STIHL blowers are some of the toughest machines around. How long they last will vary based upon how you use it. However, a properly maintained STIHL blower could easily last several years.
Remember, these are professional pieces of equipment. They are built to put up with a lot being thrown at them.
How many hours can you use a Stihl blower before you need to maintain it?
Most people recommend a good 30 hours of use. However, we suggest that you maintain your blower at least once or twice per year.
Is a Stihl blower a good choice for a homeowner?
Yes. A Stihl blower will give you over 1,000 hours of use before needing to be repaired.
You should get around 10-years of life from a Stihl blower as a homeowner.
Can you maintain a Stihl blower yourself?
You will be able to carry out some basic maintenance projects yourself. However, heftier maintenance issues will need to be carried out by somebody authorized to do the work.
If you do something other than basic maintenance tasks, then you do run the risk of voiding the warranty on your snowblower. The manual will list tasks you can do yourself.
Where can you take a Stihl blower for repairs?
You will need to head to the Stihl website. They will have a list of authorized repair agents.
You should always ensure that you take your blower to an authorized repair agent. They will have the spare parts required to fix your Stihl blower.
Authorized repair agents will also be trained to deal with any issues.
Where can you purchase Stihl replacement parts?
You will be able to purchase Stihl replacement parts from authorized retailers. These can be found online and offline.
Make sure that you only purchase spare parts from a reputable company. This is the only way to guarantee that your blower will be repaired properly.
Can you buy spare Stihl parts directly from Stihl?
No. You must always go through an authorized repair agent.
Stihl maintains a list of all of the authorized repair agents on their website. Do not purchase random spare parts online unless you can be sure that they are genuine Stihl.
How do you know when to maintain your Stihl blower?
When you purchase a Stihl blower, it will always come with a manual. This manual will list a maintenance schedule.
The maintenance schedule is essentially a checklist of maintenance tasks that you need to complete on your Stihl blower. It will tell you when you need to do them too.
Is it worth purchasing a used Stihl blower?
These blowers last long enough that there should be no issues purchasing one used. However, make sure that you check out the blower before you purchase it.
Do bear in mind that you will not have a warranty from Stihl if you opt to purchase the blower used.
Is it worth buying a broken used Stihl blower?
If you can purchase it at a good price, then yes. Most Stihl blowers can be repaired.
It is incredibly rare that a Stihl blower is beyond repair. Although, these repairs may end up being somewhat costly.
How do you make a claim on a Stihl warranty?
If you still have a warranty on your Stihl, then you will need to head to the vendor that you purchased the Stihl blower from.
You can also head to an authorized repair agent for Stihl products, however you will need to make sure that you bring along your receipt or they will not be able to deal with it.
Can you use non-Stihl parts to repair a Stihl blower?
We wouldn’t recommend it. While you are able to guarantee the quality of Stihl parts, you will never be able to guarantee that products manufactured from other vendors will work properly.
Is a Stihl Blower that doesn’t start broken?
In most cases, you just need to put more fuel into the Stihl blower. In other cases, you may have a spark plug that needs to be replaced.
You will be able to repair a Stihl blower like this yourself. If you can’t, then take your blower to a local repair agent to get assistance.
Can you store fuel in a Stihl gas blower?
If you are only storing it for a few months, then yes. You will need to add some fuel stabilizer, though.
If you are storing the Stihl blower for more than a few months, then it is recommended that you empty it.
Can you use any type of gas in a Stihl blower?
You should only ever be using unleaded gas inside of a Stihl blower.
What type of unleaded gas should you use in a Stihl blower?
To ensure that the Stihl blower lasts as long as possible, you should only be adding unleaded gas that has an octane rating of 89 or higher.
Should you add additives to gas placed in a Stihl blower?
No. Stihl recommends that you only use gas unless you add a stabilizer.
Additives run the risk of ruining the motor inside of a Stihl blower. This can drastically shorten the lifespan.
Can you wash the filters on a Stihl blower?
The part of your Stihl blower that is most likely to fail will be the filters. You will be able to wash them. However, do bear in mind that you will only be able to wash them a few times before they need to be replaced.
Do you need to winterize a Stihl blower?
Yes. You will need to winterize a Stihl blower before placing it into storage.
The manual that came with your Stihl blower should tell you everything that you need to know about winterizing the blower. Alternatively, you will be able to find the information that you need online.
Do you need to change the oil on a Stihl blower?
Yes. Your first oil change should come at the 20-hours of use mark. Any additional oil changes can happen after 50 hours of using the Stihl blower.
Hi, I’m John Stephens, chief editor and writer for Totalgardener.com. I’ve been gardening and raising animals for over 15 years starting with a small backyard plot in Northern Virginia where I grew corn, potatoes, squash, and using a high mulch technique called the Ruth Stout Method. I also raised ducks and small mammals for meat and eggs in a movable pen similar to the ones used by Joel Salatin. I later moved to Colorado where I experimented with growing greens using aquaponics inside. I eventually added a microgreens setup and home sprouting operation. I’m excited to share everything I’ve learned plus more from the other local gardening and animal raising experts I know.
