Stihl Backblower which one to buy??

[scollins]

10-4 on the BR600. Those are the best things ever invented for blasting a fire break through hardwood leaves. I would keep the smaller one, too.

I bought a BR600 last year. If you cannot get a brush pile to burn when it is too wet, try one of those! Just watch out for spreading burning embers and causing spot fires on a dry day.

I use a set of high-lift blades on a lawn tractor, with the side chute removed to blast the leaves off my trails.

 

[denverdave66]

I always burn my brush piles while it is raining or after a good rain, I get it started with my propane torch and then fire up the BR600 and it really gets the fire going good. I was talking to the Stihl dealer yesterday telling him how much I like my BR600 and how that was money well spent and he said everyone that buys one says the same thing. He said I never had anyone bring one back and say its not powerful enough.

 

[QRTRHRS]

I like my BR600 Magnum way better than my small Poulan.
If I had to blow enough to run thru 7 gallons of fuel on one project I would consider looking into a larger blower for the 3PH compact tractors. Sure would save you alot of time.

I just saw this thread come up to the top again. Anyway, after this year, I may just look into some kind of leaf vac or a mounted blower. The wind patterns have really done a number this year. I am at 12 gallons or so of gas and not done yet. At least it gives me a first hand look at every square inch of my pastures that border the woods. LOL!

 

[ch33rious]

Newbie here. Just wanted to let you all know because of all the great reviews via this thread, I purchased my most expensive Christmas gift today, the Stihl, BR600. My Wife will slaughter me for thanksgiving later. But she saw me utilize my new toy today clearing 1 acre of nothing but the dreaded fall leaves. Was fun !!!

 

[robs660]

I was talked out of Stijl and into red max for the blower. Best one I have ever owned. Don't remember the model number buts the mid sized unit.

 

[JOE G]

You will enjoy the BR600, I don't notice much of a Difference between the BR 550 and the 600 but I only have about 2 tanks though the 600 so I am hoping it'll loosen up a bit with some more use.

 

[jenkinsph]

This past fall working by myself I used my BR600, Deere MC 519 cart and pine needle rake to clean up about 12 customer lawns plus my own. Last year I spent about 11 days to do these same yards with the pine needle rake and manual rakes. This year I did the same yards with the added equipment in less than three days and did a better job.

 

[HCJtractor]

The Red Max is my choice. A little heavier but better built and with out the valve problems of the Stihl. I have a dozen Stihl tools but finally got fed up with their incredibly poor fuel tank "flippy" cap. Never will I buy a Stihl with one of those!! Does the new model Stihl blower still have a flippy cap? I love my RedMax. i have a big BillyGoat wheeled blower, and my new backpack blower will almost out-perform it. My local dealer sells both RedMax and Stihl. He says the RedMax requires much less maintenance and most commercial guys also like it better. Don't discount it. And this is not a Stihl bash. I love their tools (except for the crappy gas cap). Hopefully they will finally recognize that over-engineered, faulty cap needs to be scrapped and go back to a cap design that was perfected a hundred years ago. But as said earlier, I don't know if their top line blowers have that cap.

 

[JOE G]

My BR600 has a normal cap.

 

[jenkinsph]

The Red Max is my choice. A little heavier but better built and with out the valve problems of the Stihl. I have a dozen Stihl tools but finally got fed up with their incredibly poor fuel tank "flippy" cap. Never will I buy a Stihl with one of those!! Does the new model Stihl blower still have a flippy cap? I love my RedMax. i have a big BillyGoat wheeled blower, and my new backpack blower will almost out-perform it. My local dealer sells both RedMax and Stihl. He says the RedMax requires much less maintenance and most commercial guys also like it better. Don't discount it. And this is not a Stihl bash. I love their tools (except for the crappy gas cap). Hopefully they will finally recognize that over-engineered, faulty cap needs to be scrapped and go back to a cap design that was perfected a hundred years ago. But as said earlier, I don't know if their top line blowers have that cap.

Haven't see the RedMax blower you mention but will keep an eye out for one. About the stihl gas "flippy" cap, I agree it is over engineered. Stihl did come out with a newer design cap to replace the older defective design a year or two ago. Don't know which one you had but I did verify that I had the new cap when I bought my blower.