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Hand held blowers Echo vs Stihl

21K views 40 replies 18 participants last post by  STIHL GUY 
#1 ·
Hi, I am in a market buying a handheld blower, now I am narrowing down to Echo pb250 (5 yrs warranty), and BG55 (2 yrs) warranty. any suggestions between the two? This is for home use only, I know the Stihl can purchase w/additional vac attachement.
 
#4 ·
I bought a Stihl BG55 a couple of years ago and ended up returning it. It was extremely hard to start, which irritated me. I may have gotten a bad one, but I did not like it. I bought an Echo ES-210 and absolutely loved it. That handheld blower would not quit. It was easy to start and ran like a champ. I sold it when I bought my backpack blower and now I regret selling it. I wish I still had it.
 
#6 ·
We use all echo and they work GREAT easy to start and we have had no problem at all and I have a great dealer.
 
#10 ·
I have a BG85, though it doesnt start on the first pull like my BR600 it is over 5 years old and has never failed to start on 2-3 pulls after prime and choke. I use the gutter cleaning pipe to keep my gutters clean...its a great setup. This machine stays in the garage for quick cleanup of leaves and or grass clipping when I dont feel like using the BR600. It is also a great machine for rolling the edge of pine straw after install.
 
#11 ·
don't worry about warranties, just buy from a reputable, competent dealer. stay away from lowes/home depot/tractor supply, etc!
What to you mean don't worry about warranty's we are all out working to make money and if I buy something with a 5 year warranty I'm gonna use it if something breaks I don't like paying 50 to 75 dollar shop rates that why I Buy new equipment every 5 years not because its worn out its because you can still get good money out of it and I try to keep every thing under warranty's.
 
#12 ·
What he is saying is buy a commercial blower and get 5 good years out of it with no problems, buy junk from Home Depot and you may have problems.
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#15 ·
All ECHO products are commercial grade. Look for the emmission durabilty rating label on the machine. There are 3 categories: A (300 hours / commercial); B (125 hours / medium); and C (50 hours / homeowner). The EPA requires the manufacturers to disclose which compliance period their engines fall within. This means the engine will stay in compliance for a minimum of the number of hours it is rated for, which tells you about the quality of the engine. The proof is on thelabel of the machine. Look for it. It is usually in fine print.
 
#16 ·
So just because the label states the muffler or emission devices will last 300 hours means the machine will last that long? And 300 hours isn't that long anyway, not for a commercial product anyway.
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#18 ·
To CGAENGINEER ... you wanted proof, I gave you proof. And what I said is that the engine is rated for a minimum number of hours for emission compliance. I did not say that means the engine will last 300 hours. The engine will last much longer that 300 hours. But fine, don't believe me, go buy a Stihl BG55 with a Category C rating and enjoy it for the next year or two because if you are a commercial cutter, that is all you will get out of it.
 
#20 ·
Its the emission stuff that is rated to work for a certain amount of hours not the engine...the emission compliance has nothing to do with the reliability of the engine...period.

BTW, the BG85 and the BR600 are both CatA if that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy...if you want proof I will post pictures.

So people if you wanna buy a blower based on its emission compliance the Stihl BG85 and BR600 is rated A, and according to green monster this makes them reliable.

And please tell me what kind of emission related gizmos are on a BG585 anyway...I am willing to bet $100 you won't find anything, the same goes for the BR600.

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#21 ·
All Echo's are commercial grade. That made me laugh. The pB-251 is junk. Open it up sometime and tell me that is quality. Looking at a label that states emissions compliance doesn't tell the quality of the unit. That's a ridiculous statement. BG 55 is better built, produces more power at a lower weight and a lower price. The pb251 is just rated quieter, whether it actually is, I couldn't tell. It's a POS Home Depot special. ECHO is sacrificing quality to meet Home Depot's price demands.

People need to be aware that ECHO's 5 year warranty is for CONSUMERS only. If you are a professional, then you will get 2 years. Also be aware that long extended warranties are marketing gimmicks. If a unit is truly defective, it won't take 5 years to show up.
 
