Producers of leaf blowers have had to think carefully about the new laws about noise and air pollution output from gas powered power tools. Out of all of these tools the gas blower has had the most negative record in creating great levels of noise pollution. Echo have responded to these requirements by making machines that both meet these needs and never the less produce the power we require to get the yard jobs done. They have also got to develop some nice features in the process.

With a full air speed of 145 miles per hour the Echo PB 251 hand held blower is easily able to cope with clearing reasonable sized yards. The speed of the air gets the leaves and debris moving and then the 390 CFM air volume generated makes sure that it continues moving. It is powered by a 25.4 cc power boost vortex engine. It certainly packs a punch. Although it isn’t as powerful as back pack models it still manages to deal with most jobs plus you haven’t got all the disadvantages of having to get strapped in. in spite the power produced, the amount of noise made has been reduced down to 65db, which will meet the regulation needs in most areas. There is some discussion about the design of the engine as far as the number of piston rings is concerned. This engine has one piston ring where as different designs have 2 rings. There have been no difficulties reported about this, as far as I recollect.

One of the most important features of a great power tool is its ability to start rapidly and easily. The PB 251 turns over very easily and there is no need to prime the fuel every time. When the weather is hot and you have to blow your yard and sidewalks off, you need something that is going to start rapidly and complete your yard as soon as possible. This Echo tool does just that. It also has no problems starting when the engine is hot. Some people have complained about its ability to start, but this just seems to be a small minority. It is thought that the need for lean mixtures to meet emissions regulations might be responsible for some problems in these sorts of machines. You must make sure you use the correct grades of gas and oil in the fuel mixture.

Several features make this gas powered leaf blower comfortable to use. With a weight of only 9.9lbs this is a light tool which helps a lot if you have to use it for it for longer amounts of time. It has hand drier motor two handles ac motor making it easy to hold and the top handle has three positions to aid in directional operation. It employs rotation control technology to stop the force of the air coming out of the macgine from attempting to twist the machine out of your hands. There is also a useful trigger lock. As well as being very quiet the tool doesn’t suffer very much from vibrations.

The reliability and standard of manufacture of garden power tools varies a lot but this blower is undoubtedly on the quality side of the range. It has a large amount of power and will take care of everything for the average home. It will blow light to moderate piles of lawn clippings and leaves with no effort at all. It is a great machine for a reasonable price with a fantastic 5 year warranty.