{OT} Need New Leaf Vac

Does anyone have an opinion on Echo brand? I looked at their $199 blower/vac
combo and I like how the catcher bag is located compared to my old Barracuda
I've had for many years. I must have got fed up with the bag ripping and
tossed it out because I can't find it.LOL!! I do that a lot and think I'll
remember what I did. I also looked at a Poulin blower/vac for half the price
but the setup for vac is similar to what I had. I never use these things for
blowing leaves, just sucking them up, mulching and then throwing the stuff
into a compost bin.
Does anyone have a preference for a particular brand?
mark_

I'm partial to my Stihl blower/vac. Very powerful and lightweight. IMHO.

mark_digital wrote:[color=blue]
> Does anyone have an opinion on Echo brand? I looked at their $199
> blower/vac combo and I like how the catcher bag is located compared to
> my old Barracuda I've had for many years. I must have got fed up with
> the bag ripping and tossed it out because I can't find it.LOL!! I do
> that a lot and think I'll remember what I did. I also looked at a Poulin
> blower/vac for half the price but the setup for vac is similar to what I
> had. I never use these things for blowing leaves, just sucking them up,
> mulching and then throwing the stuff into a compost bin.
> Does anyone have a preference for a particular brand?
> mark_[/color]

"mark_digital" <xxx976@comcast.com> wrote in message
news:f-udnbrrJ_kwMbfZ4p2dnA@comcast.com...[color=blue]
> Does anyone have an opinion on Echo brand? I looked at their $199
> blower/vac combo and I like how the catcher bag is located compared to my
> old Barracuda I've had for many years. I must have got fed up with the
> bag ripping and tossed it out because I can't find it.LOL!! I do that a
> lot and think I'll remember what I did. I also looked at a Poulin
> blower/vac for half the price but the setup for vac is similar to what I
> had. I never use these things for blowing leaves, just sucking them up,
> mulching and then throwing the stuff into a compost bin.
> Does anyone have a preference for a particular brand?
> mark_[/color]

I bought the echo chain saw and i love it! very solid...

On Wed, 29 Mar 2006 14:46:10 -0600, "Dan J.S." <smeski@gmail.com>
wrote:
[color=blue]
>
>"mark_digital" <xxx976@comcast.com> wrote in message
>news:f-udnbrrJ_kwMbfZ4p2dnA@comcast.com...[color=green]
>> Does anyone have an opinion on Echo brand? I looked at their $199
>> blower/vac combo and I like how the catcher bag is located compared to my
>> old Barracuda I've had for many years. I must have got fed up with the
>> bag ripping and tossed it out because I can't find it.LOL!! I do that a
>> lot and think I'll remember what I did. I also looked at a Poulin
>> blower/vac for half the price but the setup for vac is similar to what I
>> had. I never use these things for blowing leaves, just sucking them up,
>> mulching and then throwing the stuff into a compost bin.
>> Does anyone have a preference for a particular brand?
>> mark_[/color]
>
>I bought the echo chain saw and i love it! very solid...
>[/color]

.....but is it ugly?

LOL

....ducking for the *fwap* that will surely follow...

--

Scott in Florida

"mark_digital" <xxx976@comcast.com> wrote in message
news:f-udnbrrJ_kwMbfZ4p2dnA@comcast.com...[color=blue]
> Does anyone have an opinion on Echo brand? I looked at their $199
> blower/vac combo and I like how the catcher bag is located compared to my
> old Barracuda I've had for many years. I must have got fed up with the
> bag ripping and tossed it out because I can't find it.LOL!! I do that a
> lot and think I'll remember what I did. I also looked at a Poulin
> blower/vac for half the price but the setup for vac is similar to what I
> had. I never use these things for blowing leaves, just sucking them up,
> mulching and then throwing the stuff into a compost bin.
> Does anyone have a preference for a particular brand?
> mark_[/color]

I have several Echo products: 2 chain saws, weed wicker, leaf blower, and
leaf blower/sucker upper/mulcher.

The only maintenance I've done is sharpen/replace the chains on the chain
saws, replace the pull rope on the chain saw when it was around 20 years
old, and grease the drive shaft on the weed wicker. I probably should
replace the spark plugs in the chain saws but it starts after the 3rd pull
after sitting unused for a year and a half.

I got my chain saw around 1980 and it's still going strong. I think my dad
got his around 1978. The weed wicker is around 5 years old, one of the leaf
blowers is 6 or 7 years old and one is 2 years old.

My parents recently moved from a house to a condo, which is why I have 2
chain saws and leaf blowers.

The engines in the Echo products always start very easily compared to my
neighbor's Craftsman branded products.

The leaf blowers do have a little of what I call "torque steer," that is,
after they have warmed up and you rev the engine, it has a little tendency
to rotate to the right. When the leaf blower/sucker upper/mulcher is in
pickup mode, the pickup tube sometimes gets knocked off and IMO, it doesn't
really mulch much - it just goes into the bag.

