Leaf Blower Query

[ralph7]

My old electric leaf blower is on it's last legs and I'm going to get a gas one this time.
Will probably get a 2 stroke and want one that blows the hardest, as I hate that part of lawn maintenance more than mowing or weedeating.
Which one is your favorite?

 

[klausinak]

Do yourself a favor & get the professional grade stuff; i.e., a backpack model. IIRC the landscape outfit I used to work for used Shindaiwa, or something to that effect, I remember the Daiwa part as it was just like the fishing reels.

 

[ralph7]

I have an average sized suburban yard (7500 sf)
Think I'd look like a goof with a backpack blower to tell you the truth.

 

[4barrel]

You need to think about the electric one again because there is no woman on planet earth that can crank one while you are kicked back & drinking a cold one on your day off. Todays gas sucks & it aint gona crank if u let it set 4 months. Buy her a longer cord for Christmas. It will help keep her in shape.

 

[ralph7]

A gentleman should always start the wench's yard devices.

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

Problem with leaf blowers is that those leaves and grass clippings get blowed somewheres and it's usually somewhere off your property which means on someone elses property or the street. At some point somebody has got to pick them up. That conservation of matter thing we learned back in physics class.

 

[vt_shooter]

Do yourself a favor & get the professional grade stuff; i.e., a backpack model. IIRC the landscape outfit I used to work for used Shindaiwa, or something to that effect, I remember the Daiwa part as it was just like the fishing reels.

Bulls' eye. I bought a Stihl BR550 backpack blower 5 or 6 years ago, and I should have bought one decades earlier. It takes 90% of the drudgery out of raking leaves, the remaining 10% is raking the piles of leaves onto a big tarp to drag them into the woods. Some commercial equipment rental places rent them, you might rent one first (~$50/day), but I guarantee you'll buy one the following year.

 

[BigBill]

Do not buy anything that's refurbished online.

Buy a homelite from home depot, Lowe's, Wal-Mart or a local garden power sully shop.

Everything I get refurbished is such a deal. Either it's missing parts or it won't run. I just throw money out the window.

My 25 year old homelite just died this new gasoline ate the fuel line. I think I'll just fix it.

It's better to mulch it with the mower to feed the lawn over the winter?

 

[ralph7]

Problem with leaf blowers is that those leaves and grass clippings get blowed somewheres and it's usually somewhere off your property which means on someone elses property or the street. At some point somebody has got to pick them up. That conservation of matter thing we learned back in physics class.

Wouldn't do that to my neighbors.
I blow stuff in a pile and bag it. The mower mulches the grass, the edger is the main offender.

 

[TAROMAN]

Same place I get my chainsaws: Stihl.
A BG55 will serve you well.

 

[Hodgin]

I agree with the advice on getting a commercial blower if you got the need. I have a mulching mower and cut my leaf problem down quite a bit. I get alot more from my neighbor's than from my trees.

I bought an Echo blower from HD and have used it for about 6-7 years with no problems. It's not very powerful, around 175 mph, but does a decent job if I get to them fast enough (before they get wet and embed in the grass). HD doesn't carry my Echo's model now but they probably carry something similar.

I recently bought a much more powerful electric blower (245 mph) for drying vehicles. I'd definitely go with a good electric blower if my yard was smaller and the power cords weren't such a hassle.

 

[ralph7]

I'm leaning towards a Stihl or an Echo.

 

[ralph7]

I agree with the advice on getting a commercial blower if you got the need. I have a mulching mower and cut my leaf problem down quite a bit. I get alot more from my neighbor's than from my trees.

I bought an Echo blower from HD and have used it for about 6-7 years with no problems. It's not very powerful, around 175 mph, but does a decent job if I get to them fast enough (before they get wet and embed in the grass). HD doesn't carry my Echo's model now but they probably carry something similar.

I recently bought a much more powerful electric blower (245 mph) for drying vehicles. I'd definitely go with a good electric blower if my yard was smaller and the power cords weren't such a hassle.

So the electrics are the most powerful?

 

[long colt frazier]

Same place I get my chainsaws: Stihl.
A BG55 will serve you well.

