Leaf Blowers

Today we are looking at the commercial Stihl BR800 backpack blower, this is the manufacturers largest backpack blower. It was introduced to the market about two years ago.

At the time of writing the Stihl BR800 backpack blower is available for £740 including VAT. It also comes with a two-year manufacturer’s warranty for peace of mind.

The Stihl BR800 backpack blower is a great choice for tree surgeons, local authorities, landscapers and gardeners who require a powerful leaf blower.

Recently we looked at the Stihl BR600 backpack blower, which until five years ago was Stihl’s largest backpack blower. The Stihl BR600 petrol backpack blower is slightly cheaper at £679 including VAT than the Stihl BR800 petrol backpack blower.

However, as an owner of the BR600 blower for five years, I would definitely go for the Stihl BR800, if I was purchasing today. I would say that the cost is minimal compared with the extra power and benefits that the BR800 offers.

You Can Purchase The Stihl BR800 Backpack Blower Here

Features

• Stihl’s most powerful backpack blower.
• Stihl 4-Mix engine designed for long life and efficiency.
• Powerful 80cc engine developing 4.4 hp.
• User-friendly starting system with semiautomatic choke.
• Excellent anti-vibration system for operator comfort.
• Multifunctional adjustable control handle.
• Adjustable nozzle.
• 2 L fuel tank for a minimum of 79 minutes run-time.
• Powerful blow force.
• Two-year warranty.

The Stihl BR800 Backpack Blower

If you’re looking for a powerful backpack blower, then the Stihl BR800 backpack blower is definitely a good choice. With a blowing force of 41N (the BR600 which we looked at yesterday is 32N), it has plenty of power for the wettest of leaves and toughest of jobs.

With an excellent power to weight ratio, the Stihl BR800 blower can be used for long periods, with minimal fatigue to the operator. From experience, I know how much work a powerful backpack blower can achieve with minimum effort.

As I have mentioned in previous blog posts, the petrol blower is the tool that I use the most in the garden. It’s also a tool that I use almost every day in the garden. It literally saves me huge amounts of time when it comes to clearing up. Some jobs would literally take me several hours with a broom or a rake. With a powerful leaf blower, jobs that can take hours can be carried out in a matter of minutes.

Engine

With a 79.9cc Stihl 4-mix two-stroke engine that develops 4.4hp, there is plenty of power for the toughest of blowing tasks. The large 2 L tank enables the blower to have a minimum runtime of 79 minutes between fill-ups. The maximum airspeed is 97 m/s.

Another useful feature on the Stihl BR800 is the ability to start the blower from the operators back when the machine is warm. I appreciate that it doesn’t take much to take a blower off your back, but I know from experience that it’s a great feature. However, I believe that it’s a feature that would be appreciated by many operators.

Antivibration System

One of the many benefits of purchasing a commercial leaf blower is the fact that they are fitted with a proper antivibration system. Many of the cheaper ends of the market budget leaf blowers do not have a proper antivibration system. The Stihl BR800 petrol backpack blower is fitted with an excellent anti-vibration system for minimum operator fatigue. The harness is also well-padded and fully adjustable for added vibration protection.

More Features

Another useful feature of the Stihl BR800 backpack blower is the adjustable blowing tube. The tube can be adjusted without the need for any tools. The adjustment simply works by turning a plastic grip on the tube for maximum operator comfort.

The adjustable handle feature can be quickly adjusted without the need for any tools. The multifunctional handle means that the operator’s hand never leaves the handle.

To Conclude

I have seen the Stihl BR800 backpack blower in action and it certainly has plenty of blowing power. When I purchased my Stihl BR600 blower five years ago it was the largest Stihl blower on the market. However, since then, the BR700 and the BR800 have arrived with even more blowing power.

Despite the extra cost, I would definitely go for the Stihl BR800. It’s always good to have something overpowered rather than underpowered. Backpack blowers are bulky tools to carry around, so if you have to carry a backpack blower around you may as well go for the largest!

The BR800 comes with two years warranty for peace of mind.

Specification

Today we are looking at the commercial Stihl BR600 backpack blower, a popular choice for many professionals.
The Stihl BR600 backpack blower is currently available for £621 including VAT.

Recently we looked at the Efco SA2062 backpack blower, another professional leaf blower. This is similar to the Stihl BR600 backpack blower however, slightly more expensive at £679 including VAT.

For several years the Stihl BR600 backpack blower was the largest blower. However, five years ago the BR700 arrived, followed by the BR800 two years ago.

For the past five years, I have currently owned and operated the BR600 blower, which is almost used daily. It literally saves me hours of time every week. I have had five years of trouble-free running, I will probably eventually upgrade to the larger Stihl BR800 backpack blower.

