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Hey guys I'm new to this sight. I currently mow about 20 yards a week and do landscaping the rest of the week. My hand held Echo leaf blower is starting to die on me. Im trying to figure out if i should just buy another handheld blower or if i should upgrade to a backpack blower. I have a stihl dealership in the area that i really like so i want to go with that brand. One of the problems i have is when it rains i have trouble getting the wet grass and green tire marks off of the customers driveway, would a backpack blower be strong enough to pull the marks off? Also for leaf clean up in the fall what is the power difference and how much time will it realisticly save me blowing leaves exspecially if there wet? The hand held im looking at is 180$ and the back pack is about 500$, next time im at the store i will get the exact models of the ones i was looking at. Any help would be appretiated. Thanks

I use the stihl 86 handheld its more power than I need to move wet grass, leaves, pine needles, I can even clean a lawn with it. Mine is a sh (shredder vac) I don't recommend getting the shredder Attachment.

My recommendation is the bg86 hand held more power than you need.

A backpack will serve you well as well and it will provide more power come fall and spring

I had a Stihl 86, good unit for a handheld. Tried a Stihl BR600, bought one, retired the 86.
Mad Mackie in CT:laughing::biggrin::smile:

13obrienjo said:

Hey guys I'm new to this sight. I currently mow about 20 yards a week and do landscaping the rest of the week. My hand held Echo leaf blower is starting to die on me. Im trying to figure out if i should just buy another handheld blower or if i should upgrade to a backpack blower. I have a stihl dealership in the area that i really like so i want to go with that brand. One of the problems i have is when it rains i have trouble getting the wet grass and green tire marks off of the customers driveway, would a backpack blower be strong enough to pull the marks off? Also for leaf clean up in the fall what is the power difference and how much time will it realisticly save me blowing leaves exspecially if there wet? The hand held im looking at is 180$ and the back pack is about 500$, next time im at the store i will get the exact models of the ones i was looking at. Any help would be appretiated. Thanks

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Many people get confused when looking to buy a leaf blower on how to find out it's blowing strength and it causes many people make the wrong decision when buying. There are a few things on gas powered leaf blowers that are an indication of it's blowing strength. My guess for the price you indicated you're looking at the BR 600

First is CFM, this term designates cubic feet per minute, the BR 600 has 712 CFM means that every minute 712 cubic feet of air volume is pushed through the end of the nozzle, so the higher the cfm the more cubic feet of air volume will be pushed through the nozzle. (That moves debris and or leaves.) Second is MPH, this designates the velocity / speed in which the air escapes the end of the nozzle only. (that doesn't necessarily move leaves) In short, buy the blower with the highest CFM your budget (and yard size) dictates.

The Br 600 has 712 cfm @ 201 mph which is more than enough to do what you want to do. there are others that are more powerful units on the market and cost more money but IMO are overkill in lawn-care or for moving debris. The BR 600 will handle wet stuff with no problem and can save you a ton of time. The other thing that may be of interest is the cost involved in running one or fuel consumption.



* Fuel consumption data provided by a third party independent laboratory: IAVF Antriebstechnik GmbH. Two-cycle engine oil cost per gallon is included in figure and is based on an MSRP of $1.10 per 2.6 oz. bottle of STIHL High Performance Two-cycle Engine Oil. STIHL estimates the average annual run time for professional blowers as 620 hours per year. All company names are trademarks of their respective companies.

Thanks for all the information, in the past i have just bought the first blower that caught my eye so this time i want to do it right and get the best deal. The two units i was looking at are the Br 600 magnum and the bg66L. The reason i was looking at those two is because the sales man (who i have known a long time and mostly trust) said that with hand held blowers cheaper is better because you don't really gain all that much power going up in price you just pay for more bells and whistles (Antivibration, bigger fuel tanks, and so on). He said however that with backpacks bigger is better and that each price point is significantly better then the last. So he said ether go small or go all the way. I will have to do some reasech on the different models on stihls site.

