Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Leaf Blower Opinions

What do you guys like. My dad is wanting to get one if he finds an after Christmas special. He really likes Stihl products. Residential not commercial use but he does have a farm. What model would you recommend? Pros and Cons of handheld vs backpack type?

He has an electric one that is part of a outdoor vacuum setup so he definitely wants one that is gas operated.

I've got a Stihl that I really like. I'll have to go out and see what model it is. Starts easy and blows hard.

I got one 5 or 10 years ago and rarely use it any more. It was made by Toro,
runs just fine. The problem is the wind in Jan thru March just blows the leafs back.

I've got an Echo and nothing to compare it to. Haven't used it to blow many leaves, but I bet I've got one of the few forced air induction barbeque grills...... Makes a rip roaring fire in no time.

i got ekho it wurks good wen i make catgurl kleen in the trayler

11 years ago I got an old Toro that came with the house.

Now I am giving that away, because I got a new Toro for Christmas.


The guy I am giving my leaf blower to, is someone who came up with an unusual use for a leaf blower. He built a saw dust separator for his table saw. He put a 5 gallon bucket on top of a larger bucket and created a cyclone separator. No dust comes out of the blower. It all drops to the bottom of the bottom bucket.

I bought a Husqvarna a few years ago, was going to get a hand held but picked up this one (back pack style) for 1/2 price.

If you or he is going to be using it for more than 10-15 minutes I'd recommend a back pack style.

Appreciate the info but would love to hear from some more Stihl owners. He's got a Stihl chainsaw he really likes and there is a Stihl dealer/service center here in town so that's probably the brand he will go with. From you Stihl owners, what model would you recommend?

I just bought the SH56 a few months ago. It has a leaf vac attachment, too. Works just fine and starts on the first couple of pulls. I've shredded multiple bags of leaves with it and it works well, it's only stalled once or twice when a decent sized (too big) stick got jammed in the shredder blades. Blows leaves around just fine and will blow them off the grass just fine, too. (Though I've been using my lawn mower with bagger to pick up lots of my lawn leaves).

My only real gripe is the system Stihl used to change from leaf blower to vac. You have to press down on some tabs with a screw driver to free things up, and esp. the first few times you do it, is a real bear to mess with. You'll know what I mean when you look at it. I would tell your dad to have the dealer SHOW him how to switch from blower to vac with the Stihl and whatever other brand (Echo??) of blower vac they might have to see which is easier.

If he's only going to use it as a blower most of the time, it's pretty much a non-issue. If he was on a residential lot, I'd say go with the handheld. If he'll be using it for more than 15-20 mins at a time, you might think about the backpack.

i just got a craftsman blower vac, that thing will blow leaves to the next county, and suck 'em right back

blower vac

Knew a girl like that once . . .

I have the Stihl BG55 blower and the Stihl FS55R string trimmer. Will never buy another brand again. Local shop is great. the Walmart/Lowes $100 brands are throw aways when they tear up. Usually in the first two years. Stihls you fix. A common problem with the cheap models is the pull cord breaking or coming lose. To have them fixed is a $70 job on a $100 dolar blower. To be replaced requires a major disasembly.

My opinion is that they are loud and obnoxious

I wish my name was "Leaf"

It would make this thread way funner.

I bought the BG 55 this fall, worked real well for my 1/3 acre yard. Any bigger of a yard, or if the leaves are piled up, and you want the backpack model.
I'm buying a Stihl trimmer next spring...

Plus Stihl extends the warranty now.