Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Leaf blowers - Stihl or Echo?

I have had the Stihl model for 18 years. Works great. Starts everytime, no matter how long it has sat. Same with my Stihl chainsaws.

I had a gas chainsaw and trimmer from Stihl because they were rated best many years ago. Both ended up with fuel line problems and later carb failure. I used stabil as an additive for most of that time. After they were retired I bought Echo and am happy to report after 5 or 6 years that they are both running well.

Wouldn't trade my Stihl for any other brand.

I have a Stihl chainsaw and Husqvarna weedeater and blower. All 3 work great but have NEVER had ethanol in them, and won't as long as I'm alive.

Huskv backpack
i got that big sombitch that will fuggin move 2" gravel, uproot tulip bulbs, relocate kittens

Echos have the most finicky carbs in my experience. Mine have complained with ethonal free gas and premixed truefuels. A new carb got mine going again but my husqvarna stuff hasn't give me much issues. My husqvarna blower is 12 years old and still cranks on the 2nd pull after the 1st choked pull.

I go with a stihl over the echo.

"Both ended up with fuel line problems and later carb failure"

No brand of chain saw or leaf blower is immune to those problems.

Nothing in Tn starts on the first pull.

usually takes the whole bottle 😄

I've got an old John Deere backpack leaf blower that morphed into the Echo line I believe and it hasn't been out of the basement in three years. Pre-mix stinks, the thing is loud and yeah, it blows leaves really well, but then so does my Electric Stihl two speed BGE 61/71 blower. I have a lot of trees in my yard and I find that blowing lots of them up on to a big blue tarp works very well and then using the Bear Cat lawn vacuum for the final clean up works best. That Bear Cat lawn vacuum is the only thing that I've found that will pick up about a 1,000 pounds of acorns every year. I had a Billy Goat with a Briggs engine before the Honda powered Bear Cat, but the Billy Goat was junk in comparison.

^^^^ Best reply yet!

Redmax Backpack Blower. Give your Stihl to a good friend.

And will also blow a big pile of dog doo right outta the yard. I had Newfoundlands so I know for sure!

I got to handle the Echo BP-2520 today and then stopped back at ACE to check the Stihl BG50. Although the Stihl is 11 ozs lighter - 7.9# compared to 8.6# - the Echo has a shoulder strap that attaches to take the weight off for longer usage.

But the biggest thing I noticed was the location of the pull cord. The Echo is on the right side, exactly where I'd like it. The Stihl has it on the left side and I can't pull with my left arm because of a torn left rotator cuff. I could turn the Stihl around backwards so I could use my right arm but that puts the pull cord at the wrong angle coming out of the opening in the housing, making it pull harder.

Also, the nozzle tube on the Stihl is really short, the Echo is longer and is a 2 piece unit. With it's 5 year warranty, I'm going to go with the Echo. Thanks for the help.

I use Stihl products. The Loggers around here like em so there's a service center on every corner.

I've got an Echo handheld, 10 years old maybe, forget the model. I usually can get it started on the first pull, but sometimes it takes 2. I've never touched the carb. I've never used Staybil in my fuel, regular ol' 87 octane 10% ethanol fuel. I've got a Husqvarna weedeater, usually I carry a carb adjustment screwdriver with me when I'm weedeating to get it dialed in. Nearly need it everytime.

Backpack Stihl is a WEAPON.

I rely on Wyoming's gentle breezes of 50 mph. It's free.

Another guy here that's had a Stihl for 15+ years and it's started the same every time. Three to four pulls. I've never even replaced a plug on it.

If you arent trying to make a living with it, it doesn't matter. Go with the closest dealer and don't sweat it,