The one thing that you wonder why you didn't buy sooner?

tradosaurus · Jun 26, 2023

WinterDeere said:
When I first moved to my present address, I bought the biggest, baddest backpack blower Stihl made at the time (2011). But I found it just did not work for my needs. Too big to get into gardens and behind shrubs, and too weak to blow a pile of leaves across the lawn.

I traded it for a pairing of Stihl's largest handheld BG-86 blower and an Subaru EX27-powered walk-behind Optimax from Little Wonder. Much more useful, in that the handheld blows all the leaves out of the gardens into the yard, and the Little Wonder carries them across the yard to the woods. I even got a JRCO Blower Buggey for the Little Wonder, so I can mount it on my zero turn and cover several acres of hilly terrain.

I've owned a few Little Wonder blowers since my parents bought out first one around 1983. Most of them have had enough power they can pull the grass out by its roots at full throttle, depending on how you aim the chute. Wet leaves are no obstacle.

Sthil makes various sizes of back blowers. I bought in 2021 and it has more than enough power to get the job done 5 times as quick as the handheld blower I was using.

ArlyA · Jun 26, 2023

tradosaurus said:
Why wouldn't a SxS be more advantageous?

More weight, larger wider machine, less HP per pound. Poor operator visibility over the winter and while operating towed implements.

Eagle1 · Jun 26, 2023

tradosaurus said:
Why wouldn't a SxS be more advantageous?

In my case, width and height of the machine dictate where you can take it. The extra size of a SXS make it next impossible to get into anything other than BIG trails, essentially roads through the trees. My little rancher can weave through the trees and is able to turn around in a small space.
Just like the BX will go place I could not take my much bigger LS.

ArlyA · Jun 26, 2023

Eagle1 said:
In my case, width and height of the machine dictate where you can take it. The extra size of a SXS make it next impossible to get into anything other than BIG trails, essentially roads through the trees. My little rancher can weave through the trees and is able to turn around in a small space.
Just like the BX will go place I could not take my much bigger LS.

Small spots like this?

pmsmechanic · Jun 26, 2023

ArlyA said:
More weight, larger wider machine, less HP per pound. Poor operator visibility over the winter and while operating towed implements.

In your situation and for what you do with your 6x6 I agree. But I'm sure happy I have a quad instead of a sxs or 6x6.

WinterDeere · Jun 26, 2023

tradosaurus said:
Sthil makes various sizes of back blowers. I bought in 2021 and it has more than enough power to get the job done 5 times as quick as the handheld blower I was using.

Yep. Definitely. I hadn't said anything that disagrees with that, the backpack is indeed more powerful than a handheld.

I was arguing that, while more powerful than a handheld, the backpack is really weak when compared to a walk-behind. I found the backpack to be a poor, really almost unusable, compromise between portability and power. Much better having two tools, one that's portable for patios and gardens, and another that actually a knee-deep pile of damp leaves a reasonable distance in a reasonable time.

Others are using the backpack, instead of a handheld as their weaker portable machine. To each their own, but I found what works for me.

Eagle1 · Jun 26, 2023

ArlyA said:
Small spots like this? View attachment 807861

That is pretty open and flat... I just pulled fence on 300' high ridge line, up down and across about a 40 degree slope of woods. No way I could get a brush hog in to cut...
But yes you can get that 6x6 in places a bigger SXS would not go and I'm sure the 6x is nice in the snow. I've managed more than once to run out traction in 4*4 when we get more than few inches.

tradosaurus · Jun 26, 2023

WinterDeere said:
Yep. Definitely. I hadn't said anything that disagrees with that, the backpack is indeed more powerful than a handheld.

I was arguing that, while more powerful than a handheld, the backpack is really weak when compared to a walk-behind. I found the backpack to be a poor, really almost unusable, compromise between portability and power. Much better having two tools, one that's portable for patios and gardens, and another that actually a knee-deep pile of damp leaves a reasonable distance in a reasonable time.

Others are using the backpack, instead of a handheld as their weaker portable machine. To each their own, but I found what works for me.

I can see that walk-behind blower being advantageous for large open areas. If I was in the landscape/mowing business I would definitely get one.
For just around my property it would be over kill.