STIHL BR800 Backpack Blower common problems and what to look for
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- Опубліковано 28 чер 2022
- Common issues we encounter with the STIHL BR800. These are great blowers but not without fault. If you are looking to buy new or used I will show you what to look for.
This was all priceless information for me since I’m not a Stihl dealer and have only had one burned up unit in the shop. It will really help me in the future. THANKS!
Glad I could help!
@@wallysworkin823 - Thanks for sharing your experience.
Do you have any idea if Stihl has fixed this problem in the more recent models or if it still applies? I currently have a Makita 76cc which works very well but is rather on the heavy side. And I think to replace it in the foreseeable future.
if I may ask you, is the BR800 still a good choice?
I have a very good dealer btw near Brussels with enormous knowledge of the business. Which makes it even more interesting, including the warranty. Thanks!
@@laurapalmerTDGE I do occasional problems, mostly the muffler. If you have a good dealer and the unit is under warranty you should be ok. Depending on your usage ask about the extended warranty.
@@wallysworkin823 - Thanks for the explanation, I will take this information with me when I visit the dealer.
These Stihl 4Mix engines must use a high quality synthetic 2 stroke oil.
I was looking for a lightweight blower for my deck. ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxgioZQl3J5wPGAeDINzbieKbT5qomSEx3 There are some huge trees around my house and the leaves and pods drop all over my deck. Having to move furniture around to sweep has become too big a chore. This blower was the answer. It is light enough for this 70yr old lady and powerful enough to blow all the tree droppings off my rather large deck. Thank you B&D. Be aware the cord is not included. I use a 3 prong outdoor cord 25' cord for my 12' x 20' deck. The cord retainer works very well, but don't try to pass the plug through it. That is NOT how it works. You just have to loop the cord and it works great. One of my best purchases. Very happy.
I work maintenance for a 36 hole golf club and we got 5 or 6 of these about a year and a half ago. We take good care of our equipment and within 2 months we were starting to have issues with the 800s. The pull cord hitting the choke nob has happened twice, we've had 2 of the mufflers Crack and break off just like you pointed out and lots of issues with them losing power or dying as soon as you let off the throttle. We have a fleet of OLD 600s so when we saw our mechanic unboxing those new 800 magnums everyone raced to tag their name and stake their claim, lol. Within 2 months we started pawning them off on new guys and trading back to the 600s. They are comfortable and work amazing when they're working right but after you fix one issue it's not long before something els comes up. I appreciate the video because I've recently been recruited by the mechanics to work on the blowers so this really helped me to pin point some of the issues and hopefully helps me prevent some also. Thanks again!
Landed here from Chickanic. Lot of great videos on small engines. Subbed!!
Very nice video. You obviously work on these a lot and know the ins and outs of these 800's.
Great video! Thanks. BTW, the BR800 is the successor, not the predecessor of those older models.
Thanks for the information looking to buy one pretty soon
Glad I could help!
Wow! This was great. Thanks.
Thanks for the info
Here in Florida, the backplates go bad pretty quickly from the sun if they are running an open trailer. They become brittle and you get fiberglass on you if you handle them (since they are glass-reinforced plastic).
I think that stihl made a production change with to type of alloy or thickness of metal that was used to produce the mufflers.I only recently (3-5yrs) started to see this issue. Started on my late model 600s and now on my 800s. but never had one come loose in earlier generations of the 600's. Quite opposite actually as i remember the mufflers would almost become part of the jug if you never had to crack the rusted bolts loose for any repairs. So yeah they changed something for cost, but now have introduced a way for the dealers to finally start unloading these ignition parts that have been sitting around because they never go bad! A loose muffler bolt seems to always finds its way to the stat or to shred the pickups on the magneto. Only time if ever had to replace on.
The engine pans loosen up on the BR600 and 700s because the muffler would always get a stress crack and break at the bottom bolt, which caused 700 some-odd degree heat to blow at the pan and with the vibration will cause the bolts to come out.
Here from advice from Chikanic!
My br600s have fallen off of my trailer at 35 mph many times and still work great!
