I work for Cheap Gutter Clean in Atlanta GA and we used the echo for cleaning gutters but now we use the br800ce magnum because it's has side start lighter and flex tube
I run the Echo PB770 as my daily blower and the 9010 is for leaves, parking lots, etc. Stihl quality is just as good as any other brand but my biggest complaint is after a few years every stihl piece I own gets hard to start. Not one echo or husqvarna tool of mine is hard to start ever. I do the same maintenance to everything and I don't have time for any brand that wants to have a mind of its own.
Are you guys using premium and the Stihl mixing oil? My BR600 went 9 years before I sold it, and never had an issue. Now have the BR800 and it's been really good for 3 years and counting.
@Kingfisher I only run non ethanol gas and stihl premium oil (Echo Red Armor in Echo tools) I know there are plenty of people out there with high hour stihl equipment but I've found them to be just to picky. I personally think it's combination of the carbs and exhaust ports and I ultimately blame the EPA for restricting 2 stroke design. I've just never had any trouble with walbro carbed husky's or even the cheaper Zama carbs Echo uses. This is just my own experience but I know a lot of youtube channels that love stihl but admit they get worked on often for starting issue. My ms180 chainsaw didn't make it a full year before going back for a complete tuneup. Ironically my dad's stihl 028 Wood Boss from the 1980's still gets used every season with nothing but basic maintenance.
@@benaiahreid3291 Fair enough. Thanks for the detailed response. My Maruyama 2-stroke equipment absolutely purrs, so I know that high quality 2-strokes are a loveable thing. Just wanted to add my experience because Stihl has always done me well when I bought the equipment new. Also have an old KM130 that I bought used, and yeah that old beast gets tempermental when overheated.
@@benaiahreid3291 - Try the alkylate fuel ( blue jugs ) with Amsoil Saber oil. This combination is nearly the most perfect combination. Burns super clean, lubes like no other, controls the temperature, no problems with the exhaust/spark arrestor. The Stihl oils only burn optimal at high temps, otherwise they leave ash. Just give it go.
I've had both and here's my take. The BR800 is the better blower for everyday use. When it comes to grass clipping the 9010 only outshined the Stihl in very limited situations. The Stihl is lighter and seems a little easier on fuel consumption. On the negative side. Stihl stuff seems to he more sensitive to valves needing to be adjusted. If they are just the slightest bit off they are hard to start. Also stick with the recoil start. Tha side compression starter is awful. Onto the 9010. Wow the power is amazing. It's like having a walk behind blower on your back. If you want to move leaves with a backpack blower this is easily the leader. It starts a lot easier than the Stihl. While the Echo is a lot heavier the straps are so good it's hard to notice the weight difference. I haven't done full leaf cleanup days yet so time with tell. Really both these blowers are overkill for grass clippings. If you're not a leaf cleanup guy or you don't mind having multiple blowers get a high MPH(230+) and moderate CFM blower like a BR600 or even a RedMax 6500. CFM is somewhat overrated for grass clippings.
Funny but I enjoy the side start. I have other Stihl easy start products and am used to how they work. The side start on the 800C(-E) is an. easy start system and you are winding a spring up when you pull the rope. The spring will then crank the engine over when it reaches the proper torque after being wound. You can check this out by pulling the rope in a series of really short pulls to wind up the intermediate spring. You can feel when the intermediate spring releases and cranks the engine. The short pulls sometimes allow the spring to trigger and unwind, cranking the engine at the wrong point of the timing but I have always had it start on the second try if it does and often it starts on the first try. After the engine is warmed up, it has always started on the first pull. I'm not saying that your evaluation is wrong but judging from number of hilarious examples of users flailing on the starter rope I have seen on UA-cam, there are many who do not understand how this system works. By the way, I have never had one of these systems fail on my blower or chain saws even though the easy start systems are more complicated.
I bought and have used the Stihl BR 800 C-E for the excellent harness system with the waist belt. It takes 95% of the weight off of my shoulders. The side start is nice but not the reason why I bought it. I'm a homeowner however and I could see that a commercial user might find the side start more useful. My Stihl starts very easily when warm so maybe your experience was not indicative of the model or maybe I just got lucky with mine. I actually start mine on the ground and let it warm up. I then kill it and strap it on. It has always started on the first pull of the side start after I have put it on. I adjust my valves when it becomes harder to pull and start but it takes about 3 years of homeowner use for them to need adjusting. It takes me about 30-45 minutes to do but I'm not a pro.
