5 Ego Tools You Should Steer Clear Of (According To User Reviews)

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Ego is among the powerhouses of electric outdoor power tools. No longer does a home maintainer need to invest in gasoline-powered lawn mowers, edgers, and even pressure washers to get the job done well. Ego and a handful of other brands are at the forefront of a shift in this marketplace, delivering reliable solutions to users in support of equipment that requires less maintenance and zero trips to the gas station to keep gear in operational order.

Not all additions to the brand's catalog knock it out of the park, but for buyers willing to do their research, avoiding the duds is actually not very hard. These five Ego tools have been rated lower than the typical entry in the brand's product lineup. User reviews note one or more issues in the tools' use, offering something of a warning for buyers looking to add new, specialized tools to their garage or toolshed. Opting for alternatives to these pieces of equipment can help keep you from running into the performance issues that others have suffered from while operating the equipment.

The 56V 21-Inch Single-Stage Snow Blower is a full sized snow blowing unit that offers ample power and a 45-foot throwing distance. The tool includes rubber paddles that come into contact with the ground, allowing it to completely clear snow from your target area. It is rated for use in both light and heavy snow, promising to leave a clean finish, regardless of the coverage conditions you're working with. The tool has enough runtime to clear a 16-car driveway with 8 inches of snow covering the area on a single charge. The auger propelled design offers ample power and the tool also features quality of life upgrades like heated handle grips that make it more comfortable to use. You can also adjust the auger speed and snow throwing distance and angle to dial in the perfect settings for any particular snow clearance task.

This tool is available from Lowe's, where 870 buyers have reviewed the product, giving it a 4.2 star average rating. One of the main gripes that users have is the tool's plastic body construction — it's easily broken, apparently. Plastic components can become damaged as you go about routine snow blowing tasks, leaving the unit vulnerable to additional breakage or completely inoperable from the initial point of failure. Beyond its plastic body, many users also suggest that it's not powerful enough to tackle even light snow. This calls into question its effectiveness even under ideal circumstances conditions.

One of Ego's most enticing offerings is its Compact 2,100 PSI, 1.2 GPM Cold Water Pressure Washer, which drastically scales down the footprint of a pressure washer. You can clean cars, driveways, or house siding without having to lug around a bulky unit, and it will work with any available source of fresh water you may encounter (including a hose). It works with a siphon hose and so linking up with a bucket of water or even a stream or lake can deliver the necessary resource. Add in the battery power and you can use this tool practically anywhere. It offers up to 30 minutes of runtime with a single 6.0Ah battery and delivers up to 2,100 PSI with a 1.2 gallon per minute flow rate. It includes four nozzles and quick connection points that allow for easy exchanges between components.

In practice, many users report that it rapidly drains battery power, generally failing to deliver on its 30-minute runtime promise. This makes it difficult to rely on for moderate-to-large jobs. Spraying down a small family car might be fine, but if you're using the tool to clean an RV, alongside some of your other RV living gadgets, you may run into issues. Other users report that the pressure doesn't reach high enough output levels to be a serious contender for more demanding jobs. These have resulted in a 4.2 star average rating across 182 reviews.

The Commercial 56V 800 CFM, 190 mph Backpack Leaf Blower positions itself as a fantastic partner in tackling a range of large scale lawn maintenance tasks. Unlike handheld blowers, the backpack setup makes it easier to tackle larger lawns, in particular. The tool's "commercial" nature also adds to its status as a reliable solution. It offers a 60cc gas engine equivalent power rating and can run for up to 120 minutes on low mode and 25 minutes in turbo mode. Add in the digital controls and dual grab handles, and it all comes together to make this a solution that promises big things.

Unfortunately, problems abound with this product. Users note that when buying it in the kit format, the tool's product box states the presence of batteries inside, but upon opening it up they just aren't there. This has created a state of limbo where many have gone back and forth between their local store and Ego itself to rectify the missing components. The tool itself also has a few question marks. Some buyers note that the tool shuts down unexpectedly and doesn't often last for very long when it does operate. Others have noted melted or broken parts arising during use. Unfortunately, this tool doesn't seem to pass muster, with plenty of quality control issues dominating the conversation and yielding a 4.3 star average rating across 511 reviews.

Snow clearance tools come in many formats. Ego makes a range of full size snow blowers, but the brand also offers smaller solutions like the 56V 12-Inch Single-Stage Powered Snow Shovel. The tool delivers clean, 12-inch wide clearance swaths while tackling fallen snow. It operates with the variable speed trigger and two integrated speed settings alongside an adjustable snow throwing distance that ranges up to 25 feet with a 60-degree directional control. The snow shovel can handle the area of a three-car driveway with 6 inches of snow sitting on the ground. It also features a hinged shaft that makes storage easier.

Users give this a 4.4 star average rating across 268 reviews. Feedback frequently notes how heavy the tool is (weighing 14 pounds). This is a common enough refrain, that buyers from all walks of life may ultimately find it difficult to actually use the tool. The unit's weight distribution also leads into another problem: The tool is easily broken. As well, when comparing a typical shovel to this tool many users find that it doesn't actually clear a path in the same consistent way that a handheld solution or a snow blower would. Instead, there is plenty of leftover snow scattered around in the area you've just shoveled with the tool, requiring repeat passes to get the job done.

Users have a lot to say about the Multi-Head System Rubber Broom Attachment. This tool has received a 4.0 star rating average from 113 reviewers. This tool accessory attaches to the Ego Power+ Multi-Head System's Power Head and provides a 21-inch sweeping width to clean large areas quickly. The rubber sweeper has the ability to launch rocks and heavy debris with ease, and the broom attachment can be stuck onto the power head or removed easily without the help of additional tools. Its detachable guard is removable without clunky mechanics in order to clear out debris buildup that may accumulate through regular use. This allows you to keep it in prime working order at all times.

Unfortunately, many reviewers note that this tool is heavy and difficult to use with precision, in addition to being easily broken. Many reviewers also note that it is outrageously powerful. This might not be a problem in some power tool units, but with this one it results in some pretty intense kickback. Users also have trouble controlling the tool during regular operation and many note that it doesn't actually push debris and instead just wildly throws objects it contacts. Bottom line: this tool is hard to use, easy to damage or become injured by, and fails to perform its primary function consistently.

Each of these tools suffer from one or more issues highlighted by buyers. They all have received average review scores that are notably lower than the typical Ego product and over 100 reviewers have given their feedback on each, minimizing sample size issues. Many of the setbacks that users appear to suffer with these tools relate to quality control issues, meaning a different Ego product or a solution from a different brand might be a better option to solve the needs that these tools promise to deliver on.