Looking for advice on a backpack blower. I had a Shindaiwa years ago and it was a beast, almost indestructible. What are the go to ones now? Looking at another Shindaiwa but am curious as to other experiences here.

Thanks in advance

Shindaiwa is still very good, as is echo and stihl......

I've had a Shindiawa for almost 11 years. It too has been a beast which sees weekly use in summer. I've replaced a ground clamp, air and fuel filters and air filter housing. I would definitely look closely at them again, were I in the market.

Most neighbors run Stihls and I've watched them replace them multiple times. Don't get me wrong, I have a few Stihl saws and a weed trimmer. Just don't think much of what I've seen of their blowers.

Local ag dealer nearby sells and supports them, so handy for me.

I bought a Stihl BR600 last fall and have been very happy with it.

I just went through this process this last fall. From what I saw: The two brands you'll find most used by pros are RedMax and Echo. I went with Echo. Mainly because the Echo I bought settled nicely on my shoulders.

I like Shindaiwa for string trimmers, edgers, and hedge trimmers, but not so much for backpack leaf blowers.

I like Stihl for chainsaws, but not so much for backpack leaf blowers.

I have had a huskvarna for years...never given me a single problem. Was recommended by a guy in the yard care business.

You didn't mention a budget. That might aid people in answering your question. Luckily there are a number of good options out there at most price points.

Bought a Stihl . Didnt run quite right. Took it in twice. Tech guy said ever since they put plastic carburators on them they have had issues. Wow, plastic carburators. Had no idea.

I bought a Stihl 800CE a couple of months ago and have been very happy with it. It replaced a 10+ year old Stihl 430 that still ran great, but just didn't have enough push for all the leaves I get in the fall.

I briefly considered looking at another brand, but the Stihl dealer is in my town while the others are 30-40 minutes away. I've never had a reason to change from Stihl and the convenience of having the dealer close by will probably keep that from happening.

Thank you. I am not against spending the money so 600.00 is not out of the question. Probably look at a Shandaiwa again. I was hoping Lowes carried them, to get the vet discount but they do not.

I bought a Husqvarna 10 years ago and it has been trouble free, does a great job.

I rolled the dice about fifteen years ago and bought a used Shindaiwa from a yard care service in Florida selling on ebay. The word I keep seeing here is "beast", yep. Routine maintenance over the years, still very strong.

I was blowing leaves off our long downhill driveway this Fall, a couple young Asian guys were at the bottom clearing the neighbor's property. They both had new Shindaiwa backpacks.

I have several acres with a whole lot of mature trees that produce a ton of leaves. We moved in this past fall and I purchased an Echo PB-580T. It has been great, the power, comfort and ease of use/starting is 10 out of 10. I can't speak to longevity yet, but if this season is any indication I am very happy with the choice. I have to watch going full power, it can literally rip the grass out of the ground if you aren't careful

I'll second the Stihl BR600. I've had three years and so far it's been excellent. I upgraded from a consumer level craftsman that was ok, but couldn't move wet leaves at all. The BR600 does it with ease. I use Stihl's pre-mix and ethanol-free gas, and it has always started on the first pull.

I've had the Stihl BR600 for about 8 years or so. I love it and it hasn't failed me. If I am doing a big job I will use regular 91 octane in it. If I know it may sit for awhile I use ethanol free.

Hope this helps.

Thank you all for the input. Going to go with a Shindaiwa 810. That should do it!

Lots of advancement in the electric department, one of the nice things is the increase in the battery capacity and that

Electrics motors work efficiently
No oil and gas to mix,
no hot engine on your back
reduced sound, this is good for your ears
Heat - no heat from engine


I"ve eliminated the gas models from my line, other than the tractor which is a John Deere, when it takes a dive, it will be replaced with an E-mower.

https://egopowerplus.com/power-blowers/

They have hand held and backpack models with 600 cfm, more than powerful enough to move things around.

quote:

Originally posted by whododat:
Thank you all for the input. Going to go with a Shindaiwa 810. That should do it!

That 810 has some pretty impressive numbers. Let us know how it performs. And that warranty is hard to beat.