# ?'s for backpack blower owners



## trophyhunter (Oct 11, 2018)

So the county finally got their act together and is doing roadside leaf pick up this year, I was using a pull behind sweeper with a dump catcher behind the tractor and it works great to get them all in one place to burn but I'm wondering if I can replace that with a back pack blower and get them all out to the streets edge without it taking all day? 

I have used a small Stihl handheld blower for years to do minor clean up but you aren't touching a 3/4 acre yard with it. Will a large enough backpack blower move all the leaves from the rear of a pretty heavily wooded lot to the front edge at the road without taking all day to get it done?

Never used one before, will likely buy a big Stihl if I go that route I'd like to get rid of the yard sweeper it has a huge footprint and takes up to much storage space.


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## bowtechmadman (Oct 11, 2018)

How many leaves?? I blow at most a half acre and it's an all day ordeal with wife and I with backpack blowers going (Redmax and a Husky). Part of ours is how forested the yard is so lots of leaves and a lot of trees/shrubs etc...to blow them around to the woods.
If you are fairly open the walk behind blowers are pretty darn nice (quite a bit more CFM)...used to use one on my parents place where they were pretty open/flat and it worked very well. My property doesn't lend itself to anything but backpack to get around.


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## trophyhunter (Oct 11, 2018)

Lot's of leaves, oaks and cherry trees on and all the way around the property. So yea, based on your experience I'm in similar conditions and not wanting an all day ordeal at all the pull behind sweeper knocks it out pretty fast it's just that a pass or three in the heavy areas and it's full already so needs to be dumped. 

Also my wife is no where to be found when it's time for yard work so you got a leg up on me already running two of them. If I did buy one I'd go all in for a big Stihl unit with some power but not sure that's enough to really get it done in a reasonable time.


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## Blue Oaks (Oct 11, 2018)

I have about a quarter acre to blow, but it's pretty smooth and downhill. My backpack works great, the electric start is a bonus.


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## bowtechmadman (Oct 11, 2018)

My redmax is a beast and the Husky is much smaller. I can peel sod with the redmax if not careful...unfortunately, still takes quite some time to take care of complete yard. Wish I had enough open ground for the push style blower.


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## Bobby Kirbos (Oct 11, 2018)

Wife and I would rake the yard together until she got pregnant. That year, I was on my own. I got a backpack blower. It was the greatest $$ spent to that point. It's a Husky 130BT. It's on the small side (30cc I think) but it gets the job done. I use it to move the bulk of the leaves, then still go over the yard with the bagging mower to do a really good cleanup.

I learned this tid-bit from my grandfather:
For the last cut of the season (after the bulk cleanup), use your mower and drop the blade deck by 1 notch. Any leaves that hit your yard during the winter will be blown _out_ of your yard; tall grass will hold the leaves.


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## CentaurG2 (Oct 11, 2018)

We use a 19hp diesel tractor with a shaft driven vac system. Mulches and picks up leaves all in one sweep. Stuff is gold so into the compost pile it goes. I have a big redmax ebz8500. It will easily move mountains of leaves as well as bricks if you need it to but it is very heavy and just drinks fuel. I use it mostly to dethatch the lawn in the spring as it is almost too powerful to use near planted beds. Time it takes to move leaves really depends on the wind direction. If you have the wind in the right direction, you want the backpack blower. Wind in the wrong direction, you want the sweeper.


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## KenJax Tree (Oct 11, 2018)




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## Conquistador3 (Oct 12, 2018)

¾ of an acre = over 3,000 square meters... I'll take the compact tractor with whatever attachment is available.


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## challenger (Oct 12, 2018)

If the leaves are dry a wide plastic rake will be a fast way to clean them up. If there is distance to the landing zone rake the leaves on to a tarp and drag and repeat. I enjoy raking leaves off of a nice lawn. The rake gets the little leaves much better than a blower and the clean look is satisfying. Maybe I'm this way because my lawn is pretty sorry AND I get only pine straw dropping [emoji16]

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## trophyhunter (Oct 12, 2018)

I can assure you the tractor and pull behind sweeper and catcher are far faster than any rake lol. Thing is you still have to use at least a handheld blower to get them away from the chain link fence, around the house and tress etc out into a traffic area to drive over them. We used to do the rake and tarp thing, what took 2 people 2 long days to rake and pull the tractor does in 2 hours or less with that pull behind sweeper heck it's even got a pull cord to dump the hopper you don't have to get off the tractor to dump it. 

Which was why I considered just dropping the coin for a Stihl 700 backpack since you have to fire up a blower and walk the property once over anyways before getting the tractor out and digging out the sweeper. 

