 44" swath from the included tapered nozzle. During our max power beach ball testing, the Ego Power blower launched our ball to an impressive 7 feet, the loftiest height achieved by any blower we've tested to date.

Battery

All our battery testing and ratings concern the 2.5 Ah Ego lithium-ion battery included with the Ego Power+ 615 CFM Blower we purchased, and we'd expect longer runtimes from Ego's larger (and significantly more expensive) 5.0 and 7.5 AH batteries. That being said, the little 2.5 AH battery provides 22 minutes of leaf blasting power without using the turbo mode. When we let this puppy rip, the turbo mode cuts the run time down to 11 minutes. When simulating normal use, we ran this blower at a 30/70 split of high and turbo, we got 14 minutes per charge.

14 minutes isn't a mind-blowing amount of battery life, but it's pretty respectable for a smaller battery. This is plenty of time to get a few days worth of leaf debris from the deck, porch, or other vulnerable wood surfaces that need to be kept free of wet debris for posterity. For neglected yards covered in season's worth of detritus, you'll need an arsenal of batteries, but with a gas-free, cordless blower on hand, it's much easier to keep your property from getting to that point. It's also worth noting that with a more powerful blowing action, you'll get more work done with each minute of battery use. A less powerful blower won't achieve nearly as much as this Ego model will in 14 minutes. For recharging, we measured 45 minutes for a full charge from the included charger.

Ergonomics

The Ego Power+ 615 CFM Blower comes in slightly above average in terms of its ergonomic properties. Our chief complaint comes from the fact that it's a tad nose heavy, requiring our testers to hold the blower at a slight angle so it can effectively blow flat across a surface. At 8.1 lbs, it's one of the heavier models we tested, but it doesn't feel significantly hefty compared to other blowers.

There are several features that make the Ego Power+ blower easier and more comfortable to use. First off, the intake vent is located on the back of the blower, so we didn't experience our clothing getting sucked into the intake, regardless of which side of our bodies we held the blower.

We particularly appreciated the cruise control setting. The variable-speed control trigger is awesome, letting you avoid blowback when working around corners or close to a wall by dialing back the power, and the cruise control allows you to just relax and squeeze while governing the max output to the level of your choosing. The cruise control settings are especially useful if you're trying to maximize the runtime. Finally, there are multiple hanging options for when the job is done and it's time to store the blower out of the way.

Noise

Lower operating volume is a hallmark advantage of electric tools, and the Ego Power+ 615 CFM Blower is no exception. We measured 82.9 dBa at arm's length, and a good-neighborly 66.1 dBa from 50" away. These measurements are at the lower end of the field, which is particularly impressive since it's one of the more powerful blowers in our tests.

In terms of the actual "quality" of the sound, the motor produces a pleasantly neutral timbre, that is to say, there are no high pitched whines at any of the speed settings, including turbo. We found it to be one of the less harsh-sounding of the blowers for the user, and less obnoxious to anyone in earshot. Like all the models we've evaluated, we still recommend using ear protection when operating the Ego Power+ 615 CFM Blower

Value

Our testers agree that for the price, this blower and its included battery and charger represent a great value. Those who are owners of other Ego power tools are also set up to reap the benefits of Ego's powerful lithium-ion batteries across their entire line of products. While expensive, the larger batteries from Ego increase in value when you have more applications for them.

Conclusion