Stihl Blower: 85D or 420?

[mlong30]

Hi All,

I've narrowed my decision to purchase a Stihl blower. Problem is, which one.

I believe I can use it year round, instead of just blowing leaves. I saw my neighbor use his to dry off his motorcycle:laugh:

I'm not in the lawn business, but I have two houses I have to keep up, and I want my equipment to take the work out of working.

Can anyone give me the pros and cons between these two, or am I comparing apples to oranges?

Is the 420 powerful enough to blow 0-1 inches of snow? We get about 0-1 inches of snow or less here in Indiana, and I'm curious if I could use it sometimes instead of using my snow blower.

Last question: Who has the best deals for the 85d or 420? Online or Local? If online where can I purchase?

Thanks in advanced.

Matt

[DavidR]

Deffinately get the 420...or better yet the 500. I have been using my 380 for a couple of years now and wouldn't even look for another hand held unit. These backpack units are much more convenient to use and are more powerful. I have never heard someone complain that their blower is to powerful.

As for price, I have never seen much of a discount at all on any Stihl equipment. Best to buy local in case something breaks.

[KGR landscapeing]

the 420 is a lot for a home owner easly gonna pay 300 for it but ull have it for years its worth the money and local is the way to go. then service is easy.

[Potchkins]

if your are even considering the thought of a BR 420... forget the hand held
demo the BR 600

[HawKen]

I went with a BR600 to handle the leaves. I also wanted it to clear snow. Depending on how wet the snow is, it easily handles 1" of wet and 2+" of powder. It clears the cement cleanly and doesn't leave any of the strips of snow that always become slippery. When we get a heavier snow, I just go out a couple of times while it's coming down. It usually only takes about 10 minutes to do.

[jkingrph]

I only keep up my home and went with the Stihl BR600 after about 20 years with their handheld.

There is no comparison, I am starting to have some trees get larger and mature and getting more leaves and can now do in 5 minutes what used to take 15.