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Testimonials: Blowers

I am writing to tell you a story about me and my STIHL BG 85 Handheld Blower. I own a small landscaping company in Southern Indiana that I started around five years ago called Green With Envy Landscaping. When I first started out, the very first purchase I made was a STIHL BG 85 Blower, followed by a mower and a trailer.

Five years later, I now own two STIHL Hedge Trimmers and another STIHL 650 Backpack Blower, but I still have my original BG 85 from five years ago. It has asked for a little general maintenance and has never had any problems. I have used it literally every day for almost five years...until a few weeks ago.

After finishing a job, one of my newest employees had set my BG 85 in front of my truck while we packed up our gear and cleaned up the job site. After all was finished (we had blown off the last of the site with the backpack blower) we jumped in the truck to head home.

The truck we were in was a Chevrolet C4500 medium duty dump truck with a 17,000 GVW. It weighs 12,000 lbs empty. After about one-half of a mile down the road I heard an awful noise. I stopped the truck and jumped out to find my BG 85 pinned under the front axel of my truck. It appears that the blower was originally pinched under a tire that pushed it under the axel where it got stuck. It had been dragged the entire distance.

The damage was bad. The blower was partially crushed; the side of the housing with the pull cord was basically melted off. There was some damage to the gas tank but there were no holes in it. It looked terrible!

The very next day, I took my BG 85 to my local dealer to see if it was beyond repair. The cost to repair it was equal to the cost of a new blower, which made the choice a no-brainer for me.

While I was waiting for them to bring me my new one, I took the damaged blower outside the dealer's store and, for the first time since the accident, I primed it, turned it on, and pulled the cord.

Not only did the spring coil for the string stay in place and do it's job, despite being almost totally exposed, IT ACTUALLY STARTED ON THE FIRST PULL! It ran as smoothly that day as it has ever run. All the salesmen came outside in amazement to hear that machine running after seeing its condition.

I have retired the old BG 85 due to the damage to the gas tank. I figured that I got my money's worth out of it. Now I have a new one, but it's not the same. I've had a little trouble getting the new one running like the old one but it does get the job done.

I just thought you folks would like to hear a success story about the little blower that took on the 12,000-pound truck and kept on running. Although it's retired, I can still go out in the work shed and start that old BG 85.

Brad Tracy
Floyds Knobs, Indiana

I bought a STIHL BR 320 from a guy for $80 fourteen years ago. He found it next to a freeway after a landscaper truck dropped it doing 65 mph. I use it 3 times a week in my own business. Great blower!

Sausalito, California

This testimonial is for the BR 550.(Although, I could just as easily write one for my newly-purchased KM 90 R powerhead.)

I guess I should commend my wife for encouraging me to "buy the tools you want, I know you'll take care of them," and with that in mind, I identified the BR 550 as the "one" for me. I was fascinated at the look, the 4-Mix engine, and the performance specs - and that was before strapping it on and feeling how comfortable it was. Although performance is probably the main reason that commercial users choose STIHL, I would have to believe that comfort plays a part in there as well.

In any event, I was sold and truly impressed with the machine & level of service I received from Phillip & the crew at Southside Mower and Magneto in Tallahassee. The buyer orientation was especially helpful. The 550 was strong right away, and moved leaves with ease. It started right away, was quiet, comfortable, and fuel efficient. However, each time I use it, it seems to get stronger and stronger, and the grin on my face gets wider and wider. Do other STIHL owners out there get happy about the! ir yard work like me?

You can imagine my disappointment when I came home from a trip to find that a neighbor had tackled his long-neglected yard since I wanted to volunteer to do it for him! In any event, thank you for a fantastic product; I'm am sold on STIHL, 4-MIX®, and my "Elite" dealer. I just added to my collection a KM 90 R multi-task powerhead. Another phenominal product. The same adjectives apply to it: starts right away, strong, quiet, fuel efficient, and comfortable. Is it Saturday yet?

Michael Barrett
Tallahassee, Florida

After buying the BR 600 Backpack Blower, I had planned to tell you, "WOW! you cut my yard work down by 3/4 of the time it took to get up leaves last year," and "WOW! I can't belive the power that this blower has," and "WOW! this is amazing," and "WOW! I can't get over how easy it is to operate," and "WOW! I have even taken it to my Grandma and Dad's house to get up their leaves."

BUT, I will just say three words:

THANK YOU, STIHL

RC Conrad
Kernersville, North Carolina

My BG 65 handheld has gotten ill, (terminally, I am afraid) and I need a new handheld. It is suffering from SCS (sick carburetor syndrome) and you can buy a whole blower for a little bit more than that little carburetor. I put a rebuild kit in it and it got better but then it relapsed. (And to go at such a young age. It was only about 8 years old!) What a great excuse to get more 4-MIX products though. Looks like I will be buying a 2 stroke BG 85 to replace it.