Echo products are used by most of the landscaping companies around here.
Echo products are very reliable, durable, and easy to start. The bad part
of owning an Echo is that when a new and better idea comes out 10 or 20
years down the road, yours is in perfectly serviceable condition.
--

Ray O
(correct punctuation to reply)

I never seen him use it to blow leaves but my neighbor says his Echo has a
tendency to "torque steer," as well. His pulls to the left though, it must
have a different brand of tire ;)

mike


"Ray O" <rokigawa@tristarassociatesDOTcomn> >> >

The leaf blowers do have a little of what I call "torque steer," that is,[color=blue]
> after they have warmed up and you rev the engine, it has a little tendency
> to rotate to the right.[/color]

"Scott in Florida" <MoveOn@outa.here> wrote in message
news:omsl221ca5m20s6pg375gp8hoig196nok4@4ax.com...[color=blue]
> On Wed, 29 Mar 2006 14:46:10 -0600, "Dan J.S." <smeski@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>[color=green]
>>
>>"mark_digital" <xxx976@comcast.com> wrote in message
>>news:f-udnbrrJ_kwMbfZ4p2dnA@comcast.com...[color=darkred]
>>> Does anyone have an opinion on Echo brand? I looked at their $199
>>> blower/vac combo and I like how the catcher bag is located compared to
>>> my
>>> old Barracuda I've had for many years. I must have got fed up with the
>>> bag ripping and tossed it out because I can't find it.LOL!! I do that a
>>> lot and think I'll remember what I did. I also looked at a Poulin
>>> blower/vac for half the price but the setup for vac is similar to what I
>>> had. I never use these things for blowing leaves, just sucking them up,
>>> mulching and then throwing the stuff into a compost bin.
>>> Does anyone have a preference for a particular brand?
>>> mark_[/color]
>>
>>I bought the echo chain saw and i love it! very solid...
>>[/color]
>
> ....but is it ugly?
>
> LOL
>
> ...ducking for the *fwap* that will surely follow...
>
> --
>
> Scott in Florida[/color]

Funny you mentioned that.

"Mike Hunter" <mikehunt2@mailcity.com> wrote in message
news:Z0WdnTPuT_BuYbfZUSdV9g@ptd.net...[color=blue]
>I never seen him use it to blow leaves but my neighbor says his Echo has a
>tendency to "torque steer," as well. His pulls to the left though, it must
>have a different brand of tire ;)
>
> mike
>[/color]

LOL! Maybe your neighbor doesn't know his left frrom his right - I thought
all Echos torque to the right ;-)
--

Ray O
(correct punctuation to reply)



[color=blue]
> "Ray O" <rokigawa@tristarassociatesDOTcomn> >> >
>
> The leaf blowers do have a little of what I call "torque steer," that is,[color=green]
>> after they have warmed up and you rev the engine, it has a little
>> tendency to rotate to the right.[/color]
>
>[/color]

I guess it depends the brand of tire. ;)

mike

"Ray O" <rokigawa@tristarassociatesDOTcomn> wrote in message
news:38a44$442b0840$44a4a10d$14391@msgid.meganewsservers.com...[color=blue]
>
> "Mike Hunter" <mikehunt2@mailcity.com> wrote in message
> news:Z0WdnTPuT_BuYbfZUSdV9g@ptd.net...[color=green]
>>I never seen him use it to blow leaves but my neighbor says his Echo has a
>>tendency to "torque steer," as well. His pulls to the left though, it
>>must have a different brand of tire ;)
>>
>> mike
>>[/color]
>
> LOL! Maybe your neighbor doesn't know his left frrom his right - I
> thought all Echos torque to the right ;-)
> --
>
> Ray O
> (correct punctuation to reply)
>
>
>
>[color=green]
>> "Ray O" <rokigawa@tristarassociatesDOTcomn> >> >
>>
>> The leaf blowers do have a little of what I call "torque steer," that is,[color=darkred]
>>> after they have warmed up and you rev the engine, it has a little
>>> tendency to rotate to the right.[/color]
>>
>>[/color]
>
>[/color]

From a former Echo Dealer (I'm Retired):
No other manufacture has been making power blowers longer than Echo.
They invented the power blower industry. Most Echo Dealers will
honor a "Satisfaction Guaranty" so you can take it back if you don't
like it. Do not buy the extended warranty, if there is going to be a
warranty problem you will have in the first month of use.
Yes, I like Echo and think it is a very good product.

