Leaf Blowers

Anyone have any evaluations good or bad ??

We use natural wind here so don't know.

I bought 1, used it once. I hate the thing. It's a back pack model.
My go to now is run them over with the lawn mower until they disappear. It works. The grass likes it too.

They are great for drying off muskrats and raccoons in a hurry lol. Bought one at a yard sale for $5 just for that purpose

I've had Stihl backpack blowers and they are the bees knees. Had a few hand held like from Sears and they take forever if you have a big yard. I'm now looking at the Ryobi cordless as I have a weedwhip I bought to maintain grave sites. The Stihl's are pricey but make short work of it.

I’ve had a couple few over the years. Never blowed the first leaf. Always used to blow the combine off in the morning. Hand held models. In my experience they do not last for years and years but generally around 2. Also can create a rippin fire.

Got a Stihl electric 1 HP model. Works great for clearing the roofs and walks mainly pine needles here with some oak leaves tossed it.

I have an 8 hp little wonder and it works great. I have a lot of leaves though

We used the backpack blowers a lot on the RR for cleaning snow and ice out of the switches.They worked great,lots of power.We used the 2 largest cc blowers,I think they were the 600's?Reliable in cold weather,and good ergonomically to use.

Goats

Not sure what brand the little cheapy I have is. Got it from a friend who bought one that would both suck leaves up and blow..Been working great but think got some dirty gas in it. Kid was trying to use it the other day to blow his gutters out couldn't keep it running. He got mad went to Ace bought a new stihl.. not sure what model is a hand held was around $250.00 I think he said. He has a thing for the stihl stuff has 3 saws too I think string trimmer. Guess I'd go with what you can get service locally.. Next door neighbor has one is rechargeable uses the same big battery pack as his string trimmer. Again I don't know the brand but know he likes it that can swap batteries around. He has been out dang near ever day this week blowing leaves to the pile.

Mac

I bought the DeWalt cordless leaf blower. I use it pretty often for clearing off the outside concrete stair landings and apron in front of my garage. Sweeping is overrated. It works well on clearing spruce and hemlock needles from the roof. It also works very well to encourage a fire when I am burning brush and limbs as it has a lever to hold a desired trigger setting.

I have 14 of the Stihl BR600 at the golf course. I made a pvc gutter cleaner also. The guys use them a lot blowing clippings off fairway and greens mowers at the end of the day.

We use RedMax back packs. Bottom line they are excellent whether clearing leaves or as the car lots do here clearing cars of snow.

WS

I always get a little burst of nostalgia when I fire up the leaf blower at work. Many long nights in high school drying coons with one. Don't ever remember using it for leaves but it makes a big difference puffing up the fur on a raccoon that's been sitting at the end of a drowner rod a few days.

Easiest was to clean the garage.

I guess I should have asked you white what you intend on doing with it. If your wanting to blow leaves then go with a Stihl BP blower. If your wanting to do a photo shoot like I did for Trapperboy magazine to simulate the wind blowing though your hair while your wearing a chipmunk fur speedo, then a hand held one will fill your needs.

I like your kind.

I have a Echo it starts easy and blows leaves, my shop and my trapping shed. Makes cleaning up a breeze.

I have a stihl weed eater with all the attachments.

I think the leaf blower attachment was 150$. I use it to blow all the leaves in my front yard to the goat pin.

You will spend less for one tool that can do many.

Trim grass 200$ ish for weed eater
Cut brush 20$ for blade
Cut down small trees 30$ for blade
Edg lawn 80$ for attachment
Push leaves 150$for attachment

Buy the most power model of whatever brand!!

Use weed eater with blower attachment for 1/8 acre front lawn. Use goats for other two acres.

Goats eat leaves and I eat the goats

Stihl back pack. only way to go. the problem is, the leaf blower blows the grass off the ground if you're not paying attention.

Also an attachment for gutter cleaning


Just make sure you buy a medium to commercial use weed eater

I've cleared two acres with items in above pick.

Crazy tough!

My husqvarna 125b handheld is a pile. Problems with the rubber somewhere and looses pressure and you have to restart it if you idle it too long. Buy an echo backpack, you’ll be happy. My husky just hangs on the wall now that I have both it and the echo PB580T. I wanted the 755 but couldn’t get it locally when I had time. The 580 does plenty good, surprised me, and probably couldn’t justify the 700s for my yard. You’re old so you run non-ox in all small engines anyway I’m sure, but that is key if you use it intermittently.

Did Barb break her arm?

I have had a stehl back pack for two year, good blower, use there oil. Would buy another in a hear beat.