You Can Purchase The Stihl BR 600 Backpack Blower Here

Features

• A popular choice by many professionals.
• Tried and tested!
• A heavy-duty backpack blower.
• Decompression valve for easy starting.
• Antivibration system for operator comfort.
• Economical two-stroke engine.
• Two-year peace of mind warranty.

Stihl BR600 backpack blower

Stihl created their first chainsaw in 1926 which was an electric model. Since then, the company has grown to produce many more products for the forestry, construction and landscaping industry, including blowers.

I’ve been in the landscaping, forestry, and agricultural industry for over 40 years. In my experience, I see more professionals using Stihl products than any other manufacturer on the market. Especially when it comes to, blowers, chainsaws and brush cutters.

The Stihl BR600 backpack blower is a great tool for the professional and keen gardener. Wet leaves, dirt and general debris are quickly moved with the powerful BR600 blower.

Engine

With a powerful 64.8cc revolutionary 4 mix two-stroke engine develops 3.8 hp. The four mix-two stroke engine combines the best features of two and four-stroke technology.

Starting is very easy with the incorporation of an automatic decompression valve. I generally find that my Stihl BR600 backpack blower will start on the first pull. The engine is started from a traditional recoil start cord. The only downside is that the blower cannot be started when it is on the operators back. The Stihl BR800 backpack blower does offer warm starting from the operators back, a very useful feature indeed.

The fuel tank capacity is 1.4 L, the manufacturers claim that the fuel will ask for 69 minutes. I haven’t timed the fuel exactly, but it doesn’t seem far out. To be fair, I don’t often use the machine for one hour plus periods. It is more often generally used for five or 10 minutes just to clear up after a job.

Stihl two-stroke engines use a petrol and oil mix, the fuel mix is 50 to 1.

Antivibration System

The Stihl BR600 backpack blower has an excellent anti-vibration system. Not only are there damping mounts on the engine, the backpack harness and padded hip belt all help to make the user experience vibration-free.

One of the many benefits of purchasing a professional machine is the fact that the damping or antivibration system is far better than the budget models.

More Features

For transport purposes, the blowing chute can be partially removed to make more space in your vehicle. Unfortunately, backpack blowers can be quite bulky to carry around.

The control handle contains start and stop controls, a locking throttle and a movable handle for operator comfort.

To Conclude

Having owned several Stihl leaf blowers over the years and being a present owner of the Stihl BR600 backpack blower. I can firmly recommend this machine after five years of trouble-free experience. It has plenty of blowing power to remove the toughest of debris.

I own a stump grinding business, so my blower is used for clearing up after jobs. It will literally lift compacted mud and debris. It saves me huge amounts of time when it comes to clearing up! It’s amazing how quickly a blower will transform a worksite!

The only downside with backpack blowers is the fact they are quite bulky to carry around. When I purchased my BR600 it was the largest backpack available. Literally, after I purchased the BR700 arrived followed by the BR800. If I was looking for a new model I would definitely bear the extra cost for the Stihl BR800 backpack blower and have the extra power.

Specification

Today we are going upmarket to the Efco SA2062 backpack blower, this is a commercial leaf blower for large-scale cleaning jobs.

The price of the Efco SA2062 backpack blower at the time of writing is £679 including VAT. I appreciate that the prices are considerably more than the previous machines that we have been looking at. However, my theory is that if you buy a quality machine it actually works out cheaper in the long run. And you have the pleasure of using a well-engineered leaf blower.

Yesterday we looked at the Stiga SBP 375 backpack blower, a powerful semi-commercial machine that is available for £399 including VAT.

The Efco SA2062 backpack blower comes with a comfortable backpack harness that helps to make continuous blowing easy.

Efco obviously trusts their machine due to the three-year manufacturer’s warranty which to me, gives great peace of mind.

You Can Purchase The Efco SA2062 Backpack Blower Here

Features

• A professional blower for high-speed blowing.
• Comfortable backpack for operator comfort and minimise fatigue.
• Movable lance handle for operator comfort.
• Powerful two-stroke 4.5. Hp engine.
• Quiet running.
• Three-year peace of mind warranty.

Efco SA2062 Backpack Blower

As I have mentioned in previous blog posts, my leaf blower is the tool that I use the most in the garden. I know we often refer to garden blowers as leaf blowers, however, they can be used for many more tasks other than leaf blowing.

