i think the echo you're looking at is the pb-403t. i use that same blower and it has been great. as far as the other brands go, a few other lco's that are friends of mine use a lot of stihl equipment and they swear by it. what i did when i got my 1st backpack was try a few different brands on and see how they feel...leaf and hurricane cleanups down here mean i'll be using the blower for a little bit more than simply blowing the sidewalk and driveway and i wanted a blower that i felt comfortable with. i honestly don't think you would go wrong with any of the 3 brands. but through my experience, i'm partial to stihl and echo.