Testimonials: Blowers

I own one of your STIHL blowers, a great tool that sits in the garage all winter then starts without a fuss in the spring and does the job well.

There is nothing worse than a tool that sort of works, nothing better than one that has the potential of lasting a lifetime.

My father had two turf machines when I grew up, a green sit down and a red tractor.The green one was a toy and broke all the time and at it's best did not cut the lawn properly. The red one was a 1953 Wheelhorse; I was born in 1961 if that paints a picture. The green one, "The Lawnboy", came in a box. I became an accomplished mechanic those summers keeping the green one running, it was frustrating to use a low performing machine. Both had wheels, an engine, a steering wheel and a mower deck, but that is where the similarities ended. Was it cool to be seen on the green one, no way!

In high school I was a state finalist in the Plymouth Troubleshooting Contest. I had offers to be an auto mechanic and possibly an aviation airframe/powerplant mechanic. I passed these all up to be a mechanical engineer. Currently, at Tegel Design, Inc. everyday is a struggle to educate people about the quality of products. And their true value when they perform not just for a season but for many seasons. A $300 string trimmer over 15 years is only $20 per season. If used 10 times each season only $2 per use and only pennies each minute. Why other's don't do the math is astonishing.

It is interesting how many companies are selling their good name for short term products that will be recycled. There is approximately the same amount of materials and labor in a good product. A baker knows how to make a good cake, I can't. But I do know how to pick a good tool.

A tool should not just fit in a man's hand, it should give him a sense of pride of ownership not buyer's remorse.

Great full page ad in the Wall Street Journal! (Wow! an engineer that reads the Wall Street Journal.)

Robert T. Illinois

I would just like to say thank you for making great products. I purchased a BR 550 backpack blower last fall and it worked better than expected. I can't believe the power of this blower. It starts every time I need it.This spring, I had to do some yard clean up, and I needed to cut a few trees. My father-in-law gave me his old McCollough MAC 3200 because it wouldn't start. Well I got it running, but I could not get it tuned correctly. So instead of spending the day tuning the Mac, I purchased a MS 250 with an 18inch bar. What a great homeowner saw! It has great power, starts right up, and works like a champ. Thanks again

Dennis L. Sturbridge, MA

This is going to be hard to believe. I work on a golf course in Florida and have a full line of your equipment. We had an employee using a bunker rake on the golf course. He had one of your STIHL 4-MIX® BR 550 blowers with him. He was hand raking the bunker, and somehow both the bunker rake and blower ended up in the water. By the time I got to the lake the bunker rake and blower were submerged.

We got the bunker rake out of the water and took it to the shop. About 3 hours later, we went back to the lake to look for the blower. We found it in about 10 feet of water and came back to the shop with the blower. I started pulling on starter rope and all of this water came out of the exhaust. But it started on about the 15th pull without the spark plug being removed.

Gary P.Sebastian, FL

I just wanted to take a moment to let you folks know how happy and impressed I am with my new "toy". I purchased the BR 550 Backpack Blower this weekend to clear my 1/3 acre lot of the dreaded fall leaves. I had the chore done within a half hour. It probably will take less time next year now that I know what I am doing.

I recently moved from the city where the leaf clean-up was handled rather easily with my trusty Craftsman 32CC blower, but that blower just was not up to the task herein the "burbs". I saw many local landscapers using the STIHL blowers with ease and realized that this is what I needed to have. I am really glad I bought a STIHL blower.

Adam B.Cherry Hill, NJ

I run a small lawn maintenance business in Columbia, SC. I recently had my blower fall from my trailer while traveling at about 45 mph. The blower was run over by both rear tires of the trailer and slid for about 75 feet down the road before resting in a ditch.

I thought that I had just lost a $400.00 blower. Its housing was cracked, there were black tire marks across the front, and it was dripping gas. But I pulled the cord onetime, and the battered blower came to life. I had to replace the fuel tank, but other than that, the thing runs great. The blower is a two year-old BR 420. I just wanted you to know how durable your product is and how happy I am with the reliability of your equipment.

Chip P. Columbia, SC

It is not very often that one is COMPLETELY SATISFIED with a product, but in the case of your BR 600, that is the case for me. I was researching backpack blowers for a couple of months for use that my church and parsonage. I like the look and the features of the BR550, but I was ready to purchase a competitor's product that produced 90 more cfm. As I entered my dealer's store (He's sells both STIHL and its competitors.) intending to purchase the other product, I spied the BR 600 on the shelf and was told that it just came in the day before. They weren't even sure of the specs! I found out that it puts out 92 cfm MORE than the competition, is less expensive, is 4 to 5 pounds lighter, has the 4-mix engine, and features a new design (No harsh edges). I was sold!!! I have used it a number of times already, and it is certainly everything that I thought it would be! Thank you for a wonderful product and for getting it out just in time to "save" me from buying something other than a STIHL.

