REASONS TO BUY
Powerful
Easy to replace string
Good for thick brush
REASONS TO AVOID
No low speed setting
Flattens grasses before the string can cut
Not ideal for detail work
Ego Power+ 15-Inch String Trimmer with Powerload Review
This powerful trimmer is more appropriate for heavy-duty brush clearing than delicate edging work
Credit: Ego
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Our Verdict
The Ego Power+ 15-Inch String Trimmer with Powerload is all about power. This trimmer churns through thick grasses and stubborn brush with ease. Unfortunately, when it comes to more precise jobs like edging or just taking care of the zones that your mower can't get to, this model has too much power, flattening grasses with wash from the string before they can be trimmed. This had our testers holding the trimer in awkward, un-ergonomic positions when doing smaller jobs. If you want a string trimmer to power through thick brush, this option works great. For cleaning up grassy yards after mowing, though, we advise you to look elsewhere.
Our Analysis and Test Results
On paper, there's a lot to love about the Ego Power+ 15-inch Powerload with its lightweight carbon fiber shaft, auto feeding spool, and variable speed settings. However, this is one of the heavier models in our comparative testing, it is somewhat cumbersome to use, and it lacks a lower speed setting, actually making it too powerful for many smaller tasks.
Performance Comparison
This model features a carbon fiber shaft, making it very strong, though the whole unit isn't particularly light.
Credit: Laura Casner
Weed Eating
This string trimmer is most in its element when tackling thick weeds and grasses. It's one of the most powerful battery-powered trimmers in our tests and rips through the neglected, brushy corners of the yard. If the brush is thick enough that the trimmer doesn't blow it flat, the Ego Power+ is wonderfully effective (for up to 30 minutes per charge).
For lighter jobs that will make up the majority of most homeowners' need for a string trimmer, this model is overpowered. We found ourselves holding this trimmer at odd angles to clean up edges and stray weeds because even at its lowest setting, it's so powerful that it blows grasses flat to the ground before they can be trimmed.
Ease of Use
Cumbersome is the word that comes to mind after working with this string trimmer throughout the yard. Since we had to hold it at various awkward angles when trimming thinner brush, it's not the model we want to use for bigger jobs, despite its power. It weighs 10 pounds, 10 ounces, putting it in the middle of the pack in terms of heft.
Loading the string on the Ego Power+ is relatively easy thanks to the Powerload feature. To load, you merely need to insert the string and press a button at the base of the shaft, and it will wind the string for you. This method is easy and efficient, though we found the spool difficult to open in the event of maintenance. To feed out more string, you need to lightly bump the trimmer head against the ground, allowing for uninterrupted weed-eating action. Speed settings are adjusted by changing the pressure on the trigger, though the range is essentially high speed and then higher speeds.
While comfortable for cutting thick brush, our testers found themselves holding this trimmer in some funky positions to get the string to cut stray weeds without blowing them flat first.
Credit: Laura Casner
Easy peazy! No complaints when it comes time to replace the string since it feeds easily thanks to the Powerload feature, which automatically winds the replacement string with the press of a button (left hand in photo).
Credit: Laura Casner
Battery Life
We got 30 minutes of runtime out of the included 2.5 amp hour battery. Again, we actually longed for a less powerful speed setting for efficiency on light-duty jobs. With the included charger, the 2.5ah battery can be ready for another 30-minute job after about 50 minutes of charging.
Ego sells larger batteries for longer jobs, as well as a rapid charger, and these are pricey, especially if you're not committed to the Ego line of tools.
Ego's lithium-ion batteries are known for their power, and we had this trimmer blasting through weeds up to an inch in diameter, though the runtime is a somewhat dismal 30 minutes with the included 2.5ah battery.
Credit: Laura Casner
Fortunately, the guard keeps the flying detritus from our faces, and the noise level is what we've come to expect from quieter battery-powered tools.
Credit: Laura Casner
Noise
Quiet operation is one of the main reasons to choose a battery-powered tool over their gas counterparts, and the Ego Power+ 15-Inch Powerload doesn't disappoint in this respect. We measured 87 decibels when holding it at arm's length, and when spinning, this string trimmer produces a pleasant, even sounding hum.
Value
This string trimmer is expensive on its own, though it may be worth it if you already have Ego batteries and tools in your garage. An alternative to consider is the Ego Power+ STA1500 Attachment, which pairs with the Ego Powerhead, an electric motor that can pair with several useful attachments.
Conclusion
If you feel like you're trying to reclaim your yard from the jungle every summer, then the Ego Power+ 15-Inch Powerload may be a good choice. It has power to spare as it chews through thick brush, but we believe it's too powerful for the average edging and clean jobs folks generally associate with string trimmers.
With so much power, this model is best suited for thick weeds and brush clearing.
Credit: Laura Casner
—Michelle Powell and Matt Bento
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