When it comes to outdoor power equipment, ECHO has one of the strongest reputations in the industry. This goes for everything from their string trimmers and chainsaws to their edgers and manual tools. However, the brand made history with its leaf blowers. Indeed, back in 1975, the company released the world’s first backpack model, the PB-9, forever changing the face of leaf blower design. Half a century later, the folks at ECHO are still hard at work on the next wave of innovations, including the eForce 56V multi-port Backpack Blower (DPB-5800T).
Recently, our review team had a chance to put this thing to work. And, when they were through, they definitely had an opinion.
ECHO eForce 56V Backpack Blower Performance
- Max air speed: 195 MPH
- Max airflow volume: 795 CFM / 25 N
Blowing Force
According to ECHO, this unit can deliver an impressive blowing force of up to 795 CFM and 195 MPH. In terms of overall power, it generates 16.2 Newtons of force on high and 23.2 on turbo. That makes the DPB-5800T one of the meanest cordless backpack blowers we’ve reviewed.
Runtime
For the runtime tests, our team dropped in three freshly charged 5.0Ah batteries, set the cruise control to max, and let it rip. Under these conditions, the eForce backpack blower ran for roughly 49.5 minutes, which validates ECHO’s 50-minute estimate almost down to the second.
On turbo, you can expect around 26 minutes of continuous runtime.
| Battery | Number of Batteries | Turbo | WOT |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8Ah | 3 | 45 min. | 80 min. |
| 8Ah | 2 | 30 min. | 55 min. |
| 5Ah | 3 | 26 min. | 50 min. |
| 5Ah | 2 | 20 min. | 35 min. |
Noise Level
Especially with leaf blowers, the matter of noise volume has become almost as important as power and runtime. Counties, states, and municipalities across the country are passing noise ordinances that can actually preclude you from using models that don’t comply with new regulations.
ECHO did a great job with keeping the volume down on this eForce backpack blower.
According to our SPL meter, the DPB-5800T hit 78dB on high and 80dB in turbo. To help dampen the noisy axial fan, Echo placed a foam liner inside the air intake.
ECHO eForce 56V Backpack Blower Design
- Model: Echo DPB-5800T
- Power Source: Echo 56V batteries
- Brushless motor
- Weight: 16.3 lbs (bare), 24.4 lbs (with two 5.0Ah batteries), 28.4 lbs (with three 5.0Ah batteries)
Size and Weight
ECHO also paid close attention to the eForce backpack blower’s weight, which comes in at 28.4 pounds when using all three battery ports. That’s not too shabby considering that most Pro-grade cordless models are easily 30 pounds or more.
Nonetheless, 28 pounds isn’t exactly light, so ECHO gave the DBT-5800T a padded backrest, adjustable chest and shoulder straps, and a rubber overmold grip to ensure comfort.
Controls
The DPB-5800T features a variable speed trigger, turbo button, and a thumb-operated cruise control lever. Also on the grip is an LED battery gauge so that you can monitor your power consumption at a glance.
Additional Features
- Adjustable grip position
- Adjustable nozzle length
ECHO eForce 56V Backpack Blower Price
The DPB-5800T retails for $349.99 bare and $699.99 as a kit. The latter comes with two 5.0Ah batteries and a dual-port charger. ECHO backs your purchase with a 5-year consumer warranty or a 2-year commercial warranty.
The Final Word
After putting this blower through the paces, our reviewers had no reservations about labeling the DPB-5800T as one of the top performing cordless backpack models on the market. It has ample power both for mow and blow crews and residential users with large and/or wooded properties. And, on top of the performance, the $700 kitted price tag is pretty tempting, too.