Martin E. Southbury, CT

I was given a STIHL BG 55 blower as a Father's Day present. I must say it is the best small motor lawn care product that I own. I have never had a STIHL product before, but I will buy STIHL from now on.Keep up the good work.

Richard L.Virginia Beach, VA

I purchased a STIHL BR 320 in 1987. I have used it commercially since then. It has survived falling off my truck while it was travelling at 45 mph, having its blower tubes and pistol grip run over by a car, being punished by my demanding personnel, and last, but not least, it took a swim in one of my customers' swimming pools.

I still have and use that blower. The only work that it has ever needed was to replace the shoulder straps (due to wear) and the air filters. I now own five STIHL backpack blowers, and I would never use anything else. I am truly a devoted fan. The STIHL corporation and its employees should be proud that they have succeeded in producing the finest outdoor power equipment in the world. Thank you for all of your hard work.

John S. Beachwood, NJ

I just bought a STIHL BR 340 backpack blower a couple of days ago. It was my Christmas present from me to me. WOW! What a tool! To think I have been wasting money all of these years with Sears, etc. I looked at the Echo and Husqvarna equivalents, but the STIHL is head and shoulders above all of them!

Thanks for building a fine product. If it holds up as well as my 036 Pro chain saw, then it should last me a lifetime.

Don M. Stover, MO

I use your backpack blower model BR 420 C in my business. One night the blower was not fastened correctly on the truck and it fell off onto the highway at about 60+ MPH. I went back and found it, and was surprised to find it in reasonably good shape. It still ran and looked like it could be salvaged. After replacing much of the damaged plastic, the blower is good as new. I was able to dissemble and rebuild it all with the one tool provided with the blower. I am very impressed with the durability and design of this product. After this experience I expect these blowers to last a longtime.

Thanks for a great product.

Michael K. Escondido, CA

I am a very loyal STIHL customer so when I wanted to purchase a snow blower for our long Montana winters I went to my local STIHL dealer. To my dismay, STIHL does not offer a snow blower. Rather than buy another product I thought that I might instead use my BG 55 leaf blower. Guess what? It does a much better job of clearing the driveway and sidewalks than any of my neighbor's snow blowers. It helps if you take advantage of the wind, just like with leaves. Now I have noticed that two of my neighbor's have started using leaf blowers as well. The best thing about it is that it makes the chore fun.

Thanks for your commitment to excellence.

Eric N. Great Falls, MT

Employees of STIHL,

I am a 73 year old widow who lives alone and who tries to take care of my place. I have always thought Craftsman was "The Product" to use and get good service. I had bought a Craftsman Leaf Blower and have had nothing but grief from the day I purchased it. My nephew came to help me start it a couple of months ago, and he too could not get it to start. He told me that he had a Craftsman and ended up tossing it out and buying a STIHL and suggested that I do the same. So I found a dealer via the internet and purchased my first STIHL product. I gave my Craftsman away and turned to my new STIHL.In the first place, I want to commend Grebe's Hardware. They took my blower out of the box, and one of their employees took me outside with it and showed me how to run it. He was very patient with my feminine knowledge of mechanics. I took it home and was able to start it myself without looking at the directions!!! The difference was like day and night compared to my Craftsman. My old blower was a toy compared to this one. I am so thankful that I have discovered STIHL and you can bet anything mechanical that I need will be a STIHL. No employee from Sears showed me how to run their leaf blower nor did I receive a letter like this one.

I thank you for making a product that works. I have always stored my Craftsman out in the shed, but I can't seem to put my STIHL out there, as it seems too good to spend the winter out there. It deserves better than that!!! I will find somewhere special for it, I am sure. There is no comparison between STIHL and Craftsman. You have sure made a believer out of me. Just looking at your product and picking it up, you know that you have the Cadillac of tools before you even try to run it. Thanks so much.

Sincerely, Diana B

"Dear Employees of STIHL:

In Summer of '97, my husband had an encounter that I thought you might like to hear about. While traveling west on I-64 in W.Va, to pick up a work hand to bring to a job in Kenova, W.Va, he had a blowout on his trailer. The trailer contained a garden tractor, weed eaters and his STIHL blower.

The blower was in a box mounted over the tire that blew out. (Remember, he was going west on I-64.) Well, the blower and the box were blown to bits. (Or at least, he thought they were.) My husband pulled over to side of the road and got out. The tire had made splinters of the box that was carrying the STIHL blower, so he was afraid to look for his blower. He thought that it had been blown to bits. You'll never guess where the blower was. It was on the east-bound lane of I-64, in the middle of the road sitting upright, like someone has set it there. Trucks & cars were going around it,to keep from hitting it. The only damage that it suffered, after being thrown over 1000 feet, was to the guard that protects the fan. And believe it or not, my husband finished his work that day with his blower, and it worked fine.

He has even bought another blower, just like it. He was that impressed.

It's like a Timex Watch --"Takes a licking and keeps on tickin'!"This thing takes a throwing and keeps on Blowin!

Keep up the good work on your fine products!

T.S. Thompson