Trusted commercial quality landscape maintenance brand ECHO is yet another brand recently added to the famous Briggs & Stratton Corporations’ growing distributorship range in Australia.
An ECHO handheld blower was one of the first pieces of equipment I bought when I started out over 25 years ago. To see that they are still in production today proves ECHOs are top quality.
The first thing I noticed about the ECHO PB-2520 was its weight. It is extremely light for a handheld blower at only 3.9kg dry, which ensures reduced operator effort is required to use the machine and manoeuvring in tight spaces is easy. Adding to operator comfort is the ‘Rotational Control’ achieved by the bend in the discharge pipe, which reduces the twist effect under maximum power.
There are two shoulder harness attachment points that can be used to further reduce the weight of the machine for the operator, although I do find shoulder harnesses a bit awkward to use with handheld blowers because you are constantly manoeuvring the machine from side to side in most situations.
A 25.4cc two-stroke engine with an output of 0.9kW powers the blower. The engine combined with the fan produces an air volume of 768m3/hour. A variable throttle lock allows the operator to set the speed of the blower without holding the trigger, which is handy for large areas. No tools are required to inspect the air filter; a snap lock at the top is easily depressed to release and the cover hinges down. The cover does remove totally, also without tools, but I like the hinge setup because it stays attached to the machine reducing the possibility of losing the cover.
The fuel filler port is a decent size diameter and it also angles out away from the machine slightly ensuring easy refuelling. I also like the ‘old school’ on/ off switch, which is a solid and simple push forward/back switch that clicks into place easily with your thumb without releasing grip on the handle. It’s not a plastic protected coated seesaw switch like others that are hard to push into place.
There are two protector grids covering the fan air intake point to reduce clogging, but as with most there is still the issue of the operator’s clothing being sucked against the outer grid. A snap-in ‘EZ-LOCK’ system attaches the blower tube to the machine, which is much better than the push and turn lock system on many other machines.
The PB-2520 is a simple, no-fuss machine that is easy to operate, powerful and lightweight. It has an impressive two-year commercial warranty and five-year domestic warranty.