Don't waist anymore time and research effort, buy a BR 600, the most amount of bang and the lightest weight of any backpack units!!

Ric said:

Many people get confused when looking to buy a leaf blower on how to find out it's blowing strength and it causes many people make the wrong decision when buying. There are a few things on gas powered leaf blowers that are an indication of it's blowing strength. My guess for the price you indicated you're looking at the BR 600

First is CFM, this term designates cubic feet per minute, the BR 600 has 712 CFM means that every minute 712 cubic feet of air volume is pushed through the end of the nozzle, so the higher the cfm the more cubic feet of air volume will be pushed through the nozzle. (That moves debris and or leaves.) Second is MPH, this designates the velocity / speed in which the air escapes the end of the nozzle only. (that doesn't necessarily move leaves) In short, buy the blower with the highest CFM your budget (and yard size) dictates.

The Br 600 has 712 cfm @ 201 mph which is more than enough to do what you want to do. there are others that are more powerful units on the market and cost more money but IMO are overkill in lawn-care or for moving debris. The BR 600 will handle wet stuff with no problem and can save you a ton of time. The other thing that may be of interest is the cost involved in running one or fuel consumption.

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"Great response MPH means nothing if you aren't moving any air"

Back pack all the way when was the last time you saw a Professional walking around with a handheld.Its all about image in Lawn care you have to look professional by the way be careful with Stihl they are great but cannot handle ethanol so put in 92 octane or higher ETHANOL FREE believe me its worth it just had to throw out a BR500 because the carb went and the piston was not getting enough lubrication from unproperly mixed oil from one of my employees and that piston dug a nice little hole in the cylinder wall and got stuck there $500 just flew out the door and it hard to finish a job without a blower Good Luck and remember treat a Stihl like the Cadillac of lawn equipment and it will last you.

13obrienjo said:

Thanks for all the information, in the past i have just bought the first blower that caught my eye so this time i want to do it right and get the best deal. The two units i was looking at are the Br 600 magnum and the bg66L. The reason i was looking at those two is because the sales man (who i have known a long time and mostly trust) said that with hand held blowers cheaper is better because you don't really gain all that much power going up in price you just pay for more bells and whistles (Antivibration, bigger fuel tanks, and so on). He said however that with backpacks bigger is better and that each price point is significantly better then the last. So he said ether go small or go all the way. I will have to do some reasech on the different models on stihls site.

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Well an alternative if you don't want to spend the money on a Br 600 and still want the power of the hand held your looking at in a Back Pack would be to go with the Br 200. The BG 66L has 418 cfm @ 143mph, a 27.2 cc engine and cost 239.95. You can get the BR 200 which is a 27.2 cc engine for 279.95 and it has 406 cfm @ 132 mph so actually there real close to being the same except it's a Back Pack. That's just a suggestion if money is an issue.

I run four different BP blowers The BR 200, 380. 550, and 600 and each have a purpose for me. Like the Br 200 is far more efficient doing entrance ways and smaller areas than the 600 as I said before it all comes down to overkill. To much blower in some circumstances is more of a hindrance than a benefit. I can also tell you there is a lot of power differences between the blowers I use.

Alright I have a couple more questions.
According to the fuel usuage calculator on stihls webpage the BG 600 is 2-3 times more fuel efficient as the BG 66, is this true or just "funny" math? If this is true it would pay for itselve very quickly.

All the 600's being sold near me are "hybrid" models, built like a 4 stroke but runs on 2 stroke fuel. Is there any pros or cons to this, I'm very mechanically skilled so minor problems arnt a big deal. I'm guessing the valves will have to be adjusted every year but is there anything else i should be aware of? (Extra adjusting on the carbs, or extra cleaning)

I can afford the extra 300 dollars for the bigger one im just trying to figure out if its actually worth the money or just my pride and ego telling me that I need the biggest baddest toy.