The plastic does seem to hold up better.
Good lord
I had one slide off a valley and onto the driveway below...while it was running. Aside from the back plate splitting, the engine never had an issue!
The fact that it has happened many times cause us all to worry about you.
@brianm7402 I was running a crew in those days. These things don't seem to happen anymore.
Had 3 of these with the fan issue and 1 with a snapped crank. All were under 3 months old. All repaired no problem under warranty but they have all since failed again less than 6 months later with the fan issue. Again, all being replaced under warranty but the down time is inconvenient! I know of others with the same issues as well. we are based in the UK.
Down time is a big issue. We have been pretty lucky with parts availability.
Really good the information
I have a question
My br800 is run but is not a lot power
This is a great video and very informative as to what your should look for when servicing this blower as well as others. I do small engine repair for side work and really appreciate video's like this.
Thanks!
you can always get the easy access pull cord so it’s wired through the side..you can start it while wearing it!
Has sthil addressed any of these issues with the 2023 models by chance?
I have had two of these with side recoil. In terms of power and overall performance they are awesome, but they should be for the price. Just out of warranty I had a throttle cable issue that I had to replace ( entire unit) and two months later the crankshaft went. The cost to have it repaired at the dealership was more than half the cost of a new one so I opted out of repairing it as I had lost confidence in the quality of the machine. Though we use our machines hard we do not throw them around and are pretty careful with them. To lose a machine that cost in the neighborhood of $800 after only two years makes me think twice about investing in another one. So, love the machine but, I think I'll look elsewhere for its replacement.
Two years is the life expectancy across most manufacturers. We see a lot of crankshaft failures, and yes it’s usually not worth fixing. The crankshaft alone is over $300.
I bought an 800c in November of '20. Light use, might have 25hrs on it always kept in the dry and this season it just died on me swapped the air filter , fuel filter and sparkplug and it still idles rough and then dies. Luckily I'm still within the 2 year warranty but for $800+ I expect more than 25hrs before needed to be put in the shop 🤷♂️.
@@oneawesomemofo
I just bought a Schroeder on Amazon for less than half the price of my other 800 because it actually spec'd better than the 800. It has bit smaller tube but it is really a strong blower close to the 800 and in some situations superior. German made. I have used it on some heavy commercial jobs and it performs very well.
Just in case you're looking for an alternative.
@@jimrose6118 I was actually watching videos today on the echo 9010t. I'm assuming whatever is going on with my 800 should be covered under warranty but I'm already thinking about cost to repair/replace the 800 2 years down the road and if I should sell it now while it still has some value and switch. This doesn't leave a great impression on Stihl products which have been my go to.
@@oneawesomemofo i am shocked!
Great video and informative. I am a contractor of cemeteries in the north east. I use a Stihl b86, need recommendations on a 4 stroke blower if you have any. Partial to Honda string trimmers, had several and they are great. Thanks for a really good video
I recommend the BR700. I recently made a video about them. I still see to many issues with the BR 800.
Biggest problem I run across with these 4 mix engines is starter rope hard to pull due the excessive valve lash, the lawncare guys just run the piss out of them and don’t do the scheduled maintenance... Adjust the valves to .004” and good to go, then we see a lot of oil residue around the bottom pan because of pan bolts vibrating lose and crankshaft seals leaking ...!
Those are good points. The compression release on the cam will not work correctly if there is excessive valve lash. I see far less leaking/loose pans on 800’s versus the 600 and 700’s. Thanks for watching.
Thank You
We've had issues with all of ours loosing top end power. Any suggestions? A new one will out blow it by a lot.
Currently have a BR800 that runs fine at full throttle and even just a little bit of throttle but will not idle at all. Any guess?
I have one br800 and out of nothing just lost power I change the spark plug and the fuel filter and air filter and replaced the carburetor and still doesn’t have power, can you point out the issue if you can, thank you
Major issues vibration ,, exhaust needs plate reinforcement plate and better crush tube with an extra .bolt . The valve cover area crack either engine vibration or shock loading from fan case when unit is dropped . Both areas need more metal .
