Insane backpack blower at Lowes?

[khariV]

I was checking out Lowes today for some lumber when I saw the stack of backpack blowers. I've been seriously contemplating a BR600, so I figured I'd check to see how the big box models stack up.  What I saw on the spec sheet was insane. The Husqvarna 360Bt says that it moves 890 CFM. That's embarrassingly more powerful than the mac daddy of the Stihl world that comes in at a paltry 677 CFM. Sure the Husqvarna will probably leave you deaf at 97 decibels, but the sheer amount of air that it moves will at least leave a smile on your face while you're losing you hearing. 

 

Does anyone have any experience with this blower?  Is it really almost a 900 CFM machine. The specs seem so far above the Stihl, that my skepticism isn't letting me believe it. 

[KnarlyCarl]

Marketing BS? A lot of cfm but pathetic air power output?? Not sure, but numbers are to be largely taken with a grain of salt as we've all come to realize. HP numbers and amp ratings are all pretty much bogus anymore it seems so as Ave says, they have succumbed to the same marketing BS too lol!!!

[Jronman]

On ‎9‎/‎17‎/‎2016 at 1:29 AM, khariV said:

I was checking out Lowes today for some lumber when I saw the stack of backpack blowers. I've been seriously contemplating a BR600, so I figured I'd check to see how the big box models stack up.  What I saw on the spec sheet was insane. The Husqvarna 360Bt says that it moves 890 CFM. That's embarrassingly more powerful than the mac daddy of the Stihl world that comes in at a paltry 677 CFM. Sure the Husqvarna will probably leave you deaf at 97 decibels, but the sheer amount of air that it moves will at least leave a smile on your face while you're losing you hearing. 

 

Does anyone have any experience with this blower?  Is it really almost a 900 CFM machine. The specs seem so far above the Stihl, that my skepticism isn't letting me believe it. 

could use hearing protection? Or are people too cool to protect their hearing?

[khariV]

1 hour ago, 2448jman said:

could use hearing protection? Or are people too cool to protect their hearing?

I never use power tools or OPE without hearing protection.  However, a 100 db tool is several orders of magnitude louder than a 75 db tool.  In fact, a 32 db rated pair of hearing protectors, the best you can buy, will only lower the 100 down to 70, thereby making it just about as loud as the other WITHOUT hp.  I'm thinking you'd have to double up so as not to kill your hearing and wearing ear plugs AND ear muffs is a bit over the top, imo.

[Jronman]

3 hours ago, khariV said:

I never use power tools or OPE without hearing protection.  However, a 100 db tool is several orders of magnitude louder than a 75 db tool.  In fact, a 32 db rated pair of hearing protectors, the best you can buy, will only lower the 100 down to 70, thereby making it just about as loud as the other WITHOUT hp.  I'm thinking you'd have to double up so as not to kill your hearing and wearing ear plugs AND ear muffs is a bit over the top, imo.

how would a set of noise canceling work? You don't necessarily hear anything but could the noise still damage your hearing even though you don't hear it?

[ChrisK]

Depends on the muffs. Some of the guys at my job use electronic muffs that block out very loud sound but still let the user hear somebody talking. I, like @khariV don't work without some protection for eyes and ears but I've got my money invested in tools and not so much in advanced protection 

[AnonymousJoe]

All my saws are husqvarna but I stayed away from their blower, that's just not something they are known for and prob for a reason. I have the big echo backpack blower and my neighbor has the stihl  Br600.  Not sure what the specs are but its definitely noticeable that mine is more powerful. I can blow a brick down the driveway and I'll even blow the snow off my drive in the winter.  also if I remember right echo is 2 stroke vs stihl 4 stroke which I believe are less powerful. I know stihl puts a smaller reducer on the end of the blower to make up for it and it channels the air to make it blow harder which is where they get their cfm rating .  the narrow stream of air doesn't move big piles of leaves as well tho.

