Buying a backpack blower, need advice

[PrimeGreen Lawn]

Well, the Shin. I have is 3 years old, and is showing signs of brutal use. Broken straps, duct tape holding the nozzle on, hard to start, ect. Thinking about an ECHO this time. Have 2 other echo trimmers that are older and always start on a max of 2-3 pulls. Any other brands you guys (and women) can recommend? Don't want to spend more than $500. Thanks for your input.

Scott
:alien:

[Eric ELM]

I have a Red Max EB6200 62cc that I sure like. It still starts on the first pull once it has been started for the first time of the day. It is a very powerful blower and it weighs the same as our old 42cc Shindaiwa blower did. We have had this Redmax for 3 seasons and it has been a work horse. There are a lot of others here that use Red Max too.

[Ssouth]

I have one Echo PB-60 and two Echo LN-46 all start on first or second pull. All are under three years but showing no signs of slowing down or replacement. All of my two cycle equip. is Echo due to no other dealers besides Sthil. I give two thumbs up for Echo.
BTW, I've never had to work on any of this equip. not even a plug. Of all three blowers not even one air filter has been replaced and they are all still clean.

[Evan528]

I own a echo 60ht and a redmax EB700. no comparison! The Redmax is smoother running, more powerful, more comfortable and lighter. The echo is 3 years old and has needed quite a few expensive repairs..... I use redmax string trimmers and hedge shears also.... redmax is the only way to go for 2 cycle equipment!

[CSRA Landscaping]

I use a Stihl BR400 and I like it. Starts between 3-6 pulls from cold and first after warm. Oh yeah ... Lotsa power!

[lawnman_scott]

I use stihl br400, has lots of power, and durable. I have a temper, and am not mr maintenance when i get busy, and both my stihls have lasted 4 and 5 years now, and still going strong with no problems.

[Freetime]

We have two BR400’s and both work fine, one is 97’ and other 99’ basic parts are easer to get around here from my dealer than any other brand.

The advantage to the stihl is one hand controls throttle and air direction leaving the other hand to hold trash, paper, bottles, cans, limbs, ant (food) bait.

Hope it helps.
:)

[Scag48]

I've got a BR 320. Great blower so far! Not as much power as the BR 400 but at the time I bought it, it was a great price and does just what I want it to do. I use it on leaf clean ups as well as the weekly sidewalk cleanups. My mom just bought a new BR 420 for the condo complex she mangages, I've been dying to try it out!

[LAWNGODFATHER]

get the Red Max EB7000
it's about $500
nothing out there can touch it
like using 2 blowers at 1 time
don't mess with the rest buy the best Red Max

I have had them all

I would buy Echo 2nd choice

check the spec's look at CFM
air volume is what's doing the work RED Max is far beond the rest 720 CFM compared to 500cfm

[Runner]

Echo PB601. I have two, one is two years old, and the other is 5 years old (PB6000) Same blower, exactly, with trigger, just different model #) Anyway, both blowers even if cold, start FIRST time, EVERY time. The only time I have to pull it a few times is if I run one out of gas. These blowers, the way they're built with that case frame around them, will take alot of beating!

[PrimeGreen Lawn]

WOW! Thanks for all these great responses! I would like to check out these Red Max blowers. Does anybody know of a website? None of the searches I tried worked.

Scott

[bam]

http://www.redmax.com/

Our company switched from echo to redmax small equipment a few years ago.

We run EB6200 and EB7000 backpacks. If you have the money get the EB7000. I think they are more maintenance free for us, and I like the choke/air filter assembly better on this "newer" model. We were constantly breaking the choke lever on the 6200 model because of the design. I think all (7 or 8)of our 6200's had to have that assembly replaced, however they may have been warrantied. So far, none of the 7000's have needed the assembly replaced.

The others: trimmers bcz2500s and stickedgers, and cht2300s shears are all excellent machines. Occasionally a gear box or trimmer shaft goes sour, but they are powerful equipment and well worth the investment.