I have both Stihl and Echo products., including Echo 7310, 2511T, 620 PW chainsaws; Stihl MS 460 (had); FarmBoss 290, mini tiller; auger and backpack blower.
Mine was most powerful backpack blower appox 5 yrs ago, believe it is an 800.
Stihl's dealer charged me to adjust valves while it was still under warranty, blamed use of 10% ethanol.
The blower has been a disappointment. Not the worst, but sometimes runs erratically, surging and dying. Then it will run better for a while. I've changed plug, cleaned screen, kept canned fuel mix in it. You do you, but I know I would buy an Echo blower if this one ever gave up ghost entirely.
Stihl IMHO made the engine needlessly complicated and that has resulted in a 4 cycle engine which needs periodic valve adjustments to run optimally.
If you think that is a good thing, you do you. I do not hate Stihl, but they kinda drove me toward the Echo camp. I told the dealer as much as I walked out the door after being charged a service fee on a machine that was still in its warranty period. Dealer chose not to believe me. Since then, I've purchased the Echo 7310, 2511T, 620 PW. I was not throwing a fit or being rude, just telling him the facts, that I did not buy that they could dodge the warranty and blame ethanol where I have run top tier premium branded gas and the Stihl premium mix. Gas in the US has ethanol unless you take extraordinary steps to find pure gas. If your machines are not designed to run on it, you, the Mfr., better come into the world as it is.
I would not buy the Stihl blower unless you tried an Echo, or unless you just concluded the Echo dealership network was not to your liking in your area.
Fair disclosure: after the blower experience, I also bought the Stihl auger and mintiller, though from a different dealer. They have been fairly trouble free, and seem well designed.