The BR 600 and similar Stihl models have a 4 stroke engine that does require mixing oil and gasoline. My BR 600 is 6 years old and still running fine. I also have a Stihl KM 90 Kombi Motor which is also a 4 stroke, for use with a string trimmer, branch trimmer, adjustable angle hedge trimmer, the KM 90 is also 6 years old. Yes, these 4 stroke engines do have adjustable valves. They are much quieter operating than most or all 2 stroke machines and use less fuel, which to me is not a concern.
I use Stihl quality oil and 91 or 93 octane fuel with ethanol, no choice about ethanol here in CT.
I use Star Tron enzyme fuel treatment in all my machines 2 & 4 stroke.
I use ValvTect carbon softening additive in all my 2 stroke and Stihl 4 stroke machines.
For storage, I dump the gasoline out, add a little fresh gas mix, run the engines and dump out the gasoline. The Stihl 4 strokes have a carb with a primer bulb. I reach into the fuel tank, snag the fuel filter and while holding the fuel hose, I remove the fuel filter and pushing the primer bulb, pump all remaining fuel from the carb. Then I install a new fuel filter and store the machine for the winter.
Several reasons I chose a Stihl BR 600, it is the lightest backpack machine with the most amount of airflow. It is quiet running although I always wear hearing protection. It hangs nicely on a hanger in my cargo trailer out of my way when it isn't being used.
It reduced the time I had spent with my 86 to less than half.
I clear the sidewalks, patios, steps, etc at all of my customers places and I clean my machines and trailer interior before I put the machines back into my trailer.
I have a friend that wants to buy my BR 600 having used it several times, I may sell it and go right out and buy a new one!!!
Mad Mackie in CT:laughing::biggrin::smile:

13obrienjo said:

Alright I have a couple more questions.
According to the fuel usuage calculator on stihls webpage the BG 600 is 2-3 times more fuel efficient as the BG 66, is this true or just "funny" math? If this is true it would pay for itselve very quickly.

All the 600's being sold near me are "hybrid" models, built like a 4 stroke but runs on 2 stroke fuel. Is there any pros or cons to this, I'm very mechanically skilled so minor problems arnt a big deal. I'm guessing the valves will have to be adjusted every year but is there anything else i should be aware of? (Extra adjusting on the carbs, or extra cleaning)

I can afford the extra 300 dollars for the bigger one im just trying to figure out if its actually worth the money or just my pride and ego that want the biggest baddest toy.

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The Fuel consumption data was provided by a third party independent laboratory so my guess is it will be accurate. The BR 600 is the new technology, they call it a 4 stroke or cycle engine that runs on a gas oil lubrication, same ratio as the 2 stroke. According to the testing that was done the Br 600 is the most fuel efficient going and depending on your business could have an impact on your bottom line at the end of the year.
If you can afford the BR 600 it's the way to go for sure, I had three other size blowers on the trailer and I've never regretted buying the 600, it was money well spent. As far as pride and ego goes and having the the biggest and baddest toy on the block, it's way over rated. I'm of the opinion that velocity and air volume only go so far and that everything over 200 mph and cfm ratings over 750 cfm isn't usable and is over kill.

One more question can i tone down the power for when i don't need it? Something along the lines of a replacement end tube thats wider or even drilling holes in the side of a spare tube. Sort of like how you change the tips on a power washer.

They have a throttle, just slow it down or let it idle.

The only thing we use stihl is their chainsaws. I switched all our hand held power tools to echo last season and couldn't be happier with them. I have 2 of the echo 550 back blowers. Our back up back pack blower is a huskavarna its way quieter but not nearly as powerful as the echo blowers. Unless something changes with stihl I won't be using them again. Echo is ethanol ready runs as good, more comfortable and way more reliable they drink gas though.

Thanks, the throttle on my echo didn't really do anything to change the power however it didn't have a whole lot of power anyways since it is probably one of the smallest ones they make.
And there is only one echo dalership and a home depot in the area that sell echos and i don't like ether one of them. Plus everything else I own is stihl so i might as well stay consistant. The only reason i bought it is because i really needed it over a weekend and homedepot was the only place open and it was the only blower that they had. There is nothing wrong with it or the echo company and it works great for what it is, its just not for me.