Didn't care about other issues but the block cracking holy crap.
nice vid
Hi Mr, Wally's which backpack blower do you recombed pls.
Here's my question and this is totally a reliability longevity question (not cost, overall value or performance). From a soley mechanical perspective would you go with the 600, 700 or 800 series?
Currently I like the BR700. I just made a video on the new engine design for the BR600 and 700’s. ua-cam.com/video/giuHhuRkOBU/v-deo.htmlsi=9qJQSEVxjQajAWS4
I have this blower, bought it new last year, since I bought it, I will sometimes here like a rattle, almost like a loose fan or something, and the blower seems to loose power for a bit, I've taken it to the place I bought it, but it seems that the mechanic cannot replicate the problem, any ideas? Thanks
Any screw that starts to just come loose I'm putting lock tight on it........
Will you make a video about the Br600. I like these types of videos
Will do, It’ll be a long one Lol
@@wallysworkin823 😂. Cant wait!
How much compression should it have?
I am a homeowner and over 6 months have had no issues. But I maintain all my Equiptment. I also do light yard maintenance in the neighborhood. What do you recommend on the muffler issue. Blue lock tite ? Or something else. Chicanick sent me here
Thanks for watching. The problem is vibration and how thin the muffler is. Lock-tite may help a little but not a cure. Keep an eye on the muffler, especially the lower mount as she showed in her video.
I have an 800 and it runs perfect until it get to operating temperature then it bogs out like the carb is out of adjustment. I have no idea what to do. I’ve checked valve lash and it’s good. Good spark no grounding issues that I could find.
Any common issues you’ve found on this subject?
Make sure the cold weather flap is open for summer months.
is there any slop in the crank to cause the muffler vibration? crank bearings going? i've had a few br600 with this issue
If the engine pan comes loose it can cause vibration. If the pan is fine and not leaking then it’s a issue with the engine. Not all engines suffer from this, some vibrate really bad and some don’t.
Mine is kind of troublesome to start sometimes. Usually when it is cold but it is like 50 degrees right now and I've got it sitting inside the house hoping it will start when I try again.
I run it at low throttle a lot and I'm wondering if that's one of the contributors to my starting problems
Check all the basic things like your plug and filters. It could just need a carb adjustment or carb overhaul.
Page 19-20 of the manual has a setting under the air filter to adjust when the temperature is 50° and below.
@@dubldee5364 Thanks so much for pointing that out.
I switched it today - I ran it for 10 minutes to push some leaves around and I'm still having problems with it dying at idle but it did seem to start up easier
Thanks again - never saw that at all
Have been watching your vids on blower problems. Hard to get an idea of how many issues you see…. Right now would you buy a br800 or a echo 9010?
Currently I would buy a new model BR700. I’ll be releasing a video on Sunday regarding some changes Stihl has made. The Echo 9010 is a good choice as well. I’m still not happy with the BR800 and it’s issues.
@@wallysworkin823 awesome thank you. I’ll watch out for your video Sunday!
The 600-700 were the predecessor, the 800 was the reinvention and cause of the redesign of the 600-700 recently
hm i am using my BR320 for more than 20 years now, never changed the muffler, the cylinder, last year the flex-tube has to be changed, i am still happy using the tool. I use it excessively in autumn time each weekend for 4hrs fulltime on a weekend (=2 to 3 fuel tanks) up to 8weeks and more (depends on the weather green(white?). I am quite shocked to see the problems on the new generation. But sure more parts more issues that can occur. Of course this also depends on how customer are keeping their pet (meaning i wouldn't be in this poor position). The muffler is def too big in size= too long and the fixing points seems not to proportioned to keep the destroying vibration in place. But the cracks in the mainframe, Jesus, what has Stihl done here? Have they forgotten to to the right FEM methods or has it been just designed without any crack test? Material thickness is too low? As an engineer i could not believe what i see here. Or have they just used a standard design of their 4 Mix engine and put it just onto a blower without real physical testing at all? Greetings from Germany. was it designed and developed in US....Ok, that tells alot. I am joking. Great job to show all the traps.
