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Best blower for $300 or less
#1
Z
zmister11
Z
zmister11
The title says it all. I had a cheap home owner blower that quit working. The reason is because I'm doing roughly 10 yards a week. I know it's not a lot but I'm trying to build up. So I'm trying to buy a new blower with a budget of $300. It can be backpack or handheld. Thanks!
#2
djdicetn
I ran across a refurbished Echo 250LN handheld blower at Home Depot for 1/2 price($79.99) compared to the new price($169.99...which still ain't bad) It works VERY well and starts right up(bought it Spring 2012). I even lucked out..when I went to register the product, the original owner did not register it so I ended up getting a full new product warranty on it. Can't beat that deal!!!
djdicetn
The title says it all. I had a cheap home owner blower that quit working. The reason is because I'm doing roughly 10 yards a week. I know it's not a lot but I'm trying to build up. So I'm trying to buy a new blower with a budget of $300. It can be backpack or handheld. Thanks!
I ran across a refurbished Echo 250LN handheld blower at Home Depot for 1/2 price($79.99) compared to the new price($169.99...which still ain't bad) It works VERY well and starts right up(bought it Spring 2012). I even lucked out..when I went to register the product, the original owner did not register it so I ended up getting a full new product warranty on it. Can't beat that deal!!!
#3
Z
zmister11
Nice! That's a good deal. I thinking either that handheld or the other echo handheld at home depot. One is 160 and the other I believe is 200. Does it blow pretty hard? I live in Florida and it's always raining lol so lots of wet grass
Z
zmister11
I ran across a refurbished Echo 250LN handheld blower at Home Depot for 1/2 price($79.99) compared to the new price($169.99...which still ain't bad) It works VERY well and starts right up(bought it Spring 2012). I even lucked out..when I went to register the product, the original owner did not register it so I ended up getting a full new product warranty on it. Can't beat that deal!!!
Nice! That's a good deal. I thinking either that handheld or the other echo handheld at home depot. One is 160 and the other I believe is 200. Does it blow pretty hard? I live in Florida and it's always raining lol so lots of wet grass
#4
djdicetn
Yep, the PB 250LN is an overall great handheld for a BBS offering.
djdicetn
Nice! That's a good deal. I thinking either that handheld or the other echo handheld at home depot. One is 160 and the other I believe is 200. Does it blow pretty hard? I live in Florida and it's always raining lol so lots of wet grass
Yep, the PB 250LN is an overall great handheld for a BBS offering.
#5
Z
zmister11
Sweet I'm going their tomorrow so I'll check it out. Thanks
Z
zmister11
Yep, the PB 250LN is an overall great handheld for a BBS offering.
Sweet I'm going their tomorrow so I'll check it out. Thanks
#6
clpolcar
clpolcar
Home depot echo pb500t back pack blower. Nice unit. I love mine. Starts 1st pull every time. Bought from home depot for like 330 last year
#7
djdicetn
I agree...I really went to Home Depot to look at the PB500T, but when I saw the PB250LN for $80....I couldn't justify $250 more just to get a backpack blower. Now if you are going to be using it commercially and can afford it, the PB500T would probably be a better pick.
djdicetn
Home depot echo pb500t back pack blower. Nice unit. I love mine. Starts 1st pull every time. Bought from home depot for like 330 last year
I agree...I really went to Home Depot to look at the PB500T, but when I saw the PB250LN for $80....I couldn't justify $250 more just to get a backpack blower. Now if you are going to be using it commercially and can afford it, the PB500T would probably be a better pick.
#8
clpolcar
He is doing commercial work am I right or wrong? To me I would rather use a back pack blower then hand held. That's my personal preference.
clpolcar
The reason is because I'm doing roughly 10 yards a week. I know it's not a lot but I'm trying to build up. It can be backpack or handheld. Thanks!
He is doing commercial work am I right or wrong? To me I would rather use a back pack blower then hand held. That's my personal preference.
#9
djdicetn
Another thing that bothered me(actually, my wife wanted to use the blower when she weed-eated), the PB500T backpack blower weighed 23 lbs and had 465 cfm's and the PB250LN handheld only weighed 10 lbs and had 391 CFM's. Not a whole lot more power...but definitely a lot more to carry around for the backpack blower.....just sayin:0)
After using the PB250LN, my wife actually told me she was glad I didn't get a backpack blower.
djdicetn
He is doing commercial work am I right or wrong? To me I would rather use a back pack blower then hand held. That's my personal preference.
