A friend of mine just purchased one and he loves his. Are you using all of the tubes? For increased airflow take the last two tubes off. This will also help for the weight and you will not be waving a huge tube back and forth all day long. In regard to the plastic flexing, check to make sure that the tubing up by the handle is pushed in as far as it will go. I have noticed this with the older models also. In order for the tubing to not flex it needs to be pushed in as far as possible and then secure the trigger and handle bolt to your liking. You may have tried this already, i dont know. Just a few suggestions and some of my own experiences. Good luck
Keep me updated.
Eric

 

I used a 420 and i had a 400, they barly even changed anything on the 420 besides a few stupid little thing. I hate the stihls anyway. I'm kinda agravated with remax too, i just bought a new eb7000 and it has less power than my eb6200. I used an echo though, that blower defintly got some power. About taking two tubes of the blower, I wouldn't do it, it decreases velosity without the tubes and makes it hard to dislodge debries and stuff.

 

dlland--my br 400 is about five years old and I love it. there may have been something better out there but at the time I didn't see it.

sounds like sthil has gone backwards with this unit. dang, I hate that when it happens!

if you bought it from a dealer, take them both back and have the dealer explain why the new unit is worth the money.

GEO

 

Only one problem with my 420 so far - cruise control quit working.

I purchased my 420 in February at my dealers annual pro day. Did not take delivery till about two months later. I had the option of taking home a 400 that day or waiting for the 420. I felt the design improvements were worth the wait. This was hard to do considering that I was using a Craftsman handheld blower at the time.

green guy,

Most of the time I need volume and not velocity, so I carry a tube in my hand. When I need more velocity I put it on.

 

I had a echo and I didnt like throttle on the left side. My new 420 is fine, had to get used to cranking it. No primer bulb and if you pull start on choke till it fires it floods. The dealer said with the new carb, pull it on choke once and turn the choke off. It worked for me, its completely different than my other stihl equip. No redmax dealer down here so cant compare the 2. Echo and Stihl dominate the market. maybe a shind around too.

 

brought it to dealer they ordered a new tubing and installing it for free but order doesnt go out till monday and it takes 5 days for stihl parts or more so two weeks itl go on. today i used it, duck tape around weak point and it wouldnt stay running strong and air filter is clean and gas is clean. same gas in the 400 and it runs fine

 

I bought a br 420 two months ago, and I absolutely love it. I feel like the build quality on the stihl's are BETTER than the Shindaiwa and Redmax. Also, they use a VERY NICE filter on everything they make. Usually a 2-part job with one foam and one THICK felt filter. They fit super tight and are the best design I have seen.(and the filter is the life of your equipment) I have owned several items from each of the following: shindaiwa, lesco, and stihl. All were and still are good products, but I do feel that the Stihl line is made of more substantial materials. (Boy, I know I just made some people mad.)

PS: I would NEVER spend the extra money for a "big" shindaiwa or redmax blower over the stihl. You reach a point of diminishing returns, and for just a small bit more you could buy a push blower.No backpack is going to hang with a push blower. Debate that one!

 

I have a few 400's. I bought a 420 about a month ago, according to the dealer, stihl made the air filter change to reduce maintenance, this filter is suppose to last the ENTIRE SEASON. Well worth it in my book.

 

Originally posted by smburgess
I have a few 400's. I bought a 420 about a month ago, according to the dealer, stihl made the air filter change to reduce maintenance, this filter is suppose to last the ENTIRE SEASON. Well worth it in my book.

hmmm.... I don't have a problem replacing the air filter on my br-400 because I have never done it.

a couple times a year I tap it out and if anything comes out I use the air nozzle. good a new!

when I am using my br-400, all of the dust that is of concern is blown way out in front of me!

GEO

 

Bought a new br420, 2 months ago, so far I love it. No problems at all so far and plenty of power for what I need it to do.

 

i bought a new br420 in the middle of the season, and had the same problem. when i went to go side to side the elbow would almost slip out of its housing, making it impossible to rotate it. so i grabed some wd 40 and ir greaded it up enough, and i have been running smoothly all season. you may want to try this.
kyle:blob2:

 

Ah, you guys can have your $450 blowers, I got my BR 320 last year for $300. Greatest investment aside from the Groundsmaster, and hasn't given me a lick of trouble. My mom is the manager of a condo complex and after my encouragement to get her own BP after she borrowed mine for 2 weeks, she bought the BR 420. I've used it once and I can't tell the difference between it and my BR 320. I'm serious, I cannot tell. All the hype and I was kickin myself cuz I didn't wait but I can't justify another $100 and the fact that leaf season last year wouldn't have existed to buy the 420. Sorry guys, I'm staying small. And who needs a huge ass Shin or Redmax anyway? I was moving a crap load of leaves last year anyway, wet to boot, and didn't have any problems. Like big piles, 3-4 feet high of wet leaves. Most of the time when I was blowing the dry stuff, I had trouble keeping it going where I wanted it, the blower had too much power at times.

 

Originally posted by Scag48
Sorry guys, I'm staying small. And who needs a huge ass....

thanks skag, for letting us know that smaller IS better!

GEO