The Echo DPB-5800T Excels When Leafageddon Arrives

3 min readThe bigger the job, the bigger appreciation you’ll have for pro-level tools. Echo’s DPB-5800TD2 backpack blower has been around for a couple years now, and the version we tested comes with two 5.0 amp-hour batteries and a dual port charger. The main difference between this and Echo’s top professional grade cordless blower, the DPB-5900T, is that the more expensive model comes with three 8.0 amp-hour batteries. The performance is the exactly the same, except for the run-time—and the DPB-5800TD2 is $600 less, largely owing to less battery capacity out of the box.ProsSame airspeed and volume as Echo’s most expensive modelLong runtime and room for an extra batteryLong blower tube to reach under bushes or shrubsConsBlower tube extension is difficult to assembleKey SpecsWeight27.8 lb.Battery56V, 5 Ah (x2)Runtime24 min, 20 sAirspeed148 MPHAir Volume608 CFMBlowing PowerHaving used this blower with different battery configurations the past couple years, I’ve come to know it pretty well. The combination of airspeed and volume make it quite effective at clearing heavy leaf cover. It has a long adjustable blowing tube that can keep the speed and volume high, close to the leaves. Speed and volume tend to dissipate on blowers with shorter tubes.Slowly walking back and forth across a yard, holding the blower tube steady, we cleared 10-foot strips of leaves with each pass. Standing still and pushing leaves with a steady wall of air, we could blow them up to 20 feet away. It was the most capable blower we tested for moving last season’s leaves out of heavy weeds and brush. And grass clippings? Forget about it—we could effortlessly clear the driveway with a few good waves of the blower tube.Run-TimeAs noted above, the DPB-5800TD2 comes with two 5.0 amp-hour batteries. Running continuously on full power, runtime was about 24.5 minutes. Of course, you’ll rarely be blowing leaves at full power the entire time, so we could generally get 30- to 35 minutes out of the two batteries. The blower has three battery ports, so you can always add another battery to increase your run-time.ComfortAs backpack blowers go, the comfort of wearing Echo’s DPB-5800TD2 is fair. The shoulder strap padding is adequate, and the chest strap does a decent job of keeping everything in place. I wouldn’t mind if it had a padded hip strap though. The rigid backpack frame has a wide, stable base, which makes the blower easy to stand up on a bench or truck tailgate and easily put it on—or to stand on a shelf when not in use. The handle built into the top of the frame likewise makes it easy to carry when you’re not wearing it.The VerdictLike most backpack blowers, you’ll need to assemble and install the blower tube. Joining the pieces of that blower tube is the only thing close to a complaint I have on the DPB-5800TD2. It can be difficult to assemble and adjust because it’s hard to get a solid grip on them to twist and lock them together–luckily, that’s only something you’ll end up doing once.Make no mistake, though, DPB-5800TD2 is a pro-level machine, with top notch performance. Smaller batteries limit run-time, but it can accept up to three 8.0 amp hour batteries for over an hour of run time. Airspeed and volume is among the highest we’ve tested on cordless backpack blowers, and the DPB-5800TD2 is capable of moving heavy leaf cover across the lawn.Shop the Echo DPB-5800TD2 Other Leaf Blowers We RecommendBrad Ford has spent most of his life using tools to fix, build, or make things. Growing up he worked on a farm, where he learned to weld, repair, and paint equipment. From the farm he went to work at a classic car dealer, repairing and servicing Rolls Royces, Bentleys, and Jaguars. Today, when he's not testing tools or writing for Popular Mechanics, he's busy keeping up with the projects at his old farmhouse in eastern Pennsylvania.Colin Aylesworth attended Binghamton University and is a Deputy Editor with the Gear team at Popular Mechanics and Runner’s World, where he has been since 2022. Prior to joining Hearst Magazines, he worked for 11 years at U.S. News and World Report on the autos team. His personal pursuits fit in well with the work he does for PM and RW. Aylesworth was on his college’s club rowing team and has maintained a routine running habit through most of his adult life as a means of getting exercise and spending time outdoors. Running creates a hearty appetite, which brings us to Popular Mechanics. That publication's expertise in the area of grilling is relatable to Aylesworth, who is an adherent to charcoal grilling. In fact, he’s been primarily using the same Weber charcoal kettle he bought on Craigslist in 2012. Aylesworth also has experience in the lawn mower industry. Not only has he been mowing his and neighbor’s lawns during adolescence, one of his more recent endeavors is a side gig of repairing and restoring gas lawn mowers given up by their previous owners. Since joining PM, he has gotten more involved with the publication’s mower testing efforts and especially enjoys testing out new electric and zero turn mowers.