Another thing that bothered me(actually, my wife wanted to use the blower when she weed-eated), the PB500T backpack blower weighed 23 lbs and had 465 cfm's and the PB250LN handheld only weighed 10 lbs and had 391 CFM's. Not a whole lot more power...but definitely a lot more to carry around for the backpack blower.....just sayin:0)
After using the PB250LN, my wife actually told me she was glad I didn't get a backpack blower.
#10
exotion
I prefer non backpacks myself. Full time 90ish houses a week. If you have the blower on for 10mins or less on a job the backpack is a waste. My stihl is out of your budget but not by much look into the bg86 powerful machine. Beast to start but pushes anything I cannot wait until fall to see how it does with leaves. I admit a backpack would be nice sometimes but haven't been inconvenienced enough to purchase one yet.
exotion
He is doing commercial work am I right or wrong? To me I would rather use a back pack blower then hand held. That's my personal preference.
I prefer non backpacks myself. Full time 90ish houses a week. If you have the blower on for 10mins or less on a job the backpack is a waste. My stihl is out of your budget but not by much look into the bg86 powerful machine. Beast to start but pushes anything I cannot wait until fall to see how it does with leaves. I admit a backpack would be nice sometimes but haven't been inconvenienced enough to purchase one yet.
#11
L
LoCo86
L
LoCo86
I have both backpack and handheld blowers and they both have their advantages. However for right now a good handheld unit would be good for you until you get a lot more yards. I use the BG55 and though it's not the most powerful blower out there it does the job nicely whether you're blowing sidewalks or leaves out of flower beds.
#12
Ric
It sounds to me like what your looking for is a mid range Backpack blower. The thing to remember when buying a blower is to buy it by the CFM rating, not mph because the cubic feet per minute of air flow out of the pipe or with the tube is what moves debris not mph. I'd look at the Stihl BR 350. What ever you do check the spec's remember a lot of these company's give housing or without the tube cfm ratings that really mean nothing so make sure what your getting.
Stihl BR 350 / $359.95
Ric
The title says it all. I had a cheap home owner blower that quit working. The reason is because I'm doing roughly 10 yards a week. I know it's not a lot but I'm trying to build up. So I'm trying to buy a new blower with a budget of $300. It can be backpack or handheld. Thanks!
It sounds to me like what your looking for is a mid range Backpack blower. The thing to remember when buying a blower is to buy it by the CFM rating, not mph because the cubic feet per minute of air flow out of the pipe or with the tube is what moves debris not mph. I'd look at the Stihl BR 350. What ever you do check the spec's remember a lot of these company's give housing or without the tube cfm ratings that really mean nothing so make sure what your getting.
Stihl BR 350 / $359.95
| AIR VELOCITY | 75 m/sec. (168 mph) |
| AIR VOLUME | With tube: 750 m[SUP]3[/SUP]/h (441 cfm) Without tube: 1150 m[SUP]3[/SUP]/h (677 cfm) |
| WEIGHT | 10.0 kg (22.0 lbs.) |
| FUEL CAPACITY | 1700 cc (57.5 oz.) |
| DISPLACEMENT | 63.3 cc (3.86 cu. in.) |
| ENGINE POWER | 2.1 kW (2.8 bhp) |
| SOUND PRESSURE RATING | 74 dB(A) Measured per ANSI B 175.2 |
#13
Z
zmister11
Okay thanks. Yeah my last blower I bought I didn't know much and I bought it because it had a lot of mph. And it sucked lol but now I know
Z
zmister11
It sounds to me like what your looking for is a mid range Backpack blower. The thing to remember when buying a blower is to buy it by the CFM rating, not mph because the cubic feet per minute of air flow out of the pipe or with the tube is what moves debris not mph. I'd look at the Stihl BR 350. What ever you do check the spec's remember a lot of these company's give housing or without the tube cfm ratings that really mean nothing so make sure what your getting.
Stihl BR 350 / $359.95
AIR VELOCITY 75 m/sec. (168 mph) AIR VOLUME With tube: 750 m[SUP]3[/SUP]/h (441 cfm)
Without tube: 1150 m[SUP]3[/SUP]/h (677 cfm)WEIGHT 10.0 kg (22.0 lbs.) FUEL CAPACITY 1700 cc (57.5 oz.) DISPLACEMENT 63.3 cc (3.86 cu. in.) ENGINE POWER 2.1 kW (2.8 bhp) SOUND PRESSURE RATING 74 dB(A)
Measured per ANSI B 175.2
Okay thanks. Yeah my last blower I bought I didn't know much and I bought it because it had a lot of mph. And it sucked lol but now I know
#14
Z
zmister11
I seen that unit at my dealer for $170, I just wasn't sure how powerful it would be. How is it with wet grass?
