Maruyama BL85-T 900cfm Backpack Blower

For many years ( 8 +) I had a solo 672 backpack blower. Since I have a very large yard with many trees I needed a blower with a high CFM. Unfortunately the solo was plagued by Engine issues that even local experts could not resolve. The solo service center is more than 1000 miles away making repairs both expensive and problematic. I decided to buy a replacement unit. My son had a Kawasaki backpack that had similar characteristics of the solo though much louder. When I went to purchase the Kawasaki I discovered that it had been discontinued. My next selection was the Sthil backpack. I have had many chainsaws brands over the years but the best is Sthil. However during the research of this unit I discovered that it had valves that needed adjustment periodically by the dealership therefore it was not a true two cycle engine. I did not want that however I did not like the other brand offerings and was in the process of buying the Sthil when my son found that the Muruyama is powered by a Kawasaki two cycle. We also learned that Maruyama has been a long time equipment supplier -though not in the states. The specifications, the performance capability, the Kawasaki engine and the warranty made the BL 85 t my choice.First impressions; I would recommend the Maruyama technical staff take a close look at the assembly documents and review the language translations and instructions. I would also recommend that they make the diagrams as large as possible.Once assembled my first test of the backpack blower was a good one. It had rained the night before and the leaves in my yard were soaking wet. The BL 85 T picked up oak, Maple, and Hackberry leaves - along with sticks- out of the muddy lawn and blew them where I wanted them to go. After I was done the lawn looked as if I had taken a rug doctor to it. The unit is comparably quiet compared to the solo and is definitely lighter. Winner winner chicken dinner. I have rated this 4 only because I have very limited use and of course, with any equipment, the test is time

First of all, noone's perfect. So don't be swayed by my 4 start review.... I'm very picky.Overall, I'm very happy with the Maruyama BL85-T. My son has a Redmax 7500 that I have used, and this is every bit as good as it is, if not better. AND, it has a warranty that is 3 years better. The only problem I have is that there aren't any dealers near me. The closest one is a good 45 minute drive.As far as the blower itself, I have a few complaints. First of all, the elbow is about 6" too short. It doesn't allow you to move the nozzle of the blower as far left as you should be able to. Having said that, my son's Redmax has the same issue. They all need to spend the extra buck and make a good tool that there wouldn't be any complaints about.It's also somewhat hard to start. When I say hard to start, I mean hard to pull. Many single cylinder engines now have a "pressure release" that somehow makes it easier to pull the cord to get the engine started. This unit could use that feature. Not that it's that hard, but it could be easier.On the PLUS side, I like the plastic connectors that allow the joints to swivel. They are quite "slippery" and makes the nozzle as easy as possible to control (minus the lack of enough elbow that is).The Maruyama is also about 3 pounds lighter than the competition for the same output... Not that a young guy would notice doing a yard or two, but if you had a number of yards to do (or were an old geezer like me) you would appreciate the lighter load.All-in-all a very good unit and a score for the ole guy.

Just rec'd the BL85-T I am very well pleased for a number of reasons.1.Weight;feels light from handling it, to wearing it on ones back, compared to my other two blowers that are about 3-4lbs. heavier, and of lesser cfm specification.2. Power; I was testing it on wet leaves on tall grass with no problem at 3/4 throttle. The real test is coming up though, blowing the leaves and debris at my church's parking lot (30K + sq ft). Usually takes me about an hour and 15 min to a pile up.3. Price; Can't be beat.... our local shop had the BL85 (side throttle) close to $100.00 more. Other blowers I researched within the same specification arena don't come close, they are at least in the $500.00 range.I don't think I'll have any foreseeable mechanical problems as long as I follow the manual guide lines.This is a good investment for years to come and would recommend it.

I am extremely happy with this blower. I'm just use it for my home lawn which is a 1/4 acre with 8 mature oak trees. So far I've done one full pick up with several more to go in the leaf season. This blower is more powerful than I had hoped for, I can move walls of leaves and move them efficiently. I've worked golf courses in high school and college and have lots of experience with blowers and can say that for the price I really don't think you can get better value for the amount of power this thing puts out. I'm very happy with it, it's easy to put together out of the box if you don't read into the instructions too much...I think there are some translation issues that made it a little frustrating but really it's easy. I would still like to know what the hell the earth link wire is for?

I have a commercial lawn service. Was going to buy a Red Max for my next blower due to the 900 cfm. Had been using an Echo, rated around 750 cfm. Found the Maruyama while searching. It was rated at 900 cfm like the Red Max, but lower price. Had a 5 year commercial warranty so thought I would try it out. At this point I am quite pleased. Definitely more cfm than my Echo, not sure if it has the 900 cfm of the Red Max, but the season is early yet and I have not gotten into the heavy stuff. Weighs less which is a plus when carrying around all day. Early in the game yet, but at this point I am quite pleased and would recommend it. Will review it again when Fall cleanup is done