That's the ticket and add in a stihl backpack and your ready for fall.
Mark

 

[soFlaNative]

Echo PB225 for the last 8 years serves me well. Rebuilt the carb, meters and screen, replaced fuel lines all about 6 mos. ago. Been using ethanol free gas ever since. Edge and trimming done first, debris blown back in my yard then mowed. Seen too many storm drains backed up from yard waste.

 

[vt_shooter]

So the electrics are the most powerful?

No. It's not just velocity that matters, it's the volume of air it moves. There's no way a plug-in blower that plugs into a 120V 20A outlet is going to come close to a Stihl BR550 backpack blower for moving leaves.

 

[GtownGeorge]

+1 on the Stihl. I have one for heavy duty work and a battery one for light work around the pool. I'd really like to give one of the 40V battery one's a try.

 

[Oldiron]

Get a backpack blower. I seldom use mine for leaves. It is a quick way to clean all of the dust and grass from the hay baler before it gets tarped after baling a field.
Works good on leaves if I can't get them cut with the riding mower.
Larry

 

[doublesharp]

If you get a backpack get one with at least a 70cc engine. I've got a Stihl BG55 handheld and a Marayuma (Kawasaki) 75cc backpack. I use the handheld 10 times as much as I use the backpack. I turn leaves into dust with G6 mulching blades on my zero turn.

 

[cass]

Another vote for the Echo. I've had mine for five years, and zero problems. It has more than enough power - sure blows out the dryer vents good.

 

[LostintheOzone]

Same place I get my chainsaws: Stihl.
A BG55 will serve you well.

I've used one of these for about 6 years. Great blower. I don't think anyone has more leaves than I do. I've got 3 very large maples in my yard and I have a mountain of leaves to clean up. I'm looking to buy the handheld shredder that Stihl makes.

 

[billwill]

Buy a Stihl backpack blower, end of discussion and your yard work will be a lot easier.

 

[TAROMAN]

Another use for mine is blow-drying my street machine's engine after I wash it.

 

[loutent]

Check out the Makita 4 cycle - no mixing - starts on 1 pull - - I gave up on 2 cycle stuff last year and yard work is sane again.

 

[Grayfox]

For 25 years part fo my job was keeping my city's small engine stuff running.
Stihl is the only way to go.

 

[Hodgin]

So the electrics are the most powerful?

It depends on the blower. My Black and Decker blower is 240 mph, 385 cfm. My Echo is 185 mph, 390 cfm. Not much difference other than the speed. I can assure you there is a difference when it comes to removing water from a vehicle. Of course, there are gas blowers with alot more cfm and lower horsepower that will out perform electric models. If I had some serious leaf blowing I'd go with one of those models.

My echo serves my purposes pretty well, mostly blowing leaves of the drive way. The electric would do that just as well, if not better, but I'd have to use at least two or three power cords for my drive. If I could get by with 50 ft or so of cord I'd prefer to use my electric for the job since I don't have to put up with the fuel, maintenance, and weight of the gas blower. I also paid more than twice for my echo than the b&d, which will probably even out since it'll probably last twice as long for the same duty.

 

[rog8732]

I expect Stihl may be the best, but I settled for an Echo hand-held.It is great, and reasonable in price. Five years, and no shop maintenance yet.

On the shady side of structures it will lift up and blow moss away !

 

[jframe]

I've got the small handheld Stihl and it works great for the medium size yard at the house I rent. I blow all the leaves in the ditch at the road, and the city picks them up.Also use it year round to blow off the carport and the Corvette every time it's washed.

 

[kozmic]

I have a big DR pull behind vacuum with a Robins/Subaru motor, an Echo back pack and a Stihl electric for around the house. As much as I love the fall, leaves 'bout kick my butt every year.

In my neighborhood I'm known as the "Leaf King". It is not a title I embrace.

 

[mi2600]

I thought about a backpack style, but I like to switch hands while I'm blowing leaves and other detritus. I don't see how you can do that with a backpack.

I had a couple Sears' gas models, made by Poulon...junk. I finally swallowed my pride and asked a salesperson at Home Depot and bought an Echo. Couldn't be happier.