 I Always Dreamed of Having a Back Pack Blower |
| Review Date: May 20, 2008 |
| Reviewer: Bob Feeser, Springfield, PA USA |
I have a Ryobi gas blower that wouldn't start. After replacing the plug and feeding it starting fluid, still no firing, so I went blower shopping. Consumer reports rated the Toro Ultra 12 Amp Electric Blower/Vacuum #51599 as the number one, beating out any gas or electric model, with more power at 235mph. So I bought one, with a 100 foot 14 gauge cord. It was powerful, but quite frankly dragging around a 100 foot cord was a challenge after growing accustomed to a portable gas driven unit.
I was considering this reconditioned Homelite gas powered back pack before buying the Toro electric so I decided to try it out. The entire unit looked brand new. The one feed tube could have a few scuffs on it from a little use, or it could just be from sliding the control cuff over it during assembly. It looked, smelled, and was wrapped in plastic just like new. It did have the word "recon" on the plastic shroud, the letters were clear, like they had been touched by a hot metal iron. Thought it was a logo impression at first. Ok on to performance.
Immediately after taking it out of the box, brought it outside, and put some fuel/oil mix in, pressed on the fuel bulb a few times, turned the large easy to read knob over to the choke setting, pulled it twice, and it fired up. Then I popped the unit on my back, and decided to try it out. My first impression was with the motor so close to my head, the noise became a factor. Not that it was louder than my Ryobi, but it was closer to my ears. Fortunately I have a set of NOISE CANCELING HEADPHONES FOR PC CD and MP3 (980409-0403).
The amount of air that was moved is more than the small hand held units, but after using the Toro electric it didn't seem like a lot, although I would consider it more than sufficient. The half throttle setting has a very pleasant whir to it that is much quieter.
After putting the unit on for the first time, you simply tug on the straps to snug it up to a comfortable fit. After using it for a while, it gets more comfortable, the harness settles to a natural fit, something I wouldn't mind wearing for extended use.
I love the extreme power of the Toro, and considering the price, it was a keeper. The Homelite is a backpack, and one I do not want to give up either. By the way, with a backpack, you do not have the flexibility that you have with a hand held; for instance clearing off the top of the boat cover from pine needles is difficult. A hand held you can raise it up over your head.
One last feature I wanted to comment on; this reconditioned model is (Non carb compliant) which as I understand it means that it does not pass California's stringent emission standards. To the green enthusiast in me, that is something worth being concerned about. To the motor head in me, less smog controls means more stable starts when cold, and more power as in more horsepower coming out of the same motor. I noticed the compliant models are now selling at Amazon for more money then these units new, so these recons may be, and I am not sure of this, but may be the last of the oldies but goodies. This is mere conjecture on my part, but is another reason why I am glad I got one of these, especially at such a nice price. I did notice the reviews had mentioned running problems with complaint new model just as I had anticipated.
So the Toro will come in handy when I am clearing out the gutters on the roof, due to the flexibility of the hand held, plus the Toro has metal blades, and leaf vacuuming/shreadding capability, and the Homelite does not do leaf vacuuming/shredding, as stated in the instructions, but does have the back pack feature, and does a great job of clean up after cutting the lawn. Both are keepers for sure. I was also pleased with the overall build quality on the Homelite, it didn't seem like a toy at all. It's built pretty solid, especially for a unit at this price point. I highly recommend getting one, before they once again, run out of them.
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GREAT VALUE
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| Review Date: April 5, 2008 |
| Reviewer: Vincent Gervasi, CT USA |
| THIS BLOWER WORKED GREAT RIGHT OUT OF THE BOX IT DID A GREAT JOB ON THE LAWN WAS EASY TO USE AND ONLY $89.00 SHIPPED. SORRY TO SEE IT IS OUT OF STOCK AS IT IS TRULY A GREAT VALUE |
Indeed a Value
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| Review Date: August 3, 2008 |
| Reviewer: Chris, Southaven, MS |
| Purchased this blower after researching for a few months. I was as most consumers interested in a good value where as product performance and cost meet somewhere in the middle. Typically, I like to see more performance for less money. First off I found the reconditioned blower to be in new condition. Only very minor cosmetic blemishing and only on the footing where it had been sat down. The rest of the unit including motor and fuel areas appeared factory new. Considering this is a backpack blower (my first) I have found this as other reviewers not as mobile as a handheld when used in tight quarters such as the inside corners of a garage or porch. As far as rest goes mixed the fuel, filled the tank, followed starting instructions on the unit's housing and it started right up. The blower has an adjustable harness, is lightweight and therefore easy to use. For the money I have no complaints. I would say had I spent several hundred dollars as most backpack units cost the performance could be better but for under a hundred dollars this backpack unit is a good value. Noise is no more an issue than any other blower I have owned. One last word on performance which is a personal experience and observation. Being a backpack unit and the fact I'm tall I feel may possibly be a disadvantage. My experience with most blowers is to get the blow tube close to the ground where as the curved exhaust tip is at a parallel angle which promotes a better direct flow of air to sweep the debris. The idea is to make the air move parallel with the ground and not be deflected off the ground forcing the air to rise up. The backpack eliminates this approach because once it's on your back your height denotes what angle the tube will be at and therefore your only adjustment is how far out you maintain the debris field which as expected you lose velocity and therefore effective blowing power. My observation is this blower is universally designed for the average height of roughly 5'10". Let me clarify under most conditions I would not be concerned but when you encounter wet leaves, heavy debris it's nice to be able to get more parallel straight-line, concentrated air flow close to the debris to lift it and sweep it away. A handheld makes this task a breeze...pardon the pun but the backpack to me has advantages such as less fatigue as well as disadvantages less mobility. |
Great Buy
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| Review Date: May 31, 2008 |
| Reviewer: James F. Katkus, waterford, MI |
| I bought this blower while bidding on other backpack blowers on ebay. The blower was quick to arrive and I immediately put it to the test. I am thoroughly pleased with its performance. Easy starting, less than 12 pounds and free shipping. A Great Buy! |
Lightweight and Mighty
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| Review Date: April 5, 2008 |
| Reviewer: The Lyttle Yellow House, |
| You would NEVER know that this is a reconditioned unit. It is lightweight, so it sits comfortably on the back and it works remarkably well. We are very happy with our purchase. |
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