On Wed, 29 Mar 2006 10:49:57 -0500, "mark_digital"
<xxx976@comcast.com> wrote:
[color=blue]
>Does anyone have an opinion on Echo brand? I looked at their $199 blower/vac
>combo and I like how the catcher bag is located compared to my old Barracuda
>I've had for many years. I must have got fed up with the bag ripping and
>tossed it out because I can't find it.LOL!! I do that a lot and think I'll
>remember what I did. I also looked at a Poulin blower/vac for half the price
>but the setup for vac is similar to what I had. I never use these things for
>blowing leaves, just sucking them up, mulching and then throwing the stuff
>into a compost bin.
>Does anyone have a preference for a particular brand?
>mark_[/color]

Have you checked Consumer Reports at the library?


"mark_digital" <xxx976@comcast.com> wrote in message
news:f-udnbrrJ_kwMbfZ4p2dnA@comcast.com...[color=blue]
> Does anyone have an opinion on Echo brand? I looked at their $199
> blower/vac combo and I like how the catcher bag is located compared to my
> old Barracuda I've had for many years. I must have got fed up with the
> bag ripping and tossed it out because I can't find it.LOL!! I do that a
> lot and think I'll remember what I did. I also looked at a Poulin
> blower/vac for half the price but the setup for vac is similar to what I
> had. I never use these things for blowing leaves, just sucking them up,
> mulching and then throwing the stuff into a compost bin.
> Does anyone have a preference for a particular brand?
> mark_[/color]

I've had Poulan, Echo, and other brands. They all last longer than I want
them too. Ever see the commercial where the wife runs over all the tools
and the husband pretends to be upset because he has to go to Home Depot and
buy more?

A Poulan edger in particular was an incredible deal. Looked and worked like
one that costs 3 times more.

Notwithstanding I would look in Consumer Reports for ratings. Especially
for blowers. As it turns out, some electrics are better than gas units
these days.



"Ray O" <rokigawa@tristarassociatesDOTcomn> wrote in message
news:8b124$442af507$44a4a10d$13814@msgid.meganewsservers.com...[color=blue]
>
> "mark_digital" <xxx976@comcast.com> wrote in message
> news:f-udnbrrJ_kwMbfZ4p2dnA@comcast.com...[color=green]
>> Does anyone have an opinion on Echo brand? I looked at their $199
>> blower/vac combo and I like how the catcher bag is located compared to my
>> old Barracuda I've had for many years. I must have got fed up with the
>> bag ripping and tossed it out because I can't find it.LOL!! I do that a
>> lot and think I'll remember what I did. I also looked at a Poulin
>> blower/vac for half the price but the setup for vac is similar to what I
>> had. I never use these things for blowing leaves, just sucking them up,
>> mulching and then throwing the stuff into a compost bin.
>> Does anyone have a preference for a particular brand?
>> mark_[/color]
>
> I have several Echo products: 2 chain saws, weed wicker, leaf blower, and
> leaf blower/sucker upper/mulcher.
>
> The only maintenance I've done is sharpen/replace the chains on the chain
> saws, replace the pull rope on the chain saw when it was around 20 years
> old, and grease the drive shaft on the weed wicker. I probably should
> replace the spark plugs in the chain saws but it starts after the 3rd pull
> after sitting unused for a year and a half.
>
> I got my chain saw around 1980 and it's still going strong. I think my
> dad got his around 1978. The weed wicker is around 5 years old, one of
> the leaf blowers is 6 or 7 years old and one is 2 years old.
>
> My parents recently moved from a house to a condo, which is why I have 2
> chain saws and leaf blowers.
>
> The engines in the Echo products always start very easily compared to my
> neighbor's Craftsman branded products.
>
> The leaf blowers do have a little of what I call "torque steer," that is,
> after they have warmed up and you rev the engine, it has a little tendency
> to rotate to the right. When the leaf blower/sucker upper/mulcher is in
> pickup mode, the pickup tube sometimes gets knocked off and IMO, it
> doesn't really mulch much - it just goes into the bag.
>
> Echo products are used by most of the landscaping companies around here.
> Echo products are very reliable, durable, and easy to start. The bad part
> of owning an Echo is that when a new and better idea comes out 10 or 20
> years down the road, yours is in perfectly serviceable condition.
> --
>
> Ray O
> (correct punctuation to reply)
>
>
>[/color]

No other car manufacturer has been building cars longer than Ford.....
(just kidding)


