leaf blower

[aidank]

Im in the market for a leaf blower for DIY use, I have a bit of hedgecutting to do, however I want something with a bit of power too.

I guess backback is the way to go when I want a vacuum bag.

Any suggestions what is good and bad, a Stihl seems to be twice the price of most others

I was wondering would the vacuum also do for cleaning eve chutes and car interiors etc if can get up near them and they have been drying out for a while. ?

 

[driz]

Im in the market for a leaf blower for DIY use, I have a bit of hedgecutting to do, however I want something with a bit of power too.

I guess backback is the way to go when I want a vacuum bag.

Any suggestions what is good and bad, a Stihl seems to be twice the price of most others

I was wondering would the vacuum also do for cleaning eve chutes and car interiors etc if can get up near them and they have been drying out for a while. ?

So place in net land there’s a place that sells leafblowers only. Something like leafblowers.com Ect. It’s a great place to compare . From my experience , having 2 you want one that the vac setup doesn’t interfere with the blower function or take a hassle to switch over. There’s not that many that do both out there. If you are picking up lots of twigs ect try to get one with a steel impeller, most are plastic. The inevitable small stones take their toll.
Don’t get big bulky if you plan on daily use as blower like me to clean out the garage. They are great picking up leaves twice a year but sort of heavy for daily use in the meantime. There’s your trade off.
For versatility try to get one that the blower and vac is a simple switch and doesn’t interfere with the other in some huge reconfiguration.


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[aidank]

I also had the idea of using it to clean out the garage, do you use it in blow or suction mode for that task

 

[mowkep]

I've had my Echo backpack for over 10 years, probably more like 15. Couple of tune-ups and that's it. Paid $499 for a commercial one. Never regretted it.

 

[RKA]

You use it to blow out the garage. The vacuum function is only intended for dry leaves not cleaning gutters or downspouts, which typically have wet material lodged in them.

As to the metal impeller, I haven’t seen that offered in handheld blower/vacs. They typically have a metal mulching tines, but branches can get past them and crack the plastic impeller. You may not have a choice here. Buy an extra impeller so you can replace on the spot if you accidentally **** up a branch and damage the impeller.

 

[driz]

I also had the idea of using it to clean out the garage, do you use it in blow or suction mode for that task

Mines an Echo as is my chainsaw FWIW. I used yo **** stuff up in the garage . Lately I blow it out the door into the grass. It’s just easier. Most is **** the perpetual South wind blew on to begin with. It’s a never ending battle........


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[WinMod21]

I've always been pretty happy with my Stihl chainsaws & blowers (Stihl Pro chainsaws & both Pro & Homeowner blowers). Yes they're typ a little more price-wise than other brands, but I've always figured well worth it due to quality & dependability &c. It looks like Stihl does make a 'Gutter Kit'.

https://www.stihlusa.com/products/blowers-and-shredder-vacs/

. . . though do your research and read the User Reviews, regarding the shredder vac/blowers, as there are many underwhelmed users when it comes to the shredding/vacuuming performance, or lack thereof.

Btw, some landscaper friends of mine really like their heavily used: RedMax & Shindaiwa brands.

 

[CR888]

Last two blowers I bought I said the dealer could keep the vacuum kits. There near damn useless, ruin the plastic impellers & are just not that good. Handheld blowers are great for sweeping up leaves, driveways etc but I'll use the push mower to pick up leaves on the lawn. Backpack blowers are even better for serious work but for little things here & there I grab the petrol handhelds first. The gutter kit stihl offers is for blowing out your gutters not sucking debris out of them.

 

[Steve_P]

I have a 35 yr old hand held Echo PB-200 that I bought new. It has enough power but it gets tiring on leaf day when I use it for hours. Can't go wrong w Echo IMO, but I also want a cordless unit to blow out the garage or for a quick clean up.

 

[CJM8515]

Stihl, Echo, Husky, Redmax, Shindaiwa. I will not own anything else. Homeowner **** is ****..junk not worth owning.

 

[FordFanatic]

For the last 20 years I used corded Toro blowers with variable speed control and replaced them as they wore out/broke - usually about 5 - 7 years or so. Also necessitated having a 100 foot heavy gauge power cable that was a pain in the you know what...

Well, for father's day my sons got me the EGO cordless LB6504 (okay - they asked what I wanted and would use so I told them about this blower) 56V, 650 CFM, 180 MPH blower and this thing is fantastic! It is so convenient to use, tons of power, and good battery life - I am using this much more than I ever considered using the corded blower.

Check out the video reviews on YouTube if you are interested in learning more.

Cheers,
Tim

 

[Crabman]

aldank

How much land, how many eves, how much hedge?

Depending on your needs cordless could work as FordFanatic indicates.

I have Milwaukee M!8 fuel blower. Good for eves. Good for garage, Good for anything short of like bags and bags of fall leaves. And the M18 hedge trimmers are nice. I have the regular one and the articulating one, both have met different needs.

