If you’re looking for the best way to tackle the fall leaves, a backpack leaf blower could be the best piece of power equipment to add to your lawn care arsenal. Owning the right backpack blower for your property will not only help you maintain your yard efficiently, but will also help you maintain the quality of your grass. At Carl’s Mower and Saw we have a full line of leaf blowers, but two of our favorite backpack blowers are the Stihl BR 600 and the Stihl BR 800. Both make wrangling up the leaves a breeze!

Benefits of Owning a Backpack Blower

First, why should you get a backpack blower instead of a handheld blower? It all comes down to the job in front of you. For many homeowners a handheld blower is perfect for the size of their lawns and the duration of their job. If your yard is medium in size but surrounded by trees, the right backpack blower can help you work more efficiently. However, backpack blowers are a great investment for homeowners with large properties and commercial landscapers.

If you’re undecided about spending the money on a leaf blower of this size, here are 3 top reasons to consider a new backpack leaf blower.

1. Efficiency!

Time is money. Even if you’re not a commercial landscaper you know that your free time is limited. The right backpack blower can cut the time spent on Saturday lawn care in half. 

2. Ergonomically Friendly

Handheld leaf blowers work great for small jobs under 30 minutes. But then you end up switching hands because of strain on your shoulders, arms and back. Stihl’s backpack blowers are ergonomically designed to sit comfortably on your back, distributing the weight of the blower more evenly. 

3. Power

Stihl’s backpack blowers pack a punch when it comes to CFMs and they give operators more control over the velocity of the air coming out of the blower to make getting into alcoves and tight spaces more manageable than some of the handheld options.

The BR 600, BR 700 & BR 800– Our Recommended Stihl Backpack Blowers 

Stihl is known for its high-quality, durable power equipment, which is why we carry the brand at Carl’s Mower and Saw. We don’t carry power equipment brands we can’t stand behind. There are pros and cons to both blowers, but it ultimately boils down to your needs as an operator.

  • Stihl BR 600. This backpack leaf blower is the smallest of 4-mix engines in Stihl’s BR series, it packs a punch. It has been one of the most popular backpack blowers at Carl’s Mower for over 10 years, which says a lot because it’s been on the market for over 15 years. This blower weighs 21.5 pounds, blows at a maximum of 238 mph and 677 cfm. This blower is great for stickier situations that need a lot of power, but the operator prefers to keep things light on their back.

  • Stihl BR 700. This backpack leaf blower is a little bigger than the BR 600 at just about 23 pounds. The BR 700 has a lower max speed than the BR 600 (197 mpg), but 900 cfm. Why would someone want lower speed but higher volume? Think of the Stihl BR 600 as a powerful and focused tornado. The Stihl BR700 is more of a hurricane with a smaller max air velocity (still very fast!) and a broader reach. This makes it great for lots of dry leaves and debris that need to be pushed around! Also is useful in cleaning off a gravel driveway, or blowing leaves out of your flower bed.

 

  • Stihl BR 800 X MAGNUM® & Stihl BR 800 C-E MAGNUM®  The 800 model of the BR series is obviously bigger and more powerful than the Stihl BR600. And we recommend this blower because of the power-to-weight ratio of all Stihl gasoline blowers. It weighs in between 23 and 25 pounds depending on the model you purchase. But what helps it stand out from the pack is the extra ergonomic features that distribute the weight more evenly between the back and hips which makes the weight difference between the 600 and 800 less noticeable. We also love the fact that the operator can start the BR800C without taking the blower off of their back, which is enormously convenient for professional landscaper. Further, the 239 mph 900cfm power is great for moving wet leaves and even snow.  

A Deeper Dive into The BR 600, BR 700 & BR 800 Leaf Blower Comparison

Josh from Carl’s Mower & Saw shows you the different features of each blower and even walks you through how to troubleshoot common issues and maintain each blower in this short video. Hopefully this helps you decide whether the Stihl BR 600, BR 700 or BR 800 backpack leaf blower is right for you. 

Our YouTube channel is full of great content to help you operate and maintain your power equipment so check out all of our videos on mowers, blowers, trimmer and more! 

Carl’s Mower and Saw has been powering the outdoors since 1990. We specialize in equipment sales, service, rentals and parts. When it comes to outdoor power equipment we’ll get you what you need so you can power on!  Have questions? Give us a call at 360-384-0799, or email us at info@carlsmower.com.