Which Blower? BG85 / BG86 / HB280

[scotclayshooter]

Not stretching it one inch. Read what Scots says...it sounds like I've got plenty of company.

Not only is it painful for more than ten minutes at a time, but like I said, I cannot play piano nor do any precision woodworking. (No chisel work, no planing, no handtools.)


.

Yep I had mine on vac duty yesterday for 1 hour and I was still struggling to write today, My fingers wouldnt respond!
The bottom handle is murder when using the vac tubes!

 

[Woodie]

Yep I had mine on vac duty yesterday for 1 hour and I was still struggling to write today, My fingers wouldnt respond!
The bottom handle is murder when using the vac tubes!

How do you keep the vacuum tubes on yours?

Mine rattles right off...I have tried using duct tape, but it's a pain in the arse when the chute clogs and you have to keep removing it.

I finally gave up and went back to my electric Toro.

.

 

[scotclayshooter]

How do you keep the vacuum tubes on yours?

Mine rattles right off...I have tried using duct tape, but it's a pain in the arse when the chute clogs and you have to keep removing it.

I finally gave up and went back to my electric Toro.

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Never had a problem with any of the tubes falling off!
But ive not needed the vac kit much!

I was picking leaves out of bushes the other guy was raking out the ones he could reach.

Im not bothered with vibes much but i think the 85 blows hard for a handheld and the pushback is hard on the arms and hands.
We have a Dolmar as well and the 85 will outblow it by a huge margin,
What really is hard going is using both blowers at the same time!!!!!!!!!

 

[scotclayshooter]

Tried a BG86 today and it has some nice design features it vibes a LOT less than the BG85 but it sure dont blow as hard!

For reference heres a pic of a UK spec BG85 exhust.

 

[2000ssm6]

SCS, that muff ya'll got is a non cat and I'm sure it's much less restrictive than the cat muffs we have. All of the 85s I've seen here have cats. The 86 I ran was everybit as powerful as a 85(both pretty new), could it be your 85 is broken in and the 86 was new?

 

[scotclayshooter]

SCS, that muff ya'll got is a non cat and I'm sure it's much less restrictive than the cat muffs we have. All of the 85s I've seen here have cats. The 86 I ran was everybit as powerful as a 85(both pretty new), could it be your 85 is broken in and the 86 was new?

Yep the 86 i tried was fairly new, I just grabbed it off the back of a Council pick up and tried it out:greenchainsaw:
I knew the guys lol
All the UK spec Stihl blowers have cats now.

And my 85 sure is broken in!

I will grab one again in a few weeks to try again.

 

[PasoRoblesJimmy]

New Stihl SH86 blower/vac

I own 1/3 acre and need a blower to keep my yard clean. However, I also need the capability to occasionally pick up leaves. I was thinking about buying a Husky 125BVx which looks identical to the Redmax HB280. However, after comparing the specs (homeowner vs professional), I changed my mind and decided the Stihl BG/SH86 was a superior product.

One of my 3 local Stihl dealers is currently featuring a Spring Demo Days Sale offering 15% off until June 10, 2009. I brought a new Stihl SH86C-E home with me yesterday. The SH86 is extremely quiet and it has plenty of blowing power for my needs. The Stihl SH86 beats the heck out of the weak airflow of the Sears Craftsman electric blower/vac that it replaced.

I wish I could change my vote on this thread's survey from HD280 to BG86.

As an afterthought, a 15% discount could sure come in handy towards the purchase of a new Stihl MS260 Pro chainsaw.

 

[2000ssm6]

I wish I could change my vote on this thread's survey from HD280 to BG86.

As an afterthought, a 15% discount could sure come in handy towards the purchase of a new Stihl MS260 Pro chainsaw.

Be careful Jimmy, you will be hooked on Stihl. That BG86 is a bad mother, just used one a few weeks ago and I don't see any other brand topping it. For a hand held blower, it's got to be top dog.

 

[PasoRoblesJimmy]

Be careful Jimmy, you will be hooked on Stihl. That BG86 is a bad mother, just used one a few weeks ago and I don't see any other brand topping it. For a hand held blower, it's got to be top dog.

It could be contagious. First a Stihl trimmer, then a Stihl blower. My son is hooked on Stihl chainsaws. Only the shadow knows what I might become addicted to in the future.

 

[1badmach1]

used to be a big stihl fan,had a bg55 . Went and looked at a redmax blower hbz2601 and haven't looked back. I am really glad i went with redmax this time. I did notice a big diff when i opened up the muffler plate, why in the world would they block the exhaust like that?

 

[PasoRoblesJimmy]

used to be a big stihl fan,had a bg55 . Went and looked at a redmax blower hbz2601 and haven't looked back. I am really glad i went with redmax this time. I did notice a big diff when i opened up the muffler plate, why in the world would they block the exhaust like that?

