For a long time I had thought about purchasing a leaf blower to make raking leaves easy and stress free. They are typically very expensive so I looked at this as an investment. I love my Stihl handheld leaf blower. I especially love that it is lightweight and easy to manuver. Some handheld leaf blowers are very heavy and hard to carry around. I also like that it is very easy to use. It did a great job of cleaning up my yard and making the fall season easier on me and my family. I would highly reccomend this particular leaf blower. Weight I love that this particular leaf blower is so lighweight! It is so easy to hold. Performance I feel that the performance is really excellent. It saves a lot of time raking leaves. Handling This particular leaf blower is great at handling. Ease of Use Extremely easy to use. Durability I have found it to be a very durable peice of equiptment. I have had mine for almost a year and it has done a great job for me so far.

Lairsonj1

USA

The best thing about it is it can easily be stored due to its size. But don't let the size fool you, as it works well and is a bit heavier than it may look, but not too bad. Weight Its not terribly heavy but there are also lighter ones than this out there, so some may want to look elsewhere. It isn't too bad though, most people probably won't mind. Performance It gets the job done...as most of them do. Won't have any problems clearing leaves from wherever it is you need to. It is very powerful as well, so no worries there. Handling Aside from the slightly heavy size it is easy to work with and smooth. Shouldn't have any problems maneuvering it around, as well as getting it back into wherever you store it. Ease of Use Pretty simple, starts up like any leaf blower would. May take a bit extra to do get it started sometimes, but provides a good arm workout. Durability It seems like it would take a lot to break this thing. Feels as durable as I expect it to be.

Elevation2

USA

We're quite pleased with it even though our second purchase of a leaf blower ended up being a back pack type. But this unit is the easiest one to use by our younger children when they're helping us out with yard work. It's easy to maneuver and the weight isn't too heavy for most of the kids over twelve years of age. It's took awkward for the smaller children. Weight It's less than ten pounds, but it can be a bit to maneuver and handle if you're a light weight person or when we want all our children to help outside with yard chores. Only the bigger kids can handle this machine adequately given its weight. For adults, it feels almost weightless, and my husband could use it easily with just one hand or just a few fingers--so could any big teenage boy. Performance We've had a few leaf blowers during our lifetime, and most all work the same. Controls are easy. Not too much to choose from--and most controls are easy to reach and easy to adjust with just one hand. Handling The same as most leaf blowers. This one is a little less heavy than others that we tested in the store, so buy it if weight might be an issue for you. Ease of Use As stated previously, it's easy to handle and easy to control. Durability So far, so good. Not much can break on it as long as the engine doesn't go.

BobbettJascor

USA

As strange as it sounds, I actually won this item at a company event. I'm a woman and I was surprised to find that I've found several fun uses for this machine. First of all, I have a huge maple tree in my yard that likes to get leaves and pollen all over everything. I can use this to clean up the pollen and leaves right off of my car. I can also use it to get leaves out of the flower beds and garden, however, it is a bit powerful. One particular use that I've came to like is that this helps to remove stray rocks and gravel out of my walkways and out of the roadway around my home. I live on a hill and sometimes the gravel fragments build up so much that I get tire slippage when pulling into the yard. This is a great machine for leaf blowing and light snow blowing too. The real downfall for me is that I am a smaller woman so the weight is a little heavy for me. It kind of feels like I've been using a string trimmer after a while and my arms feel heavy. Overall and good machine though and such an odd but nice item to win! Weight It's not exactly "small person" friendly. It's a little heavy for me. Performance I love this for leaves, rocks, and snow. It works great. The only thing I'm careful of is that the power behind it can be hard on plants that you have around the home. Handling It's a bit heavy for me. My guy has no issues but it's harder for me to control. Ease of Use Again, if this wasn't so heavy, I'd give it a better rating. It does take a few tries to get it started for me and it's heavy but it's easy to use. Durability I've had mine for two years with no issues. I'm always careful to clean out the old oil and gas each season too.

clinen11

USA

I got tired of raking up the lawn all the time so I bought the Stihl Handheld Leaf Blower with the hopes it would cut down time spent doing yard work. I am so happy with how quick my yard gets cleaned now! Instead of spending hours clearing all the pine cones and pine needles out of my yard, I can 'rake' the yard in like 20 minutes. The only downside to this product is that it gets heavy the longer you hold it. That might just be because I do not have a lot of upper body strength, but my arms were really sore after using it. However, if you have good upper body strength this product is for you! It starts really easily usually within the first or second pull. Weight It is a lot heavier than I anticipated it being. Performance It is powerful enough to even blow away pine cones! Handling Easy to handle, it just gets heavy after using it awhile. Ease of Use It is very easy to use. Durability It gets the job done and has not once malfunctioned on me.

caelan20

Undisclosed

I love this powerful blower. I owned this product for over two years, and it still works great. Weight Very light to carry, Performance Does a great job blowing the leaves away. Handling Easy to handle, and lightweight. Ease of Use Simple to use instructions. Durability Sturdy, and strong blower. I trust this product.