Makes Me Appreciate My Stihl BR 400 Over 20 Years Old And Still Runs Like a Raped Ape Only Thing I’ve Ever Done Is Fuel Filters and NGK Spark Plugs and 1 or 2 Air Filters 40:1 Mix And 1 Carburetor Kit 5 Years Ago 😀❤️❤️😀😊
Those were good units, not the most powerful but reliable.
Had mine for 25+ years with no problems, then all of a sudden would start then all of a sudden stop & then not start. Gave it to a friend of mine(think the on-off switch may have a grounding wire, but never checked) and got the 800 with the side pull. Having seen this video and read some of the other comments, I wonder if zi just shouldn't have fixed my 400?
Have ab 800 c and an 800 x both run for 20 minutes or so then bog down once cool they both run fine again for 20 minutes or so then bog again... any ideas as to why?
Sounds like a fuel system problem. Possible simple carb adjustment but check the basics first, exhaust screen, fuel and air filters and I would also check the valve adjustment.
Ignition module/coil going bad?
Fuel tank vent?
@@briantii I find that to be a common problem with the model 91 weed eater. Not had the problem with the backpack blowers.
Replace the fuel lines,check the gas tank vent, adjust the carburetor ,I had one the did the same thing,it's running 💯
That thing has to be older than a year. If it is, the crew have beat the hell out of that one
I believe it was right at 2 years old. I’m still shocked how people treat equipment.
@@wallysworkin823 personally I treat equipment pretty rough. I'm tired a lot of times trying to finish up or just want to get it done. So I abuse my personal tools pretty hard. Even work the future owner told me we treat the equipment rough I said it's the price of business. We get the job done in the quickest most efficient way compared to the other crews. Smetimes tools are used in their non intended way. Pipeline work everything is so heavy. People ask if I go to the gym, I haven't in 3 years. Just the equipment is heavy. Some of the hole hogs weight 70 to 150lbs. The bigger ones even more you need a machine to lift it or the whole crew.
2 year old top spec BR 800 used by orangutans, can't see any other possibility.
Do you work on Stihl pressure washers? If so I have a Stihl RB800 I’m working on for a customer where the fuel is somehow mixing with the oil. What could cause this?
Sounds like it’s having a carb issue, flooding or running very rich. There’s no other way fuel can get into the crankcase.
@@wallysworkin823 i was at first thinking it might be a fuel line that got frozen because of last week’s really cold temperatures. I wasn’t thinking of the carburetor. Thank you for the advice and quick response.
@@edjohnson5811 Anytime!
iHello! I use mine daily, I bought is about 6 months ago.
motor still good, everything looks good. but what it does sometimes, it loose power completely until it wants to shut off then it gets power again, I just let throttle all in, then it does the same thing over and over again then if I just let go throttle motor it shuts off . what can it be? 😢
Sounds like a fuel system problem. Check your tank vent, fuel filter and fuel lines. Carb may just need an adjustment or the carb may need to be replaced.
Dame that crazy
Will you ever do a PB-9010 problem video?
Yes, I’ve been trying to do one.
@@wallysworkin823 For sure!
How can we lessen the noise of the unit? Most especially on residential, they're complaining about the noise brought by this unit.
Not much you can really do it is a noise unit. Stihl made a “quiet” version of the Br550 I think it was. It had a thin foam on the back side of the engine cover and a special blower tube. Plus it ran at a lower RPM. You could try a muffler from a BR600, it will bolt to the head the same but the lower bolt will not.
@@wallysworkin823 People cry too much. I'm tired of cry baby ass people.
what Problems Does BR800C Suffer with as we only have that here in UK
All the same issues. Only difference is the recoil. Over time the “C” recoil will loosen up due to the vibrations.
I had six of those BR800 X all have had crank bearing seized up crank problems but my BR 600 all six have been running five years they’ve been running none stop and I been a small engine specialist for 45 years
I have been a real dummy and put Aspen 4 (thinking this was 4 stroke, but it’s 4-MIX and 2 stroke) in my newly bought (second hand, but it’s 2021 model) br800c. Ironically in a bid to use better fuel to look after the engine. It ran fine for an hour. Then a week later I realised my mistake, drained the tank and replaced with Aspen 2. In now starts with a lot of effort, runs ok, but then dies when idling. Then will not start up again.
