Customer Reviews

Husqvarna 125BVx 28cc 2-Cycle Gas Powered 170 MPH Blower/Vac With Smart Start

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Needed a new blower vac (well, wanted would be a more accurate description) and was torn between the Husky and the Stihl 86 C-E. Was lucky enough to have a neighbor who also wanted one, so we worked out a deal where I would buy both and then sell him the one I didn't want for the price I paid (plus a case of beer).

So, picked them both up. Hard decision, but after a couple of weeks of use, I went with the Stihl. A summary of what I found to be the major points for each:

Build quality - both are excellent. The Stihl feels a bit more stout, but the Husky is no slouch.

Starting - again, pretty much a dead heat. No problems with either one when starting cold or hot.

Comfort - slight edge to the Stihl. The anti-vibration handle does work well, and it generally feels more comfortable to use. It's a close call, however - I can see where the Husky could feel better for some people.

Blowing - again, pretty much a dead heat. I couldn't tell the difference even though the Stihl's specs are a bit better in terms of air flow volume. Both got the job done very well.

Vac - this is my main use for this machine, and the area that swung me over to the Stihl. The shredder blade is more robust in the Stihl, and it can tackle a larger volume of material faster and easier than the Husky. While the Husky was a lot more clog resistant than the Echo I tried, it did clog up once on me, whereas the Stihl just kept chugging along.

The Stihl costs more, but in my area is easier to get serviced. You'll want to check in your area for service places for the Husky. If service is available and you mainly want to use it as a blower, save a few bucks and get the Husky. It's an excellent machine that, with proper care (especially when it comes to gas) will give you years of good service. However, if you want to mainly use it as a vac, the extra money is well spent on the Stihl.

I'll give it five stars, but 4.5 stars is a more accurate rating due to the vac performance.

Husqvarna is an established brand, so when my box arrived, I was surprised to see how incomplete and incoherent the assembly instructions were. If my wife hadn't been standing there watching me wrestle with the vacuum bag, I would never have figured out how to attach it to the vacuum pipe (Hint: Unzip the bag, turn it inside out, and pull it onto the vacuum pipe beginning at the small end. You won't find that in the instruction manual. I'm not giving any hints where the mystery screw goes. You'll eventually discover its use on your own.).

Once I figured out the assembly, the blower started on the first try. There's a thumb-operated speed lever that's meant to reduce hand fatigue by allowing the blower to be set at a certain speed so you don't have to keep squeezing the throttle. Unfortunately on mine, the speed lever is too loose, so once the speed is set, the engine slowly returns to an idle - a very frustrating situation. As far as I can tell there is no way of tightening the lever so that it will maintain its speed setting.

The other thing that I found surprising is that the whole thing is plastic, except for the engine. Considering the rough handling that many outdoor machines receive, I was surprised the housing wasn't metal.

For performance, the blower does a good job. Lots of air, not too much noise. As a vacuum it will handle small stuff, but don't bother to use it for pine needles or leaves the size of sycamore maple leaves. I tried several different techniques, but spent most of the afternoon clearing the suction pipe. As my wife pointed out more than once, I could have crawled into the flower borders on my hands and knees and picked the leaves out quicker (That's eventually what happened.).

Overall, the blower is good for clearing sidewalks, and great to help start a brush pile fire. It's handicapped as a vacuum. The sketchy instructions and throttle defect are disappointing.

I did a lot of research and read a lot of reviews before committing to the Husqvarna Blower/Vac. I had a Sears model that worked out well for nearly 13 years and wanted something that I could count on as much. I was very disappointed that most of the reviews for the Sears models as well as other brands were for the most part less than 4 stars. I have only had the Husqvarna Blower/Vac for a couple of weeks, but I am very satisfied with the results it has given me. The blower gives off plenty exhaust & the vac is much stronger than I expected. Most of the reviews I read said that the vac wasn't very good, however I have to disagree. Without a dough I would definitely recommend this Blower/Vac. It is well worth the $179.00 price tag compared to the other brands and models out there. If you are able to get it on sale like did it's even better. The only con I have is the Vac tude is longer then most, at least for me. (5'7") For taller folks it shouldn't be a problem.

I shopped around before deciding to get this model and absolutely love it! I use it every time I mow to clear off my driveway, sidewalks and entryways. It starts easily and runs smoothly. I feel like I have plenty of throttle control using the hand switch and it's not overly heavy. Now that the leaves are falling I have been using it to blow my entire front yard into a central area and then using the vacuum option to collect and mulch the leaves. Switching out to the vacuum is easy enough and the collection bag is approximately 20 gallons so I can do two runs before I have filled a garbage bag. My only complaint would be that the vacuum can get jammed with twigs if you manage to suck them up, but other than that, this has been a great buy!