Good luck finding a good fit.

Bruce

 

[setfocus]

when I was a kid, in the 90's, my dad got a corded electric leaf blower that had a vac option. It was useless on vac, it seemed to do ok as a blower, but I was a kid. I don't know if vac mode blowers are any better now, but I still avoid them

I've got a handheld gas Echo PB 250LN I believe, which you can still get but Echo now only lists a newer model on their website. I have no complaints. I think the high-end, handheld, cordless blowers are close or equal in power to the gas now. I went gas because it takes me hours in the fall, to get all the leaves from the big maple tree in the back yard, to the front street. Go through about a tank and a half of gas and sometimes a broken rake, getting it done. Kinda wish I had a cordless for the quick jobs.

 

[zkling]

What are some of the names available over there? I like husky / redmax. The stihl 4 mix worry me as an infrequent user.

 

[mcj115]

I have a Sthil Br350 backpack blower. I picked it up on a sale event for$300 ish. Yes it does cost a little more but you can easily get parts and service for many years to come.

My father just gave me his old Stihl hedge clippers after he went battery powered. The clippers are at least 30 years old because they were made in West Germany...lol. they still run like a tip with ethanol free fuel.

 

[aidank]

Not a huge amount at all actually, however it rains and is quite windy during Autumn, so I was looking at this leaf blower option.

we have stihl and huskyvarna and echo and we have McCullough, which google tells me is now owned by huskyvarna. Im sure they are marketed as something else across the Alantic.

we also have Makita and some japanese stuff.

and then there would be ryobi and then lighter duty stuff like here in the big stores

https://www.diy.com/departments/out...-tools/leaf-blowers-garden-vacs/DIY780428.cat

 

[Ilikeike]

We bought a Makita 4 stroke handheld for the shop at work, I'm really liking the 4 stroke stuff, our weed wacker is also 4 stroke.

 

[exmaxima1]

Stihl, Echo, Husky, Redmax, Shindaiwa. I will not own anything else. Homeowner **** is ****..junk not worth owning.

I agree that homeowner blowers are ****, but I would not include Stihl on that list: too damn hard to start. I gave away my Stihl trimmer after getting a Maruyama, and my buddy can't start his Stihl chainsaw after spending $150 to have it "fixed".

I like my Echo PB-200 blower, but it is too small for autumn leaf cleanup. Fine for garage floor and driveway after mowing the lawn.

 

[Ilikeike]

I agree that homeowner blowers are ****, but I would not include Stihl on that list: too damn hard to start. I gave away my Stihl trimmer after getting a Maruyama, and my buddy can't start his Stihl chainsaw after spending $150 to have it "fixed".

I like my Echo PB-200 blower, but it is too small for autumn leaf cleanup. Fine for garage floor and driveway after mowing the lawn.

That's funny, I've had my Stihl at home for 15 years or so, and I've always had to pull it 4-5-7 times and fiddle with the choke and throttle to get it to start. and I'm always saying Start you POS ! lol, but it works good once it's going.

Never had that issue with the old echo at work or our new Makita 4 stroke.

 

[CJM8515]

Stihls and echo stuff is always hard to get going it seems. I too know what it’s like to yank the cord 10x till it finally kicks over lol

 

[setfocus]

Stihls and echo stuff is always hard to get going it seems. I too know what it’s like to yank the cord 10x till it finally kicks over lol

I run the pre-mixed ethanol free fuel in my Echo, prime it 2-3 times, set full choke, give it one pull. Drop the choke just off "full"... starts on the next pull or one more pull after

 

[never rest]

I run the pre-mixed ethanol free fuel in my Echo, prime it 2-3 times, set full choke, give it one pull. Drop the choke just off "full"... starts on the next pull or one more pull after

Same here. 2-3 pulls every single time with the pre-mix.

 

[Bigblockyeti]

I have a handheld husky with the vac kit and while it does ok as a vac, it's a bit of a PITA to change over, it's cumbersome to hold and have the bag strap over your shoulder and a little mulch along with everything else other than dry leaves left the impeller in rough shape after using it for only 20 minutes. I still have the vac kit but I'm not using it any more, just not worth tearing up what otherwise is a pretty good blower.

 

[Frank_Z]

Stihl is a good brand. Depending on how mobile you want to be Milwaukee and Dewalt make some good cordless options as well.

 

[driz]

Same here. 2-3 pulls every single time with the pre-mix.

Mine takes sometimes 4-5 but then it’s below zero. Like I said earlier I literally blow the accumulated leaves and sand out the garage door about daily. I truly love a squeeze bulb AND real old fashioned you flip it yourself choke lever. My echo chain saws the same way, always starts right up.


