Dolmar Pb7601.4 75.6 Cc 4-stroke Backpack Blower By Makita

I recently purchased the Dolmar PB-7601.4 which is the same machine as the Makita BBX7600N. I was originally looking at 2-stroke models because that is what I have always had. The commercial 2-stroke engines are great, but after reading the reviews and seeing that it weighs the same, I decided to investigate further.My initial review was that this blower was fantastic... The problem is with Dolmar though. The blower developed an intermittent short in the trigger assembly or on/off switch. I took it into a local Dolmar dealer to have the warranty repair done. Dolmar never called the dealer back, so the dealer opened up the handle set and fixed what they thought might be causing the problem.They wanted to charge me for the repair, but I explained that they need to use their leverage with Dolmar as the blower was under warranty...Well, the problem was not fixed, and if anything became worse. When the short would occur it would shock me right through my gloves and the engine cuts out. Very frustrating so I call Dolmar and leave several messages. I never got a live person on the line and I never got a call back. After numerous calls they forwarded my request to the "local rep" who called from California (I am in Utah) and he said he really reps Briggs and Stratton and does a little with Dolmar. He gave me another dealer in Salt Lake who carries a lot of different lines including Dolmar.They call and call and Dolmar never responds. I send numerous emails and they finally call the dealer back and tell him they don't warrantee intermittent problems and they won't help out with a trigger/switch replacement, even though it is clearly a safety hazard. The dealer just said he like Dolmar saws but won't carry anything else from Dolmar because it is always this bad. In fact the dealer said he rarely sells Dolmar saws because the other lines he carries, he never has problems with the company.I will never buy another Dolmar product again in my life and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. I don't know if Makita stands behind their products better, but if it is motorized and says Makita, it is mostly a Dolmar... Not worth the risk in my mind.

I recently purchased the Dolmar PB-7601.4 which is the same machine as the Makita BBX7600N. I also have the Dolmar PB251.4 which is the same as Makita's BHX2500CA which is now two years old with flawless service. Both times I saved a lot of money getting the Dolmar version. Over $120.00 for the backpack and $50.00 for the handheld. Best thing is the Dolmar Backpack I just bought was still made in Germany and Japan unlike the new Makita Backpacks Amazon is selling now.I also have a Husqvarna 580BTS which is the current king of backpack blowers at 907CFM out of the end of the tube to compare this blower to.I have only run my Dolmar Backpack blower for 20 minutes so I can only make initial impressions on it. First off it is a easy starting blower that runs very quiet and smooth. It has no 2 stroke smoke smell which is the reason I bought it along with the quiet running.The 580BTS clearly has a lot greater volume of air than the Dolmar blower but the Dolmar has a much more focused air flow volume than the 580. This is most likely due to the smaller longer tube which is closer to the ground on the Dolmar. The 580 will clearly clean a yard of leaves much faster but the Dolmar with its concentrated air volume appears it will get those stubborn leaves out better. For a contractor the 580BTS is clearly the way to go with its massive air volume. It will clear the largest of properties quickly. For a home owner the Dolmar is a solid blower it seems from the other reviews I have read and my experience with the handheld Dolmar. Plenty of power and not a lot of noise or 2 stroke fumes. No mixing of gas and oil either. It appears it is good on gas as well. Only time will tell how it holds up.

Same as the Makita BBX7600 only orange...and $125 cheaper.This blower will outperform anything you can find in a big box store like Lowes, Home Depot, Sears, etc... Compared to the commercial-grade blowers made by Redmax, Stihl, Husqvarna, Echo, etc... I'd say the Makita BBX7600 is in the middle of the pack. (pun intended!)Here's what I like:-Starts easier than my 2-stroke-Compared to 2-cycle blower engines, the 4-stroke Dolmar has more torque & revs quickly.-Engine sounds awesome without the annoying high-pitched whine of 2-stroke engines. (Reminds me of a quad or enduro)-Long airtube allows you to get deep into flowerbeds or bushes and blow them out easier-Great on gas!Other than the shoulder strap coming loose a few times, I recommend this product 100%.