Which Backpack Blower?

[TMGT]

I like this 4 stroke Makita EB7660TH. Easy to start, TONs of power, and comfortable. Best part is with it being 4 stroke, the wife can fire it up and use it

I like my makita/dolmar saws and looked at their blowers, but their backpack blower is about 5lbs heavier and much lower output, after an hr of straight use those extra 5lbs are brutal!

 

[Number15]

I just purchased my first backpack blower. After a bit of searching I ended up with a Shidaiwa eb910. It is extremely difficult to move forward when this thing is blowing at full speed. It's like walking against a hurricane wind gale. So far I like it a lot.

 

[Jchonline]

Echo for me as well, we have one that is almost 10 years old, gets used a couple of times a week blowing grass on 4 acres (around 8 structures)...but we don't have a ton of leaf blowing. So far it has been fairly bulletproof.

 

[ArlyA]

I just purchased my first backpack blower. After a bit of searching I ended up with a Shidaiwa eb910. It is extremely difficult to move forward when this thing is blowing at full speed. It's like walking against a hurricane wind gale. So far I like it a lot.

Please tell about its features, backpack, etc, etc. Its the fuel caps good on it? Photos are good.

 

[Number15]

Please set about its features, backpack, etc, etc. Are it caps good on it? Photos are good.

I'm back in FL for a few days so I can't get real pics.
80cc 2 stroke
1100 cfm
220 mph wind speed
26lbs (a little heavy) but it's comfortable to wear and it sucks wind across your back to keep you cool.

don't know what you mean by caps (typo?)
it was at the very top of my budget plus 100 dollar

 

[TMGT]

I'm back in FL for a few days so I can't get real pics.
80cc 2 stroke
1100 cfm
220 mph wind speed
26lbs (a little heavy) but it's comfortable to wear and it sucks wind across your back to keep you cool.

don't know what you mean by caps (typo?)
it was at the very top of my budget plus 100 dollar

View attachment 706249

Nice, I didn't realize it was a rebranded Echo 9010, you'll like it, Echo makes an excellent product.

 

[Liquidsilver]

Just to FINAL UPDATE this post... I got my Echo 8010 back from the shop after 3.5 months - after I purchased a backup unit, the Redmax 8550.

The Echo dealer was suspicious that i wasn't using the right oil in it, which would void my warranty... but then suddenly they changed their tune and the warranty covered the long repair. From tuning 2-strokes, I can tell you they have it running richer than it was... at WOT it occasionally does a rich sputter... but it runs okay. That should make the cylinder happy.

The tech said these kinds of blowers are more picky about oil than any other equipment, so I swore that I would use nothing but ethanol-free and the premium RedMax oil he sold me. My other 2-strokes never run at WOT all day long, so I guess I'll let 'em have that one.

In the last week I've been using them a lot back to back, so to compare the two:
The Echo is more comfortable to wear and has better vibration dampening. It also blows a further pattern than the RedMax.
The Redmax harness is not as comfortable and there is a lot of vibration transferred to your back. After using about 4 hours straight, that becomes a noticeable difference. But the Redmax engine seems to run like a swiss watch... like an electric motor at full tilt.
Both blowers are loud as you would expect. My ears would be ringing badly without earplugs, which I always use. They both use a lot of fuel. Their tanks are about a half gallon and they'll go through it in about an hour at WOT. I burned 8.5 gallons in the last 3 days.
The Redmax had a sharper end of the nozzle which made the air blast sharper at the muzzle but not throwing as far as the Echo. After some head-scratching, I hacksawed off about a half inch from the end of the Redmax nozzle and it throws EXACTLY as far as the Echo now.

So, I'm a happy boy with 2 blowers still good, 85 percent of my trails blown... just a little 'blower poor.'

((Oh BTW... the Shindawa is a RedMax with different stickers.))

 

[RalphVa]

I have the biggest Echo backpack blower... 80ccs. It's great when it's working. I need it for the power to blow off my woods trails, even when the leaves are a little wet.

I have to have a carried/backpack model, because many of the trails are too steep to use any of the wheeled models, even if that would work.

The Echo is going back to the shop for the second time. It was covered under warranty, but it was gone for months last time.

I've also killed a Stihl 60cc model... it seemed to go the same way. I think the main bearing went south and seized.