Plus there are now new neighbors all the way around and across the street that don't get off their asses and do much of anything so every time the wind blows my nice clean yard ends up full of whatever was left to lay in theirs. It would be fun to fire up a big blower and return to sender some days just to make a point.


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## mh9162013 (Oct 23, 2018)

If you get a backpack blower, get the newest, most powerful one. For example, don't get the Stihl 700. Instead get the new Stihl 800 (they have 2 versions, the 800C or 800X). These have 20% more power than the 700 backpack blowers. They both have in excess of 200 MPH and 1,000 CFM. It's the CFM that really helps you move leaves.

Echo has a comparable one, the new PB-8010T or PB-8010H.

Either way, don't expect your 3/4 acre yard to be done in 2 hours, though (even with the help of the wind). Shouldn't take all day, though it really depends on the layout of your yard and how many leaves there are. It took me about 7 hours to do my 3/4 acre yard, but 90% of what needed leafblowing was contained in fenced in areas so I had to leaf blow a lot of leaves through a gated doorway in my fence. Also, I had several months worth of leaf build up to content with.

I have a Stihl BR 600 Magnum (which roughly 25-35% less powerful than the new 800 series blowers).


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## Cycledude (Nov 27, 2018)

I believe the new Stihl 800 is a little over 900 CFM not 1,000 and list price is $600.00 , one major improvement is they designed the new 800 so that the operator can pull the rope to start it without having to dismount it from the operators back first, I am very seriously considering buying one.


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## trophyhunter (Nov 27, 2018)

Cycledude said:


> I believe the new Stihl 800 is a little over 900 CFM not 1,000 and list price is $600.00 , one major improvement is they designed the new 800 so that the operator can pull the rope to start it without having to dismount it from the operators back first, I am very seriously considering buying one.



I got through this fall without buying one, mainly because none of my local dealers had the 800 in stock yet or they were hiding them in back and playing dumb to sell off their stock of 600/700's in inventory.

I'll grab one when they hit the floor, leaf clean up this year was a good reminder nothing replaces the tractor and sweeper to pick them up and haul them to the dump piles it's getting all those leaves into the traffic areas where you can drive over them to pick them up that's the hard part and handheld blowers take hours to make that happen.


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## Cycledude (Nov 27, 2018)

My dealer doesn’t have any 800’s yet either but there is another dude besides me wanting one, he is supposed to call me when they come in. The 800’s are not even on the Stihl website yet, at least if they are I couldn’t find them, the dealer showed it to me on his computer and I figure dealers probably have access to stuff that the general public doesn’t . Believe it or not I’m wanting to try it for lighter snow removal.


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## trophyhunter (Nov 27, 2018)

I think it will work fine for light snow so long as it's not the wet heavy stuff, great way to clear snow off trailers etc. and the wood pile. I got an email from Stihl few weeks back promoting the 800 blower so it shouldn't be to long a wait.


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## mh9162013 (Nov 27, 2018)

Cycledude said:


> I believe the *new Stihl 800 is a little over 900 CFM not 1,000* and list price is $600.00 , one major improvement is they designed the new 800 so that the operator can pull the rope to start it without having to dismount it from the operators back first, I am very seriously considering buying one.



You are correct, but just to clarify, the CFM is 912 with the blower tube and almost 1,200 without it.

https://m.stihlusa.com/WebContent/C...BR-800-BR-800-X-Owners-Instruction-Manual.pdf (see page 30 of the manual)


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## Deleted member 117362 (Nov 27, 2018)

Cyclone Rake XL behind a zero turn and a Husqvarna 165 back pack blower is my plan.


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## Cycledude (Nov 27, 2018)

trophyhunter said:


> I think it will work fine for light snow so long as it's not the wet heavy stuff, great way to clear snow off trailers etc. and the wood pile. I got an email from Stihl few weeks back promoting the 800 blower so it shouldn't be to long a wait.



Oh yes being able to blow snow off the woodpile sounds like another great idea I never thought of !


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## challenger (Nov 27, 2018)

Doesn't anyone here use a vacuum? 

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## mh9162013 (Nov 27, 2018)

challenger said:


> Doesn't anyone here use a vacuum?
> 
> Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk



I tried one of those handheld ones and it was so slow - might as well pick up each leaf by hand, one-by-one.


