View Full Version : Leaf blower recommendation
My petrol powered Ryobi blower is on it's way out, and needs quite a bit of work to fix to get running correctly.
I am looking for a new one. Should I just buy a Stihl, or are there other good quality blowers available.
The Ryobi has been a nightmare in the 7 years of ownership.
Just get some mulching mower blades. Grass mowers will turn them into mulch and do your garden some good
Already have those, but the mower does not work well on the swimming pool cover. ;)
Swimmimg pool!! :doh: i aint even got a bird bath:eyebrows: ive got a cheap one out of lidl ive had for 10 years i guess now... Or was it aldi? One of the 2. It sucks or blows :eyebrows: sometimes think the cheap n cheerful is way to go but obviously you have a bigger problem than me so a big one is maybe needed.
I am after a reasonably powerful petrol blower.
I have a Flymo electric job. It,s ok next to the house, but a bit rubbish elsewhere as I need a really long extension cord.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/McCulloch-MAC-GBV345-Leaf-Blower/dp/B0036WTEKQ/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1464946495&sr=8-6&keywords=30cc+petrol+leaf+blower
Gets good reviews and a nice price
Heres a real powerhouse on offer... Big offer too.. 65cc engine
https://www.amazon.co.uk/65CC-PETROL-BACKPACK-LEAF-BLOWER-EXTREMELY-POWERFUL-210MPH/dp/B0168IM9LA?ie=UTF8&ascsubtag=2e383eb5a42b13484d77262bc5a4a8f2_S&ref_=dra_a_cs_lb_hn_xx_P1400_1000&tag=dradisplay0bb-21
That looks cheap, with good reviews.
I am just nervous about longevity and spares availability - should I ever need them.
Parker are makers and have premises in Louth. Should be ok, as they make a lot of stuff
This would be my choice if you're looking for reliability and build quality. I've had a Husqvarna hedge trimmer for seven years now, and my son has frequently borrowed it for use on the farm where he worked so it's seen plenty of hard work and never missed a beat. Apparently their snowmobiles and motor bikes are pretty good too.
HUSQVARNA 125BVX LEAF BLOWER https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00CBR22HO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_C5DuxbNG7K1TK
Husqvarna or Stihl - you cant go wrong . I would prefer to pay a bit more and buy one of those two than skimp on shyte
Firebottle
04-06-2016, 06:27
I'll have to come down with my paramotor Kevin, that'll certainly shift the leaves off the pool :eek:
hifi_dave
05-06-2016, 16:32
I'm all Stihl here. Beautifully made and reliable but not the cheapest.
I have a leaf blower/sucker, hedge cutter, strimmer and chain saw, all given lots of work for 10 years now.
With your Smartphone, log-onto You Tube, and place phone near leaves. Turn volume up, and then select any party political broadcast by the Tories. Press play, and allow the subsequent copious amounts of hot air to blow away the leaves!
Job done, and it's free! :thumbsup:
Marco.
I'm all Stihl here. Beautifully made and reliable but not the cheapest.
I have a leaf blower/sucker, hedge cutter, strimmer and chain saw, all given lots of work for 10 years now.
I was looking at the blower/vac by Stihl, but was wondering how it performed.
I assume you are happy with it?
Funnily enough i pulled mine out of storage but its goosed.... No great loss as its at least 10 years old and wasnt expensive.
I'll have to come down with my paramotor Kevin, that'll certainly shift the leaves off the pool :eek:
And probably the water out of the pool too!
Try my top tip!
Marco.
The problem is choosing the "best" clip that works.
Not a big stihl lover here... There cutters etc were the most unpredictable in business lol. But i guess as a leave blower it may be ok. Id go with the most powerful you can get that has the best reviews rather than rely on a name.
I have seen a Makita 4 stroke blower that looks ok, but I want something I can buy spares for, and there is a dealer close by. My Ryobi needs a carb rebuild, but there is no rebuild kit available. If I break a bit cleaning the carb, I will need a new carb. The Ryobi also has a mesh air filter. It's a poor design, but was not expensive. I did not use it much as it usually took over half an hour to start.
This is what I want to avoid buying again.
We used a lot of Makita stuff; it was pretty good
hifi_dave
06-06-2016, 16:39
I was looking at the blower/vac by Stihl, but was wondering how it performed.
I assume you are happy with it?
Yes, it's what I have. It is very efficient and always starts first time unlike the Chinese long pole hedge cutter which wears me out..:steam:
I bought a Ryobi on a whim, and it has been utter shite. It was difficult to start, and then would sputter and die if you tried to run it at anything like full throttle. Then the priming button dissolved - no spares available, into the bin..
Virtual-Symmetry
08-06-2016, 18:53
No leaf blower on earth beats the wife after a curry.
