I know you said no back pack, but I have the Echo PB265-LN back pack blower from Home Depot: https://www.homedepot.com/p/ECHO-158-MPH-375-CFM-25-4cc-Gas-2-Stroke-Cycle-Backpack-Leaf-Blower-with-Hip-Throttle-PB-265LN/203578483?keyword=echo+pb265-ln&semanticToken=2003000000+%3E++st%3A%7Becho+pb265-ln%7D%3Ast+cnn%3A%7B0%3A0%7D+cnr%3A%7B8%3A0%7D+cnb%3A%7B0%3A0%7D+cnt%3A%7B4%3A1%7D+f%3A%7Ba%7D+cnv%3A%7B0%3A0%7D+oos%3A%7B0%3A1%7D+br%3A%7Becho%7D%3Abr+tgr%3A%7BNo+stage+info%7D+qu%3A%7Bpb265ln%7D%3Aqu


I love it! It starts on the first pull, every time. It's much lighter than all other back pack blowers, yet has just as much power.

I use the "red can" TruFuel, and get almost an hour of run time between refueling. It's the best blower I've ever seen. Cal

 

Several years ago I purchased an Echo PB-200 and a Poulan blower from a friend of mine for $35.00. I sold the Poulan and still have the Echo and I love it. It is a 2006 model year. Light weight, powerful, and reliable. All I have done to it besides cleaning it on occasion is a new plug and the rubber grommet that goes in the fuel tank. I would buy another Echo in a heartbeat. I think they have a very good residential warranty as well. Bill

 

I have an old Echo backpack bower that's incredibly stout albeit underpowered 20+ years later, but your're not looking for a backpack so I'll leave that out. My handheld blower is a Husqvarna 125b from Lowe's. It can be tempermental to start but granted it gets run hard and put away wet and doesn't always get the best fuel (it even was completely submerged in water after a freak rain storm in the bed of my brother's truck a couple years ago and still runs perfect once warmed up). I have had no issues with carbs gumming up or the like so I'd wholeheartedly recommend one. It even starts in 4-5 pulls to blow the snow off my truck in the winter in negative degree weather. It's probably cheaper than an Echo too, and I heard they're the same as the RedMax handheld blower.

 

You might try checking if it has a spark arrestor screen that is partially/mostly plugged. I've got a Stihl handheld blower that would run ok, but was pretty hard to start, and all it took to get it starting easily again was cleaning that screen.

 

Not to hijack this thread, are they any good for pine needles? I've got a SRM225 powerhead, a paddle and a trimmer for it and was thinking of adding a blower if they're any good for needles. The paddle gets 80% of them but I want to get all the cursed things................Mike

 

I just purchased one last week. Fair price and a 5 year warranty on the vac/mulching unit. For what I needed it was the right fit.

 

Yeah, I just bot one from a lawn equipment shop, Model 2520. Light weight, 3 or 4 pulls, and really cleans. Now the little woman wants me to teach her how to start it up. Oh-oh. Well, at least she can't hurt herself with it like she could with a chain saw. Maybe she'll figure out a way. Price was good. And, it's an Echo.