Another tool in the expanding AEG 58V landscape maintenance equipment range is the brushless backpack blower, designed for taking on larger areas that most battery powered blowers aren’t capable of.
The AEG 58V Backpack Blower is designed for large areas with an air volume capacity of 700CFM and an air speed of 260km/h. This battery-powered industry-leading air volume is created by AEG’s vortex airflow technology, which pulls in air from multiple directions, ensuring greater intake to the large impellor to achieve greater output.
The unit looks similar to its petrol- powered rival backpack blowers and is a similar size and weight, which surprised me because I thought it might be considerably lighter. Of course the advantages, including no harmful emissions, no messy refuelling, reduced maintenance costs and reduced noise are attractive to many operators.
Low noise levels make these blowers ideally suited to noise-sensitive sites such as schools, multi-residential villages and hospitals. Vibration levels are also minimal compared to petrol-powered machines ensuring more operator comfort, especially if used for extended periods, which is often the case with this type of machine.
Run times are always an issue when comparing battery powered equipment, which were not supplied for the test, but this 58V blower has dual batteries. It can run on one single battery if needed, but with two inserted the blower automatically switches to the second battery when one is depleted, and also provides extended run-time.
The throttle lock situated on the side of the trigger handle enables the operator to select a desired speed for large areas without depressing the trigger. The pistol handgrip is adjustable up and down the tube and rotates to suit most operator styles. A turbo-boost button is located on the top of the trigger handle, which gives a 30-second blast at a much more furious pace or as long as the trigger is held down after depressing the boost button. This function naturally uses battery power quicker than the normal operation mode. I did find that operating the blower in normal throttle range was not enough to clear certain debris at an acceptable pace and the build up from off to full throttle is quite slow, not instant like others I have used. I needed to consistently operate in the turbo mode to achieve efficient blowing and this was adequate power.
A padded and fully adjustable harness holds the unit comfortably on your back and it even has a thigh pad for protection where the tube would come into contact with the operator’s body.
All AEG battery products I have used have come with a very impressive tool repair warranty of six years, when registered online within 30 days of purchase.