I know you ask for opinion of the two, I just have to put in my 2 cents. Get a stronger one. I bought a Shindaiwa EB3410 which is 34cc and lot stronger than the two you mensioned. It is still not that strong. I would want more power. I am not suggesting Shindaiwa blower, I regret it.

I would look at the Stihl BG85 instead. If you have a dealer selling Maruyama, they have BL3100 which is 30cc engine. Your last blower lasted 20 years, so cost spread over 20 years is nothing.

Blower is very useful, I blow dry my car, no water spot, dry window, clean garage floor, blower is one of the most useful piece of tool. I should have get a stronger one like a back pack. That is just me and I am not a lawncare pro. So get a stronger one and try blow dry cars and windows!!!!

Dennis....I don't have a direct answer to your question either. I own an Echo 403 backpack blower & don't have any experience with either model you mentioned in your post. But, I've got a couple of big oaks in my yard as well & I can tell you for a fact you aren't going to enjoy trying to move the "hords" of leaves in the fall with a handheld blower. Heck, I tried last year with my backpack & found it to be way underpowered for leaf cleanup. Don't get me wrong the handhelds & smaller backpacks like mine are fine for cleaning off the driveway & blowing clippings off the curb, but they aren't really up to the task of leaves. I'm in the process of trying to upgrade to something more powerful myself & am still in the "research" stage so to speak. You might want to check out Lawnsite.com if you get a chance. It's a pro landcaper oriented site with a bunch of threads & discussions on blowers. I've read a lot of them & the thing that's stood out is that I've never heard anyone on there say, "damn, I wish I would have gotten a smaller blower..." It's always the other way around. I don't think I'm making an unfair generalization when I say bigger is better when it comes to blowers. Yeah, you'll pay more but it's one of those pieces of equipment, even for us as just homeowners, that can be a great asset. Anyway, I'm not meaning to deflect your train of thought as much as to just pass on some personal experiences....

Hi Dennis,

If the hand held blower you used to have was sufficent then I think you will be happy with a similar one.

That been said things are easier with a mower powerful blower. I have a RedMax EB8001 blower. The reason why I chose that was because on the Pro Web sites, e.g. Lawnsite, that is what Pro's were using, and looking around my area, what I way most lawn company's using.

This is a back pack blower. I have had this for two years now. It is pretty powerful. The only downside is the weight which is a tad heavy. I am a small guy, 5ft 3 inch and about 130 lbs. I can manage this on my back at about 90 minutes at a shot in the fall.

It is quite expensive at about $US 520. It is reliable and I am happy with it.

Warmest regards, Mike.

I totally agree with the two poster above. You buy it one time, it will serve you for another 20+years. As I mensioned, I have the biggest handheld already, 34cc. It is not strong enough for leaves on grass. It just don't move them very well. I waisted $260 trying to be cheap because I am a home owner. Now I am planning to buy an Echo BP PB755.

After going to a backpack style, I will never go back to handheld and wonder why I didn't do this sooner.

Went with the Stihl BR600 and haven't been more pleased, traded the 420 Magnum for the 600. Like the last person said, you will buy a good one once and buy it bigger than what you need. Bigger is better because it makes the task shorter...and easier. You have the power when you need it and that more than justifies the price.

Look at all the nice handhelds and note the price, then look at the big Redmaxx and the Stihl BR600 and see just how much more they are...if any.

Don't do the mail order thing, buy from a local dealer NOT HD or LOWES, I cannot stress this enough. When it comes to the more expensive power equipment, go with a reputable dealer in case you have a problem.

Either Redmaxx or Stihl and you will be set...you should have one of these dealers somewhat close to you.

Good luck.

I've have the Stihl BR600 and it plasters my Echo PB413 which is their mid-low range backpack blower. It literally cut my leaf cleanup time in half! I also have a PB251 handheld blower and that one has relegated to drying my truck after I'm done washing it lol.

