I am tired of all the sweeping after mowing. I have always used Stihl 2 cycle equipment. Home depot has the Echo PB-251 for about $170. Seems like a ok deal. My dad has the Stihl bg 85. Its a nice unit and built solid like a Stihl should be but he paid like 300 for it. How does the Echo compare to the new Stihl stuff?
Echo leaf blower?
- Thread starter dmproske
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Echo is pretty good stuff, about as good as Stihl... I owned a landscaping company for 8 years, have a stihl backpack blower that is now over 10 years old, runs strong still with zero maintenance except air and fuel filters. I have an echo weedeater that is over 10 years old same maintenance. I can't really speak to the new stuff but I know that as of 3 years ago they were all pretty much the same. Within the landscapers circle the Shindaiwa brand is considered the best for reliability with echo and stihl close behind.
That 25cc engine should be fine for a handheld blower.
That 25cc engine should be fine for a handheld blower.
I've had one for about 8 years now...4 of them cutting 7 lawns. Never any problems, just clean the air filter each year.
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I have a BG85 and an Echo trimmer I've flogged for the las t few years. No problems with either.
Echo is great. If you look around you can buy the same blower from a real dealer for the same price. They will appreciate your business and take care of you should any problems arise.
check the specs on the HD model carefully. If they are anything like Toro-HD stocks the cheaper Toro line of mowers with the Tech engine instead of [censored]
agreed on the local dealer part, forget about taking this type of equipment back to a big box store.... also as far as measuring one blower to another cfm is the only way to compare. If you measure MPH you might as well be comparing the top MPH on a speedo.
Stihl BG-55, about $160. Bought mine five years ago and it sees [2] hours of use weekly. WIth vacuum conversion it is handy for getting leaves out of container plants; garage corners, etc.
As a note, I used their 2-stroke oil religiously, never keeping lawn equipment gas much more than 6-weeks. Always used some FP-60 in the regular gas and that was used to pour off into the 2-stroke mixture with the oil.
Moved this year to Corpus Christi where a friend of mine has had his own equipment service company for a dozen years. He gave me a couple of packets of Interlube OPTI-2 Universal 2-stroke oil, told me to use it exclusively.
I made the changeover and immediately I noticed that the power on the weedeater was better, but the blower dropped off by 30%. I figured, "well, different retail gas formulation between where I used to live and here; maybe some of that premix was older than I thought; and, okay, I've had it five years".
I went back to him after service to pick it up and asked what the problem was. Gummed jets? What?
No, the combustion chamber carbon deposits had broken loose and were clogging the exhaust at the spark arrestor. (!!!)
Then I remembered he'd told me 18 years ago when he was head of a city service department that he'd had to learn to look busy once he'd switched all the city 2-stroke engines over to this stuff, his work load had dropped so low.
So get some of this OPTI-2, as well. My 2-stroke stuff runs like new or better.
http://www.opti2-4.com/opti-2.htm
As a note, I used their 2-stroke oil religiously, never keeping lawn equipment gas much more than 6-weeks. Always used some FP-60 in the regular gas and that was used to pour off into the 2-stroke mixture with the oil.
Moved this year to Corpus Christi where a friend of mine has had his own equipment service company for a dozen years. He gave me a couple of packets of Interlube OPTI-2 Universal 2-stroke oil, told me to use it exclusively.
I made the changeover and immediately I noticed that the power on the weedeater was better, but the blower dropped off by 30%. I figured, "well, different retail gas formulation between where I used to live and here; maybe some of that premix was older than I thought; and, okay, I've had it five years".
I went back to him after service to pick it up and asked what the problem was. Gummed jets? What?
No, the combustion chamber carbon deposits had broken loose and were clogging the exhaust at the spark arrestor. (!!!)
Then I remembered he'd told me 18 years ago when he was head of a city service department that he'd had to learn to look busy once he'd switched all the city 2-stroke engines over to this stuff, his work load had dropped so low.
