The hand job just takes a bit of practice, it's all in the wrist and responding to ... oh hold on ...

Yep, we've just done ours so now I'm gong to try the blower vac way as they are now full again. Am going to Mower Supastore at Brendale. So I'll be blowing away all weekend (like all my neighbours)

I even looked at hedgehog gutter guard but nearly fell over laughing when I read it said in event of bush fire remove from gutters, as if in a bush fire I'm going to run around the roof pulling it out...NOT.

Please let us know how you go, what you get if you do, and what you think when you use it..

LOL

Bit like the road signs, slippy when wet !!

How good is this breeze tonite huh !!!??

Was going to say to avoid electric ones.(!)

I got a reconditioned GMC for 50 that is hard to get going but is fine once it warms up. I use it for the gutters on a nice warm day.

I could only recommend a petrol 150+ there's even a Ryobi doing the rounds in this bracket which is an improvement.

Next I buy will be in the Honda or even Husky or Stihl league.

My next whipper snipper will definitely be Husky or Stihl.

I agree.

We bought a honda straight line brush cutter/whippasnippa few weeks ago.

4 stroke, and you just flick that pull start and up she purrs.

Got a good deal at bunnings on it, had a good week at work, and seen a few snakes , so thought, why not, and convinced wife to treat me.

On another point you made..

When I was in UK< i seem to remember Ryobi as being a good make, and a lot of fellow tradies opted for them, quite expensive on par but slightly cheaper than Metabo.

Got to Oz, and Ryobi is screwfix's equivalent of Power Devil.. they are regarded as crap. !!

If anyone wants a GMC blower vac i have a spare, i won 6 at a auction in beaudesert 3 yrs ago. Works fine, and you can pick up from Dayboro anytime for free. !

Sounds like wet dream territory

Mine (Bolens) is crap, as soon as it starts it goes at 100pc - with throttle untouched like a demented banshee.

Hate it. And the line catches and snaps every few minutes.

Think it def signals the end of the storms and a cooler weekend, which is good as we have to build a dog kennel and didn't fancy doing it in that heat.

I got a Stihl in the end - just got the blower as I decided the vac part wasn't going to get that much use. Did a great job in record time and again a week or so later when we had some serious wind (pardon me). OH isn't much into gardening so I'm the only one that uses it so it had to be easy to start -which it has been so far.
Gill

May I ask what you paid, roughly and where you got it from in the end...

If it was a prezzy dont matter

I paid $399 - it is the most basic model as that was the lightest (easier for me). I got it from the Mower Superstore on Kremzow Rd (cnr Leitch's Rd), they were very helpful. They will do the first service free as well, and at least they're only down the road if I have any problems with it.

I would also look at the weight of a blower/vac. Mine is quite heavy to start with and when I have been vacing for a while it gets almost too heavy to carry, even with the shoulder strap.

That's why I bought the smallest blower without the vac - they can get quite heavy, but the one I got was good for me.

When mine dies I will definately get a smaller one. Sometimes big isn't always best. lol