Best blower for $300 or less

[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.

 

[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

 

[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

 

[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?

 

[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...

 

[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.

 

[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)

 

[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)

 

[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.

 

[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.