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[SteveW1000]

I've two hand held and two backpack Stihl Blowers. Backpacks are ridiculously powerful. Hand helds one set up with a vacuum bag and one as a blower. Works great as a vac, small twigs are OK pencil size ones sometimes get stuck between the impeller and the housing which is a pain as you have to pull the tubes off to extract the twigs. Impeller holds up well and been using it for four years in a semi professional capacity without signs of damage.

 

[mowkep]

I run the pre-mixed ethanol free fuel in my Echo, prime it 2-3 times, set full choke, give it one pull. Drop the choke just off "full"... starts on the next pull or one more pull after

Was lucky to have ethanol free gas for the first 10 years of use. Always first or second pull after priming as well.

 

[RKA]

I run the pre-mixed ethanol free fuel in my Echo, prime it 2-3 times, set full choke, give it one pull. Drop the choke just off "full"... starts on the next pull or one more pull after

Agreed, if anyone is having a hard time starting a Stihl, follow these instructions. Full choke and pull once or twice until you hear the engine stumble and sputter out. Back off the choke halfway and give it 1-2 more pulls and you’re off to the races.

I initially didn’t and I guess my dealer assumed I already knew. I brought a chainsaw back and told him it’s a POS, I can’t start the damn thing. Ever since he educated me on this starting sequence, it’s dead reliable and easy to start. Same with the 2 stroke blower.

 

[Kevin54]

I had a John Deere leafblower. Worst one I have ever owned. Lasted maybe 5 years before it got chucked in the trash. It got to the point that it wouldn't run consistent. You'd have to keep playing with the throttle just to keep it running. Non serviceable. And a new carb for it was $189. I only paid $225 for it when new.

 

[dantedem]

I bought a second-hand husky 350BT off a landscaper (!) and it's been the most reliable yard tool to date. Takes a yank to turn over but always starts on the second pull. The only way I'd love that thing more is if it was electric.

 

[theoldwizard1]

I have a hand held Stihl blower/vacuum. Vacuum is a pain in the **** to use, but it does chop up the leaves nicely for some really fine mulch.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Agreed, if anyone is having a hard time starting a Stihl, follow these instructions. Full choke and pull once or twice until you hear the engine stumble and sputter out. Back off the choke halfway and give it 1-2 more pulls and you’re off to the races.

Maybe if it is very cold ! One or two pulls with full choke, then no choke. Too many pulls with full choke and it floods which takes a long time to clear.

Let it idle for about 60 seconds before full throttle.

 

[never rest]

Mine takes sometimes 4-5 but then it’s below zero. Like I said earlier I literally blow the accumulated leaves and sand out the garage door about daily. I truly love a squeeze bulb AND real old fashioned you flip it yourself choke lever. My echo chain saws the same way, always starts right up.


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Mine's never been used below freezing let alone below zero, but I do use it year-round and it's been very consistent. Only three years in though, so maybe that'll change over time.

In any case, a good backpack blower has been one of the best lawncare purchases I've made. I was looking at Stihl, Echo, and Husqvarna and it didn't seem like there was a wrong choice among them. Went with a PB-580T and I couldn't be more pleased.

 

[so2315]

Echo PB8010 is currently the king of the hill in blowers. Most power and speed. I bought one and it is a beast. Will actually dig stuff out of the grass!

 

[usa#1]

Echo PB8010 is currently the king of the hill in blowers. Most power and speed. I bought one and it is a beast. Will actually dig stuff out of the grass!

I have one also. It's a beast for sure. Wet leaves no problem.. I also have a 770, it's pretty strong but nothing compared to the 8010.

 

[lolaetype]

I've got a Husqvarna backpack blower I use in the yard. Plenty of power and it has always started on the second pull. Good sized gas tank so you aren't stopping every 10 minutes to fill it up.

My only complaint is the kill switch isn't spring loaded to automatically return to the run position so occasionally I'll forget and try to start it with the switch in the kill position.

 

[Dakotadadv8]

Stihls and Echo are very good. Upgraded to Stihls BR 800 Magnum, you better wear gravity boots.

 

[exmaxima1]

I have a 35 yr old hand held Echo PB-200 that I bought new. It has enough power but it gets tiring on leaf day when I use it for hours. Can't go wrong w Echo IMO, but I also want a cordless unit to blow out the garage or for a quick clean up.

I've owned mine for only 10 years----the previous owner had it 15 years or so before dumping it due to a rotted fuel line. Works fine and fairly quiet, but not much power. Just bought a new Husky w/gutter attachment for the upcoming fall season.

 

[kngelv]

I have a RedMax backpack blower, they are now owned by Husqvarna both Still and Echo are good too. I have a mix of Echo, Stihl, Shindaiwa and RedMax yard tools. A Honda snowblower and pressure washer plus a Toro mower. Some are 15 years old or more and they all start quite easily. None of them have ever seen gas with ethanol in it. I live close to a river and lake so it's quite easy to get ethanol-free gas because of the boaters. Ethanol causes 90% of hard starting issues.

James