Husqvarna 350BT Gas Leaf Blower, 50.2-cc 2.1-HP 2-Cycle Backpack Leaf Blower with 692-CFM, 180-MPH, 21-N Powerful Clearing Performance and Ergonomic Harness System, Gifts for dad

I purchased this because of the Husqvarna name (I already own a Husqvarna chainsaw and a Husqvarna Zero Turn Lawnmowe I am very happy with both) and the ratings on this model were good. I was a little leary at first because the 180 MPH rating on this was the same as some cheaper brands. I learned the very first time I used it, that rating don't mean squat, it is how much air it pushes. Having a bigger diameter tube makes that 180 mph wind much stronger then the cheaper brands using a smaller diameter tube to reach the 180 mph. This baby can push some air moving even wet leaves and small branches with no problem.When I first put it on my back I found it much heavier then the Homelite back pack blower, but I got use to the wieght real quick, I find it very comfortable to wear. This blower makes a unpleasant chore much easier and faster.Pros - 1) Easy to start2) The option of setting the speed where ever you want and it stays there (much easier on the trigger finger) or you can use the trigger like other blowers it you want.3) It is quieter then any other blower I have owned.4) It has all the power I will ever need.5) It has a bigger gas tank and uses less gas, I never have to refill the tank in the middle of a job.Cons - 1) This is my own fault, when you adust the speed control lever that makes it stay at one speed, I will sometimes push the lever all the way to get top speed and by mistake I will push it the oppisite way and this is how you shut it off. Once this goes that lever goes to the off posistion, no matter how fast you try to push it back the blower will shut off. There is no way to restart it until you unstrap it and remove it from your back (unless you have a buddy near by to pull start it for you while you are wearing it).2) When running the blower set at a real low speed the motor runs a little rough. This is not a real big deal for me, I never run it at this low of a speed.All in all it is a great blower.

I would like to start out by saying that I had an Old Echo Backpack that was great for years so when I decided to go with a new one I went with an echo 580t Backpack leaf blower . It had great reviews and I liked my old one so much I figured why not. Well I was quickly disappointed with it. Not only was it's very cheap feeling but I was not impressed with the power it had. I felt that the one that the 30-year old one that I had was way more powerful. Then I noticed that it was bogging out an awful lot and not easy to start . That was enough for me. I returned it and quickly started going back to doing my research. I figured if I'm going to spend the money on a leaf blower I've got to get something that at least starts up and runs decent . This is when I found the Husqvarna 350bt backpack the reviews were real good on this backpack and I loved everything about it including the price . There was one thing I was concerned about and that was the fact that the air velocity reading was 180 mph and the echo was rated at around I believe 215mph. I was concerned but figured if it was a little less that I could live with it. I went ahead and purchased the Husqvarna 350bt Backpack Blower and the minute I took it out of the box I was happy with my decision because it already felt like it was much more heavy duty than the echo in feel. It took a little while to get the blower pieces together but once it was done I added gas and on the second pull it started. I was impressed again with the fact that it was quieter than the echo. Now it was time to test out the power of the machine and see if it was better or worse than the echo. Again I was instantly impressed with the power of this machine. Not only was it a quieter machine but I felt it was way more powerful than the echo which made me very happy. Now I don't have a whole lot of time with using it but overall I was very happy with my decision to go with the Husqvarna it starts up right away it's quiet and it's powerful what more can I ask for. The only negative is that the straps on the echo were a little bit more comfortable than the Husqvarna but that's a very minor issue. I would highly recommend this leaf blower and it's cheaper than an echo.