So get some of this OPTI-2, as well. My 2-stroke stuff runs like new or better.
http://www.opti2-4.com/opti-2.htm
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Whatever you buy do not get it at Home Depot, go too a commercial lawn mower place and get something there, I am almost positive whatever Home Depot sells is not the same thing from a commercial lawn mower place, whatever Home Depot has is only rated for so many hours whereas a commercial piece is rated for a longer number of hours, also the commercial lawn mower place will have all of the parts and if there are any problems they can fix it, they are not going too work on something Home Depot sells, yes the commercial piece is more expensive but in the long run it will save you money in not breaking down, I have an Echo Trimmer that I have been using for 12 years that I use on my Dad's yard and 10 others that I mow for people and I have never had a problem with it, as far as a leaf blower I have the BG-85 and it is fantastic, I think that I have had it 8 years and it runs as good as the day I got it, my feeling is that you can get double the life out of a commercial piece of equipment.
Take this for what its worth to you. I own a echo, stihl, and shindiawa 2 stroke blowers and trimmers. This shindiawa is hands down top shelf in my book. The stihl and echo are also very good pieces and you can not got wrong with either. No matter what you chose it will be better than the junk HD and Lowes sells.
Shindiawa tends to be a bit pricey but there is a reason for that I have found out after 10 years of running the living [censored] out of one with zero problems.
Shindiawa tends to be a bit pricey but there is a reason for that I have found out after 10 years of running the living [censored] out of one with zero problems.
I bought a Echo PB-200 about 7 years ago from a commercial equipment retailer. Utterly reliable and plenty powerful for all that is weighs almost nothing. Starts easy and aside the normal filter/sparkplug maintenance and keeping a fresh fuel mixture in it I think it will last for a good long time. It lives at my parent's house though and I bought another blower for my own house. Didn't have much money so I got a Troy-bilt blower. If I could I'd take it over and swap it out for the Echo but I couldn't do that to my dad.
I was a Shindaiwa Dealer for several years, and have run their equipment for 10 years. Great stuff. Stihl and Echo are close cousins for durability. I run Stihl saws, and Shindaiwa Trimmers, and Blowers, even have a 488 Chainsaw (Shin). I would say take the Echo, Or stihl. Look at quality and specs.
Side note: When I was a kid I lived across from 2 large cemetaries, they ran the same Shindaiwa eqipment for over 10 years with no major failures, that was 8 hour days. Sold me.
Side note: When I was a kid I lived across from 2 large cemetaries, they ran the same Shindaiwa eqipment for over 10 years with no major failures, that was 8 hour days. Sold me.
JHZR2
Staff member
I have nothing but good to say about echo, even though they do sell in HD. We have a chainsaw that still runs great after 25 years, granted it is home use.
I have an echo leaf blower/vac, its great. Runs perfect, starts easy, excellent.
I have no complaints about stihl either, I have a chainsaw from them... but I just dont know as much about their stuff. I dont think you can go wrong either way.
JMH
I have an echo leaf blower/vac, its great. Runs perfect, starts easy, excellent.
I have no complaints about stihl either, I have a chainsaw from them... but I just dont know as much about their stuff. I dont think you can go wrong either way.
JMH
Echo is good stuff
I had a Homelite weed wacker that I ran for over 25 years. I never wore it out. Junior ran it over with a car. Aint kids great! Oh yea, you probably didn't know this, but it wasn't his fault! LOL!
Originally Posted By: Oil Changer
I have a BG85 and an Echo trimmer I've flogged for the las t few years. No problems with either.
I have this exact combo....as well as a stihl chain saw.....same experience. I like to buy at my local small engine dealer, you might pay $20 more than the box stores, but they really take care of you, especially if they see return business from you.
I think the Echo and the Stihl are pretty close in quality. For the same price and all other things being equal, I would choose a Stihl....can't give a good reason why though.
I have a BG85 and an Echo trimmer I've flogged for the las t few years. No problems with either.
I have this exact combo....as well as a stihl chain saw.....same experience. I like to buy at my local small engine dealer, you might pay $20 more than the box stores, but they really take care of you, especially if they see return business from you.
I think the Echo and the Stihl are pretty close in quality. For the same price and all other things being equal, I would choose a Stihl....can't give a good reason why though.
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