Stihl Blowers

[Mikes Landscaping]

What model Stihl blower should I get? I don't know if I really need a back pack.

Mike

[Jack D.]

You will want a RedMax8000 or Echo 750.

Jack D. has tried the new Stihl 4Mix Blower, BR550, and they fall short of the above mentioned.

The soon to be discontinued BR420 is not worthy of consideration.

[Sasquatch52]

I have the magnum 420 and it works awesome with the extention tube.

[cjm2783]

echo 403 is good if you're starting out, it will run you about 320.00. it's a good commercial bp.
you dont want a hand held... looks cheap.

cjm

[Southern Turf]

We recently purchased ten Stihl BR-550 blowers and five of them are already down. I would like to know if others are haveing problems with this blower.

[Lawnboy22260]

Southern Turf, you might want to contact your dealer because stihl sent out a notice to all dealers to stop all sales of the 550. But back to the blowers, yes the pb750 by echo is proballay the best blower of there right now. I swear I get more power out of this then my 5hp Little Wonder..

[hardboiled]

You may get by cleaning up grass clippings off concrete or cleaning out small beds with a handheld but if there are any trees around you'll want a backpack come fall (unless you like to rake).
The nice feature of the handheld is it's vac but even it can be a pain. One piece of mulch, twig or pine cone can shut it down. Damp leaves don't do very well either, then you have to take the whole housing apart to clean it out.
You won't be sorry if you get a powerful backpack. The ability to blow farther means less walking and fewer piles to pick up, all saving time.

[HemiSize]

Southern Turf.... I've been running a BR 550 for a few months and I've had a few problems with it bogging down. What problems are you having? I heard that Stihl had some production problems. You might consider that you got a defective batch of the line. I'm gussing that your dealer had to special order from a major warehouse.

[Bates12]

stihl br550

I currently own a Stihl Br 550. The thing works great. i havent had any problems with it. It came with a 2 year warranty. The 4 mix model is a lot quieter and just as powerful as the other models. I havent tried the redmax but i hear good things about them

[HemiSize]

I'm never buying stihl again

[MGO]

See post "Fan shrapnel in the back anyone..."...just three posts below this thread.

Buy a RedMax!

[buster57]

Depends what you are doing with the blower?

All I do with the hand held is blow off long drive ways or dust off expensive automomiles. The Stihl BR55 is perfect for that application. Cost about $150.
If you are doing bigger jobs then you may want to look at a back pack blower. I have no experience with them.

[bobbo]

echo or redmax

[TrimYourBush]

Stihl? Echo? -- They are the TIMEX !! Junk.

I've been in the biz for 20+ years and have used every brand of backpack made. MARUYAMA invented the backpack in the 1950's, and their products are FAR superior to any other brand. They're difficult to find, and you may have to buy them on the internet, but they all have a 2-year warranty and make Echo, Stihl, and these other guys look like toys. Visit their website @www.maruyama-us.com to find a dealer. We run 108 crews in Fort Lauderdale 360 days per year in up to 100-degree temps, and have blowers that are 15 years old still running strong. Another thing, if you see something for sale at a Depot or home center, it's for your Aunt Martha, NOT COMMERCIAL TO MAKE A LIVING WITH!! Get wise! ~ TMB

[buster57]

"Timex!! Junk."

All the crews in Oregon use Shindawa, Stihl, commercial grade Echo, or Red Max. It rains in Oregon every once in a while and these guys never seem to slow down.
I suspect that all four brands are excellent and that the dealer and availability of parts and service is the key when these businesses choose what kind of equipment to purchase.
I have never seen Shindawa, Stihl or Red Max at consumer stores like Home Depot. I have seen them at high end John Deere and Kubota dealers as well as businesses that cater to lawn service industry.
I certainly would not refer to these brands as “Timex” or “Junk”. That is Bizarre....