I've owned my share of Craftsmen, Riobi and Poulan blow vacs. However this one separates itself from them. Just assemblying it (easy) you could feel the quality. It started with first pull and is quiet and powerful. I'd recommend this unit.

I just used mine yesterday for about 3 hours BLOWER and VAC set up getting up those fall leaves in Ohio and wanted to share my opinions. There are many reviews (which helped me choose this husq blower vac) so I will skip over the obvious. I have used a sears craftmen gas blower vac for about 12 years so this is my second blower vac. What I liked about the BLOWER; great velocity on the blower I was happy with an increase in power from my old sears machine. As a blower it shines and I like the trigger control for variable control of the blower. The "speed control" lever works great too. Starts quickly and it is a pretty easy pull on the rope. I thought when in idle mode it was not too loud for a 2 cycle. YES when you shift to your left hand the engine wants to suck up your pant leg as others mentioned. If I was a "lefty" I don't know if I would buy this because of that. BLOWER Dislikes; My arm got tired pretty quickly while using it.(thats why I know about the lefty side problem) I don't know if its the weight of it or the ergonimics-balance but my sears wasn't as bad. I'm going to try using the strap that came with the leaf bag next time I use it. I DO NOT like the off switch. It has a soft clear plastic cover over the rocker switch and it makes it very hard to shut the thing off. If you have gloves on,it is almost impossible! Likes for the VAC; Very good suction and the bag is pretty good size. I was amazed at how many leaves it sucked up between dumping the bag compaired to my sears model. It does a very nice job of mulching large leaves into sm shreaded leaves. If you are careful about how you suck up leaves it won't jam up. I experienced one or two jams always in the big suction tube never in the small tube at the bag end.
VAC DISLIKES; I hate the way all of these blower vacs are designed for VAC including my 10 yr old sears. A pain to switch over from the blower. With this one you'd better carry a screw driver in your pocket. I was way in the back yard and removed the main tube to clear the jam. The door slammed shut when removing the tube and you can NOT get it open WITH OUT a screw driver. So I had to go back to the house just to get a screw driver...grr. Also be careful whenever reaching inside the main suction tube, you have to secure the 2 tube sections with a screw and it will tear up your hand if you scrape by it with your hand or arm. Also after about an hour of using this vac my back was about ready to break. (I don't think any of them are any better in this department)When I was done for the day I had one heck of a time "Unlocking" the vac tube from the unit. My sears was much easier to undo.
So all this said I am happy with my Husqvarna and at this stage after a few hours of continued use I would buy again. No it's not perfect but neither will the others all of similar designs. Funny how you have so many brands of blower-vac's and they all seem to build around the same basic (somewhat flawed) design. I'll update later if needed.

I would have given this 5 stars except that the stop switch malfunctioned right out of the box, finally failing completely. It had to be replaced (cost free) by a local dealer. I purchased it because of my large yard and the volume of leaves I have to contend with. My older model, Sears Best electric blower-vac simply could not suck up the large (12" x 6") leaves of my neighbors tree. Every time I came upon one, the leaf would simply block the intake and I would have to stop to clear the log jam. The Husky, however, has no problem sucking it right up and grinding it into tiny pieces ready for the compost bin. In spite of the stop switch problem above, it is a great blower-vac and a great labor saver. I highly recommend it for any home owner.

After breaking the choke lever off of my craftsman gas blower, i decided to give this one a try based on other reviews i have read. I was extremely happy once i started to use it as it by far outperforms my old similar craftsman model. The blowing feature is very strong, start up was very easy, and leaf collection was amazing to me. i can not believe how many leaves i picked up before the bag was full. This is well worth the money.

Buy the blower version, if you want the vacuum it really is too cumbersome and complicated a set up. Bag holds a lot but with all the twists to get there it plugs up in the tubes often. Very uncomfortable to maneuver around.

I was excited when I first got this thing. Lots of power and easy to operate. Unfortunately one day it decided not to start. I couldn't believe it. I even took it apart to check for anything odd that might have been loose. Not a product I would trust to buy again. This year I ended up ordering a Hitachi RB24EAP 23.9cc 2 Stroke 170 MPH Gas Powered Handheld Blower .