An interseting ride today picking up a new Stihl.

[Brian S]

I took a ride up to Foreman's equipment here in Hurst Texas today, I needed a carb diaphram for a Briggs flathead engine I am tuning up for a friend. The weather is awful here today with sporadic strong thunderstorms with lightning and hail. Anyway I get up to the store and start talking to a guy I've come to know there, got my diaphrams and picked up a couple three packs of files for .325 and .375 chain. I also bought the curved tip for the blow tube on my BR550 which should be standard IMO. As I was shooting the bull with my friend I was looking at backpack blowers, I bought my BR550 from the same guy last year and it is a fantastic tool. I looked at Redmax, Echo and the Stihls. Not too impressed with the Echo's, the looked like really decent quality but the prices were too high. Redmax was same story, great machine but $100.00 more than a 550. I also looked at new saws, I didn't know that many of the Stihls have a plastic clutch cover now. I never knew.

Anyway I had lent my 550 to my father this spring for leaf cleanup and he loved it. I had been talking to my mom about buying one for my dad for fathers day and I had been scouring CL and the papers for a good used one with no results.

so short story long I bought a second 550 to give to my dad, same price as the last one at $369.99

On the way home I was jamming out to the radio and a storm blew up and started raining like crazy, cars pulling over etc. I was looking out my side window and a bolt of lightning hit a tree right on the side of the highway. It was very cool to see one so close, I don't recall having ever been so close to a bolt before.

Once I got home the storm passed and I tried out the curved tip on my blower for a second and I wished I had bought that on the first day I owned the blower. I'm going to give the new blower to my dad on next Sunday as and early Father's day gift. As you can see from the grass we are already in full mowing and blowing mode here.

Here is a pic of the two machines, my dirty one is on the left.

 

[catman963]

Nice man!! I'm sure your Dad will be thrilled!!

A blower is definitely coming up soon on my "want list"

 

[Brian S]

Any Stihlheads out there have any itea why the curved tip for the BR500,550 and 600 is listed as "by market" by Stihl and does not come standard?

I've been messing with mine and the curved tip really helps get under the debris and float it along, should be standard IMO.

I can't see why anyone would prefer the standard cone tip.

 

[cbfarmall]

I also bought the curved tip for the blow tube on my BR550 which should be standard IMO.

I disagree. My 600 came with the straight nozzle, but I bought a curved tip because it logically seemed better. However, I found right off that the curved was forcing itself into the dirt. Good workout for the bicep and forearm if you're into isometric exercises.

After 5 minutes of that, I put the straight nozzle back on.

Chris B.

 

[Brian S]

True, the thrust is more down than straight back. It is very managable with my 550, perhaps is becomes too much with the 600.

 

[gr8scott72]

True, the thrust is more down than straight back. It is very managable with my 550, perhaps is becomes too much with the 600.

My daughter, after using my BR600, (she's 13) named it Katrina. Very strong blower.

 

[teacherman]

But for moving leaves with control, the curved tip can't be beat. I bought an Echo backpack fifteen years ago, and it only had the curved tip. Very effective at moving large quantities of leaves on leaf jobs.

Thing still runs great, though all the rubber is rotted. Very expensive to replace AV mounts, carb manifold, and flexible hose segment. I have it fixed with tape, now use it twice a year.