:lolsign:
Can you bottle it for a sniff later, once it's 'matured'? :D
Marco.
Virtual-Symmetry
08-06-2016, 18:59
I can send you a bottle free gratis if you want :eyebrows:
I have seen a Makita 4 stroke blower that looks ok, but I want something I can buy spares for, and there is a dealer close by. My Ryobi needs a carb rebuild, but there is no rebuild kit available. If I break a bit cleaning the carb, I will need a new carb. The Ryobi also has a mesh air filter. It's a poor design, but was not expensive. I did not use it much as it usually took over half an hour to start.
This is what I want to avoid buying again.
Are the carbs expensive ?? I do a fair bit of chainsaw / Strimmer rebuilds and lately had a biggish Stihl strimmer that I couldn't get any petrol into . Bought a carb kit , soaked the whole carb and cleaned every mortal thing I could ,but it never worked.
Reluctantly bought a new carb from Holland , think it was £15 inc postage , looked exactly the same as mine , fitted it and vroom , never had to tune it , away to go
The problem is the tamper proof screws that Ryobi use on the carb mixture screws.
I really don't want to throw good money after bad. It needs a new carb, a new starter robe and a new collection bag. The blower is not that powerful - you could say that it "sucks".
The problem is the tamper proof screws that Ryobi use on the carb mixture screws.
I really don't want to throw good money after bad. It needs a new carb, a new starter robe and a new collection bag. The blower is not that powerful - you could say that it "sucks".
I am sure Marco could find a use for it !!! ;) I have a Ryobi strimmer in the shed - not been going for few yrs ,because , as you say , they are junk , a bit like Mc Culloch stuff
Oldpinkman
10-06-2016, 09:01
I've only joined this at the end, and I'm not going back to read it all. I very nearly didn't bring my leaf blower to France because I've never noticed a leaf to blow on the ground here (we get a bit of wind in these parts it has to be said). In the end I bought it because there was room to, and I noticed that I used it to blow the John Deere X540 clean every time before putting it away. So I'm interested you want one in France Kevin
In the UK we had 5 acres, and a long drive lined by deciduous trees, and the leaves could lie 2 feet deep. For the last 2 years I have used the leaf blower I have bought to France with me, and it was more than adequate
A McCulloch.
We can send you some of our wind if it helps :D
You can get drivers for ryobi adjustments or convert the anti tampers screws yourself. The bolts are called pacman anti tamper... If you cant find one then you can simply use a small ha ksaw and cut a groove through the outer case and the bolthead til you have a groove then set up the hi lo etc that way... You should find one though.
Like this
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160610/56737fe7008f0954e1198f1ea1633ded.jpg
Firebottle
10-06-2016, 11:15
Yes McCulloch are definitely built to a price, once I put a quality chain guide on the chain saw it works so much better :)
Yes McCulloch are definitely built to a price, once I put a quality chain guide on the chain saw it works so much better :)
I bought a second hand one , the chain brake is laughable in construction and I believe is used on the cheap electric ones . Crap , but as they say , you get what you pay for , by and large.
Mark Grant
10-06-2016, 13:21
. My Ryobi needs a carb rebuild, but there is no rebuild kit available. If I break a bit cleaning the carb, I will need a new carb. The Ryobi also has a mesh air filter. It's a poor design, but was not expensive. I did not use it much as it usually took over half an hour to start.
This is what I want to avoid buying again.
The not starting is always a pain with cheap engines.
A friend who is a garden contractor has a powerful Stihl with a flat nozzle, does a good job and sounds like it means business
http://www.stihl.co.uk/STIHL-Products/Blowers-and-Vacuum-Shredders/Petrol-hand-held-blowers/21378-410/BG-86-C-E.aspx
about £207 street price which is not bad for a proper one.
http://www.radmoretucker.co.uk/category/Petrol_Blowers/product/Stihl_BG_86_CE_Petrol_Blower/?gclid=CPPQudHFnc0CFe4y0wodypkBYw
You could go wild and buy a backpack blower
http://www.stihl.co.uk/STIHL-Products/Blowers-and-Vacuum-Shredders/0460/Petrol-backpack-blowers.aspx
http://www.radmoretucker.co.uk/category/Petrol_Blowers/product/Stihl_BR_600_Magnum_Backpack_Petrol_Blower/
The Black Adder
10-06-2016, 14:18
You could just buy a good stiff brush and use some elbow grease.... gets the job done, saves you money, saves the environment, no noise, no dressing up like a Ghost Buster and it keeps you fit. :)
Winner! :)
I could do, but walking on a floating pool cover is not my idea of fun when I want to stay dry.
The garden is about 2 acres, although I don't need to clean it all. About 0.5 acres is oak trees, which create the problem.
Using a stiff brush in the woods just seems hard work.
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