I love this blower I like it better than my Husqvarna 125BVX Which was very unreliable at certain times the Husqvarna 125BVX Blower quality was crap but if you compare it with my STIHL BG 86 Blower the build quality is fantastic and it is extremely reliable when I got the Husqvarna blower from Macarthur Mowers the bottom base of the blower it has scuff marks on it whereas my STIHL BG 86 blower is very well built and it is an excellent value for money there are 2 models the BG56 which I don't like which was $249 and the BG 86 Which was $349 I de...Read more

After wearing out my BG56 blower it was time to upgrade. I did a little homework and was disappointed to see some poor reviews on this commercial model blower. It appears Stihl decided for a short period of time that their gear was that good it did not require 'tuning' and removed the mixture screws from their units. After trying out a few blowers such as Atom 2 stroke and Makita 4 stroke I just could not go past the new Stihl BG86C.
Fortunately my 2018 model is now back to the good old days with Hi and Lo mixture adjustment along with idle a...Read more

I bought the BG86C-EZ to replace an old and extremely high hour use ( and still running ) BG75 ( given to my son ). After six months of use, its well run in and probably giving its best now. The unit is slightly quieter than the old one, and moves about the same amount of air. I like the ergo mounting as it minimises engine vibration, good when you are a little arthritic. The easy start function works well, but is it something extra to break down in a few years? The old blower didn't have it, but still started easily. The BG86C-EZ doesn't appea...Read more

This is my first Stihl product. On acreage and didn't want to mess around with cheaper blowers. Came at a good price with bag and tubes. First time started no problem. Gave it a solid 45 minutes workout front he get go. Found it clears out heavy gum leaves, sticks, stones no problem. Then used vac to clean up. We have lots of gravel / decorative stones with gum leaves covering them. I found the BG 86C on idle is perfect for sucking up and mulching gum leaves off these areas without sucking up stones / gravel. This is absolutely perfect and suc...Read more

Initially I was going to purchase the BG56 with Vacuum kit,on special, after speaking to the mechanic at the Stihl shop and because I'd sooner have over engineered equipment and still within my budget. The BG 86 has spring loaded handles for comfort and rubber inside the fan chamber for better comfort and vibration control. Initial use I thought the unit was way under powered than the Ryobi I owned, until I clicked, it was the springs on the handles that made it feel under-powered and my body was not fighting the machine. After assembling all...Read more

Had a BG-85 for nine plus years until the piston rod snapped. Bought a BG-86 model in 2013. From the start the Muffler bolts kept coming loose. I used locktite on the bolts but they still kept coming loose. Constantly tightening. In this past year I have noticed black residue seeping from the bottom of the blower. I suspect it is coming from the muffler exhaust. I use only 89 Oct. gas and Stihl Ultra oil mixture. The other day the engine slowed and locked up. I was able to free up the piston, restarted and after a few moments the engine seized ...Read more

I decided to pass on my previous Sthil blower the BG 56 which provided 7 years of service never missing a beat to a relative and upgrade to the next model up the BG 86 for the suspension handle. As i had read previously the new blower does run at less RPMs but still seems to put out the same amount or slightly more volume of air. It is more comfortable with the suspension on the handle and the other good feature is the ability to lock the throttle on so you do not have to keep your finger on the throttle and frees up your hand to move the blowe...Read more

Over the years I have had a number of great blowers including: Echo, Huskvarna and Makita/Tanaka. Each had its good points as well as bad. My last unit (the Echo) was a Dual purpose Shred and Vac 230 which was 9 years old. Without a doubt my favorite. When it finally died (due to a cracked flywheel) I decided to check out the Stihl BG86 and the 86C. My Friend has been using the 86 for some time now. First was not impressed with the 86C with the "Easy2Start" feature. Small engines like the ones used on leaf blowers don't need the extra par...Read more

Have always been a fan of Tanaka and Shindaiwa gear and thought Stihl had been living of it's reputation until I happened to land one of these by accident. Already owned a Tanaka 2510 blower which is Japanese made and after 10 years of trouble free duty still goes hard with never a problem. However my daughter recently purchased a home and said as a house warming gift a petrol blower was number one on the wish list. Was all set to head down to the local dealer but when checking prices on the net, happened to come across a twelve month old BG86C...Read more

Been using this model for a year now and I'm very happy with it. I upgraded from the BG 56 as the BG 86 specs stated lower vibration levels. The vibration is much lower (hard to gauge from the specs alone). If vibration is a concern for you, then this machine is a definite option.

Handy for right handers as your clothes don't get sucked against the air intake (which is on the right hand side of the machine). There's a handle on the base of the frame which allows two handed operation. A flat nozzle comes standard. Takes 3 - 4 pulls to start t...Read more