Other than leaf blowing, I use my blower for tidying up after a days work in the garden. This can include, blowing hedge clippings, literally clearing dirt, mud and debris off the lawn. I have even scarified a lawn and then used the leaf blower to blow the debris into heaps. Another great use for a garden blower is to be able to blow down machinery after use. It’s a good way of keeping machinery clean without having to use a power washer.

The Efco SA2062 backpack blower is a commercial backpack leaf blower that is designed to make light work of heavy jobs.

Engine

The powerful 61.3 cc two-stroke engine that develops 4.5 hp has the power to move the heaviest of debris. From heavier items like bottles and fallen fruit.

The manufacturers have made the Efco SA2062 backpack blower fairly quiet, so it can be used in urban areas and rural places. The engine is provided with an oversized air filter for efficient and clean running.

It’s important to keep the air filter clean for engine efficiency and fuel economy. Failure to keep the air filter clean will result in poor performance and shorter engine life. To be fair, knapsack blowers don’t particularly pick up lots of debris in the air filter. Due to the machine being on the operators back and generally out the way of the dust and debris. But the air filter still needs to be kept clean and checked regularly for efficient running!

With an airspeed of 324 km/h the Efco SA2062 backpack blower has the ability to tackle most blowing tasks in the garden and in public places.

Antivibration System

It’s important to have a good antivibration system if you go to use a leaf for prolonged use. The Efco SA2062 backpack blower has a good antivibration system that protects the operator. One of the good things about paying more money for a machine is the fact that the manufacturers fit a decent antivibration system.

To Conclude

I always recommend customers to purchase the best machine that they can afford. I appreciate that we all have to work to a budget and we can’t always necessarily have what we want. However, I believe if we purchase a decent machine, long-term, it will pay off big time. Not only do we have a well-engineered machine but we have something that will be long lasting and also a pleasure to use.

Would I buy the Efco SA2062 backpack blower, the answer to this is, yes! However, in all fairness, I have used Stihl blowers for many years, so I would probably stick with the brand I know. Having said this, I have also used many Efco machines over the years and have been very satisfied with their performance. A great plus point is the manufacturer’s three-year warranty, I’m very much for a good warranty as it gives peace of mind to the user. Some users favour them over the Stihl brand!

Specification

Today we are looking at the Feider TD55 backpack leaf blower, this is a budget leaf blower at an excellent price. The powerful Feider TD55 backpack leaf blower is currently available for the amazing price of £199.95 including VAT. Fieder obviously trusts their product as it comes with a two-year, peace of mind warranty.

Over the last few weeks, we have been looking at handheld petrol leaf blowers. I really like the versatility of the handheld leaf blowers, they are so easy to pick up and cart around and they take up minimum space. However, if you require a leaf blower with a bit more power, then a backpack leaf blower is definitely the answer. They are a bit bulkier than the traditional handheld leaf blowers, however, they make blowing leaves and clearing up much easier and quicker.

Feider is a French company that seems to have grown over the last few years, especially in the UK. Fieder appears to have the ability to make budget machinery at excellent prices. Their products continually receive excellent reviews, something that I wouldn’t expect for a machine at this price.

Purchase The Feider TD55 Backpack Leaf Blower

Features

• A value for money petrol backpack leaf blower.
• Two-year warranty.
• Top reviews.
• Powerful 52 cc two-stroke engine.
• Variable speed.
• Lockable throttle.
• Vibration damping harness.

The Feider TD55 Backpack Leaf Blower

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, the leaf blower is the tool that I use most in the garden. Not only for leaves but also for many other tasks, like blowing driveways, patios and clearing up after a days work in the garden. A petrol blower literally saves me hours of work every year when it comes to clearing up, much quicker than a rake or a broom, in fact, I hardly use a rake or a broom.

Engine

The Feider TD55 backpack leaf blower is powered by a powerful 52cc two-stroke air-cooled engine that develops 3.2 hp. The average handheld leaf blower will have an engine around the 27cc size, so you can see that the Feider TD55 backpack leaf blower has almost double the power of a traditional handheld petrol blower.

A useful feature is the transparent fuel tank that enables at a glance checking for the fuel level.

With a variable speed, lockable throttle, the backpack blower means that the machine can adapt to different conditions. For example, if you are blowing a driveway, and probably running the machine at full revs. However, if you are in a corner, you will often need less power to have some sort of control over the debris being moved.

Antivibration System

In general, the more you pay for a petrol blower the better the anti-vibrating system. The Feider TD55 backpack leaf blower has a cushioned mounted harness that helps to reduce some of the operator fatigue. In normal terms, carrying a blower on your back makes it very easy to use.

To Conclude

Over the coming days will be looking at various backpack blowers, some basic and value for money models and the more expensive professional models.

