DEWALT DCBL722B 20V MAX* XR Leaf Blower

Standard for all my reviews: When reviewing products, I'm always objective and honest about the product or service. I review with information that I feel others would like to know about the product as I always assume what I'm writing will influence for or against the purchase. I try to go above and beyond surface characteristics and input into quality, value and application. Most importantly, I end the review with an answer as to whether I'd purchase the product again which I believe is the most critical question pertaining to the item. To manufacturers: Manufacturers: Want me to review your items, just let me know! I can honestly say this is the first Dewalt product I'm a little disappointed with. Obviously it works with the Dewalt 20v batteries so be sure you have those (and a lot of them) as well as the charger. The package I bought only had the blower without the accessories. Be sure to check that before you purchase. I've only used the blower once and in a somewhat challenging area with large leaves and a lot of ground cover. Here are some of my thoughts on the primary specifics of the product. Ease of Use: Super easy. From box to blow, it was probably 3 minutes. There's just nothing complicated. Take the unit out, attach the blower "tube", the nozzle, plug in your battery and blow. Weight: Relatively light and easy to maneuver with. Not bulky like some and well balanced. The blower attachment is shorter than I expected or am used to which is fine. Being a bit taller (6'2") it's further off the ground which probably makes some difference. Controls: Very straight forward with on/off with a speed lock so you don't have to keep the trigger pressed. This didn't work great for me as it continually slipped back to off, didn't lock the speed. As I've only used the unit once, I'll have to "play" with it to make sure I'm not missing something. Power: Fair for small to medium jobs. I would not call this a professional blower in any way and I opted for a battery operated unit because I didn't want to invest in a gas powered backpack blower or a hand held gas blower. For my 1/4 acre property, it has enough power to get the job done. I used it on Magnolia tree leaves which are large and it was fine. It pushes leaves and bark dust without issue. I wouldn't call it super powerful but certainly enough for regular homeowners with standard cleanup needs. Battery Life: This unit goes through batteries like I go through Yakisoba. It could be that my Dewalt batteries are a bit older and, thus, don't have the life they once did but I got maybe 10 mins out of each battery. I'm recharging them again now and will report back. If I get the same time again, I'll upgrade the batteries and edit this review. Value: I love Dewalt products but, as I said in opening, this one has disappointed me a bit, primarily due to battery life which may not be their issue if my batteries are old. The speed lock issue is small but if I don't get it corrected, that too will be a deduction. I'm going with three stars until I prove out these two items. In closing, I can't say I would purchase this unit again but if I can get the battery life up to 25 minutes or so, I'll give back a star. It gets the job done but falls short of what I was hoping for.