I have a LOT of leaves I have to move every Fall. About 15 years ago checked all the reviews and bought a Redmax 8001 it was one of the biggest, strongest backpack blowers at the time. It still does its job, but I have always had a problem getting parts,even from the dealer. I have to search for them online now, and it has been that way for several years. If I had to replace it today I would get the biggest backpack blower Stihl makes for the simple reason they seem to have better parts distribution from the dealers. Also no one has mentioned it, but another plus for the big blowers is wet leaves. They are twice as hard to move as dry leaves.
Biggest COMMERCIAL Stihl, RedMax, Echo backpack you can handle/afford.
In that order fio the big three.
Forget HD and Lowes.
Go to a large equipment Dealer/Service Center that carries all three and try them all on. Bring your big jacket you'll have on whole blowing.
Also check out the rolling blowers like Billy Goat if your property configuration warrants the big$$$ expenditure for time savings.
This^^^
The backpack vs hand held is personal preference. When I did it commercially, we used Red Max and they never bobbled...you'll wear out the straps, hoses, throttle, etc before the motor...
I use an Echo handheld now ...going on 20 years ..only maintenance it's ever received is washing the air filter and topping off the fuel tank...yep... pump gas with ethanol....
Same with the Echo line trimmer.
If you care for them....and use them regularly....they will run
I got a Husqavarna, when I first got it they offered to extend the warranty to 3 years if I bought 2 cans of premix to use with it
I've had it about 7 years now. When I got it , it started on the second pull. I think it adds a pull for each year of its life because I'm up to about 7 now.
Works well and was about $200 less than the Stihl
That said I have an old Stihl hand held that I bought from a landscaper about 12 years ago, the thing had gone thru hell before I got it and I didn't treat it much better. I could pour wesson oil in the tank and the sumbitch will start on the 3rd pull
most of my leaves - and I have a lot - are just mulched by putting gator blades on my JD mower. I quit raking years ago
Funny. I bought a Husqvarna backpack blower 6 years ago. Always started on first pull until this year. Noticed this leaf season it takes 2 pulls if cold. Maybe 3 next year. Still has the original plug. May pull it and clean it.
I've had a Husky back pack the biggest they make 2 pulls and its going for over 10 years use it after I cut the lawn and for the leaves from everyone else's trees that blow in the yard....I blow everything into the street and let the wind take it where ever....had the Sheriff stop by once because someone called that I was blowing the leaves in the street....tried to tell me it was against the Law told him there not from a tree that I own and they were trespassing and I was moving them down the road....that was over 10 years ago and I still blow the leaves in the street just wait until the middle of the day when all the neighbors are at work...
I've had a Husky back pack the biggest they make 2 pulls and its going for over 10 years use it after I cut the lawn and for the leaves from everyone else's trees that blow in the yard....I blow everything into the street and let the wind take it where ever....had the Sheriff stop by once because someone called that I was blowing the leaves in the street....tried to tell me it was against the Law told him there not from a tree that I own and they were trespassing and I was moving them down the road....that was over 10 years ago and I still blow the leaves in the street just wait until the middle of the day when all the neighbors are at work...
what happens if a neighbor gets his leaf blower and blows them back into your yard?
have you paid your dues, can you moan the blues, can you bend them guitar strings
I got a Husqavarna, when I first got it they offered to extend the warranty to 3 years if I bought 2 cans of premix to use with it
I've had it about 7 years now. When I got it , it started on the second pull. I think it adds a pull for each year of its life because I'm up to about 7 now.
Works well and was about $200 less than the Stihl
That said I have an old Stihl hand held that I bought from a landscaper about 12 years ago, the thing had gone thru hell before I got it and I didn't treat it much better. I could pour wesson oil in the tank and the sumbitch will start on the 3rd pull
most of my leaves - and I have a lot - are just mulched by putting gator blades on my JD mower. I quit raking years ago
Funny. I bought a Husqvarna backpack blower 6 years ago. Always started on first pull until this year. Noticed this leaf season it takes 2 pulls if cold. Maybe 3 next year. Still has the original plug. May pull it and clean it.
I was pretty particular about this one - I only used the premix until it ran out, then went to non ethanol with synthetic two stroke oil.
I'm guessing the carb could use a little cleaning and it would go back to starting up right away. I do let gas sit in it over the winter
have you paid your dues, can you moan the blues, can you bend them guitar strings
Got a big echo backpack blower that works well, but preferred method on the lawn is to run the zero turn in the same direction and blow the over to the beds with that. Best thing i did when i bought my rural house was expand the beds/natural areas so i have a smaller lawn and more are for leaves
I got a Husqavarna, when I first got it they offered to extend the warranty to 3 years if I bought 2 cans of premix to use with it
I've had it about 7 years now. When I got it , it started on the second pull. I think it adds a pull for each year of its life because I'm up to about 7 now.
Works well and was about $200 less than the Stihl
That said I have an old Stihl hand held that I bought from a landscaper about 12 years ago, the thing had gone thru hell before I got it and I didn't treat it much better. I could pour wesson oil in the tank and the sumbitch will start on the 3rd pull
most of my leaves - and I have a lot - are just mulched by putting gator blades on my JD mower. I quit raking years ago
They make good blowers, I bought a 125bt back in '06, still going, can't kill the thing, one quick choke pull, then set it back, cranks on 2nd pull every time. I believe kawasaki built their engines back then. Since we've moved, much bigger yard, etc. I ran across a Husq 150bt used in a pawn shop for 150 bucks, great condition and figured it would save me a couple hundred bucks, that thing is a beast.
I used the premixed off the shelf, expensive but I got tired of dealing with mixing myself and even with non ethanol I'd still fight with carbs and starting on all my 2 cycle stuff. Been using TruFuel for about 10 years now and headaches have stopped.
I'd definitely go with a big Husqvarna or stihl. Stihl have a way of walking off though when you aren't lookin. Buddy bought the big expensive one, left it in his driveway for a few moments, gone.
We have a Stihl BR 600 that we bought for our old place. In the forest with lot's of Big Leaf Maples and it had no problem lifting them up when soaking wet.
The wife is about 130 lbs wet and I swear she could catch air if she pointed it down.
I don't touch the leaves ever. We have a Mott flail mower PTO driven. 11 Acres of hardwoods . Cuts them up the size of a pencil eraser. Don't blow around , just disintigrate.
Husky 150BT had it for 12 years and just had to replace the gas tank as it cracked but it still gets it done with much power. Home Depot sells that model I believe.
![[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]](https://i.imgur.com/X0n16mr.png)
