Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions

Thought I’d provide a review of this Stihl BR550 Backpack Blower that I purchased back in mid September. I’ve been using a McCulloch Backpack Blower that I originally purchased new about 13 years ago. It served me well over the years but was slowly dying so I thought I’d make the move sooner than later and not get stuck in the middle of leaf clearing season – bad news when you live in an oak forest.

Here’s some info on this model:

BR 550 Backpack Blower

DISPLACEMENT: 64.8 cc (3.95 cu. in.)
ENGINE POWER: 3.0 kW (4.0 bhp)
WEIGHT: 9.9 kg (21.8 Ibs.)
FUEL CAPACITY: 1400 cc (47.3 oz.)
AIR VOLUME: 900 m3/h (530 cfm)
AIR VELOCITY: 89 m/sec. (199 mph)
SOUND RATING: 73 dB(A)

Pros: Very powerful and able to clear leaves from a distance of about 8 -10 feet with ease; Run time of about 1 hour at WOT; Fairly quiet but you still need hearing protection; Engine sound is less annoying than most leaf blowers; Easily pushes large volumes of leaves; Weighs a bit less than my old McCulloch; Blow Tube/Control Handle rotate easily; Blow tubes stay together; Flex hose is soft and very pliable yet heavy duty; WOT locking lever so you don’t have to hold the trigger constantly; Throttle Trigger controls the engine speed very precisely; Starts easily – 5 pushes of the primer bulb, 1 or 2 clicks of the choke knob and 1 -2 pulls and your ready to go: Automatically switches from the choke position to the idle speed position when you press the throttle trigger; Harness is nicely padded and fairly comfortable

Cons: You have to be careful when releasing the WOT lock lever – move it too far and you shut the engine down. No big deal, but you have to remove the blower to start it again. Fuel cap takes a bit of getting used to but again, not a deal breaker. $ 420.00 – A little pricey but comparable to others in this class and you get what you pay for.

I highly recommend this to anyone needing a really good leaf blower. It’s well constructed and moves leaves and other yard debris my old McCulloch could never even think of moving. Hope it helps to narrow your search when the time comes.