Backpack blowers....school me

[What?]

I have used both Echo and Hus 580T/or similar. I owned both, Echo felt a bit more stronger but Hus had less pull effort to start. I like the Hus having kill switch next to throttle but sometime randomly hit it unintentionally.

I'd buy either of one that are better deal.

Red Max is the choice is get If I didn't like to be shocked while using.

If I had to get something stronger, it had to be much more in difference.

 

[Muckin_Slusher]

Technically it IS a backpack...just not for you. Watch the video (resolution sucks, but you get the awesomeness...)

Can also be used with some old house duct work to make brush pile burning fun!

 

[WTF?]

CFM is more important than mph. CFM are what moves piles of leaves. I had a red max 7500 with the hip throttle and absolutely loved it When I lived in a heavily wooded property. I used my neighbors 8500 back to back against my 7500 and it wasn’t a huge difference; the 8500 would blow the pile/windrow ~15‘ from where you were standing while the 7500 would blow it ~12’ With the same effectiveness/ ease of use, so from a walking & sweeping back & forth pushing piles to the curb/ into the woods it’s really no gain.

for the yard I would mow/ mulch and then blow the mulched clippings into the woods. The big blowers hav no problem blasting it outta the grass/ thatch.

Hip throttle is great- set it & forget it type deal. The higher end husky’s are identical to the red max .

I used a stihl 600 and was not impressed. wasn’t bad but didn’t quite seem to have the same power to move stacks of wet leaves of my rm. I’ve heard the 800 will keep up with an 8500, but also to me, none of the new still stuff feels as robust as the old stuff used to be.

whatever you find local/ in stock and at a price point you can tolerate will get the job done.

 

[rockmup]

I've had a Husky for 13-14 yrs, starts by the 3rd pull and I've never done anything to it except replace the carb every few yrs with a 20.00 replacement off Amazon. Its actually not the carb that needs to be replaced its always the fuel line or bulb but for <20.00 I get all of it

 

[bgaidan]

Technically it IS a backpack...just not for you. Watch the video (resolution sucks, but you get the awesomeness...)

Can also be used with some old house duct work to make brush pile burning fun!

I was looking at those last night. They're like $5k. Don't quite think I could justify that. I also don't think my gravel driveway would hold up well.


They do make the little walk behind ones. I may eventually get one of the cheaper $400 ones and strap it to my zero turn to help speed things up.

 

[bgaidan]

Meh. I've got the BR200. Moves just enough air for me.

When you get into the big boys, you have to think about your terrain. I have a LOT of aggregate driveway. The big boys blow hard enough to move the rocks as well. The 200 takes the leaves right up off the rocks, leaving them behind.

I have lot of gravel too but it doesn't seem like I'll have to do much blowing there. I usually run the mower with the deck all the way up over it and that seems to work.

I'd assume you can just throttle it down if you do need to blow the gravel areas?

 

[DRTDEVL]

I have lot of gravel too but it doesn't seem like I'll have to do much blowing there. I usually run the mower with the deck all the way up over it and that seems to work.

I'd assume you can just throttle it down if you do need to blow the gravel areas?

My experience in this department actually came from living in the Southwest with their decorative rock landscaping. Yeah, you can throttle back, but its easier to just take a smaller blower, set the throttle lock wide open, and not worry about the white rocks getting in the red and vice versa. The smaller ones still have enough ass to move the leaves into a pile, but not enough to completely tear your pile apart before loading into the truck.

 

[bcrewcaptain]

Had a Husky, it seemed awful picky on the fuel it was fed, didn't have the same power as the Stihl BR600 I ended up with, I usually end up with the thing on my back for 3-4 hrs at a time this time of year, so I did upgrade the straps that came with it. I will give the Husky the edge there

 

[Deuce 40s]

Buy the absolute biggest CFM blower you can afford. I'm running the Husq 580BTS since it was the biggest available when I bought it. I would love more power though.

 

[sicumminsde]

I've been a pro landscaper/lawn guy for the past 22 years full time. I can tell you that in my experience, Redmax blowers will last longer than Stihl. However, we run Stihl blowers just because they are a bit easier to start and more comfortable on the back. I like the br700's for all around performance (they are basically the same as the br600 but move more air). I do have a BR800 and it's great for leaves but overkill for most daily tasks. I have a few old Redmax blowers that can be sitting for a year or more and will still start and run great even though the primer bulb is rotted off and no special gas or storage prep. We still get plenty of life out of the Stihl but they just aren't as durable as the Redmax IMO.

Now trimmers, I'd take a Redmax trimmer over any other trimmer. I've got 10 year old Redmax trimmers that still get used daily...they don't die!

 

[Curbkrawler]

I've been a pro landscaper/lawn guy for the past 22 years full time. I can tell you that in my experience, Redmax blowers will last longer than Stihl. However, we run Stihl blowers just because they are a bit easier to start and more comfortable on the back. I like the br700's for all around performance (they are basically the same as the br600 but move more air). I do have a BR800 and it's great for leaves but overkill for most daily tasks. I have a few old Redmax blowers that can be sitting for a year or more and will still start and run great even though the primer bulb is rotted off and no special gas or storage prep. We still get plenty of life out of the Stihl but they just aren't as durable as the Redmax IMO.

