RedMax Backpack Blower

[hunterridgefarm]

Anyone heard of or used the RedMax Backpack Blower?

My dealer said all the landscapers and lawncare guys are buying these now, very powerful.

I went to look at the Stihl and Echo when he showed me the RedMax.

Stihl BR550 $399.95
RedMax $389.00 (forgot Model #)
Echo $399.00 (forgot model # /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif)

I have a Echo hand held and it has been a good one for 18 years. But it is time to upgrade /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif.

Any suggestion on the three?

 

[gamble77]

Yeah RedMax was really (at least in my neck of the woods) not well known until they introduced their new 8000 series backpack blower last year. That blower really seemed to launch their sales. I have nothing bad to say about their blowers and know of several people that use them and are happy with their performance.

However, many of my guys that bought the 8000 series RedMax blower were not happy with it. Seems the popular train of thought is that the 7000 series is a much better overall machine than the 8000.

BTW, the most powerful backpack blower on the market right now is the Shindaiwa EB8510. The several EB8510's I have sold so far are doing well and have heard nothing but praise for them.

Keep us posted as to what you do.

 

[hunterridgefarm]

gamble77,
Thanks for the reply. I have an outdoor equipment store in town that I want to go by and see what they carry. I don't recall seeing Shindaiwa anywhere but he may carry those.

On items like this I like to buy from the smaller guys instead of the "big box stores", support the small guy and get better service.

Just want to make sure I buy a quality product that will give me the same service as my previous blower.

 

[kenmac]

I just purchased a redmax EB7001.So far it's been a good blower with plenty of power. The larger blowers weigh more . The EB 7001 is about 21 lbs. the 8000 is around 25 lbs. I Purchased off the net for $400.00 including shipping.

 

[hunterridgefarm]

So of the three listed does any one stand out as better more reliable?

 

[kenmac]

I don't know about that .They are mechanical & they may all give problems at some point. I went to lawnsite .com & found that after asking questions I went with the redmax 7001 more power than the ones you listed.Redmax is a division of Komatsu that builds heavy equipment.look for the cfm @ the end of the tube, some list cfm @ the housing. the redmax for $389.00 is probably the 7001 ,but I don't know where your prices came from.Like I said I paid $400.00 for the 7001 shipped to the door.

 

[CT_Tree_Guy]

HRF -

I'm a Stihl guy at heart, and that said, when I compared the biggest Stihl (BR600) to the biggest Echo (PB-751) I went with the Echo. It's just tough to beat an Echo for ease of starting, intelligent design, and astonishing reliability. I stll have an Echo PB-201E that I bought in 1986 and have used a LOT.

I have a friend in the power equipment biz who loves Red Max, and I'm sure the Shindaiwa is good too. The Echo 751 moves a LOT of air too though, and has a GREAT air filtration system. The Stihl might be the cleanest of the bunch with its 4-mix engine, but I believe the 751 is a "cleaned up" version of the 750, which it replaced. Decisions, decisions ... just do what you can to try the Echo before you buy anything else, and check out the filtration system.

John

 

[hunterridgefarm]

CT-
I plan to try all three and the Echo was what I went in thinking to buy since the one I have has been a good one.

They are calling for our first snow of the year tonight and tomorrow, if my in-town outdoor equipment dealer is open tomorrow I see what he has and I know he will "crank-em-up" for me.
thanks

 

[65hoss]

We have been using Redmax blowers in my business for years. I also own Stihl. I buy nothing but Redmax blowers now. They are the best of the best for blowers.

 

[curt1]

Last fall I purchased the Redmax EBZ8000 to replace my aging Stihl BR400. When it comes to power, the Redmax has plenty. The only disadvantage is when you have to lift it onto your shoulders 5 to 10 times or more per day, then its weight becomes a factor. The Redmax 7000 model may be a better choice as far as weight is concerned. I needed the extra power of the EBZ8000 for Fall leaf cleanup. The 8000 saved me many hours last Fall because of its wonderful power.
I have used Stihl equipment for the last 8 years and it has performed great. I have no problems recommending Stihl equipment. I haven't tried any of the new Stihl backpack blowers so I can't comment on the newer versions, although I am sure they are great.
I have never used Echo equipment, but have never heard any negative comments about it, only positive comments.
I would recommend trying all three brands out, then choose the brand/model you like best. I think any of the three brands will be a good choice, as long as you are happy with it. All three will last for years with proper care.
Good luck in your choice. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif Wish I could help a little more, maybe others will be able to. If you have any questions about the EBZ8000, I will be glad to help.

Curt

 

[hunterridgefarm]

Curt1,
What did the EBZ8000 cost?

Where we are building I will have a ton of leaves, all hardwood around us. I did not make it by my local outdoor equipment dealer this weekend, hope to get by this week. It kinda depends on what he carries.

 

[curt1]

I paid $485 before tax for the EBZ8000. I found it a month or so later for $450 on sale at another local store. I bought the EBZ8000 left side throttle control. I wish I had bought the EBZ8000RH, which has right hand throttle control placed within the handle. The left side throttle control gets in the way when in tight quarters. The Air Velocity for the 8000 is 203 MPH.. The air volume (without tube) is 943cfm and with the tube is 688 cfm.. It has 72cc and 4.6 HP.. Dry weight is 24.9 lbs.. It will take care of business when blowing leaves. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
One difference between Stihl and RedMax is RedMax has a lifetime warranty on the ignition coil and Stihl does not. Stihl used to have lifetime warranty on ignition coils up until the past few years. The difference between the Stihl BR400 I had and the EBZ8000 is like night and day. Of course, you really can't compare an older machine with the new one's.