<doc@oz.net> wrote in message
news:mcam2216jdh21qc7c2hq81frtv3i4h7vc8@4ax.com...[color=blue]
> From a former Echo Dealer (I'm Retired):
> No other manufacture has been making power blowers longer than Echo.
> They invented the power blower industry. Most Echo Dealers will
> honor a "Satisfaction Guaranty" so you can take it back if you don't
> like it. Do not buy the extended warranty, if there is going to be a
> warranty problem you will have in the first month of use.
> Yes, I like Echo and think it is a very good product.
>
> On Wed, 29 Mar 2006 10:49:57 -0500, "mark_digital"
> <xxx976@comcast.com> wrote:
>[color=green]
>>Does anyone have an opinion on Echo brand? I looked at their $199
>>blower/vac
>>combo and I like how the catcher bag is located compared to my old
>>Barracuda
>>I've had for many years. I must have got fed up with the bag ripping and
>>tossed it out because I can't find it.LOL!! I do that a lot and think I'll
>>remember what I did. I also looked at a Poulin blower/vac for half the
>>price
>>but the setup for vac is similar to what I had. I never use these things
>>for
>>blowing leaves, just sucking them up, mulching and then throwing the stuff
>>into a compost bin.
>>Does anyone have a preference for a particular brand?
>>mark_[/color]
>[/color]

On Thu, 30 Mar 2006 01:41:18 GMT, "Art"
<begunaNOSPAMPLEASE@mindspring.com> wrote:
[color=blue]
>I've had Poulan, Echo, and other brands. They all last longer than I want
>them too. Ever see the commercial where the wife runs over all the tools
>and the husband pretends to be upset because he has to go to Home Depot and
>buy more?
>
>A Poulan edger in particular was an incredible deal. Looked and worked like
>one that costs 3 times more.
>
>Notwithstanding I would look in Consumer Reports for ratings. Especially
>for blowers. As it turns out, some electrics are better than gas units
>these days.[/color]

Doesen't ANYBODY hate those f*cking blowers like I do?

You do know that a broom and rake work very well and don't irritate
the neighbors and are a little bit of exercise....LOL

[color=blue]
>
>
>
>"Ray O" <rokigawa@tristarassociatesDOTcomn> wrote in message
>news:8b124$442af507$44a4a10d$13814@msgid.meganewsservers.com...[color=green]
>>
>> "mark_digital" <xxx976@comcast.com> wrote in message
>> news:f-udnbrrJ_kwMbfZ4p2dnA@comcast.com...[color=darkred]
>>> Does anyone have an opinion on Echo brand? I looked at their $199
>>> blower/vac combo and I like how the catcher bag is located compared to my
>>> old Barracuda I've had for many years. I must have got fed up with the
>>> bag ripping and tossed it out because I can't find it.LOL!! I do that a
>>> lot and think I'll remember what I did. I also looked at a Poulin
>>> blower/vac for half the price but the setup for vac is similar to what I
>>> had. I never use these things for blowing leaves, just sucking them up,
>>> mulching and then throwing the stuff into a compost bin.
>>> Does anyone have a preference for a particular brand?
>>> mark_[/color]
>>
>> I have several Echo products: 2 chain saws, weed wicker, leaf blower, and
>> leaf blower/sucker upper/mulcher.
>>
>> The only maintenance I've done is sharpen/replace the chains on the chain
>> saws, replace the pull rope on the chain saw when it was around 20 years
>> old, and grease the drive shaft on the weed wicker. I probably should
>> replace the spark plugs in the chain saws but it starts after the 3rd pull
>> after sitting unused for a year and a half.
>>
>> I got my chain saw around 1980 and it's still going strong. I think my
>> dad got his around 1978. The weed wicker is around 5 years old, one of
>> the leaf blowers is 6 or 7 years old and one is 2 years old.
>>
>> My parents recently moved from a house to a condo, which is why I have 2
>> chain saws and leaf blowers.
>>
>> The engines in the Echo products always start very easily compared to my
>> neighbor's Craftsman branded products.
>>
>> The leaf blowers do have a little of what I call "torque steer," that is,
>> after they have warmed up and you rev the engine, it has a little tendency
>> to rotate to the right. When the leaf blower/sucker upper/mulcher is in
>> pickup mode, the pickup tube sometimes gets knocked off and IMO, it
>> doesn't really mulch much - it just goes into the bag.
>>
>> Echo products are used by most of the landscaping companies around here.
>> Echo products are very reliable, durable, and easy to start. The bad part
>> of owning an Echo is that when a new and better idea comes out 10 or 20
>> years down the road, yours is in perfectly serviceable condition.
>> --
>>
>> Ray O
>> (correct punctuation to reply)
>>
>>
>>[/color]
>[/color]
--

Scott in Florida

"gyroscopic precession" in physics terms I believe.




Ray O wrote:[color=blue]
> "Mike Hunter" <mikehunt2@mailcity.com> wrote in message
> news:Z0WdnTPuT_BuYbfZUSdV9g@ptd.net...
>[color=green]
>>I never seen him use it to blow leaves but my neighbor says his Echo has a
>>tendency to "torque steer," as well. His pulls to the left though, it must
>>have a different brand of tire ;)
>>
>>mike
>>[/color]
>
>
> LOL! Maybe your neighbor doesn't know his left frrom his right - I thought
> all Echos torque to the right ;-)[/color]