New Echo PB-2520 handheld leaf blower

MowerMike

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https://www.echo-usa.com/getattachment/369a2690-5206-4a30-a2a4-e8dfe65251b6/PB-2520.pdf

I just bought a new model Echo leaf blower that addresses my two biggest complaints with my old PB-250LN, namely, lack of blowing force and too much weight. The new model is a lot more potent, while being a good one pound lighter. It is also $20 less expensive, due mostly I suspect to much simplification of the design. For example, the gas tank is now an integrated part of the main housing, and the latch for the blower tube connection is part of the fan cover. The only downside is that it is a lot louder now, in the same league as a Stihl or Husqvarna. So far I’ve run it a half dozen times and half a tank of fuel using 50:1 Trufuel ethanol free 91 octane canned premix. I is a bit cold blooded, needing about two minutes run time before it can run cleanly at WOT. Starting effort is about the same as my old Echo, which is to say a bit hard, and I wish they had incorporated the I30 starter that they use in the backpack version. I also wish they had changed the ON/OFF switch to an auto reset style, like every other brand now uses. One more improvement is the new two piece fan inlet guard, which results in zero clothing suck, although the old version wasn’t particularly bad. Tuning from the factory is spot on with the idle speed steady at the specified 3000 rpm, and WOT rpm has increased 400 rpm over the old model to 7500 rpm. Throttle response is also noticeably faster than the PB-250LN. Overall, this new model looks like a winner.
 

Darryl G

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I've seen some of your posts here and I thought you were going the cordless route and had 2 cordless blowers. Just curious why a new gas-fired one? Are you finding the cordless inadequate for your purposes?

Your new Echo seems nice. I have an older Echo Shredder-Vac that I mostly use as a handheld blower. Mostly just for blowing things off around the house. It's been a trouble-free unit except that the on/off switch is worn and needs to be mashed up pretty hard. I have a replacement switch...just waiting for the current one to fail or get totally annoying, lol. I also like the switches that automatically return to run position. I always feel like an idiot when I realize that I've been trying to start a machine while it's switched off.
 

MowerMike

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I've seen some of your posts here and I thought you were going the cordless route and had 2 cordless blowers. Just curious why a new gas-fired one? Are you finding the cordless inadequate for your purposes?

Your new Echo seems nice. I have an older Echo Shredder-Vac that I mostly use as a handheld blower. Mostly just for blowing things off around the house. It's been a trouble-free unit except that the on/off switch is worn and needs to be mashed up pretty hard. I have a replacement switch...just waiting for the current one to fail or get totally annoying, lol. I also like the switches that automatically return to run position. I always feel like an idiot when I realize that I've been trying to start a machine while it's switched off.

I’ve always used both cordless and gas leaf blowers. The cordless blowers work fine for normal cleanup after mowing and blowing out the garage, porch, patio, driveway etc., but for serious leaf wrangling, only a gas blower will do. The cordless blowers have very short run times at full power, and spare batteries are very expensive. The same goes for pressure washers, my electric is fine for washing my cars, by I need my gas unit to clean my pavement. However, I am now 100% electric when it comes to lawnmowers, string trimmers, hedge trimmers, blade edgers and chainsaws.
 

Darryl G

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Thanks for the reply. I'm 100% gas-fired now that my cordless hedge trimmer needs a new battery. It's just a cheap B&D 18V NiMH unit I picked up at their outlet store years ago for $60. I may upgrade to a nicer LI unit at some point. Cordless equipment has come a long way since then.
 

MowerMike

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Thanks for the reply. I'm 100% gas-fired now that my cordless hedge trimmer needs a new battery. It's just a cheap B&D 18V NiMH unit I picked up at their outlet store years ago for $60. I may upgrade to a nicer LI unit at some point. Cordless equipment has come a long way since then.

Did you mean NiCd battery ? I don’t think B&D ever used NiMH batteries in their tools. I’ve got a bunch of old tools with dead NiCd batteries that I will never use again. If you buy another cordless OPE, I’d stay away from B&D, which is really junky now, and get something better like EGO, Makita or Dewalt.
 

Darryl G

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Yeah it's a NiCad. My bad. #244760-00. Either it was a bad description on Amazon or my eyes are failing me, lol. I just had it as something to toss in the toolbox in the bed of my truck for doing a couple Boxwoods or for one-handed operation over my head. Most of my hedge jobs are done as stand-alone projects and I have 4 gas-fired units I use for them. I just don't want to be hauling a gas-fired unit around all the time so the B&D was handy to have. And agree about B&D. It was an impulse purchase as an experiment when I was at their outlet store in the mall. At $60 for a re-manufactured unit I figured I couldn't go wrong. It was something I could have my teen-age son use when he was helping me too.
 
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