Buying a Stihl now is like buying a new Mercedes - buying the name now, not the quality of yester year
Gone are the days of the 'bullet proof 280se' type machines (unless you go professional range)
Have used a BG56 for 10 minutes; fine machine to use, started alright hot and cold, bit gutless (bear in mind this was the 56)
Also bear in mind add another $150 to that price for a vac kit
plus a bottle of $20 special alkaline cleaner for their HD2 air filter
plus $35 for their bottle of oil for more warranty
Then they will still stuff you on warranty
In my opinion, the main things to look for are well balanced and light, wind VOLUME not just speed, starting mechanism, which side it is sucking air in from.
EDIT - and if you are going to vac, get one with a metal mulching blade on the impeller - otherwise you will kill it in fast order
Have used quite a few of the newer models that are commonly available here are my views:
Makita 4st - smooth, powerful, bit heavy and easy to burn through vac bags apparently
Yardking 4st - quiet and is all it has going for it
Several Echos and Shindaiwas - generally very good. The EB220S easy start was especially good - Echo PB2455 (?) was very good.
Aldi did a knock off of the pb2455 for $99 - which I actually bought. Very impressed with it (metal mulch impeller etc) but heavy!
Ryobi jet blower - surprisingly good, but no vac capability
Ryobi FC blower (about $260) - pretty good but bit of vibration
$199 Ryobi TTI half crank - luckily I got it with a very good PT commando from the tip - $15 for the pair. 5 year old, new carby diaphragms now.
Absolute bugger to start (6 pulls min hot or cold).
I have seen that many with stripped starter pawls - its due to the stupid choke that is supposed to prevent it flooding.
The current model floods that easily (regular choke) that they have a noch on the back where the plug tool sits!
$99 Homelite - Worst I have ever used - vibration, noise, etc. They put a carby on them which is flat out or off - fairly easy to get around with a few mods
$170 Homelite blower vac - as above but not even light.
GMC/909 FC blower (now sold $149 through mitre 10 under "Yardforce" and Victa as the 26cc blower vac) great blower, easy starting no real complaints - actually a bloody good blower
Honda 4st - no complaints but $$$
The aussie made atom blowers are good, but the cheap ones use a ryobi type FC engine - go for a zenoah engined or Honda 4st one
Can't think of any others I have used besides a Pope blower (alright but heavy - echo knock off), and some older Mccullochs and Ozitos I have which are either light and vibrate your arm off or heavy and still vibrate bad
By the way - here is another tanaka knock off https://www.tradetools.com/product-range/outdoor-power-equipment/blowers-and-vacs/renegade-225cc-2-stroke-blower?
Last edited by Tyler; 15/03/21 02:10 AM.