Comparing the BG55/56 to the BG85/86 is an unfair comparison. The BG55/56 is consumer/homeowner grade. The BG85/86 is professional/commercial grade. It is like comparing night to day.

 

[1badmach1]

Comparing the BG55/56 to the BG85/86 is an unfair comparison. The BG55/56 is consumer/homeowner grade. The BG85/86 is professional/commercial grade. It is like comparing night to day.

Who the hell is comparing the bg55 to the bg85. I'm just saying i like the hbz2601 better than my old bg55. That is all.

 

[Bowtie]

I got a lil' old BG 75 I got for free from the dealer I work at. New seals and rings and carb kit (at cost), and I have a sweet little blower. I jerked the muffler screen and opened up the stupid 1/8" exhaust outlet. It does what I need. What i like is its pro built. It has a vertically split case, horizontal mount cylinder. It does have open transfers, but I can live with that. I can get the vacuum attachment NOS from 1999 for 10 bucks. Retail is 65.00.

 

[Evan]

im interested in this topic.
i have contract doing all the pking lot clean up around a drug store. i sweep and basicaly just keep everything from the front doors to the back drive through lookin good.

i want to get blower so i can quite sweeping. is the bg 86 capable of moveing decent sized rocks, how about powder snow. i also do the snow removal on this building and the big parking lot across the street.

what about dirt caked on pavement or 3/4 rd mix that the dump truck tracks off the jobsite into the street.

id like to stay away from the exspensive back pack blowers if i can. the 86 is looking very apealing. i think i just need find dealer willing to let me move some dirt in theyre back lot with it.

and yeah a blower cant hide from good cat gutting and muffler mod, guess how much modding depends on if they have an adjustable high side jet. i know nothing about the blowers

Evan

 

[Spitzer]

Brad, i was wondering if you had at any time considered the Stihl blower attachment for the KM combi series, as i thought i read somewhere in one of your posts you have a KM130 combi, or am i wrong on this.
Anyway, i use the blower attach. with my 130, it is very good, dealer told me the reason they are so good is because they have 3 or 4 fans situated in the main body housing.

 

[PasoRoblesJimmy]

im interested in this topic.
i have contract doing all the pking lot clean up around a drug store. i sweep and basicaly just keep everything from the front doors to the back drive through lookin good.

i want to get blower so i can quite sweeping. is the bg 86 capable of moveing decent sized rocks, how about powder snow. i also do the snow removal on this building and the big parking lot across the street.

what about dirt caked on pavement or 3/4 rd mix that the dump truck tracks off the jobsite into the street.

id like to stay away from the exspensive back pack blowers if i can. the 86 is looking very apealing. i think i just need find dealer willing to let me move some dirt in theyre back lot with it.

and yeah a blower cant hide from good cat gutting and muffler mod, guess how much modding depends on if they have an adjustable high side jet. i know nothing about the blowers

Evan

Now that my SH-86 has been broken in, it has has much more blower power. The L & H jets are adjustable. The H side has a limiter on how far it can be turned. I haven't tried to readjust the carb yet.

 

[bennn*e]

Defiantly the BG86. more powerful, 'quieter', smoother and more fuel efficient. full av system really is awesome, if you have used a 85 then goto an 86 you wouldn't go back. alternatively as mentioned the bg-km attachment on a km90 or 130 is also an awesome bit of gear.

 

[scotclayshooter]

Unless my BG85 is a freak, It WILL outblow the BG86s (3) ive tried by a fair margin!
The other guys i work with have a Dolmar blower but they borrow my 85 when it comes to wet grass on the paths.

 

[retusaf99]

Another vote for the BG86

I've been using a BG86 for the past year or so, strictly homeowner duties. Works great, and far exceeds the old "Weedeater" that it replaced. Plenty of power for wet leaves and grass.

The really nice thing is the wife likes it more than I do! She lets me start it, then away she goes, with the yellow lab in trail...blasting those evil leaves in the air for the lab to chase.

Works great for cleaning shop vac filters, too. Just toss them in the grass and blast away!

Doug

 

[Erick]

im interested in this topic.
...........Evan

Evan, I would highly recommend a backpack for what you want to do buuuuuut.......... If you want the best bang for your buck go with the Redmax HB250 it will blow away the BG86 (and most everything else) straight out of the box.

Some folks list "homeowner" construction units as professional grade (cough.. Echo... sorry Red, had a little BS caught in my throat ) Redmax lists the HB250 as a homeowner unit but it is a pro built vertically split case with a real honest to goodness removable/replaceable cylinder on it. It will blow with the best of them and at half the cost.

Again I'd go with a backpack like a Kawasaki KRB750B... but the handheld sure beats the heck out of a push broom.