Curt

 

[hunterridgefarm]

Ok, My local in town guy carries Stihl and Huskie.

Stihl BR550 $399.95
Stihl BR600 $469.95

If between these two I would like the BR600 but in town guy says there is basically no difference...?

Tractor Dealer is 45 min. away and carries the Stihl, Echo, and RedMax. Pricing is basically the same.

If I buy in town service is easy. If I buy out of town service is easy but aggravating. But I have only had the hand held that I currently have serviced once in 15 years and I've done all the other service to it.

Is there anything special about backpack blowers that requires special service?

I like the feedback on the RedMax and Echo and I know the decision is basically mine to make but given this scenario what would you do?

 

[curt1]

On the Stihl web site, the specs for the BR550 and BR600 are close.
BR550---- BR600
64.8cc, 64.8cc
4 HP, 4 HP
Air Velocity 199mph, 201mph
Air volume
with tubes 530cfm, 712cfm
Air Volume
w/o tubes 877cfm, 1012cfm
Weight 21.4 lbs., 20.9 lbs.

In my opinion, volume(with tubes on) matters more than velocity so I would probably go with the BR600 if I was buying Stihl. Plus the more powerful blower weighs about a half pound less.
At the current time, the Stihl web site has a recall on some model BR500 and BR550 blower's. If you buy a BR550, make sure it isn't one of the recall serial number's. Stihl probably has taken the defective model's off the shelf.
There is no special service required for backpack blowers except making sure all screws and bolts are secure as they have a lot of vibration in the engine area and that holds true for all 2 stroke power equipment.
I never compared the new Stihl blower's with RedMax. I can, however, say that the Stihl BR400 I had was a great machine...troublefree. When comparing the Specs for the BR600 and EBZ8000, it appears that Stihl edges out the RedMax. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif And the BR600 weighs about 4 lbs. less which would be a nice advantage.
I would probably drive to the tractor dealer and demo all three brands (if you have the time) to see how they compare in real life. If you decide to buy Stihl, you could buy from the dealer close to you. Or you could buy it from the tractor dealer and take it to the dealer close to home for service...if it ever needs other than routine service.
Don't let anyone tell you different, Stihl makes excellent equipment. The reason I bought RedMax was because I wanted to try something different after many years of running Stihl. RedMax seems to have a large following with lawn/landscape companies in this area.
And yes, the 45 minute drive would come into consideration. That's extra expense(time and fuel, etc.) to consider.
I have a Stihl HT101 telescoping pruner with the new Stihl 4-mix engine, like the engine's in the BR550 and BR600 blower's. It starts very easy with little pulling power required on the starter handle and runs very quiet. Also seems to have less vibration. It would be a nice addition to a backpack blower. Maybe I should have tried the new Stihl blower's before I purchased RedMax. ???


Curt

 

[CT_Tree_Guy]

Hunterridge -

There's really not a whole lot that goes wrong with backpack blowers, so I wouldn't sweat the extra distance to the tractor dealer. I have a feeling that the difference between the BR550 and BR600 might be the 4-mix engine, but I'm not sure. The Stihl 600 is a little more compact than the Echo 751, but I still love the Echo. As Curt said, just try them all out, and one of them should "jump out" at you as "the one" for you. if and when you do check out the Echo 751, have them show you the air filtration system, and explain how they pass some of the airflow over the engine for extra cooling for long, long engine life. This was one of the major design changes from the Echo 650 to the 750/751.

That said, I don't think you can go far wrong with the Stihl, the Echo, the RedMax or the Shindaiwa. You'll probably know the one you want when you see it.

Good luck, John

 

[JLS_SNAPPER]

I have an old shindiawa EB45 (backpack) that my cousin game me because he got a new EB500. The power upgrade from my Weed-eater hand-held to that old backpack was unbelievable. Shindiawa makes good stuff.

EB500 - $380ish? This is the next-to-best blower that Shindiawa makes. I'm not 100% on this price.

EB630 - $480-$500 This is the best one Shindiawa makes. I haven't used it, but based on how my old EB45 works.....you might wanna gain about 10 pounds before using the EB630./forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[hunterridgefarm]

Just an update.

I purchased the Stihl BR550 from my local outdoor equipment dealer. Compared to the hand-held I had this thing is powerful.

Thought seriously about the bigger RedMax, Stihl, and Echo but for the money and what I needed the BR550 was perfect.

One funny thing, I stopped by at lunch to pick it up and instead of putting in the building at home I had a few extra minutes at lunch and decided to blow up some leaves at the deck /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif. Did not know the wife had a big flower pot full potting soil that was covered with leaves /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif. Had the throttle wide open when I passed over this area and it look like an explosion, I was covered head to toe in potting soil. In my hair, ears, and fortunately I had my glasses on I use for driving. Had to shower and change.

So of course I had to call in to work and tell them I bought a hamburger for lunch and had mustard and ketchup on my shirt and would be a little late /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[JLS_SNAPPER]

I just bought a RedMax EB7001. Best blower I have ever owned.

http://www.redmax.com