Now trimmers, I'd take a Redmax trimmer over any other trimmer. I've got 10 year old Redmax trimmers that still get used daily...they don't die!

I have been very happy with how easy my Stihl is to crank. Usually first pull but def by the second. I used to just about pull my shoulder out getting my dads echo to start.

 

[Muckin_Slusher]

I was looking at those last night. They're like $5k. Don't quite think I could justify that. I also don't think my gravel driveway would hold up well.


They do make the little walk behind ones. I may eventually get one of the cheaper $400 ones and strap it to my zero turn to help speed things up.

Just cobblefuck something together.

 

[EndlessMtnFab]

Running an Echo 770 here. 3 years now. Using Amsoil ... but at a 50:1 ratio (instead of 100:1). Easier to just mix 1/2 bottle to a gallon of gas and go. Not comfortable with leaner ratios yet.

I use it to clean up the yard after mowing (clumps) and general shit on the ground. It's good (in my case) for the first 1/3-1/2 yard of full leaves ... but by that point --- it gets too heavy for the blower. So I pull/push out the 9HP Scag blower. Even that's not enough. We end up having to rake and tarp it out to the street.

Happy with the Echo for sure. At the time I bought it, it was their most powerful blower. Now they have an 8xx series that's more powerful. No experience with it. But I'm more than satisfied with my purchase so far.

 

[det107]

Kid is out in the boondocks, get a lighter & enjoy the smell of burning leaves

 

[Kyle]

Home use?

Echo or stihl. Separate throttle not tube mounted. CFM over MPH. The new ones clog the catalyst causing like a 50% reduction in power.

There are also some decent battery ones out now.

 

[Ransil]

I just pickup a dewalt 20v blower, usually borrow my neighbors backpack about 3-4 times each fall, so far its keeping up with the leaves, blow off driveway and decks to the yard and mulch with the mower.

I have 3 large pin oak trees next to the house, they drop leaves from now til January

 

[bgaidan]

So despite all the Stihl recommendations, I went with the echo PB-9010 with the hip throttle because I'M AN INDIVIDUAL WHO DOESN'T FOLLOW THE CROWD or some shit like that.


After reading the reviews on some other law care sites, people seemed pretty happy with it and apparently the specs are actually underrating what it can actually do. Allegedly the most powerful backpack blower made to date.

Apparently the EPA limits blowers to under 80cc so this one is 79.9.

 

[Wilson]

I have the red max 8500, as mentioned above they seem a lot less finicky with fuel issues. This is my second red max blower. No shocking issues, very reliable. 2-3 pulls cold.

I pay the premium and run the pre-mix ethanol free fuel on all of my 2 stroke stuff and have since the current fleet was new.

 

[bgaidan]

I have the red max 8500, as mentioned above they seem a lot less finicky with fuel issues. This is my second red max blower. No shocking issues, very reliable. 3-4 pulls cold.

I pay the premium and run the pre-mix ethanol free fuel on all of my 2 stroke stuff and have since the current fleet was new.

I run ethanol free in anything smaller than my zero turns. I used to run it in the ZT at my old place, but it only took me 45 minutes to mow. Here it's like 3 hours a week during the summer and that'll add up.

Weed eaters, chainsaws, pressure washers all get premium ethanol free. It's cheaper than new carbs every season.

 

[EndlessMtnFab]

Yup .... I run the ethanol free gas for my 2 cycle stuff ( have the 770 Echo blower, and the Echo Modular yard equipment pack). And use the Amsoil 2 cycle at 50:1

All my 4 cycle stuff gets regular gas until the final fill of the season. Then it either gets ethanol free or I use some kind of ethanol shield mix.

So far, so good.


edit My stuff was purchased at a "professional" lawn equipment center with repair facilities for all the shit. Not a box store Echo.

 

[Thatg9659]

Used a echo 49cc unit, no complaints. 79cc red max was built way better and more comfortable. Both had a wand near the hip for throttle control.

A echo or Stihl from Lowe's kept zapping me at the throttle, but was using it indoors in a very dusty environment.

 

[BCzuk]

I think mine is the BR600. Have had it for a few years and its never skipped a beat. We have a ton of trees dropping stuff on the property so its well worth the cost

 

[WTF?]

I’ve heard a lot of good things about the red Max blowers. Was thinking about a 7500 or 8500, any suggestions on if I need an 8500?

I don’t think any homeowner ‘needs‘ an 8500 but it’s a little more powerful that the 7500 and more power is never really a bad Thing. The 7500 might get you under $500 out the door new.

I got a screaming deal on used 7500 and it paid for itself in 2 annual cleanups and I never really felt like it didn’t do what I needed. If you live in a heavily wooded lot you’ll wonder wtf took you so long to upgrade to a commercial grade blower and never look back.

blasting leaves out of this English ivy was effortless, the first season blew out years of thatch from the bottom layer, and in heavy leaf leaf I would have piles at the curb 4-6’ tall.

