I own about 30 cordless tools (Milwaukee) of the M12 & M18 Fuel type (mostly M18). I'm an ex-general contractor so there isn't much that I haven't seen, so much stuff that there is little that impresses me any longer. But with this blower tool (which is quite a departure from the typical Milwaukee tool), you can genuinely color me impressed! Not only am I that guy with the noisy blower next door but I friggin love this thing! I am always looking for things to blow! (easy fellas). I clean the street, the neighbors yard, you name it, I will clear you a path. It isn't heavy, doesn't feel like much and I sure didn't expect much but boy what a pleasant surprise once I figured out how to get it into high power mode. It has variable speed so why the need for the low power mode? I have never used it except by accident. Anyhow, it creates a small hurricane so, as a reasonable person would expect from a battery powered tool in our current state of cordless tech, it takes no prisoners when it comes to killing off batteries so I advise one to have plenty of batteries on the wait. I have many batteries and chargers AND I bought a 9mAh and the new 12 (wow) along with a number of 5's so it is truly a non-issue for me. I just don't time it but I get a very acceptable amount of time and additional wind with the 12 so that's all I have to offer there. What do people expect? I mean the people moaning about battery life. I knew this thing was going to mow down batteries. It is logical. Oh well, some aren't happy unless they get to belly-ache about something. Anyhow on the note of belly-aching, I do have one gripe and it is an annoying one. I almost always wear loose fitting t-shirts and my dang shirts are constantly getting sucked in by the into the intake. Perhaps they could have a "deflector" to suck the air from another direction and not right where my shirt hangs. Anyhow, not a deal breaker and honestly, I'm not sure there is anywhere else to put it. I'll let Milwaukee work that out. I must, however, imagine that unless folks use it as an over the shoulder blower, I'm not the only one experiencing shirt sucking issues. If you are properly (adequately) armed with batteries, this really is a good, FUN and powerful addition to the M18 Fuel arsenal. Example of fun, read it...true story: Sometimes I get a pile of leaves in a corner and when that happens with 120mph of wind, thing tend to go UP so I just go with it and let everything blow over the (6') fence into the yard where "not so favorite" neighbor set up camp. He said "y'all must really get some heavy winds over there because lot's of leaves keep blowing right over the fence into my yard. I said "YES we do Bob", you know, sometimes it's like a polar vortex or something over here man". He looked at me with a genuine look of awe! I offered to help clean them up. Of course he said (and I knew he would) "there is no need for that!" Gotta love Bob, he has the IQ of a speed bump! Score one for me!