Dealer support is important I like both the independent dealers one sells stihl and the other echo. They're both quality products I just always had issues with our stihl stuff. A lot of guys use it and love it. Long story short you'll save yourself a ton of time with a backpack blower, and time is money. Ric probably had the best description of the difference with cfm vs air speed.

Thanks guys I think im going to go for the 600. Now I just have to find a way to explain to my family and friends that i just spent 500 dollars on a leaf blower with out them trying to do an intervention.

13obrienjo said:

Thanks guys I think im going to go for the 600. Now I just have to find a way to explain to my family and friends that i just spent 500 dollars on a leaf blower with out them trying to do an intervention.

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Hey, As they say it's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. :laughing: You'll be happy with the 600.

TaskForceLawnCare said:

The only thing we use stihl is their chainsaws. I switched all our hand held power tools to echo last season and couldn't be happier with them. I have 2 of the echo 550 back blowers. Our back up back pack blower is a huskavarna its way quieter but not nearly as powerful as the echo blowers. Unless something changes with stihl I won't be using them again. Echo is ethanol ready runs as good, more comfortable and way more reliable they drink gas though.

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"ECHO is honestly a better company in my opinion easier to work on and reliable VS Sthil where you have to tear half of the unit down just to replace the carb or a fuel line"

Ryan Rognstad said:

"ECHO is honestly a better company in my opinion easier to work on and reliable VS Sthil where you have to tear half of the unit down just to replace the carb or a fuel line"

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Echo is a good unit. They just don't produce power like stihl. Besides even if you have to tear half the unit down to replace something it only takes 5 mins

exotion said:

Echo is a good unit. They just don't produce power like stihl. Besides even if you have to tear half the unit down to replace something it only takes 5 mins

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I was bent on getting a backpack blower but I ran across an Echo PB2050LN handheld at Home Depot that was a "refurb" for $70. I couldn't resist the deal so I bought it. When I went to the Echo website to check the warranty registration it appeared that the "original" owner never registered it. I was able to register and receive the full warranty on it and consider myself to have made out like a bandit. I am VERY pleased(as is my wife, who volunteers to do the trimming and cleanup when I mow) with it's performance(starts on 2nd or 3rd pull every time) and for a homeowner's needs it does a stellar job.

exotion said:

Echo is a good unit. They just don't produce power like stihl. Besides even if you have to tear half the unit down to replace something it only takes 5 mins

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As far as tearing it down either unit Echo or Stihl would probably be about the same. I really can't see one being easier than the other too work on.

Everybody's got an opinion, and here's mine for what it's worth. I have owned or used quite a few leaf blowers in over 30yrs in the mowing for hire business, in my opinion commercial hand held leaf blowers are of bad design, and the reason I say this is they are all left handed, which is great if your left handed, but if your right handed the sideway's mounted fan is going to suck your pant leg into the intake, the other problem I have is that they wan't to torque or twist because of the side mounted fan. The 1st hand held blower design that stihl came out with had the fan on the bottom, something they should have stuck with, but I'm sure it was cheaper to build the fan on the side or they wouldn't have changed. I have only used stihl, echo, red max and husqvarna hand held blowers, none of which blow as hard as my 32cc mtd, the fan is mounted in the front so you can use it in either hand without it sucking your pant leg into the intake. The draw back is I have to change the cylinder about every 2 seasons, the mtd is a consumer model with a half crank and a single crank bearing I've been using 2 of these blowers since 07 and have not had to replace a crank bearing. 0ne is my primary handheld blower and the other is back up, I also carry a third back up and it's a stihl that rarely gets used. As far as back pack blowers go if you wan't power thats the way to go. I'm currently using an old fradan back pack blower, which gets the job done but I prefer kawasaki's, they blow hard and last long, I don't have any experience with stihl back pack blowers but I'm sure they're good.

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