This Is The Strongest STIHL Backpack Blower You Can Buy

Professionals searching for outdoor equipment can choose between an array of brands, but there are good reasons why Stihl remains the choice for many. It has earned a reputation for producing consistently high-quality tools with highly competitive performance and efficiency, and some of those tools are also made in the USA. The brand offers a range of blowers in its current lineup, ranging from affordable, light-duty tools to powerful backpack blowers capable of tackling the largest jobs.

The most powerful blower in its current lineup is the BR 800 gasoline backpack blower, which delivers 41 newtons of blowing force, a peak air speed of 239 mph, and a peak air flow of 912 cfm (cubic feet per minute). It's available in two variants, the BR 800 C-E Magnum and the BR 800 X Magnum, with the former retailing for $749.99 and the latter costing $649.99. Both are equally powerful, and both are made in the USA, but there are a couple of key differences between them.

The X Magnum is the lighter of the two variants, weighing 23.1 lbs without fuel while the C-E Magnum weighs 25.9 lbs. However, it lacks the telescoping tube and side-start handle of the pricier C-E Magnum. Unlike a conventional backpack blower, users can stop and restart the C-E Magnum without needing to take it off, thanks to the one-press engine stop button and Stihl's Easy2Start system.

Neither variant of the BR 800 is available for purchase in California. Buyers in the Golden State can't buy a BR 600 or any of Stihl's other gas-powered blowers either, since the government passed AB 1346 which saw the sale of new gas-powered tools banned in 2024. Instead, professionals buying a new Stihl blower will have to rely on the brand's electric range.

While these electric blowers can't quite match up to the power of Stihl's best gas-powered backpack blower, they're not far behind. The BRA 600 backpack blower is the brand's most powerful electric blower, and it offers 35 newtons of blowing force and 883 cfm of peak airflow. Its peak air speed is actually slightly higher than the BR 800 at 253 mph. As you might expect, it's also significantly quieter than the BR 800. It operates at 64 dB, while its gas-powered counterpart operates at 77 dB.

Compared to the most powerful electric blowers from other major brands, the BRA 600 offers higher peak airflow than its competitors. The main downside is that high performance comes with a correspondingly high price tag, with Stihl's top electric blower retailing for $1,069.99 in tool-only form.

Anyone making the switch from gas to electric power will also have to factor in the price of batteries and chargers on top of the price of the tool itself. However, once you've purchased the required AP battery, you'll be able to use it with the brand's professional battery-powered Stihl chainsaws and other outdoor cordless tools.