As I mentioned earlier in this post, Fieder seems to have the ability to make value for money machines that receive good reviews. I believe the only downside with the budget Feider TD55 backpack leaf blower is the fact that it has a very basic antivibration system. This would be okay for short periods, however, for long periods having a machine that vibrates could become quite tiring. We have to remember that this is a budget machine and offers a lot for the money.

I personally use a Stihl backpack blower, it’s almost three times the cost, however, we are talking about a different league of machines.

So, would I buy it? Yes, if I had a large domestic garden and wanted a budget blower with plenty of power then the Feider TD55 backpack leaf blower definitely offers value for money. I always tell customers to buy the best machine that they can afford. The Feider certainly offers plenty of power for the price!

Specification

Today we are looking at the Stihl SH 86-CE vacuum shredder, in my experience, this is the most popular blower vac on the market amongst professionals. I have actually owned the Stihl SH 86-CE vacuum shredder, it’s a great and reliable tool. I actually purchased the Stihl blower for blowing rather than vacuuming.

The Stihl SH 86-CE vacuum shredder is available for £369 including VAT. If you prefer to buy only the blower, the Stihl BG 86 C-E handheld petrol leaf blower is just £319 including VAT.

The fact that thousands of professional landscapers and tree surgeons use the Stihl handheld petrol leaf blower suggest something good!

The Stihl vacuum shredder is a powerful blower and vacuum shredder that is great for domestic and commercial use. The powerful fan that also acts as a shredder which helps to reduce the vacuum debris by 1/10 of its original volume. The mulch can then be used for composting.

The product comes with a two-year warranty.

Purchase The Stihl SH 86-CE Vacuum Shredder Here

Features

• A powerful vacuum shredder used by professionals and domestic gardeners.
• Mulching fan reduces debris by around 10%.
• The mulch is ideal for composting.
• Low emission easy start engine.
• Very economic engine.
• Hundreds of thousands of models are sold worldwide.
• Popular among professionals.
• Shoulder strap included.
• Effective anti-vibration system.
• Locking variable speed throttle.
• Optional gutter cleaning kit.
• Two-year warranty.

The Stihl SH 86-CE vacuum shredder

I have travelled to many different gardens and sites over the years that choose to use the Stihl SH 86-CE vacuum shredder. There must be hundreds of thousands of these petrol handheld blowers in use today. As I mentioned earlier, I have owned the Stihl SH 86-CE vacuum shredder and also use many of these petrol blowers on various sites that I have worked. I have never yet had a problem with the Stihl BG 86 handheld petrol leaf blower.

Although we often refer to garden blowers as leaf blowers, I find that I use these machines can be used all year round. In fact, the leaf blower is the machine that I use most, it literally saves me hours of time when it comes to clearing up after jobs.

The Stihl SH 86-CE vacuum shredder is obviously great for leaf blowing but can also be used for hedge and shrub trimmings, twigs, cleaning patios and driveways and more. I often use my petrol blower for just blowing down machinery, I prefer this to power washing. It’s quicker and I don’t get wet!

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I find the Stihl SH 86-CE vacuum shredder much more efficient to use as a blower rather than a vacuum. To be fair, although the vacuum and shredder have their uses and can add some nice finishing touches to a patio, it’s actually much quicker to blow. If you have a lot of vacuuming to do I would suggest looking at a larger vacuum machine which also acts as a leaf collector. You can find these larger vacuums here.

Engine

The Stihl SH 86-CE vacuum shredder is powered by a two-stroke 27.2cc engine which develops 1.1 hp. The fuel tank holds 0.44 L, in my experience, this will last 40 to 45 minutes with constant use and running at full revs. The two-stroke engine has a very straightforward recoil system that will normally start on the first or second pull. The two-stroke engine is fitted with a primer that makes cold starting simple.

Just be aware that two-stroke engines are different to 4 stroke engines. A two-stroke engine does not have an oil sump, instead, it uses a petrol/oil mix. The Stihl two-stroke engines use a 50 to 1 petrol to oil mix. I used the Stihl oil to mix my fuel. The oil comes in a squeezy bottle which measures out the exact amount I need for 5 L of petrol. It’s important to get the mix right for smooth running and longevity.

Antivibration Technology

It’s important to purchase a blower vac that has antivibration technology, some of the cheaper models do not have antivibration technology. The Stihl SH 86-CE vacuum shredder in my experience has excellent antivibration technology. I’ve literally used this particular blower all day with no side effects from vibration.

Vacuuming

The Stihl SH 86-CE vacuum shredder can quickly be converted from a powerful blower to a garden vacuum. The debris bag has a capacity of 45 L which is a reasonable amount, any more would probably make the machine too heavy for comfort.

