Stihl BR 500, 550 or 600

[lil]

Could someone please explain the difference between these machines?
They are the same size motor and roughly the same price and weight, yet the air throughput varies greatly.

Thanks
Posted via Mobile Device

[Richard Martin]

The BR500 is intended for areas with noise restrictions. The BR550 and 600 are nearly identical except for the output. Some people don't have a need for super high output or can't afford the cost of the BR600 so Stihl has a slightly less powerful and costly alternative in the BR550.

[devinraptor]

Originally Posted by Richard Martin

The BR500 is intended for areas with noise restrictions. The BR550 and 600 are nearly identical except for the output. Some people don't have a need for super high output or can't afford the cost of the BR600 so Stihl has a slightly less powerful and costly alternative in the BR550.

What He Said!!!! I love the BR600 I own 8 of them and will buy more

[ric1]

Originally Posted by lil

Could someone please explain the difference between these machines?
They are the same size motor and roughly the same price and weight, yet the air throughput varies greatly.

Thanks
Posted via Mobile Device

Actually there is a great deal of difference between the blowers. When people look at blowers they tend to focus on Mph figure and the one they pick will be the highest. The BR-550 has a 199mph while the BR-600 Has a 201Mph, Not a lot of difference so why the big difference in price?

That's easy, it's called CFM. The thing to focus on is the CFM, or cubic feet per minute, of air volume that the blower is capable of pushing. It is the volume of air moved, not the speed of the air flow, which has the biggest impact on moving leaves and other debris.

The BR-550 has 530 CFM of air Volume, The BR-600 has 712 CFM of air Volume. That's what you need to focus on not the max speed. Manufacturers use the max speed of there blowers to catch the eye and there customers. So depending on what you're buying the blower for you need to buy accordingly.

[lil]

Thanks a lot everyone, it's good to be able to cut through the marketing BS and get a straight answer here on Lawnsite.

BR600 it is!
Posted via Mobile Device

[herler]

You made a good choice.

It's all in the CFM's, you can forget the MPH as a number it's always between 160 and 210.
That's because MPH is merely the end result of squeezing X amount of CFM's through a tube.
The more CFM's you push through the same tube, the higher your MPH will be.
But in and of itself MPH means little, it's in the CFM's.
The more CFM's it can push, the badder the blower.

It's actually the same thing with air compressors, psi's and cfm's.

[crazyflyboy30]

BR 600 STIHL Magnum BR 600 STIHL Magnum BR 600 STIHL Magnum BR 600 STIHL Magnum BR 600 STIHL Magnum BR 600 STIHL Magnum This is one I am geting NO DOUBT!!all other fail in comparison.

[rbljack]

Yep..i researched this about 2 months ago, and once spring hits...the 600 is going to be my first 2013 equipment purchase unless something unforeseen occurs.

[crazyflyboy30]

Originally Posted by rbljack

Yep..i researched this about 2 months ago, and once spring hits...the 600 is going to be my first 2013 equipment purchase unless something unforeseen occurs.

What do you think of this one RedMax EBZ8500 or a Husqvarna 580BTS is the most powerful commercial back pack blower designed for demanding tasks.They are the same blower.
http://www.redmax.com/products/blowers/ebz8500/#ratings
http://www.husqvarna.com/us/products...specifications

[rbljack]

Iver heard good things about that one as well....but for my needs its definitly overkill. The 600 is overkill for my day to day needs..but here is why i am going with the stihl 600:

Its three pounds lighter and comes in at 21.6 pounds before fuel. The 600 has a smaller gas tank, but that is fine with me. That extra capacity on the redman would just mean more weight on my back, and for the day to day work, i dont need anything that big.

The 600 is overkill actually for my day to day blowing tasks, but its plenty to do the leaf cleanups that I will see in my area (west texas) if needs be. So I didnt feel the need for the extra weight of the redman. Thats just my logic, but hope this helps a little. I dont even have a backpack blower yet, but have looked at a few of the models, and actually went to take a closer look at the stihl in person, and from what I saw..i liked. And just in case i need the power, I have it on demand, so felt it was a better choice than the other stihl blowers. I dont mow early in the day, so a quieter model wasnt necessary either.

BR 600 STIHL Magnum®
64.8 cc (3.95 cu. in.)
3.0 kW (4.0 bhp)
9.8 kg (21.6 Ibs.)
1400 cc (47.3 oz.)
Redman EBZ8500
Cylinder displacement
75.6 cc
Power output
4.43 hp
Fuel tank volume
77.77 fl oz
Weight
24.69 lbs