This thread has been very interesting to me, even though it has nothing to do with chainsaws. I have about an acre and a half of "yard" (I won't call it a lawn) in the woods and I've always spent days raking, mowing, mulching and cussing leaves off the yard. This past Monday I went and rented a Stihl BR600 Magnum leaf blower, burned up four hours of my time and 2 gallons of premix, and had a blast doing it (pun intended). I'd never used a backpack blower before, only a small cheap Craftsman handheld and a Ryobi battery-powered job, and this was a totally different experience. I got leaves out of places that would have just frustrated me before, and sometimes two and three years worth of layers just peeled up and left. It cleaned dust out of the garage, gravel off the driveway and wood chips out of the garden. Acorns went flying and I think I saw a chipmunk go by at 200 mph.
Now I find myself wanting one and have followed this thread to see what everyone else thinks. Rental including the 2 gallons of premix was $48. I wonder if it 's worth continuing to rent, or simply buying a machine and having it available whenever I want it. I can buy a used machine on eBay or craigslist, or I have a local Stihl dealer and a local Redmax dealer. Plus there's always the big box and Amazon. I did really like the Stihl and am wondering if there any advantages to not having the grip throttle, or if a different manufacturer has a more comfortable strap system. I am a big guy and I did not have any problem hauling that machine around for 4 hours, except that occasionally my right hand would get a little tingly from the pressure on it.