And as a bonus, light dustings of powder snow is taken care of in minutes;

 

[Xicor]

Anyone used this ryobi. I know it’s far from professional grade but the price sure seems right for 760 cfm. Will I notice it only having 175mph?

RYOBI 175 MPH 760 CFM 38cc Gas Backpack Leaf Blower RY38BP - The Home Depot

RYOBI - y50 Gas Backpack Leaf Blower-discontinued - minimize the adjustments needed to your chainsaw chain with the use of this item. Featuring chromed cutters for fast and smooth cutting.

www.homedepot.com

 

[Thatg9659]

 

[bgaidan]

Well brown santa dropped this beast off this afternoon.

Assembled the tubes, gassed it up with some fresh ethanol free and went to work.

Accroding to the PO, everything in the front of the property outside the fence eventually blows across the street in to the neighbors' yard. He said he used to rake out from under the grapevines against the fence and then get then use the leaf vac trailer while his wife pulled it behind the mower.

I blew all the shit out from the fence and it actually blew it all right through the fence. I'll fire up the simplicity mower this weekend and see if the chute adapter will work with the vac the PO left me. Should be able to just make a couple passes and suck all this shit up.

Most of that is just the grape leaves and probably the walnut. The huge oaks have just started to drop. The cold snap coming this weekend will probably speed them up.

I tried it over near the driveway where I have a big hickory tree dropping a shit ton of nuts. Worked great to blow them all in to the woods. Then I went over to the absolute mess of black walnuts that dropped off of just one tree. For some reason this tree produces 5x as many nuts as any of the others I have on the property....and I have at least 30.

About 20 minutes later, all blown in to the woods. This was a serious massive wall of nuts getting moved at every pass. Almost as many nuts as ev13wt handles on an average weekend.

Overall I give this thing out of .


The best part was that after running it for about an hour and a half straight and then shutting it off I was stumbling forward while walking because I got used to leaning in to the force of it pushing back.

 

[DozerDan82]

I have 3 Red Max Blowers, the original is prob 15 years old and I have only had to swap out some fuel lines to keep it going, the next one is at least 10 years old- needed a carb but other than that nbd (do not use cheap carb- buy OEM, learned that lesson) Newest one ~2 years old, pain in the dick, back and forth in for repair. This last time they seem to have gotten it sorted. Guy told me you need to break in the carb then adjust it in.... I told him Red Max went to shit when they sold, he kinda smirked.

 

[Fivepointfive]

TL;DR

I'm a hand me down lawn mower, beater yard plow, doesn't buy shit new Yankee. My Stihl 600 is the best $500 bucks I've ever spent.

 

[tracyb]

Well brown santa dropped this beast off this afternoon.

Assembled the tubes, gassed it up with some fresh ethanol free and went to work.

Accroding to the PO, everything in the front of the property outside the fence eventually blows across the street in to the neighbors' yard. He said he used to rake out from under the grapevines against the fence and then get then use the leaf vac trailer while his wife pulled it behind the mower.

I blew all the shit out from the fence and it actually blew it all right through the fence. I'll fire up the simplicity mower this weekend and see if the chute adapter will work with the vac the PO left me. Should be able to just make a couple passes and suck all this shit up.

Most of that is just the grape leaves and probably the walnut. The huge oaks have just started to drop. The cold snap coming this weekend will probably speed them up.

I tried it over near the driveway where I have a big hickory tree dropping a shit ton of nuts. Worked great to blow them all in to the woods. Then I went over to the absolute mess of black walnuts that dropped off of just one tree. For some reason this tree produces 5x as many nuts as any of the others I have on the property....and I have at least 30.

About 20 minutes later, all blown in to the woods. This was a serious massive wall of nuts getting moved at every pass. Almost as many nuts as ev13wt handles on an average weekend.

Overall I give this thing out of .


The best part was that after running it for about an hour and a half straight and then shutting it off I was stumbling forward while walking because I got used to leaning in to the force of it pushing back.

i think someone mentioned that the big echo was the best, baddest machine out.

do a hands on comparison of the other 'best' ones... and you'll like it even more


side note, idle the echo and any other machine side by side. the echo sounds mean as hell. when i first fired mine up buddies at the house and the neighbor thought i was tuning a new bike for the kid

 

[Pony_Driver]

Ive had a BR600 for probably 10 years. When I was shopping I went to some landscape forums and they raved more abiout the Redmax than the BR600. Redmax dealer was far away, 2 Stihl dealers were close. Ive been happy with the 600 but I don't believe there is such a thing as too powerful of a blower, they do have throttle control for when you don't need all the power. If I could find someone to give me a good price for the 600 I would go for the 800. When on the landscape forums they talked a lot about the 4mix engines getting gummed up with carbon. The cure was Amsoil Saber at 100 to 1. I a not that brave but have had no issues with the Saber oil at 75 to 1.

I feel like I should run my 600 until it quits and go buy the 800 I originally wanted.


I've been happy with mine so far, but I tend to angle towards the most power I can get within reason.



OP,

Congratulations on your purchase and all the air you blow.