Z
zmister11
I have both backpack and handheld blowers and they both have their advantages. However for right now a good handheld unit would be good for you until you get a lot more yards. I use the BG55 and though it's not the most powerful blower out there it does the job nicely whether you're blowing sidewalks or leaves out of flower beds.
I seen that unit at my dealer for $170, I just wasn't sure how powerful it would be. How is it with wet grass?
#15
M
magbarn
I've never found a handheld blower that can blow wet grass effectively.
Seriously though, if you're getting paid to do what you're doing, then time is money my friend...
What's the difference between a $300 home depot lawn mower and $1000 exmark 21-22" lawn mowers? They both will cut about the same and use the same amount of TIME to cut. Main difference between the two is that one may last a season at best, while the exmark will last easily 3-5 years with good maintenance with commercial use.
OTOH, a cheap handheld/backpack blower will SLOW you down, while a good one will speed you up. The Stihl BR350 mentioned above is 'decent', but I'd spend the extra $100 or so and get a Husky 570BTS with 770 CFM and 236 MPH. That sucker will move rocks and bricks! It's the current hot seller amongst commercial users. I've been able to get a few ebay sellers down to $425-$450 range. I personally use a Stihl BR600 and it's still kicking strong after 5 years, but I do have to do valve adjustments that the Husky won't need...
As they say buy expensive - cry once, buy cheap and cry twice...
M
magbarn
I seen that unit at my dealer for $170, I just wasn't sure how powerful it would be. How is it with wet grass?
I've never found a handheld blower that can blow wet grass effectively.
Seriously though, if you're getting paid to do what you're doing, then time is money my friend...
What's the difference between a $300 home depot lawn mower and $1000 exmark 21-22" lawn mowers? They both will cut about the same and use the same amount of TIME to cut. Main difference between the two is that one may last a season at best, while the exmark will last easily 3-5 years with good maintenance with commercial use.
OTOH, a cheap handheld/backpack blower will SLOW you down, while a good one will speed you up. The Stihl BR350 mentioned above is 'decent', but I'd spend the extra $100 or so and get a Husky 570BTS with 770 CFM and 236 MPH. That sucker will move rocks and bricks! It's the current hot seller amongst commercial users. I've been able to get a few ebay sellers down to $425-$450 range. I personally use a Stihl BR600 and it's still kicking strong after 5 years, but I do have to do valve adjustments that the Husky won't need...
As they say buy expensive - cry once, buy cheap and cry twice...
#16
djdicetn
It's rated at 418 CFM's on the Stihl website if that helps.
djdicetn
I seen that unit at my dealer for $170, I just wasn't sure how powerful it would be. How is it with wet grass?
It's rated at 418 CFM's on the Stihl website if that helps.
#17
djdicetn
I can't argue with your philosophy(that's coming from a guy that bough a Commercial ZTR for 1.5 acre residential use), but I don't think the OP(who has a very small business) can afford to go top-of-the-line $500 blower(unless he's got deeper pockets than his subject line indicates:0)
djdicetn
I've never found a handheld blower that can blow wet grass effectively.
Seriously though, if you're getting paid to do what you're doing, then time is money my friend...
What's the difference between a $300 home depot lawn mower and $1000 exmark 21-22" lawn mowers? They both will cut about the same and use the same amount of TIME to cut. Main difference between the two is that one may last a season at best, while the exmark will last easily 3-5 years with good maintenance with commercial use.
OTOH, a cheap handheld/backpack blower will SLOW you down, while a good one will speed you up. The Stihl BR350 mentioned above is 'decent', but I'd spend the extra $100 or so and get a Husky 570BTS with 770 CFM and 236 MPH. That sucker will move rocks and bricks! It's the current hot seller amongst commercial users. I've been able to get a few ebay sellers down to $425-$450 range. I personally use a Stihl BR600 and it's still kicking strong after 5 years, but I do have to do valve adjustments that the Husky won't need...
As they say buy expensive - cry once, buy cheap and cry twice...
