EGO 650 CFM Blower Plug 20.8 Newtons in our test
The battle for the most powerful battery-operated blowers is in full swing! The EGO 650 CFM Blower is one of the latest blowers to come out. We pull out the dynamometer and see if the EGO LB6500 can take the top power position.
advantage
- legal gas powered
- 20.8 N max in our tests (with 7.5Ah battery)
- cruise control dial
- Cone and flat nozzles included
shortcoming
- More expensive than most battery-operated blowers
Pushing the boundaries of power is a big draw of the EGO 650 CFM blower. As a quick recap, EGO's commercial model briefly topped the list with 18.2 N before Ryobi's 40V backpack blower pushed it to 20.0 N in our tests. Since then, only a few models have managed to break the 20.0 N mark using battery power.
The EGO LB6500 has 650 CFM and up to 180 MPH (160 MPH with cone nozzle). We first tested it with the 5.0Ah battery included in the kit. At high altitude, it produced a fairly steady 11.4 N. Hit the turbo button and it hits a max of 20.3 N!
It gets better, though. Since you can get more power out of a higher capacity battery, we retested it with a 7.5Ah battery pack. This pushes the turbo's bar to 20.8 N.
Those high impeller speeds come at the cost of noise, though. While the blower is still quieter than the gas model, we measured 88 dB(A) at ear level (A-weighted, slow response). The treble drops to a quieter 84 dB(A), and the bass drops to a relatively whisper-quiet 68 dB(A).
EGO 650 CFM Blower Runtime
All that power is demanding on the battery, so it's no surprise that runtimes in turbo mode are a bit short. EGO told us to expect a run time of up to 15 minutes from the 5.0Ah battery, but we actually got much longer – 16:34.
Pro tip: To get the most out of your battery-operated blower's run time, use only the power it needs to do the job.
The vast majority of our blowing here in Florida is cleaning hard surfaces after mowing, not foliage (although I admit to using my EGO 530 CFM blower to keep mindless mosquitos and mayflies off the porch and incite an infinite number of tree swallows buffet). The High has plenty of power, and we had a longer run of 27:14.
We didn't test runtimes at low power, but EGO tells us to expect up to 200 minutes of runtime.
EGO 650 CFM Blower Design Notes
In general, blowers are pretty basic in terms of functionality, but there's little real good talk around the controls. First, you have a variable speed trigger to control the power you use.
Like other EGO blowers, there is a turbo button that puts you in the highest power level available. Having a separate button helps make a conscious decision when you're using the most power-hungry levels.
There is a cruise control dial on the left. This is handy when you're blowing for more than a few minutes at a time. We also really like it when we try to apply some power discipline to extend the runtime. By setting it somewhere in the middle and only using the power we really need, we avoided the temptation to go full throttle and severely reduce runtime.
The great thing about the control design is that you can adjust any of them on the fly with one hand. The cruise control dial is on the left, which will be easiest if you're right-handed, but not all that difficult to use if you're left-handed.
Additional features
- Brushless Motor
- Inline Axial Fan Design
- Shoulder strap hanging point
- Weatherproof IPX4 rating
- Cone and flat nozzles included
weight
As a bare-bones unit, the EGO LB6500 weighs 4.85 lbs without the cone or flat nozzle (blower tube only) installed. It weighs 9.81 pounds with the 5.0Ah battery, or a whopping 11.28 pounds if you prefer the 7.5Ah battery pack.
Weight itself is not difficult to control. However, you can add shoulder straps if you wish.
Even if you use the larger 7.5Ah battery pack, the scale will keep the weight forward, keeping the nozzle pointed at the ground in front of you.
One of the things we noticed in testing is that you do get more push thrust than other models. If you've been running in turbo mode, it's reasonable to start tiring your arms more than weight alone. Given the power level, though, that's really no surprise. Stick to high or low, and only engage the turbo when needed, and it's no big deal.
EGO 650 CFM Blower Prices
The EGO 650 CFM blower is available as a bare unit or a kit. The bare metal is priced at $219. A kit with a 5.0Ah battery and charger costs $299. Considering the battery itself costs $249, the kit makes a solid value argument.
Price is near the top of the scale, but it's not quite out of left field. Ryobi's 40V backpack blower is $249.99 and DeWalt's FlexVolt blower is $299, and the EGO outperforms both. Looking at the power boost you get and the battery/charger combo that comes with the kit, $299 seems about right.
the bottom line
The EGO 650 CFM Blower is one of the most powerful handheld blowers we've tested to date. With the 20.8 N rating we got from testing, it's hard to imagine a handheld device needing more power — gasoline or batteries. Maybe it's time for EGO to turn its attention back to backpack blowers for their next power jump.
Buy this if you're looking for the most powerful battery-operated blower with an extensive, reliable line of compatible lawn care equipment. If weight is your primary concern, pass or go with the 2.5Ah battery.
EGO 650 CFM Blower Specifications
- Model: Yigao LB6500
- Power supply: EGO 56V battery
- Maximum Airflow: 650 CFM
- Maximum Airspeed: 180 MPH
- Estimated run time: 15 (Turbo) – 90 (Low) minutes on 5.0Ah battery
- Warranty: 5 years
- Price: $219 (tools only), $299 (5.0Ah kit)