Blower needed!!!!

[The Local Gardener]

Im going to get shot down for this but, Im going to say it anyway.
Try the pope blower from Big W, they are a copy of the shindawa, & so far for us have been brill. They cost us $90 each , so last time I bought 4. Yes u might struggle to get parts for them but we havent been troubled by that yet.
I dont advocate buying everything on the cheap, but this product certainly has been a winner for us.
Cheers Dean.

lol,lol,lol, I just mentioned that to Bluey,,,,,,,

[ian]

Im going to get shot down for this but, Im going to say it anyway.
Try the pope blower from Big W, they are a copy of the shindawa, & so far for us have been brill. They cost us $90 each , so last time I bought 4. Yes u might struggle to get parts for them but we havent been troubled by that yet.
I dont advocate buying everything on the cheap, but this product certainly has been a winner for us.
Cheers Dean.

well dean i think you called that wrong it would seem the majority agree with you

[MOWON]

Bluey you just saved me some money I was looking at the stihl with the silencer thing. So they are no good I like the idea of making them a bit quiter but not if it cuts the performance

Hi Mark
I have tried a number of blowers over the years but my next blower will be a Stihl 85.
I bought a Tanaka which I t had a powerful motor, (higher than the Stihl) for a blower but tried the Stihl 85 the other day and the output was far better.
It is not too hard to increase power by keeping spark arrestors clean (etc) or just removing them.
For bigger jobs a back pack blower is the way to go

[Scooby Steve]

Yeah I would buy a Echo again or even a Tanaka blower. I have a Sthil as well, keep having problems with a loose choke lever, have had it replaced twice.

Re: the loose choke lever, i gave up having mine fixed so i use a rubber band (approx. 5 mm wide), works a treat and i can still flick it on to choke (just have to hold it there,you get the hang of starting it this way). Lasts a fair while and i carry a couple in the glovebox incase it breaks. You loop it around the knob on the end of the lever then put it around one of the screw holders to hold it in place. Not fancy but it works.

[Redeye]

Mines an Echo, cranked up the revs a bit last week, even better

[malperth]

I need to buy a new blower, my main priority is quietness.

I've deduced to these 65 dB(A) models:

1. Echo PB-255ES
2. Stihl BG 66 Easy2Start

I like the Echo "Rotational Control" design, it reduces the effort required to keep the blower from rotating in towards my balls.

The cheapest Echo PB-255ES I could find is $475. Although they're only $199 in USA.

I think I'll purchase them from the USA, I just need to confirm shipping cost (yes they do ship overseas, look at footer of home page).

For ~60% discount (heck I can buy 2 units instead of one local unit), I don't care about the warranty.

[Anjaryan]

I need to buy a new blower, my main priority is quietness.

I've deduced to these 65 dB(A) models:

1. Echo PB-255ES
2. Stihl BG 66 Easy2Start

I like the Echo "Rotational Control" design, it reduces the effort required to keep the blower from rotating in towards my balls.

The cheapest Echo PB-255ES I could find is $475. Although they're only $199 in USA.

I think I'll purchase them from the USA, I just need to confirm shipping cost (yes they do ship overseas, look at footer of home page).

For ~60% discount (heck I can buy 2 units instead of one local unit), I don't care about the warranty.

Ive got the Stihl BG 86 and it doesn't rotate like a honda i used. You could go to a stihl shop and ask to try one out and see how it goes.

Never used an echo so can't help you on that one.

Why 65 db only?? the 86 is only 70 and it has more air volume and speed through it?

[malperth]

Why 65 db only?? the 86 is only 70

I don't think you understand how the dB(A) measurement works. 70 dB(A) vs 65 dB(A) is about twice the noise level!

Bear in mind: "personal hearing protection is not very effective against very high noise exposure levels. Nor is it
effective against high level impulse or impact noise" - source: http://www.workershealth.com.au/pdfs/007noise.pdf

[malperth]

Addendum to above post:

"Roughly every increase of 3db on the scale means a doubling of sound intensity." - source: http://www.workershealth.com.au/pdfs/007noise.pdf

Therefore, the (BG 86) 70 dB(A) is actually closer to triple (not double) the noise level of 65 dB(A) blowers.

I'd rather lose some air volume than permanently lose my hearing

[NLALM]

The echo is 107db I have stihl and echo blowers if I was buying one tomorrow I would get a stihl bg86

[Bluey]

Addendum to above post:

I'd rather lose some air volume than permanently lose my hearing

I would rather have the air volume and invest in a quality set of ear muffs. These noise reduced models always mean reduced output. You want a blower that blows not puffs.

I have the BG66C with the built in muffler. Rated at 65DBA. Nice quite unit but lacks puff. My cheap arse Pope ****s over it for output. I am not happy with it at all. Plus it is always hard to start.

[Andy B]

What?... Some of my stuff is 107db, bought a set of decent earmuffs.

[South East Mowing]

Thats why as well as a good set of muffs i use a ear plugs also when using louder equip. Usually all day i have at least one in my right ear with muffs on due to the whippy noise and how I hold it sometime. Gee wonder what my new shindy eb802 is???

[Anjaryan]

You should have quality ear protection regardless, Whats oyur mowers and whipper rate in dB, I reckon they would be louder than the blower and you will use those pieces alot more than the blower.

If your happy with the bg66 or echo then get it but in my opinion you will be losing power and it will take longer to get the job done.

In the end its up to you and what your comfortable with.


p.s. the easy start on a stihl is rubbish, takes me at least 3 or 4 pulls min to start the damn thing.

[Bluey]

p.s. the easy start on a stihl is rubbish, takes me at least 3 or 4 pulls min to start the damn thing.

Agree absolutely. The more I see of Stihl and other comparable units the less I like stihl. They can be very tempremental units. But I do give mine a hiding and they stay going which is a good thing.

But I am definitely not of the opinion that because it is Stihl it is the best. Was shopping around at the local Stihl shop on Sat because they had a special on and noticed they are all made in Brazil now.