[khariV]

Active noise cancellation is really only useful against low frequency, continuous / repetitive noise.  I've used these on airplanes and they do a pretty good job of filtering out the engine drone.  The way they work is by matching the incoming sound with an inverse sound wave. The result is a loud-ish whoosing noise that's basically white noise. It doesn't eliminate the sound, but it masks it so that it's less annoying.  That having been said, you can still get a headache from high pressure / volume white noise over extended periods of time.

 

The best hearing protection you can buy (unless you're part of the 1% that is) as far as filtering all frequencies is 34 dB rated (which reduces noise levels by 34 decibels, of course).  This is pretty significant and sufficient for shooting or loud machine noises.  The difference that we're talking about here however is in the pressure of the source noise.  100 dB reduced to 66 dB results in sound getting to your ears roughly the same as a vacuum cleaner - tolerable but not really ideal.  On the other hand, 75 dB reduced to 40 dB results in a sound level roughly equivalent to a quiet room.  The decibel scale is logarithmic and 40 dB is only 1/8 as loud as 75 dB. 

[WeldfabNeil]

I had a Br600 for at one time. Only got it on trade for work an later sold for cash. It was a great blower but I was strapped for cash at one point an I didnt really need it. I can't speak to long term durability. 

 

As far as well I had it, I loved it. She started every time without trouble. I found it's power was nicely adjusted. I could run full open in some areas well lower it down by flower beds. The switch was weird it was easy to turn off if you were meaning to lock the trigger. The chute adjustment was a pain but those are minor problems. 

 

Keep in mind that was residential use an I let my neighbor use it a few times, very few hours overall. 

 

 

[khariV]

Oooohh.... I just found that there's a new Stihl sheriff in town.

 

The BR700!

 

https://www.stihlusa.com/products/blowers-and-shredder-vacs/professional-blowers/br700/

 

912 cfm of pure awesomeness!

[PH1]

Stihl backpack blowers are also used in Formula 1: 

https://twitter.com/RenaultSportF1/status/790263621368606720/photo/1

[Jrhky36]

On 10/30/2016 at 5:55 PM, PH1 said:

Stihl backpack blowers are also used in Formula 1: 

https://twitter.com/RenaultSportF1/status/790263621368606720/photo/1

A lot of nascar teams use the 20very dewalt blower. most pit crews dewalt 20v tools in the pit box

[Conductor562]

I can honestly say that the noise rating of a tool has never factored into my purchasing decision in even the slightest way. I have every intention of buying the Husqvarna 580BTS in the spring. 

 

It might piss off the neighbors....If I had neighbors. I want a tool so loud that when I fire it up, people 2 towns away say "that son of a bitch is running that blower again".

[Jrhky36]

On 12/7/2016 at 10:52 PM, Conductor562 said:

I can honestly say that the noise rating of a tool has never factored into my purchasing decision in even the slightest way. I have every intention of buying the Husqvarna 580BTS in the spring. 

 

It might piss off the neighbors....If I had neighbors. I want a tool so loud that when I fire it up, people 2 towns away say "that son of a bitch is running that blower again".

That Husqvarna is actually made by Redmax. Husqvarna bought Redmax several years ago. It is a repressed Redmax 8500. 

[Conductor562]

6 minutes ago, Jrhky36 said:

That Husqvarna is actually made by Redmax. Husqvarna bought Redmax several years ago. It is a repressed Redmax 8500. 

 

I might have been inclined to say the Redmax was made by Husqvarna. They're the same blower as far as I know. What's repressed about it? Specs look pretty much identical 

[Jrhky36]

Damn autocorrect. meant to say redressed. it is this same blower only orange and black vs red and black

[Conductor562]

1 hour ago, Jrhky36 said:

Damn autocorrect. meant to say redressed. it is this same blower only orange and black vs red and black

 

I gotcha. Don't feel bad, it happens to me on a daily basis ?

[Jrhky36]

I have 2 redmax blowers, 8050 and 8500. Both are beasts. I do use them in the winter to blow light snow falls. They will move wet leaves with ease. I have even been able to move small rocks. 

You won't be disappointed with the blower. I do recommend getting it with the trigger on the tube as opposed to our  the hip.