To change from blower motor vacuum mode, simply undo the catch on the fan housing and attach the large pipe and bag to the blower. It literally takes a couple of minutes to attach the necessary accessories.

More Features

The Stihl blower and vacuum has a useful gutter cleaning kit which is available as an optional extra.

To Conclude

Having owned Stihl SH 86-CE vacuum shredder for many years, I can sincerely recommend this product. However, if I was purchasing again I would probably just go for the Stihl BG 86 handheld petrol leaf blower as I hardly use the vacuum attachment. Vacuum attachments have their uses, however, on this size blower, they are relatively slow. If you have a lot of vacuuming to do, go for a larger garden vacuum, like the Billy goat or something similar.

Over the years I have owned numerous amounts of Stihl tools and had minimum issues with Stihl products. I appreciate that the Stihl SH 86-CE vacuum shredder is more expensive, however, used properly, the machine would give you many years of good service. I believe that you’re better to buy a quality product that lasts a long time rather than a cheap product. If you are not going to use your leaf blower as a vacuum then I would suggest the cheaper Stihl BG 86 C-E handheld petrol leaf blower for £319.

Specification

Today we are looking at the Efco SA2500 handheld petrol blower. This is an all-new leaf blower that was introduced at the end of August 2021. The price of the Efco SA2500 handheld petrol power is £299 including VAT.

Once you have a leaf blower, you will wonder how you managed without one, it’s my most used tool in the garden! For peace of mind, the Efco blower comes with a three-year manufacturer’s warranty, so Efco definitely has faith in their product.

Delivery is normally between 2 to 7 days, the product arrives boxed.

The Efco leaf blower has a wind speed or blow speed of up to 157 mph.

You Can Purchase The Efco SA2500 Handheld Petrol Power Here

Features

• A very practical way to keep your garden tidy.
• Very lightweight at 3.7 kg.
• Powerful engine technology with low emissions.
• Maximum airspeed 157 mph.
• Great antivibration protection for the operator.
• Rubber grip handle.
• Shredding capabilities.
• Optional vacuum kit available.
• Three-year warranty.

The Efco SA2500 Handheld Petrol Blower

As I mentioned earlier in this post, the leaf blower is my most used garden power tool. Not only is it great for leaves this time of year, but it’s also great for cleaning up after a days work in the garden. My leaf blower literally saves me hours of work every week in the garden, I don’t use a rake or broom very often for clearing up. Other great uses for leaf blowers are cleaning patios, driveways and paths. Clearing up after hedge cutting, I will even use my leaf blower after scarifying the lawn depending on conditions. A leaf blower is also great for blowing down machinery after use, I actually prefer to blow machinery down rather than power wash.

Engine

The Efco SA2500 handheld petrol blower is fitted with a powerful two-stroke 25 cc engine that develops 1.3 hp. The two-stroke engine is started with a traditional recoil start. As with all two-stroke engines you need to use a petrol/oil mix as a two-stroke engine has no oil sump. Care needs to be taken to make sure and have the correct oil to petrol ratio. Most two-stroke engines on garden machinery use a 50 to 1 oil mix.

It’s important to keep the easy clean cloth air filter clean as this will prolong engine life and efficient running.

One of the benefits of paying a bit more for a petrol blower is to have a decent antivibration system. The Efco SA2500 handheld petrol blower has a commercial-grade antivibration system. It may not sound important, however, it makes a huge difference when you’re using a machine for a prolonged period. The anti-vibration system which has four springs positioned between the engine and the framework means that there is very little vibration transferred to the hands and arms.

Optional Shredding Kit

There is an optional shredding and vacuum kit available for the Efco SA2500 handheld petrol blower. However, in my experience, I have found that handheld blowers are much more efficient as blowers rather than vacuums. I prefer to blow debris and leaves into a heap or into a corner and gather by hand. In general, the leaves can be placed in a wheelbarrow or something similar and then composted

If you have a serious amount of garden vacuuming to do I would be inclined to look at a larger garden vacuum and leaf sweeping machine. We have a variety of four-wheeled leaf sweepers vacuums here.

To Conclude

Efco have been making garden machinery for some time now, in my experience over the years I have liked their products. The fact that they give the Efco SA2500 handheld petrol blower a three-year warranty suggests something good.

As I’ve mentioned before, we have various handheld blowers on our website, from budget blowers to commercial petrol leaf blowers. I always suggest buying the best that you can afford, long term I believe it’s better and cheaper to purchase a quality tool that is built to last. I believe that the Efco SA2500 handheld petrol blower will do this.

Specification