Yes, I run the recommended oil in them, and I use them for long hours at a time, but not like I imagine a yard service would. I just don't know why I'm killing them.

Has anybody tried the RedMax? I haven't tried them yet.

Thanks.

Best would be a batter powered one. You're emmitting A LOT of pollution that is very close to yourself and therefore breathing a lot of it.

 

[Tony H]

I got the redmax 7500. Reason being that the 8500 and 8550 is the same engine just run at higher rpms. Not a fan of running the chit out of a $700 machine. Redmax has seen their fill of blown up 8500's.

 

[TMGT]

Best would be a batter powered one. You're emmitting A LOT of pollution that is very close to yourself and therefore breathing a lot of it.

Is there any battery units that can compare to the large 80cc blowers?

Sent from my SM-G715U1 using TractorByNet mobile app

 

[4570Man]

Best would be a batter powered one. You're emmitting A LOT of pollution that is very close to yourself and therefore breathing a lot of it.

If you want to make the job take way longer that might be a good plan. The blower exhaust is on your back and blowing away from you. It’s pretty much not a concern.

 

[RalphVa]

The exhaust pollution and noise ARE a concern to others.

 

[Boss 302]

I have a Stihl and it's been a great machine I also find that my Echo equipment that i use is very dependable.

 

[TMGT]

The exhaust pollution and noise ARE a concern to others.

I have more concern with the battery manufacturing then exhaust emissions on a small engine.

I have a 2 gas backpack blowers and a battery backpack blower. The battery has its place but it just isn't up to the job when I have a lot of work to do.

Sent from my SM-G715U1 using TractorByNet mobile app

 

[4570Man]

The exhaust pollution and noise ARE a concern to others.

So you’d rather listen to the obnoxious whine of the electric blower all day vs listen to an 8500 for an hour? Seems logical.

 

[Liquidsilver]

The exhaust pollution and noise ARE a concern to others.

I will use electric devices when they are practical, but 1) there is no electric blower capable of this kind of work. And 2) thinking the ACTUAL pollution difference between using a properly tuned gas blower vs. the toxic rare earth and lithium mining and manufacturing processes used to create electrical devices just as noisy and less efficient in this application, is ignorant of true stewardship of nature.

Remember, my post was a comparison among specific machines. Your response would have been helpful if you could suggest a machine comparable to those listed, as others did.

 

[ArlyA]

I have lots of battery tools, like most guys have these days. I do love my cordless drills n saws. But when we go out onto the trails, no battery tools go with us.

 

[Teachu2]

The exhaust pollution and noise ARE a concern to others.

Those concerned are welcome to use a broom and shovel.

 

[4570Man]

I have lots of battery tools, like most guys have these days. I do love my cordless drills n saws. But when we go out onto the trails, no battery tools go with us.

Same here. I have a lot of cordless tools and I actually do have a cordless blower that I use to blow dust off trim before painting. I know there’s better cordless blowers than the one I have but there’s still nothing even close to an 8500 backpack blower. There’s battery string trimmers that offer pretty good service but why spend money to change something thar isn’t broken? A battery chainsaw is more of a yard cleanup tool. They’ll never be a serious firewood cutting tool.

 

[4570Man]

I will use electric devices when they are practical, but 1) there is no electric blower capable of this kind of work. And 2) thinking the ACTUAL pollution difference between using a properly tuned gas blower vs. the toxic rare earth and lithium mining and manufacturing processes used to create electrical devices just as noisy and less efficient in this application, is ignorant of true stewardship of nature.

Remember, my post was a comparison among specific machines. Your response would have been helpful if you could suggest a machine comparable to those listed, as others did.

Not only that but let’s assume the electric blower actually was zero emissions. We both know that’s bs but let’s assume for a minute it’s actually true. What percentage of the global emissions comes from leaf blowers? So if everyone in the world threw away their gas blower and bought this mythical zero emissions blower how much would actually be helped? In reality you’d be throwing away a non recyclable tool that’s already been built to create more emissions to build another tool, creating more emissions to get the new tool to you, creating emissions to build a several pound heavy metal battery that’ll probably one day end up polluting the water in the landfill and still creating emissions to charge the battery while still annoying your neighbors with an obnoxious whine of an electric blower thar takes way longer to get the job done. But go ahead and give yourself a pat on the back for saving the environment.