@@markcole6475 The BR 800 blowers and many other Stihl products use their 4-mix engines which are 4-stroke but use the 2 cycle gas and oil mix fuel for lubrication. They have a small valve cover held on with a Torx bolt and the valve clearance is set via a locking nut on a threaded post that the rocker arm is located on. Pretty painless to adjust but you do need a fairly narrow feeler gauge .
@@markcole6475 Hmm Are you sure? I think the BR 600 is a 4 mix engine and has valves. There are lots of UA-cam videos out there of folks adjusting the valves. Remember the 4 mix engines are 4 stroke with cams and valves BUT they don't have an oil sump and use oil mixed in the gasoline to circulate through the bottom end and lubricate the engine.
@@geomark8851 idk…it smells and sounds like a 2 stroke……my wife always complains I smell like a chainsaw after using the BR600…..she hasn’t said a word since I’ve been using the BR800…I use the same oil mix in both.
About the valve adjustment, my BR600 took me two sips of a beer playing around with a feeler guage and only had to do it once in 9 years. Maybe other folks have different experience but imo it's a non-issue.
IDK about all that, redmax i think is more reliable but no way it has more power, ive only used the 8550s tho unless there is big improvement with 8560 im not seeing it, also less comfortable straps.
I wonder if something about the Br800 isn't tuned right. Mine starts hot on the first compression, and also starts in -25C with only a couple pulls. I use mine for leaves and light snow clearing. Looks like the Echo pushes better due to the longer tube making a more coherent stream. Both really nice blowers that will make the money.
I had an fs 56,fs 70r for 9 years,a br 600 7 years ,a 91r part time commercial,run midgrade to premium gas,good 2 cycle oil, simple maintenance and proper oil lubercation,no problems. I work on them
I work for Cheap Gutter Clean in Atlanta GA and we used the echo for cleaning gutters but now we use the br800ce magnum because it's has side start lighter and flex tube
I run the Echo PB770 as my daily blower and the 9010 is for leaves, parking lots, etc. Stihl quality is just as good as any other brand but my biggest complaint is after a few years every stihl piece I own gets hard to start. Not one echo or husqvarna tool of mine is hard to start ever. I do the same maintenance to everything and I don't have time for any brand that wants to have a mind of its own.
I agree their carburetors are trash. I will never own anything Stihl again.
Are you guys using premium and the Stihl mixing oil? My BR600 went 9 years before I sold it, and never had an issue. Now have the BR800 and it's been really good for 3 years and counting.
@Kingfisher I only run non ethanol gas and stihl premium oil (Echo Red Armor in Echo tools) I know there are plenty of people out there with high hour stihl equipment but I've found them to be just to picky. I personally think it's combination of the carbs and exhaust ports and I ultimately blame the EPA for restricting 2 stroke design. I've just never had any trouble with walbro carbed husky's or even the cheaper Zama carbs Echo uses. This is just my own experience but I know a lot of youtube channels that love stihl but admit they get worked on often for starting issue. My ms180 chainsaw didn't make it a full year before going back for a complete tuneup. Ironically my dad's stihl 028 Wood Boss from the 1980's still gets used every season with nothing but basic maintenance.
@@benaiahreid3291 Fair enough. Thanks for the detailed response.
My Maruyama 2-stroke equipment absolutely purrs, so I know that high quality 2-strokes are a loveable thing. Just wanted to add my experience because Stihl has always done me well when I bought the equipment new. Also have an old KM130 that I bought used, and yeah that old beast gets tempermental when overheated.
@@benaiahreid3291 - Try the alkylate fuel ( blue jugs ) with Amsoil Saber oil. This combination is nearly the most perfect combination. Burns super clean, lubes like no other, controls the temperature, no problems with the exhaust/spark arrestor.
The Stihl oils only burn optimal at high temps, otherwise they leave ash.
Just give it go.
I've had both and here's my take. The BR800 is the better blower for everyday use. When it comes to grass clipping the 9010 only outshined the Stihl in very limited situations. The Stihl is lighter and seems a little easier on fuel consumption. On the negative side. Stihl stuff seems to he more sensitive to valves needing to be adjusted. If they are just the slightest bit off they are hard to start. Also stick with the recoil start. Tha side compression starter is awful.
Onto the 9010. Wow the power is amazing. It's like having a walk behind blower on your back. If you want to move leaves with a backpack blower this is easily the leader. It starts a lot easier than the Stihl. While the Echo is a lot heavier the straps are so good it's hard to notice the weight difference. I haven't done full leaf cleanup days yet so time with tell.