smallfry7

USA

For a smaller unit, it has great power. The sturdy base makes it easy to sit down. The pull crank can catch a little, but the motor has always started easily, even on cold days. Runs smooth and has predictable performance. Weight Heavier than an electric, of course, so some muscle is needed for extended use, but not unbearable. A strap would help, but it is not really meant for the weak-of-bicep. Does a typical suburban sidewalk and driveway in a jiffy. Performance Has good power for even large piles of leaves. So much better for a larger yard(s) than an electric powered blower. Handling Has a nice, predictable air stream that makes it easy to control the movement of leaves and grass piles. Ease of Use It starts very easy. The primer bulb is easy to get to, choke control close at hand as well. The on/off switch is right on top close to your thumb. The directions on the blower itself are easy to understand. Other than the weight, an easy to use unit for a pull start. Durability Has held up great under repeated, heavy use. No repairs have been needed at all over 2 seasons plus. Only real maintenance has been cleaning it up.

sgbalinger

Hixson, TN

My husband owns a "bigger and better" **Stihl** handheld blower, but when he upgraded, I claimed the **Stihl BG55 Hand Held Blower** and it's become one of my very best friends! I just love this handheld blower. My **Stihl BG55 Hand Held Blower** may not be the most powerful hand held blower on the market, but it does what I want and need for it to do and it does those things easily and very well. No more sweeping my carport, deck, or front porch! No more sweeping the gazillion steps that lead up to my back and front doors. I just grab my lightweight blower, start it up, (which is very easy to do, even for a woman), and I let my Stihl Blower go to town! I even tidy up the area around my steps with it. It's so easy and takes hardly any time at all! It is SO much easier to let the air from the **Stihl BG55 Hand Held Blower** blow away the sand, dirt, grass, and pollen than it is for me to have to sweep it away with a broom! It saves me so much time and energy, and when I am finished using it, everything looks like I spend lots of time sweeping when in reality it only takes about 15 minutes to get the dirt off of my carport, front porch, deck, and steps! Sweet, right? I recently bought a flat nozzle and a vacuum kit for my **Stihl BG55 Hand Held Blower.** I used to think my dust buster was awesome for cleaning the carpets in our vehicles, but this blower is 10 times better than using my dust buster. It's easier and it's faster! I even use it to blow the dust and dirt from my wreaths and the wall hangings on my deck. It's perfect for that, too. My husband used this blower for gathering leaves together until he bought the more powerful blower, but it worked well for that, too. Here is the manufacturer's description and features for you, if you're interested: *"Power through outdoor clutter with the BG 55 STIHL HomeScaper Series handheld blower. Featuring a round nozzle for increased air volume, this gas leaf blower quickly clears leaves and grass clippings from driveways and sidewalks. Not only does this leaf blower have reliable starting with a low pull force- it comes at an affordable price, too."* * Powered by STIHL HomeScaper Series engine. * Round nozzle for increased air volume. * Two-ringed piston for extended life. * Reliable starting with low pull force. I think most people think of hand held blowers as a "mans tool" but my **Stihl BG55 Hand Held Blower** is easy to use, it's very convenient, and it saves me a lot of time an energy. I think every man AND woman should have one! 5 strong stars! Weight I weighs about 9 pounds, which is a great weight for me! It's not a hassle at all to carry it around, no matter how strong you are or you aren't! Performance It's not for heavy duty use, but it's super for the things I mentioned in my review, above. Blowing off the carport and porches and steps is so much easier than seeping them and this thing gets all of the dirt/sand the first time without having to go over it time and time again with a broom to get it all! Handling It's a breeze to handle and to use! No probems, whatsoever...just great results! Ease of Use It's SO easy to use...I use it practically every day and if I can operate it with ease, anyone on earth can! Durability Our Stihl BG55 hand held blower has been working perfectly for several years and I have never had to have it repaired. It's used frequently, too, so it's been very durable.

lopine

Tiny Town, GA

I am a proud owner of a Stihl BG55 hand held blower I bought last winter. I have owned several blowers before, both hand held and back pack type. The BG55 is absolutely the best blower I have ever had. This machine has electronic ignition which makes it easier to start and less expensive to maintain. It has an elastomeric handle that fits comfortably in your hand when starting. It has a large fuel tank for long run time but it does not add enough weight to make it uncomfortable to operate/carry when it is full. The unit has isolation mounts to minimize vibration and a very comfortable carry handle. Starting is easy thanks to the pump bulb on the carburetor to prime the fuel system and the functional choke system. The throttle lock works great to put your blower on "cruise control" so you do not have to hold the trigger. The on/off switch is convenient and easy to see and use. It is covered with a weather proof boot to protect it from foreign matter. This machine makes clean up a breeze after mawing or during leaf season. I can blow the Maple leaves off my 1/2 acre lawn in 1 fuel tank and be inside with an iced tea before you know it. If you are in the market for a blower, this is the unit. I think the current model may be the BG56, but I am sure it is as good or better.

Justacousin3

Concord, NC

I bought the BG55 because is was less expensive than the BG85, which I previously owned, and I figured that it was essentially the same model, without the bells and whistles that the BG85 has. Well, I was WRONG! The BG55 has been nothing but trouble since day 1. It is difficult to start. Once started, it runs beautifully. Leave it unused for a week or so, and then try to start it up. Ain't gonna happen. Each time I try starting it, it doesn't. I have to remove the spark plug, as per the instruction manual, crank it a few times to clear it, clean the spart plug, put the spark plug back in, and start it up. Most times, it doesn't start up again, that is, I have to pull the cord several times before it'll even sputter a few times. Where I live it's not necessary to mow the lawn every week. I generally mow the lawn every 8 to 10 days. Therefore, I'm not using the BG55 every week. Every other week, therefore, I'm spending about 20-30 minutes trying to get the leaf blower to start. It's not the Stihl product I was expecting. The BG55 is a real disappointment.

eapples

Cocoa, FL