Lowes / HD vs Lawn & Garden Store Leaf Blowers.
 

I'm going to buy a leaf blower.
Are they sub par, as the riding lawn mowers are, at the big box stores, as opposed to the true lawn & garden centers?
I'm thinking about either of these.
Anyone have one?

https://www.amazon.com/Hitachi-RB24E...lowers+on+sale

ECHO Refurbished 165 MPH 391 CFM 25.4cc Gas Low Noise Handheld Leaf Blower-PB-250LNAA - The Home Depot

Do yourself a favor and buy a Stihl. After about 5 hours of use, my Echo will not go full throttle any more. That is using pure gas, run on a regular basis, etc. Echo products are generally top notch and my Echo string trimmer still works like a champ. Come to find out Echo has the aforementioned problem with their leaf blowers. All of the yard/landscape folks around here use Stihl. Spend the money and have no worries. Just my .02.:seasix:

The link for the ECHO says it is out of stock online, not sold in stores. FWIW, I'll stick with my electric blower and 100' of cord.

1/4 acre lot, 50' does me fine.....red blower with black nozzle.....

same with wacker.....just the aggravation factor alone makes pulling the cord easy....I keep it plugged in and a hook about 6' off the deck, so 10-12' at one loop ten loops is it....none of that small loop crap....

:seasix:

https://img.memesuper.com/da7890bdb3...e_500-368.jpeg



https://pics.onsizzle.com/redneck-le...er-4523967.png
















https://media.giphy.com/media/OmfvjkbHNLTK8/giphy.gif

Buy a 4-cycle blower. Just use regular gasoline, and it works great. The mixed oil ones area PITA. You could buy the battery ones, but I don't have one of those, I have the battery weed-wacker, and I love it.

I have that echo and have had great luck with it, it's about 6 years old and starts second pull every time. New plug every spring and run it dry in the fall. Startron in the fuel 40:1. I use it about 20 hours a year between cleaning up after mowing, blowing leaves and drying the cars

Husqvarna or Stihl....................JD 4 cycles work good for a while but starts to crap out after a couple years...........
Husqvarna 150BT Backpack Blower I love, had it 3 years and use it at least 250hr per year, Snagged it for $199 new with a sale & coupon.
Got a Husqvarna 125B Leaf Blower at estate sale for $50, been good for years

Buy a Husky or a Stihl ONCE and if taken care of, will last for many years. :yesnod:

Or buy disposable crap every couple years :slap:

I just let storms blow everything away.

:iagree:
If budget right now is a major concern and you don't mind throwing that money away in a few years, then buy something else. Otherwise, get the Stihl

I have that exact Echo, it's a great machine. I use it every other day, and it always works. :yesnod:

A few years ago after a fairly miserable experience with an Echo, I bought a Hitachi. It was rated best by Consumer Reports. Works great, fires right up. Highly recommended. :seasix:

Save your money. Hand your wife a rake.

Save more money. Have no wife. :D

True, you could afford the top-end blowers that way.

Or, you could get a girl who's a top-end blower and hire a gardener. The possibilities are endless. :rofl:

I took Red's advice a few years ago and bought an Echo Chain saw from a local dealer. Liked it so much I went back and bought an Echo weed wacker. I am going to stick with Echo for all my out door stuff from now on. Easy to start, easy to restart when its hot (unlike my old Troy Built weed wacker) easy to use, and will run all day. Im pretty much sold on Echo.

Echo

Winning.

Winning bigly.

Because you know everything, this is the one I landed on.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Attachment 11351

Gee, if only we had a resident small engine specialist to chime in here. Speaking of, has anyone seen Red lately? Seems like he lost his mom, and then kind of disappeared. Anyone in touch with him?

I don't know EVERYTHING...I know a little about a lot of things. The mark of a true idiot savant.

Mine has a green case, same style. I've been really pleased with it, considering it's my mower, edger, weed eater and fertilizer spreader for my backyard now.
:rofl:

Tanaka is the commercial brand of the Hitachi model, made by Hitachi.
Basically it's the same thing.

:seasix:

I screwed with my Echo piece of shit blower for a few years, repaired it twice. Always a hassle to get it started...ALWAYS. The Hitachi almost always starts on the first pull, even after sitting for a few months.