I can't argue with your philosophy(that's coming from a guy that bough a Commercial ZTR for 1.5 acre residential use), but I don't think the OP(who has a very small business) can afford to go top-of-the-line $500 blower(unless he's got deeper pockets than his subject line indicates:0)
#18
djdicetn
Ric..you know blowers:0)
Question though...why does the BR350 give a CFM rating "with tube" and "without tube"(much higher)? I am assuming that you cannot actually use the blower without the tube....so isn't that kinda giving an "inflated" CFM rating that cannot be attained using the blower?????
P.S.
Ooooops..I should have read your post more closely.....you pointed that out:0(
No need to repeat yourself:0)
djdicetn
It sounds to me like what your looking for is a mid range Backpack blower. The thing to remember when buying a blower is to buy it by the CFM rating, not mph because the cubic feet per minute of air flow out of the pipe or with the tube is what moves debris not mph. I'd look at the Stihl BR 350. What ever you do check the spec's remember a lot of these company's give housing or without the tube cfm ratings that really mean nothing so make sure what your getting.
Stihl BR 350 / $359.95
AIR VELOCITY 75 m/sec. (168 mph) AIR VOLUME With tube: 750 m[SUP]3[/SUP]/h (441 cfm)
Without tube: 1150 m[SUP]3[/SUP]/h (677 cfm)WEIGHT 10.0 kg (22.0 lbs.) FUEL CAPACITY 1700 cc (57.5 oz.) DISPLACEMENT 63.3 cc (3.86 cu. in.) ENGINE POWER 2.1 kW (2.8 bhp) SOUND PRESSURE RATING 74 dB(A)
Measured per ANSI B 175.2
Ric..you know blowers:0)
Question though...why does the BR350 give a CFM rating "with tube" and "without tube"(much higher)? I am assuming that you cannot actually use the blower without the tube....so isn't that kinda giving an "inflated" CFM rating that cannot be attained using the blower?????
P.S.
Ooooops..I should have read your post more closely.....you pointed that out:0(
No need to repeat yourself:0)
#19
Ric
They are correct figures but there housing figures, the company's know the higher those figures are the more sales. People buy according to mph and end up with something that doesn't do the job or it doesn't meet their expectations and then wonder why. Someone mentioned the Husky 570BTS with 770 CFM and 236 MPH and that's fine and dandy but how did they achieve their figures when the blower only has like 970 cfm in the housing? The Stihl BR 600 is 1012 cfm @the housing and 712 @ the tube.
Ric
Ric..you know blowers:0)
Question though...why does the BR350 give a CFM rating "with tube" and "without tube"(much higher)? I am assuming that you cannot actually use the blower without the tube....so isn't that kinda giving an "inflated" CFM rating that cannot be attained using the blower?????
P.S.
Ooooops..I should have read your post more closely.....you pointed that out:0(
No need to repeat yourself:0)
They are correct figures but there housing figures, the company's know the higher those figures are the more sales. People buy according to mph and end up with something that doesn't do the job or it doesn't meet their expectations and then wonder why. Someone mentioned the Husky 570BTS with 770 CFM and 236 MPH and that's fine and dandy but how did they achieve their figures when the blower only has like 970 cfm in the housing? The Stihl BR 600 is 1012 cfm @the housing and 712 @ the tube.
#20
M
magbarn
Take a BR 600 Magnum and a Husky 570 and aim at a pile of wet leaves, you'll see that manufacturer's specs aren't everything especially when it comes to blowers. What I like about the BR 600 is it's lighter, does what I need it for, and saves on fuel. If I was buying new though, I'd get the Husky as my local Stihl dealers will not budge on MSRP and I can get the Husky for $100 cheaper after you factor in taxes.
M
magbarn
They are correct figures but there housing figures, the company's know the higher those figures are the more sales. People buy according to mph and end up with something that doesn't do the job or it doesn't meet their expectations and then wonder why. Someone mentioned the Husky 570BTS with 770 CFM and 236 MPH and that's fine and dandy but how did they achieve their figures when the blower only has like 970 cfm in the housing? The Stihl BR 600 is 1012 cfm @the housing and 712 @ the tube.
Take a BR 600 Magnum and a Husky 570 and aim at a pile of wet leaves, you'll see that manufacturer's specs aren't everything especially when it comes to blowers. What I like about the BR 600 is it's lighter, does what I need it for, and saves on fuel. If I was buying new though, I'd get the Husky as my local Stihl dealers will not budge on MSRP and I can get the Husky for $100 cheaper after you factor in taxes.