Really both these blowers are overkill for grass clippings. If you're not a leaf cleanup guy or you don't mind having multiple blowers get a high MPH(230+) and moderate CFM blower like a BR600 or even a RedMax 6500. CFM is somewhat overrated for grass clippings.
Funny but I enjoy the side start. I have other Stihl easy start products and am used to how they work. The side start on the 800C(-E) is an. easy start system and you are winding a spring up when you pull the rope. The spring will then crank the engine over when it reaches the proper torque after being wound. You can check this out by pulling the rope in a series of really short pulls to wind up the intermediate spring. You can feel when the intermediate spring releases and cranks the engine. The short pulls sometimes allow the spring to trigger and unwind, cranking the engine at the wrong point of the timing but I have always had it start on the second try if it does and often it starts on the first try. After the engine is warmed up, it has always started on the first pull. I'm not saying that your evaluation is wrong but judging from number of hilarious examples of users flailing on the starter rope I have seen on UA-cam, there are many who do not understand how this system works. By the way, I have never had one of these systems fail on my blower or chain saws even though the easy start systems are more complicated.
I bought and have used the Stihl BR 800 C-E for the excellent harness system with the waist belt. It takes 95% of the weight off of my shoulders. The side start is nice but not the reason why I bought it. I'm a homeowner however and I could see that a commercial user might find the side start more useful. My Stihl starts very easily when warm so maybe your experience was not indicative of the model or maybe I just got lucky with mine. I actually start mine on the ground and let it warm up. I then kill it and strap it on. It has always started on the first pull of the side start after I have put it on. I adjust my valves when it becomes harder to pull and start but it takes about 3 years of homeowner use for them to need adjusting. It takes me about 30-45 minutes to do but I'm not a pro.
What valves are you talking about? A 2 stroke doesn’t have engine valves to adjust
@@markcole6475 The BR 800 blowers and many other Stihl products use their 4-mix engines which are 4-stroke but use the 2 cycle gas and oil mix fuel for lubrication. They have a small valve cover held on with a Torx bolt and the valve clearance is set via a locking nut on a threaded post that the rocker arm is located on. Pretty painless to adjust but you do need a fairly narrow feeler gauge .
@@geomark8851 interesting…my BR600 is a 2 stroke ….my salesman didn’t explain that the 800 is a 4 Stroke that needed mixed fuel….weird
@@markcole6475 Hmm Are you sure? I think the BR 600 is a 4 mix engine and has valves. There are lots of UA-cam videos out there of folks adjusting the valves. Remember the 4 mix engines are 4 stroke with cams and valves BUT they don't have an oil sump and use oil mixed in the gasoline to circulate through the bottom end and lubricate the engine.
@@geomark8851 idk…it smells and sounds like a 2 stroke……my wife always complains I smell like a chainsaw after using the BR600…..she hasn’t said a word since I’ve been using the BR800…I use the same oil mix in both.
Stihl needs to fix their exhaust ports. So annoying how much carbon builds up. I find longer tubing helps me get into the bushes better too😊
About the valve adjustment, my BR600 took me two sips of a beer playing around with a feeler guage and only had to do it once in 9 years. Maybe other folks have different experience but imo it's a non-issue.
same, just checked the old 600 and its perfect since last adjustment a few years ago, granted it doesn't get used a lot anymore.
Great review and insight. Looking at replacing my BR 700 soon and leaning towards the Echo.
Great video we run redmax blowers. Redmax has more power and are lighter than the echo
IDK about all that, redmax i think is more reliable but no way it has more power, ive only used the 8550s tho unless there is big improvement with 8560 im not seeing it, also less comfortable straps.
I wonder if something about the Br800 isn't tuned right. Mine starts hot on the first compression, and also starts in -25C with only a couple pulls. I use mine for leaves and light snow clearing. Looks like the Echo pushes better due to the longer tube making a more coherent stream. Both really nice blowers that will make the money.
Not to mention all the plastic you have to take off for my Stihl blowers
another leaf blower video with no leaves.
I'll stick with my Echo 9010T backpack blower for the win. Zero issues in two years. Stihl is trash, I will never own anything Stihl again.
I had an fs 56,fs 70r for 9 years,a br 600 7 years ,a 91r part time commercial,run midgrade to premium gas,good 2 cycle oil, simple maintenance and proper oil lubercation,no problems. I work on them