|
|
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Worked GREAT until it DIED, February 18, 2007
This review is from: Poulan Pro 25cc Gas Blower/Vacuum BVM200LE (Lawn & Patio)
May 4, 2009: My apologies to anyone who purchased this blower based on my original review below. I would now give it a 2-star rating rather than 5-stars. Unfortunately, when editing a review, it's not possible to change the number of stars originally posted.
The two stars would be for the 2 years it worked perfectly...started easy every time and always ran great. This blower definitely wasn't worked to death. It was only used maybe once a week during fall for blowing leaves off the driveway and off the roof, and maybe once every three or four weeks the rest of the year for spiffing up the driveway.
The day it died, there was no hint of impending doom. It started easily, ran great for about 5 minutes, then simply quit.
I did some research online, and that was a real eye-opener. Seems this model has a long history of either cracked heads or ignition coil failure. Mine had the ignition coil failure. The parts + labor to repair was close to the cost of a new gas blower. I didn't have it repaired.
Interestingly, I have a Poulan 14" chain saw that I bought used back in 1978. I put a lot of hours on that machine cutting numerous chords of firewood and it still runs like a champ. I expected equal longevity from this Poulan Pro blower. Unfortunately, I got a LOT less.
If you can still find a Poulan BVM200LE leaf blower either new or used, I would now recommend NOT buying it.
ORIGINAL REVIEW (posted Feb. 18, 2007):
I've used this blower for a couple of months now. No buyer's remorse. This is my third leaf blower purchase in 20 years. The first two were pretty good, but this one is much better, so that's why I gave it the 5-star rating.
My first blower in '87 was a 2-cycle gas Homelite. As the seasons went by, even with proper maintenance & a couple of rebuild kits, it became a challenge to start. Finally I realized I was putting more time and effort into starting it than if I just used a rake and broom to clear the yard. So, I bought a B&D electric leaf blower and two 50' 12-guage electric cords.
Starting an electric blower is simple: just push a switch. But the whine while running, especially at the High setting, is very loud. Also, being on a leash with that cord is a hassle. Sometimes it gets snagged, so that means going back and unsnagging. Walking around a bush one way requires backtracking around in the opposite direction; then sometimes the cord unpluges either at the blower or from the electrical outlet. Getting up on the roof to clear out the valleys & gutters is another set of unique challenges when attached to a cord. Finally, after whichever job is done, you have to spend extra time rolling up 50' or 100' of cord.
So, a month ago, when the B&D fell on the cement garage floor and shattered the plastic housing, I looked at that as an opportunity, not a tragedy. After reading all leaf blower reviews at Amazon and doing some hands-on of various brands & models at a couple of big building supply stores, I decided on this Poulan BVM200LE.
Setting up this Poulan is easy. Out of the box, it's just a matter of sliding in the blower tube and tightening a thumb screw. A bottle of 2 cycle oil enough to mix with 1 gal of gas is included -- you need to supply the gas can & gasoline. After pushing on the primer a half-dozen times, the engine started on the second pull of the cord. So far, it's extremely easy to do a cold start, as well as easy to restart between tasks.
Altho not whisper quiet, the 2-cycle engine runs a lot quieter than the electric leaf blower it replaced. Plenty of air power; 200 mph it claims on the box, and I believe that. On the driveway, I only need to put the throttle at half or three-quarters speed to move dry leaves & debris. Full power does the job moving stuff thats built up in wet clumps or in corners and under shrubs. Of course, you can set the power anywhere between idle and full speed. That's another advantage over the electric leaf blower this replaced.
The nozzle is well-designed for the job. A previous reviewer here wrote he has to bend over with this blower. That's what I had to do with the B&D electric leaf blower. I'm 6'1" w/o shoes, and I usually had to do a Gracho Marx (for those of you old enough to know who that is) kind of walk to get the nozzle at the right angle to keep stuff moving. With this BVM200LE I was happy to find I can walk upright while blower does it's job.
I tried the vacuum attachment and it works okay, about the same as my previous leaf blowers. Shrinking my leaf pile by 16:1 isn't a concern for me. Interestingly, the BVM200LE promo literature claims 16:1; on the outside of the box this thing is packed in, it says 10:1. Also, if the vac is important for you, know that the impeller is made of plastic, not metal. If you're planning on sucking leaves out of some area with small decorative stones, that may be a consideration.
So far, no complaints with this blower. It's wonderful to be free of an electric cord and to be able to move around freely.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you?
 
|
|
|
|