I bought a big stihl backpack blower, and it was one of the best things I have invested in! I have never blown a leaf with it, but I have piles of sidewalk here, and it is the slickest thing for clearing the snow. Up to 3 or 4 inches of powder snow is gone in no time!

Have a Stihl Backpack and 2 of the Stihl handhelds. All work great.

Backpacks suck it you are left handed

Our backpack blower grew legs. I hate a thief.

I do have a shop vac wit a detachable motor that doubles as a blower. Not a great leaf blower but does a great job as a bee blower when I'm clearing supers when robbing honey.

Got me. LOL

Sorry to take so long to get back to this. Stuff happens.

What I want is something with enough power to move snow. Would like to be able to blow a path from my deck to the road. Probably 100 feet. Probably never need to blow more than a foot of new snow at a time and it is almost always very dry and light....until early spring.

I would also like to be able to blow a couple valleys clear.on my roof....without getting on the roof.

So how far up a roof valley would a good machine be effective while standing at the bottom....on a ladder ???

My biggest concerns are reliability and performance. Not price

DOC: thanks for mentioning the problems with your Husky. I have been reading both good and bad reviews about them.

What model Whopper ??

Friar.... which model ??

White, I had the br600 and it would take the chrome off a hitch. They have even more powerful ones now. I had them for years and never had one issue with them.

Thanks Catch !!!

I take it O'l Blister finally wore out her snow shovel ?
Or is she too busy packing out Moose ?

White, I have used quite a few blowers for everything to drying off critters and livestock to using them for snow. My advice is to stay away from anything with a cord or battery. They just dont have the power and cords are a hassle for a lot of reasons. Having said that, I have had several sthil brand and find they with a little maintenance and care are reliable and do the job. I like a back pack type but also have a hand held for smaller jobs. My choice is to get one that pushes out the most air, they are rated by air flow, and has adjustable speed. I do find that using them for snow does not work all that well. We have for the most part dry fluffy snow, a bucket packed will give you a swallow or two of water. However even in below zero temperatures after you get going, using the blower starts melting the snow just enough it does not work as well as you would think. I guess it might be the heat coming off the engine and just the fact the air is moving. It does work some but not as good as one would think. I do find them useful for a lot of other things than what they were intended for, especially blowing out the shop.

Thanks Danvee. I figured that it would need to be a backpack model to have enough poop to do the job.

I had it figured just the opposite. I thought the air at high velocity would be COLDER coming out the end of the tube. I never considered the heat of the engine . Thanks much !

maybe the friction between colliding snow particles?

Ford!

Ford makes them in four wheel drive now. Really, they come with a radio, heated seats, windows that roll up and down, cup holders, ash trays and a big place in the back to haul dead deer. lol. But seriously, sounds like your looking for a Polaris 4x4 with a plow. google it. they're great.

That's what I was going to say. I don't care about leaves, but I use them when tanning fur.

Leaf blowers have many uses. Besides leaves I use mine to blow grass clippings of the driveway, clean the sidewalks, sweep the garage and blow the snow off the sidewalks and driveway when it is a light snow.

I have the BR700
I am amazed at how seldom I used the snowblower last year after getting the stihl.
Not sure how to explain it, but if you have to move the snow twice, as in clearing a wide area, do the second blast right away, as it does get stickier once it gets blown. So try to blow it off to the side instead of walking it down the line, if that makes sense. If this thing died today, I would be getting another one tomorrow! If I were thinking of doing it on a ladder, I would consider the stihl that has electric start right on the handle. I would also get real used to the torque and twist from the nozzle before doing any ladder work.

My mistake White,
They don't make an electric start, the 800 something has a side recoil so you can start it while wearing it.

Great info Friar. Thanks very much !!

Stihl Backpacks are the way to go. I've used Echo too an they are ok, but something wasn't right in the switch and it would shock you. We had to wrap the handle with electrical tape.

That would really get your attention on an aluminum ladder !!!

I worked a storm with a fella from southern Illinois about ten years ago that had just returned to work after breaking his leg. He didn’t say what model blower he was using but said it worked well for cleaning his gutters. As he was going along he came across the stink pipe sticking out of the roof and decided to give it a blast of air because it had been giving off some foul odor in one of the bathroom drains . He had no clue that his wife was on the cam odium at the time. She came out of the house screaming and crying with paper in her hair and clothes all black from raw sewage. He said he laughed so hard he tripped and fell off the roof and broke his leg .

Ken I can find out what model to use for cleaning out stink pipes if need one for that purpose.

LOL !!!

As much as I would laugh at that.............I really don't anticipate using it in that manner !! Good story though