I hear you. I need a larger back pack blower to do what I would like to do. However, I failed to mention that my wife often uses the blower to clear off the driveway and I want to keep that going. She couldn't handle the heavier back back. I guess I will have to continue with rake and tarp to assist with leaf removal.

I have changed my options slightly. No longer considering the Huskvarna. I am now looking at the Stihl BG55 and BG85, as well as the Echo PB-251 and PB230LN (discontinued but still available). Per the specs, the Stihls are about 5db louder and about 1 pound lighter in weight. I have not heard either one running so don't know how big the sound difference may be. The Echo PB-251 engine is a single ring and all the others are two ring. The BG85 has both a round tube and a flat end tube, so that would seem to allow me to tailor to my specific need. Just a little concerned about the noise level.

Any opinion between the above relative to reliability, ease of starting etc and should I be concerned about the single ring on the PB-251?

The Stihl 4-mix backpack blowers are a cinch to start and are much, much easier on the body, not any more difficult that wearing a hiking backpack.

Do yourself a big favor, take the boss down to the local dealer, have her try it on, i'm thinking she will like it.

You will cut your leaf cleanup time in half if not more than half with a BP style....trust me.

I don't think PB251 is 5dB lower according to the spec. The Stihl rated 69dB only and it is not very loud. I have a Shindaiwa that rated 70dB, it is not that loud.

If you have a dealer carrying Maruyama, check out BP3100. 30cc hand held blower. 68dB noise and should be stronger than all the ones you listed. It is not that heavy. Someone in a forum said he actually only paid $200 for it. Maruyama is 2 ring, Tier 3 emmision rated, commercial grade engine. 5 years commercial warrante.

Echo PB251 is one ring but it is cheaper than the others. Really depend what you want. The lower line Echo trimmer like the SRM210 and all the hedge trimmers are all Vortex single ring engines, they do hold up. I prefer 2 rings but there is not evidence of their single ring being not as good.

If I were to go out and buy a hand held again, I definitely will not get the Shindaiwa EB3410 that I bought. I would seriously consider the Maruyama BL3100. But that is just me.

Go with stihl backpack, when you pay for quality you only cry once.
Jason

I agree with one of the post above. Have your wife go down to the dealer with you and try them out. Definitely get one that that can be serviced at the local dealer. No point getting a Redmax etc if your dealer only sells and services stihl.

If all you want it for is to clean off the drive way, get an electric one. There light and pretty powerful, yet no maintainence. My sears wet/dry vac has a removable blower. It has more than enough power to clean a driveway of clipping etc. It blows at 210 mph, however, it doesn't have enough volume to push alot of leaves in the fall. I have a Stihl BR550 backpack blower for that. This blower has awesome power and is more than enough to move some serious leaves around. It can actually move some good sized rocks around too. Starting it is a breeze. Prime the bulb a few times, turn the choke to full and pull once. Move it to half choke and pull and it starts. I let it run for a few seconds at half choke then turn the choke off. In the summer you probably won't need to use the full choke. It really is that easy plus its fun to use. The stihl 4 mix engines have great power.

Redmax 7500 and 8000 is the best.

I bought a Makita Leaf Blower BHX2500_OM blower over 10 years ago. I have changed the oil, and serviced it, but little else. It is a four cycle engine so you don't have the fuse of mixing fuel. My winter prep is to make sure it is setting on the shelf out of the way for the winter activities.

As I said it is about 10 years old, and whether I am doing a first start in the spring or any other time of the year, I pump it as stated in the manual and it starts on the first pull when the carburetor is in the run position. Of the engine tools I have, it is by far the easiest to start.

I use it to blow leaves in the fall, gum balls in the spring, cleaning the garage, porch, patio, etc. and the tractor after every mow.

The CFM are as good as any other blower and better that most.

I have used red maxes for 18 years. I know it starts every time and you can put 4000 + hours on one, not problem.