Well, we recently tested a variety of blowers in our Best Backpack Blower Shootout, and we had the opportunity to try out the Echo PB770-T backpack blower. Echo has a pretty deep line of lawn care equipment, and they’re pretty well respected in the lawn care industry. They even released their X Series, a line of OPE that represents their best-in-class products. Echo designed these X Series tools with features aimed at the busy lawn care professional. X Series tools have increased horsepower, vibration reduction, longer runtime, and are lighter weight.
As one of the blowers in Echo’s X Series lineup, we had pretty high expectations for the PB770-T. Would it showcase the redefined standards that Echo claims their top-of-the-line products will feature? How would it stack up against some of the other professional-grade OPE on the market today? We ran it through a series of tests and comparisons, and this is what we found.
Echo PB770-T Backpack Blower Comfort
Three pounds doesn’t sound like a whole lot in the grand scheme of things. But when you’re lugging around 20+ lbs on your back for an extended period of time, you can feel the difference. Obviously, a lighter weight blower will equate to a more comfortable blower after an hour on the job. The Echo PB770-T backpack blower shines in this category. At 24.3 lbs, only the Stihl BR700 weighs less, and by less than a pound.
Conversely, and counterbalancing the results from weight test, the PB770-T rattles around at the highest decibel level of all the blowers we tested. Granted, all of the blowers registered over 100 decibels at the users’ ear, so the results from this test aren’t necessarily scathing for Echo’s place at the top with 104 dB. But, we did notice a sharp clanging from this 2-stroke engine that we could’ve done without. In any case, any lawn care pro who values his hearing will wear ear protection, so Echo’s first-place finish in this category won’t be the end of the world.
We did, however, also notice a fair amount of vibration across the back and through the hand with this blower. This counts against the blower on an ergonomic and comfort level, though you probably won’t be too bothered about it during the shorter jobs.
Power and Performance
When measuring power, we like to run our blowers through a few types of tests. Most manufacturers will brag about their blower’s MPH and CFM output, but won’t mention the Newton Force that their tool generates. It’s helpful to know the MPH and CFM, sure, but we also think that knowing the amount of force the blower generates will inform our purchases. We also like to put a tool through some real-world testing as well, just to paint a fuller picture. In this case, we settled on a wet sand swath test, which I’ll come back to.
In the meantime, let’s look at how the Echo PB770-T did in our more sciencey power testings. ANSI sets the standard for measuring Newton force, and so we used their formula for finding how much Newton force each blower generated. We found that the Echo pushed 36.2 Newtons, which placed it in the middle of the pack. The Redmax EBZ8500 topped the list for this test, but for a little perspective on the Echo, only generated 2.7 more Newton force.
Next, we tested all the blowers for airspeed. The Shindaiwa EB602 topped our list at 203 MPH, but the Echo PB770-T finished in a really close second place at 202 MPH. Following the ANSI standard, we found that the Echo PB770-T backpack blower could generate a theoretical peak of 241 MPH in a perfect environment.
We also tested the Cubic Feet per Minute (CFM) that each blower could generate. In other words, this measurement found the volume of air produced at Wide Open Throttle (WOT). The Echo PB770-T blower fell a bit behind in this category. Where our winner, the Redmax, could pump out over 900 CFM, the Echo could only push 761 CFM. Only the Shindaiwa and the Makita EB7650TH did worse in this test.
Related Content
- Blower CFM and Airspeed: Why Are The Numbers So Far Off?
- Blower MPH Vs. CFM: Which One Is More Important?
Wet Sandy Swath Test
All the scientific stuff is great, but how do these blowers perform in real-world applications? Using wet playground sand, we set up a test to measure how big a swath each blower moved over a specific amount of time. The Echo PB770-T backpack blower finished fourth, moving 756 square inches of wet sand. This placed the Echo blower a fair bit behind the top 3 finishers, who all put up numbers around 100 square inches more.
Value
The Echo PB770-T backpack blower tops the charts in the value category. To determine which blower has a good value rating, we look at the cost of the tool in relation to feature sets and performance.
The Echo was not only the joint cheapest blower we tested at $499, but it also offered some great features. It includes a throttle lock for cruise control, a vented back pad, thick padded shoulder straps, and side mounted, dual-stage air filtration.
Runtime test results can also add to the tool’s value, which we found with the Echo. Placing third overall in our runtime tests, the Echo PB770-T can run for over an hour with a full tank and the throttle wide open.
Final Verdict
The Echo X Series PB770-T finished in a respectable fourth place position in our shootout. While we thought the tip was cumbersome and we could have done without some of the vibration the tool generated, we felt like this blower showcased a lot of the reasons why lawn pros love Echo’s X Series products. Lightweight, powerful, reliable, and easy to start, this blower would make a fine addition to your lawn care arsenal. Plus, it’s a bit cheaper than other comparable products on the market.
Echo PB770-T Blower Features
63.3 cc professional-grade, 2-stroke engine for outstanding performance- Exclusive vented back pad for user comfort in hot weather
- Padded backrest and shoulder straps for comfort
- Side-mounted, heavy-duty, dual-stage air filtration for long life
- Variable speed tube-mounted throttle with cruise control for operator convenience
63.3 cc professional-grade, 2-stroke engine for outstanding performanceEcho PB770-T Blower Specs
- Model: PB770-T
- Displacement: 63.3 cc
- Weight: 24.3 lbs
- Fuel Capacity: 68.3 oz
- dB(A) @ ear: 104
- Max Air Volume: 761 CFM
- Max Air Speed: 202 MPH
- Force: 36.2 Newtons
- Tank Runtime: 1 hr 08 min
- MSRP: $499.99
For more information about the Echo PB770-T, or other Echo products, check out their website at www.Echo-USA.com .
