The Stihl BR350 backpack blower is a mid-sized backpack blower that pumps out some serious air. While probably not the most practical tool for a homeowner in a close neighborhood, the Stihl BR350 can get the job done at farms, ranches, and large properties. In fact, most of the commercial landscapers you see will have one of these Stihl backpack blowers on the job.
Backpack blowers are an absolute necessity in the landscaping game. If you don’t have one, you might as well rely on the wind to get your job done. Before you go buy any old backpack blower on Amazon, make sure to know what you are getting yourself into.
Jump ahead:
- Leaf blower overview
- Stihl 101
- BR350 backpack blower features
- The price and value
- Official BR350 review
The BR350 backpack blower: Feature review
When it comes to backpack blowers, there are only a few things you need to take into consideration. The first is power, then comfort and usability, durability and maintenance, then of course price and value. Let’s get started below.
Power
If you are checking out a backpack blower, then you probably need something pretty powerful. The Stihl BR350 backpack blower puts out air at over 200 mph. Holy cow.
The air volume at the nozzle is 436 CFM (cubic feet per minute). What this means is that the blower has a slightly more narrow nozzle, making for a targeted, high speed air stream. For example, there are other blowers that have a higher CFM, but a lower air speed. These are ones with big, wide blower nozzles that send a broader air path, but not as quickly.
For comparison’s sake, the BR600 boasts almost 700 CFM, but only blows air slightly faster than the BR350. This is due to the wider nozzle on the BR600.
My preference is always having a slightly narrow opening to be able to have focused power. Broad openings are great for folks who are pushing a bunch of air across their backyard indiscriminately.
This engine also boasts 2.8 bhp of power output, which is pretty impressive.
Usability of the Stihl BR350 backpack blower
Usability is probably the most important feature of any lawn tool. Sure, the blower can have a ton of power, but if it is difficult to use, how on earth are you supposed to get your job done?
I like things that make life easier. The BR350 makes blowing pretty easy. For starters, it only weighs 22 lbs, which is about the weight of a watermelon. Not bad!
Another thing I love about the Stihl BR350 backpack blower is the backpack feel. Some other backpack blowers like the Husqvarna series have something that looks like a switchboard on the back with each component nailed in. The Stihl BR350 has a super intuitive casing that makes the entire device more compact and easier to wear and store.
Another thing I love about this blower is the slightly offset handle. If you look closely, you can see this right-handed handle is slightly tilted outwards. This helps offset the kick from the blower, making it easy to walk around and get the job done without having to “fight” against it like a firehose or shotgun.
Of course, the Stihl BR350 backpack blower has an anti-vibration system and a multi-function control handle, which is relatively commonplace for backpack blowers.
Maintenance and durability
Not much maintenance is required on these bad boys! You will want to make sure to use a 50:1 oil to gas mixture but otherwise will only have to do the occasional filter and spark plug change.
With proper maintenance, the BR350 should last you a few years.
Stihl BR350 price
The Stihl BR350 backpack blower comes in at anywhere between $350 and $400. It sounds like a lot, but the money you will keep in your pocket after a couple years makes all the difference.
Not to mention, this blower will make you feel like a total badass. It’s truly what is used most often by the pros for a reason. I’d say it’s the F150 of the blower world.
If you’re interested, one of the only online places you can buy it is Ace Hardware. You can click this link to go straight to their online store page, buy it online, then go pick it up curbside.
We also did a nice comparison post highlighting Stihl and ECHO blowers.
The official review: Stihl BR350 backpack blower
Check out the summary table below for our review of the Stihl BR 350.
| Feature | Stihl BR350 | Comparable blowers |
| Difficulty to use | Easier to use due to offset handle | Average usability |
| Durability | Avg. durability | Avg. durability |
| Maintenance | Average maintenance | Average maintenance |
| Value | Moderate value | Moderate value |
| For lots <10,000 sq. ft | Less recommended | Less recommended |
| For lots <1 acre | Highly recommended | Highly recommended |
| For lots >1 acre | Highly recommended | Highly recommended |
Why we review lawn tools
The reason we started this website in the first place was because we had so much trouble trying to find reasonable, understandable, honest reviews for lawn equipment. And it’s not cheap! After hours and hours of research, trying products and returning them, and messing up our yards – we started this site.
As people who had to learn the hard way, we want you to know exactly what you are signing up for before you purchase a piece of equipment. That’s why we are committed to providing honest, easy-to-understand reviews that mean something.
Leaf blowers: Electric vs. gas
Obviously you have two options when selecting a leaf blower: electric or gas.They are worlds apart in just about every aspect. Electric leaf blowers tend to be cheaper, weaker, and only last a few seasons. As I have mentioned in previous posts, I used to have a Ryobi leaf blower attachment that came on their 3-in-1 tool kit. I have now gone through two of the leaf blower heads in which they start making a high pitch scraping noise when I am using it.
Gas blowers are superior in almost every way. They are super strong, last many seasons, and quickly get the job done. The reason you see every professional lawn care person using a backpack blower is because they work extremely well. Let’s dig into that more below.
Stihl’s reputation
Stihl is an industry leader when it comes to yard products, but is probably most known for chainsaws and backpack blowers. The BR350 backpack blower is one of their best selling products because it is something they have completely mastered.
The Stihl family moved to Virginia in the 1970s and opened up their first factory dedicated to a single chainsaw. They have continued to grow and pioneer the lawn care space, most notably with backpack blowers.
Stihl has a great reputation that many commercial landscapers rely on each day. Many residential owners will be more than pleased with their products.