Makita BHX2500CA 24.5 cc MM4® 4-Stroke Engine Blower

I am a gear-head and I typically keep my little two-stroke engine-powered lawn equipment running for 5-10 years. It is not uncommon for me to adjust needle-valves, clean carburetors, or replace broken fuel lines. It seems like years that I have been wanting to try a portable lawn tool with a four-stroke engine. So when my big box hardware store 8-year-old, $89 Homelite 'yard broom' two-stroke leaf blower's fuel line broke off in the gas tank, I gave myself permission to find and buy a 'quality' replacement. I feel I can justify spending more on a quality product since I keep these things for so long and I more than save the money over paying a lawn service.The cost of this Makita is more than double my predecessor Homelite. I've owned the Makita for less than 3 months so I can't comment on it's long-term reliability or service needs. It definately appears to be of higher quality construction than the Homelite in terms of thickness and ruggedness of the plastic housing and blower tube. I followed the instructions for the crankcase oil filling and fueling before startup and was amazed that the Makita started on the first pull. Literally. I started it several times to see if it was a fluke and it has always started on the first pull. The Homelite always required a minimum of three pulls. The Makita engine was tuned well right of the box, but I did experiment with the idle speed. I found that it would idle smoothly and quietly at what sounds like less than half of the factory setting.The Makita 4-stroke is significantly more quiet at idle than the 2-stroke Homelite. However at full power, I can't say one seems more quiet than the other. The two-stroke had a high-pitched whirr that blended with the sound of the blower whereas the four-stroke engine sound is definately separate from the sound of wind rushing... but they are both loud when working hard.The convenience of not having to mix oil and gas as with a two-stroke is not a big help to me yet because I still need to fuel my string trimmer, edger, and hedge trimmer. Reduced emissions/ not intentionally burning oil is a plus with the four-stroke and maybe I'll get to migrate to four-stroke when those other lawn tools die. I think there are some areas where emission requirements preclude use of two-stroke lawn tools, but not in my situation.What is hard to cost-justify is the Makita's lawn and leaf blowing abilities. I can't tell that it is superior to the Homelite in this, it's whole purpose for existance; and it is certainly not twice as capable even though it is twice the price. In my experience with dirt-bikes and lawn-mowers, two-stroke engines are more 'finicky' and are less likely to keep running smoothly without some kind of attention than are four-stroke engines. It could be possible that the Makita's four-stroke will better-serve someone who doesn't do their own engine adjustments or maintenance than a two-stroke tool like my Homelite.I was pleasantly surprised to see 'Made in USA' on the label and, upon researching it, apparently Makita does a lot of U.S. manufacturing which I consider a mark in the Makita's favor.Overall I am very pleased with the Makita. I enjoy using it, admire it's build quality and ease of starting, and it's smooth, quiet idle. I'm glad I treated myself to a quality tool with cleaner emissions that's made in U.S.A. I expect that it will prove to be quality and serviceable in the long term, but I really can't say it does a superior job at blowing leaves and lawn clippings over my $89 Homelite if that is your primary critera.Update: July 2022 - wow it's been 10 years, and I'm happy to report that the Made in USA Makita still starts on the first pull. Other than oil changes, my only maintenance has been to replace the gasoline primer squeeze bulb at about year 9... two screws, low cost, easy access. Very pleased with this product.