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## spyder62 (Nov 27, 2018)

I bought a backpack blower a couple of months ago.I could kick myself in the arse for doing so.doing Leaves are a pain in the butt and I tried different methods over the years. By far , the most effective way in ease and time. is running them over and mulching them with my lawn tractor . Starting on the perimeter of my yard and working my way in. You end up with a few small piles to deal with. Easy peasy. Hell just keep running them over and you don’t have to pick up nothing. Damned thing really sucks down the fuel also. I was trying to blow them about 200 feet against the wind of course which didn’t help. I really only wanted something to blow the dirt and grass off the sidewalk. But one thing led to another


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## Highland_hunter (Nov 28, 2018)

Over the years, I done it all. Rake and tarp all day event. Backpack blower and tarp. Handheld and tarp. Did it with a backpack and MightyMac chipper shredder one year. By far the easiest at this point is the free Craftsman lawn vac chipper I used this year. Made short work of the yard ~.5 acre, and could do it over multiple days. Have a relatively flat lot at the moment with LOTS of maples. At the end of the day if/when I get a larger lot I'd look at tractor with some sort of vac and dump along the road or at the tree line for mulching purposes.


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## chuckwood (Nov 29, 2018)

I've got a Husky 150BT that works great. But most of my leaves get mulched. I use the blower to get the leaves bunched up in piles about a foot deep. Then I use a riding mower with the discharge opening blocked off and mulching blades installed. I chop the leaves up into mulch with the mower and leave it all on the lawn. After a month or two, the powdered leaf material will vanish into the soil and enrich it. I find it more pleasant to ride around on the mower listening to music via headphones while I'm working on the leaves.


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## spyder62 (Nov 29, 2018)

chuckwood said:


> I've got a Husky 150BT that works great. But most of my leaves get mulched. I use the blower to get the leaves bunched up in piles about a foot deep. Then I use a riding mower with the discharge opening blocked off and mulching blades installed. I chop the leaves up into mulch with the mower and leave it all on the lawn. After a month or two, the powdered leaf material will vanish into the soil and enrich it. I find it more pleasant to ride around on the mower listening to music via headphones while I'm working on the leaves.


Basically what I do. And the more you run them over the smaller they get. Headphones are a must with some good music and maybe some beer. A leaf blower is just insanity


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## Silverado 2500 (Dec 3, 2018)

I agree with most. Although at first start it may seem like it will go quickly, but believe me,it doesn't. No matter how big the blower. The smaller hand helds blow at about the same rate as the backpack blowers. I have tried both with no discernable difference. The walk behind is definitely your next option. On a day with even a small breeze, as you blow the leaves, depending on the way the wind is blowing, they can wind up right back where they started if not further. I would definitely stick with the sweeper. Scoup them up and dump them out at the curb. I guarantee it would be quicker.


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## Sebago Guide (Dec 8, 2018)

For years I raked Then I tried the handheld blower from my shop vac. Then I got a Husky 560bfs Love it . This year I got a agri fab lawn sweeper to pull behind my John Deere x350 . That cut my time from 8 hours down to 1 Wish I had done it years ago.


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## Colt Marlington (Jan 30, 2019)

Leaves bunch up in places that you can't get a sweeper into.

Like others, I use a blower to get the leaves into a row and then mow them up with a lawn tractor.

My handheld blower wouldn't start last weekend so I went and bought a used backpack blower.

The handheld is nice for everyday use of blowing off the patio and walkways. But the much more powerful backpack blower excels in moving large piles of leaves and also dirt that washes up on the driveway.


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## Cycledude (Mar 16, 2019)

Cycledude said:


> I believe the new Stihl 800 is a little over 900 CFM not 1,000 and list price is $600.00 , one major improvement is they designed the new 800 so that the operator can pull the rope to start it without having to dismount it from the operators back first, I am very seriously considering buying one.



Well I had told a Stihl dealer last November to call me when the new 800 blower comes in, he called this morning and said they finally got their first one yesterday but it’s sold to someone else that was ahead of me on the list but I should stop in to look at it. Seems like a very nice unit, $659.00 , being able to shut it off and restart it while it’s mounted on your back it a very nice feature but it seems odd they didn’t start building backpack blowers like that years ago. He has 3 more sold ahead of me and has no idea when the next one might come in. They are also available with for the same price with electric start but I’m not interested in having to mess with a battery.


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## Huskyuser (Mar 31, 2019)

I bought an Echo back pack style 2 years ago. I use it a lot and yesterday was a prime example. It works great, easy to start, and of reasonable weight for its size...

No regrets...


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## trophyhunter (May 24, 2019)

I just bought a Stihl 600 backpack blower, this thing is a beast compared to my handhelds! It's going to cut a bunch of time off getting leaves and debris out of the landscaping and other areas you can't pull the sweeper into. 

Should have bought one of these years ago.


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