I love the 4-MIX. It is powerful, quiet, and idles very well because of the valves. I have the large BR 600 4-MIX backpack and a KM 110 R 4-MIX powerhead that my men use with the stick edger and the hedge shear attachments.

I now have 10 pieces of STIHL gear in my collection. I have one ex-landscaper who tried the BR 600 and he loved the power. It will really move leaves. But I could never get him to buy STIHL products when he was in the business. (Maybe that's why he's no longer in the business.)

Please communicate, on my behalf, to you product, people how good the 4-MIX technology is. If they make it, I will buy it. You can't have too many pieces of STIHL equipment.

Douglas G.
Laurel, Maryland

On September 15, 2006, I received a letter from you thanking me for purchasing one of your products. I have never received such a letter after purchasing a product and I wanted to make a reply.

Recently, I purchased one of your BG 65 handheld blowers from Oakhurst Sales company in Charlotte NC. Over the past 25 years, I have used power blowers at my property to keep the driveway and grassy areas clear. I have used Sears products in most cases, since the store was close to my home. They moved away and I went to Lowe's and The Home Depot for a replacement.

In April, I picked a Homelite unit from Home Depot since the Sears unit would cost over $125.00 to repair. This Homelite blower was always difficult to start and I finally took it back to Home Depot to complain about the unit. Since it was out of any warranty, they could not do anything for me. Even though the blower was practically new, there was no recourse for me. Upon leaving the Home Depot, I deposited the Homelite blower into the first waste dumpster that I came upon.

Since I have seen many yard service companies use your products, I went to Oakhurst looking for a good product that would start quickly. The salesperson recommended your BG 65 blower. He placed some fuel into the unit and started it for me.

I have now used the unit for one month and are very satisfied with the product. It starts up quickly and has more power than the "200 MPH" Homelite unit. Your unit was more expensive than the Homelite unit but I would rather pay more for a better product. (Especially one with a small gasoline engine and light weight.) Good starting on a small gas engine is important to me.

I would recommend your products over any that Sears, Lowes, or The Home Depot offers in the way of portable power blowers.

Wilton E Carter Jr
Charlotte, North Carolina

Quality deserves comment! I bought a STIHL BG 55 blower after suffering through an "inferior product" from the Big Orange Box. I’ve since decided that this tool deserves a special place in the garage this winter, not the utility barn. It’s performance is incredible, and I have never had a two-stroke start as easily!

In my retirement, I maintain 5 acres for my daughter. She’s seen me use my BG 55 to blow leaves from her 200 yard winding driveway, clean the mower, clear the deck and patio, and blow the garage and utility room clean. Well, you can guess the rest. I’ll be picking her up a BG 55 of her own in the morning ! Keep up the good work!

Lee Dunn
Bradford, Ohio

Why I buy STIHL....
I was moving my car and forgot that my STIHL blower BG55 was in front of it. My wife hollered just as the car went over the blower. I backed up, got out and checked on it. My wife said that the blower "folded over". I was never worried. I confidently looked at her, smiled and pulled the starter rope. It fired right up. I told her that was why it said "STIHL" on the side and not some sorry box store name. Those sorry box store brands wouldn't hold up to such abuse. They would crack and crap out at the first hint of a lick like that.

Back in '95 a large pine fell on my 064 chainsaw. That didn't stop it from starting right back up and finishing the job on the spot (after I dug it out from under the tree). Thank you for making quality products in a world where quality is usually just a word and not a practice. I've known for many years of STIHL's durability ever since I bought my first STIHL in '93, an 011AVT. A fine saw. STIHL quality is unsurpassed, unmatched, unrelenting, and unbeatable.

Bill Chambers
Cullman, Alabama

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. every day 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 18 inch bar. What a great homeowner saw! It has great power, starts right up, and works like a champ. Thanks again

Dennis Lardizzone
Sturbridge, Massachusetts

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 with out the spark plug being removed.

Gary Petzold
Sebastian, Florida

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 here in 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 Barkow
Cherry Hill, New Jersey

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 one time, 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 Price
Price Lawn Service
Columbia, South Carolina

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 BR 550, 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.

Rev. Martin E. Kiesel
Southbury, Connecticut

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 Lobko
Virginia Beach, Virginia

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 equiptment in the world. Thank you for all of your hard work.

John Silvia
Beachwood, New Jersey

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 equivilents, 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 Mininger
Stover, Missouri

I use your backpack blower model BR420C 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 disemble 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 long time.

Thanks for a great product.
Michael Kramer
Escondido, California

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 Nielsen
Great Falls, Montana

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 Baacke

"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!