We have the 4-stroke Makita backpack blower, which is a powerhouse for hubby, but is much too heavy for my aching back. For some time, I've had my eye on this Makita BHX2500 Handheld to replace an annoying electric-corded unit which was tough to maneuver in tight spaces. Mixing oil and gas is a pain in the neck for an older couple like us, so the 4-cycle engines were very attractive and a no-brainer when buying. I really did my homework on these leaf blowers and we even tested a few at the home box stores. I finally decided on the Makita Handheld and bought it right here on Amazon during a Cyber Monday super sale on Makita products. I am very happy I did.On a December day here in New England, there are still plenty of leftover leaves to move and this 4-stroke handheld blower performed beautifully while being surprisingly powerful. Some reviews stated that 4-stroke engine blowers lack the power of some eardrum-shattering 2-cycle motors, but we found this to be untrue for our purposes. Before startup, I had already researched the importance of adding the right amount of oil to avoid smoking (too much) or engine burn-out (too little). Also very important, besides having to check the oil level often, is to always make sure the blower is held or placed in an upright position, as tilting it or turning it over will cause inner oil leakage and major problems. Apparently, this unit can only be turned with the starter coil facing upwards, if tilting is at all necessary.After attaching the blower pipe parts within a minute, I added a little over 2.5 ounces of oil and then learned very quickly to be aware of the 17.7-ounce gas tank to which gas should be added slowly to avoid a fast overflow. Once that was done, I pushed several times on the gas primer bulb and, on the initial startup, I placed the red choke lever up to the "closed" position. It can remain "Open" whenever the engine is still warm. The engine actually did start on the first pull and idled smoothly, which I really couldn't believe. I was prepared for a fight.I managed an admirable yard re-cleanup in just a couple of hours, with a few very minor issues to add:1) I did find that I needed to swap arms more often than not as the unit became a bit weighty (for me) on one side or the other after a while. I do have a yard power tool harness and will use it next time - on my left side, because...2) Holding the blower seems less comfortable on the right side only because the blower's strong air intake is too close to ones clothing and tends to suck it in, especially while wearing loose-fitting pants. It's more annoying than it is a red flag.3) Even while wearing gloves which, as it turned out, was a very good thing, I tried with both hands to pick up the blower so that I could point it downward into a small area, and one finger of my glove accidentally hit the piping hot air emitting from the exhaust muffler. My glove finger melted and I received a slight burning sensation to my finger. It woke me up - I'll say that. While using the electric blower, I'd become accustomed to moving the tool around in this way, but with a gas engine, well... I won't do THAT again. Please wear gloves and be fully aware of the engine's hot emissions area.Those small matters aside, which we will remember next time - I couldn't be more pleased to have purchased this extremely convenient, easy-to-use handheld blower. Easy-peasy.

This is a very nice 4 stroke blower. It is of moderate weight, and without a sling it can begin to feel heavy after a stint of use. Recommend an aftermarket sling if you plan on using it for more than 15 to 20 minutes. It starts easily, but as with all engines proper use of the choke is required in certain instances. It isn't as powerful as my 2-stroke blower of approximately the same weight, but it runs much more smoothly over the range of operating rpm. Hard to find these now as folks are saving the world with lithium batteries, but if you need to power through a bunch of work this machine will eat the lunch of any battery-bound blower, and for a fraction of the operating cost (full life cycle considered). However, if you don't like storing a gallon or two of fuel, or making the occasional oil change, you might want look at the many lithium powered blowers (other battery chemistries acknowledged)

I already have an electric unit but I needed something that could go down my hill and up to pick up a lot of pine needles and this unit does easily start with not too much effort and works even better than my electric one.

I purchased this blower on Amazon in July of 2016. Unfortunately it was stolen out of my garage last night. It was my most-used piece of garden equipment and after looking at many alternatives, nothing compares to this blower for the reasons given above in the title. Just sent a Christmas "hint" to my kids !

So far so good! 1 pull start most of the time! Other times 2 pulls. So fed up with those 2 stroke engines and this 4 stroke made the difference! powerful and easy to use. Buy it...you will not regret spending the extra!

The first time I used this blower, I gotsta say I was less than impressed. Compared to the removable motor from my Craftsman wet/dry vac, that can be used as a leaf blower, with an attachment, albeit at the end of an electrical chord?? it seemed gutless?? However the second time I used it, I found that it started really easily and even though the air velocity didn't seem adequate at first, it realty did do a good job of cleaning up errant grass clippings on the patio. I had been thinking about sending it back cos I thought maybe it was faulty? not enough RPMs? But it's perfectly adequate for my intended use. And bonus points for being a four stroke. It really is hard to find four stroke motored small appliances these days.

Gas, prime, choke and it started first pull. A little less HP and a bit heavier than a two cycle unit but it will run full speed all day, something that you can't do with an electric unit.