#22 · (Edited)
All Echo's are commercial grade. That made me laugh. The pB-251 is junk. Open it up sometime and tell me that is quality. Looking at a label that states emissions compliance doesn't tell the quality of the unit. That's a ridiculous statement. BG 55 is better built, produces more power at a lower weight and a lower price. The pb251 is just rated quieter, whether it actually is, I couldn't tell. It's a POS Home Depot special. ECHO is sacrificing quality to meet Home Depot's price demands.

People need to be aware that ECHO's 5 year warranty is for CONSUMERS only. If you are a professional, then you will get 2 years. Also be aware that long extended warranties are marketing gimmicks. If a unit is truly defective, it won't take 5 years to show up.
Hmm...the same 2 year commercial warranty as Stihl...tell me it isn't so? Here I thought they were in a league of their own.

No doubt that Echo makes a good product, as does Redmax, Shin, or Kawi, but basing the quality on the emissions compliance is ignorant. I am sure some Poulan junk has the same compliance numbers as a Stihl, Echo or any other handheld...its easy to stay in compliance when the unit doesn't run long enough to use it.

I have never changed the spark plug in my BG85 in the almost 6 years I have owned it...probably why it takes 2-3 pulls to start it, in fact I have not done anything to it except put gas in it.

Oh, and good luck getting Home Depot to repair a defective Echo in 5 years, consumer or commercial. There is a reason Stihl or other brands are not sold at a big box store.
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#23 ·
Let's get the facts straight. If the unit meets emissions but is only certified to stay that way for 50 hours versus 300, what does that tell you about the quality of the engine? Look at the label on the BG55, you will see it says category C (50 hours) and that is why Stihl puts it in their "Homescaper Series". Now the BG85 (or BG86) is a different story, that unit is in their, "Professional Series" and it gets a Category A (300 hours) rating. It makes a difference to Stihl, that is why they have the "Homescaper Series", and all the product you will find there will be Category C (50 hours) equipment. They put it right on their hang tags: "Homeowner"; "Mid-Range"; "Professional". If you don't believe me, go to a Stihl dealer and check it out.
All the ECHO product gets a category C (300 hour) rating because it stays in compliance with emissions for a minimum of 300 hours or longer. You may not care about emissions. Think about it. If the unit meets emissions when it is new, but comes out of complicance at 50 hours versus 300 hours, why is that? The answer is not because ECHO puts more emissions "gizmos" on their machines, or the unit does not last long enought to come out of compliance. Those are ridiculous statements! Talk about ignorance. Go talk to a knowledgeable mechanic at dealer that sells both Stihl and ECHO. They will tell you which units last longer and which units they buy for themselves.
There is no doubt Stihl makes some good product, but you have to pay for it, you have to step up to their "Professional Series". But your beloved Stihl also makes some pretty weak products in comparison as well and that is what you will find those in their "Homescaper Series".
 
#24 ·
I don't need to talk to a mechanic since I used to be one. Second, a 2 stroke barely meets the emission requirements anyway and if they fail later on in life its not because of blowby that would effect an oil sumped 4 stroke. Third, you should get your categories straight...is is class c that's 300 hours or class a? You even have me confused and I just looked at the label last night.
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#25 ·
Wimpy wants to talk about warranties? Why does Stihl have a 1 year consumer and a 90 day commercial on all their chain saws? ECHO has a 5 year consumer and 1 year commercial warranty on their chain saws. ECHO will warranty a chain saw to a commercial cutter for the same time frame that Stihl warranties for a homeowner. Hmmm ... what does that tell you?

The PB-251 is a Home Depot special? Then why is it also sold at independent dealers? By the way, the independent dealer will amost always be selling it for the same price, $169. This is a great unit, getting a Category A (300 hour) rating from the EPA. Your beloved BG55 is Category C (50 hours). Wimpy doesn't like the facts, that is why Wimpy admits the PB-251 gets a quieter rating, but then goes on to say he doesn't believe it.

I have to laugh when Wimpy talks about the PB-251 and ten says "open it up sometime". Oh sure, I bet he did that. LOL! Wimpy just can't accept the fact that all the ECHO is commercial grade because all he owns is Stihl. I will give Wimpy credit on one account: It appears all he has purchased is the "Professional" Stihl.
 
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