We reviewed the EGO Self Propelled Mower last year and were so impressed with the design, built quality, power and user friendliness that we gave it our Editor’s Choice Award.
Do these accolades apply to the rest of the EGO garden tools?
We were keen to find out and today we’re looking at the Multi-Tool range and specifically at the Pole Saw attachment.
In Part 2 we’ll cover a couple of other attachments for the Multi-Tool: the Brushcutter and the Whipper Snipper (or Line Trimmer).
So come along and find out how we fared.
We’ll have a little video at the end of this article to give you some on-the-job impressions but first let’s talk about the Multi-Tool concept.
I’ve always been a great fan of buying into a specific tool “ecosystem”, like Ryobi where 1 battery can be used across a whole range of tools. That saves a lot of money.
EGO went 1 big step further with the Multi-Tool range: not only the battery can be used on their whole range but now also the brushless motor, handle and triggers of the Power Head are shared across all the cutting tools.
Currently, the range consists of 6 main attachments: Hedge Trimmer, Edger, Cultivator and the three we will review:
Brushcutter, Whipper Snipper and the Pole Saw.
There are undoubtedly more attachments to follow.
The Power Head
This is the heart of the system: a powerful brushless motor, energised by a 2.5AH Arc Lithium battery, controlled by a 2 speed trigger.
From the moment you unpack the various components you’ll see that brilliant design is paired with great craftsmanship. In plain words: this gear is gonna be easy to use and will last the distance.
But I’m running ahead of myself: you haven’t heard yet how we went with the testing!
Next, we looked at the Pole Saw attachment.
Same story of high built quality.
Even though I’m pleased with all the Ryobi gear I’ve acquired over the years, the only tool that has let me down is their pole saw. It’s always leaking oil, chain often comes off, no real grunt and the shafts flex too much.
Not so with the EGO system.
Even with the extra extension pole which will give you a reach of 3.2m (in addition to your own body length), there’s no bending, no flex. It’s heavy and not easily manoeuvred at that length because of the weight of the chainsaw unit, but it gets the job done. Generally, I try to do everything without the extension shaft which makes things easier and safer.
Another great aspect of fitting attachments is the ease of doing so. Line-up the arrows and click in place. Secure with the big green wing knob.
Initially, I put attachments on with the Power Head flat on the ground but it’s easier to have the Power Head stand upright with the battery on the ground. Easier on your back and easier to line up the shafts.
Most jobs I could easily do with the Speed setting on 1. Keep in mind that the actual trigger also gives variable speed so you’ve got a whole speed range.
The Pole Saw
The 25cm saw is just right for limbing a tree and we have plenty of trees on our property with branches that hang low or are dead and need to be removed.
The only “problem” I found that once they had been felled, I wanted to cut up big branches with the same pole saw… It can be done (see video) but EGO has better tools for that.
It’s a bit hard to measure the endurance of the 2.5AH battery because the nature of using the pole saw is that you make small cuts and big cuts with lots of pauses in between. We can get a better handle on how long the battery lasts when we’re using the line trimmer continuously.
This size battery is very well matched with the Multi-Tool: light in weight but not a lightweight – if you get my drift.
Improvements?
One possible improvement: the Multi-Tool is a very powerful bit of gear and the attachments are sharp and can present a danger. The trigger can only be activated if the lock-off button is engaged as well. That is one easy movement and all that is needed.
However, I would like to see something like an additional “master switch” to prevent accidental engagement. Alternatively, it’s better to take the battery out when the job is done. It probably needs a recharge anyway…
Conclusion
This is only Part 1 as we are still testing the other two attachments. So our findings are still a work in progress but this is clear already: The Multi-Tool from EGO is superbly designed, engineered and built.
They clearly set out to make the best tools in this category and we think they have succeeded. See our Ego Self-Propelled Mower review to see how we came to our highest recommendation.
The 25cm Pole Saw is extremely capable for cutting down even big branches safely. The variable speed is also a bonus that you don’t have with petrol chainsaws.
This attachment, like the whole range, is built to last. Just look at the 5 year warranty on their tools to back up their claim.
The RRP for the Multi-Tool Power Head with battery and charger is AUD499 and the Pole Saw attachment is $249.
You can also buy any combination as a kit: $699 for the Pole Saw kit. Most other attachments are an inexpensive $199.
Check out the Multi-Tool on the EGO website.
And if you are a commercial operator you should see the line of professional products in this category. Same philosophy and craftsmanship throughout.
See you back for Part 2 soon.
In the meantime have a look at this little video to see some of its capabilities.