Can any one please give me any advice, have I ruined the engine or is there a remedy for my stupidity?? Thank you very much to anyone who can offer any advice
You may have scared the piston. It will have just enough compression to start when cold but when it gets warm it will no longer run. Do a compression test. Engine may need to be torn down for inspection.
I have the 800c. Are the issues the same with it, our does that model have more, or less issues?
Yes, same issue’s
@@wallysworkin823 thanks, will have to keep an eye on those things
At first glance this blower looks pretty good.... That blower looks like it's been on the bottom of the ocean for 15 yrs lol. Omg, that thing is the most beat up blower I have ever seen, only 1yr old??!! No idea what the guys are doing to that, but I would yell at them about respecting equipment.
Used many Stihl blowers over the years, they perform extremely well. But when I went self employed, I switched to Husqvarna and bought a 580BTS, sorry Stihl, but I won't be going back!
The Husqvarna/Redmax blowers are a solid choice.
Do the handheld blowers have valves also? I have the largest handheld blower Stihl makes. I forget the number.
No, just a good old two stroke.
What is Stihl doing for their customers? A homeowner may not get to this level of work in two seasons.
Stihl is good about warranty. I strongly recommend homeowners getting the extended warranty however.
My blower is atarting to sound poorly, like it needs an oil change.
The oil is mixed into the fuel so these machines don't need oil changes.
Blue loctite and a bolt torque test when new will go a long way….
You mention that the maintenance should be kept up, but don’t describe what maintenance should be done and at what intervals.
How do you change the oil?
Change the fuel 😂
@@wallysworkin823 Thank you I will do that.
@Ralph Long III good luck, it's impossible to find oil filters
Do not like the 800 , one here now with another Muffler destroyed this year, last time Choke Throttle Plate screw came out and I found sitting on top of the Piston. Clip came out on the Shaft causing this. 600 is no King , but after serving many and building them I definitely prefer over the POS 800.
So pretty much your saying that these are fine unless you intentionally beat the piss out of them.
Lol exactly.
2023 and they can't engineer equipment that's going to hold up and last. We the consumer are so getting ripped off.
It's everything from cars to appliances
Stihl is still using bad silicone. Causing leaks.
I’ve used Ultra Grey and black silicone and had the same issues.
No matter what brand you get. They all have problems
JUNK JUNK JUNK - Don't believe that they're solid machines - used my BR800X 5 times to blow leaves at my house- stored it in my garage and followed manufacturers recommendations to a T. The unit probably has less than 7 hours on it and the crankshaft broke. Dealer charged me $75 and confirmed it's a warranty issue but can't even say when it will be repaired as Stihl is terrible when it comes to sending the parts out. It's now a month and counting. But I have to say you did make an excellent video sir.
Looking on this machine ?!? It has a heavy life ! AND no cleaning AT ALL ! I use the BR800 for 4 jr no issu at all and running like new , use only Aspen fuel
That is not common that is how it is taken care of
Maybe for a few items but not the majority.
Why do people like these trashy blowers... Go with Husqvarna. Save yourself the hassle of these know issues ... because they will happen no matter how careful you are with the stihl or echo blowers they have major issues
This blower is not good don’t spend money but this garbage
Errrrrr....you mean DO NOT BUY.
Reminds me of echo .. so many dam screws now.
Hey wally, was working on a br800 yesterday right before i saw your video. Had a bad flywheel , put a new flywheel tried to crank and a loud screech was heard when it was on, after further inspection it also had a bad fan propeller. Tried to cut a corner and put red locktight so the fan could stay in place (fan had a cracked bushing Lol) ... well it was working real good till that loud screech came back and the fan propeller was undone) ugh , i ordered the part hopefully itll fix it. flywheel was 80 and i see than fan is almost 80 aswell. money money.