I just hope that the 10% ethanol gas does not futz up the lines and internals like the old ones. Ethanol turns the rubber and plastic to goo.
I think the manufacturers use parts that are impervious to ethanol now.
I may be mistaken on that though.

Use Star Tron in the gas. It works great and inexpensive to use. :yesnod:

At some time in the future you are going to need parts; even if so mundane as a foam air filter replacement. Count Echo dealers in your area VS Hitachi dealers... then decide. I vote Echo, and I can get Stihl or Deere at cost.

I'll be able to get them on Amazon.
:seasix:
I've rebuilt carbs on these before, so it won't be any different.
So I'll have to wait two days for the parts.... No biggie.

I used Stabil with limited success.
Star Tron actually says it cures the Ethnol problem :seasix:
I never heard of it, but I'm switching, as it says that it stabilizes gas for 2 years as well.
Thanks for the heads up on this Jeff.

I still use Stabil in the cars for winter, but all the lawn equipment has been getting star tron for years now, not sure if it really works, but (knock on wood) I haven't had any fuel related issues since going to it.

Note, most of my older stuff (15 years old or so) I have had to replace the fuel lines on but those did not come with ethanol rated lines and they saw many years of use before the star tron switch.

amen

What I like the most is the peace that comes with having no wife.

I no longer use Stabil, I only use Star Tron.

Here's is the perfect example from this afternoon. I have two 1968 Cub Cadet model 125's. One is set up for mowing and the other has a 42" snow thrower.

I wanted to move the snow thrower tractor to the back of the shed and mow with the other one. The last time the mower was run was October 2016. I ALWAYS use Star Tron in the gas and have battery tenders for both tractors.

Took about 2 seconds for the snow thrower tractor to start, that was pulled out and the grass mower tractor started almost instantly. It sat for a solid 6 months.

I know when I go to start the snow thrower tractor this winter, it will fire right too. :yesnod:

Lowesm

My Echo backpack blower has served me well for 15+ years. Purchased at Home Depot. Yes, the choke position has to be adjusted every once in awhile to ensure full throttle, but it still works pretty well. Very pleased with it.

Stihl on the other hand pisses me off. I spent a fortune on their edger and weed whacker attachement and they are unreliable as hell. I bought a new Ryobi and it works great. I need to unload the Stihl to some sucker.

Zombie thread.


Oh, and I just call the guy. No idea what brand he uses.

:cert:

Since this thread is back, I'll review the one that I got.
Bottom line, it's great.
Thanks IC:cert:

I have a Echo blower it was one of the biggest made back about 25 years ago. Its a two stroke back pac and it does a hell of a good job. Starts on the first or second pull. Do not remember where I got it but it was either HD or Lowes.

Note I use Stihl synthetic oil and none ethanol gas! (in all my two stroke toys or tools)

I have a riding mower with mulching set up. I just mulch the leaves each year. Use a blower to get them off the driveway and walkways.:cert:

:skep::skep::skep:
:skep::skep::skep:
WhoTF enabled the Related Threads feature? :willy::willy::willy:

OK, terrific.
:skep::skep::skep:

:skep::skep::skep:

Heck, I got 40 years out of my old Lawn boy 21'' none self propelled mower. Got rid of it two summers ago. Felt so bad I almost took my tractor and dug a grave for it on my property.:D Was a bit lazy so I took it up to the recycle center and threw it in the metal salvage truck.

Just rake you ****in’ lazy ass bitch.

I don't care what kind you get, just don't run the damn thing at 8:00 on a Sunday morning when I'm trying to sleep off a hangover.:leaving:

:seasix:



:hurray:

Do you use hedge trimmers to do your fine beard work?
Of course I fk'n rake.
I'll be damned if Ill get on my knees to pick shit out of the flower beds.
Especially with you guys behind me.

Stihl Magnum 600 is what I have. 212mph.

Also use it to blow dry cars :coolest:

Been doing this for 20+ years. :yesnod:

I have an Echo Leaf Blower and Line trimmer, no complaints with either.

I also own Stihl 2 Stroke equipment, Chainsaw and Hedge trimmer, again no complaints.

FYI, I run AVGAS in my 2 stroke stuff with a quality oil.

Used Stihl for years. No problems.