STIHL Blowers

I notified you early in the year about the following problem. After which, Stihl had made an attempt to repair the equipment. However, after clearing my small 60 x150 yard of leaves several weekends this fall, the following problem has reoccurred. The attached photos illustrate how dangerous my Stihl SH 85 vacuum/blower has once again become. The large diameter vacuum suction tube falls off frequently, because the guide ways on the tube, and the mounting faceplate of the body prematurely wear down, and thus, the aforementioned parts will not stay together. It is again dangerous to use, because there is no safety shut off, when the tube and the intake screen falls off within seconds of each other, leaving the operator exposed to the uncovered spinning blades.

Originally, the dealer I purchased it from repaired this problem under warranty. Then after my last complaint, Stihl had another local dealer repair it for a second time with supposedly better-manufactured replacement parts. However, the problem has reoccurred again, after several autumn leaf clean ups. I feel that Stihl is obligated to resolve the problem, because the nature of the malfunction is a safety hazard, exposing the operator to spinning blades that have metal edges.

I am concerned that after 2 similar repairs involving replacement parts, a pattern has been established, that indicates either a poor selection of materials or the casting processing is not up to par. This recurring problem does not reflect favorably on Stihl's reputation of offering quality equipment. I have always bought and recommended others to purchase Sthil equipment, assuming I was purchasing quality equipment. One of my Stihl chainsaws is over 25 years old, and starts up immediately. However this particular tool is so bad that the dealer I purchased it from is no longer selling it, and has decided to sell only the chainsaws. I paid $267.50 for a machine that I can not use unless I want to take a risk of losing my fingers or hand.

My STIHL SH 85 vacuum/blower have become dangerous to use. The large diameter vacuum suction tube falls off frequently because the guide ways on the tube and the mounting lugs on the machine have worn down within a year. It is now dangerous to use because there is no safety shut off when the tube and the intake screen falls off also within seconds of each other. Leaving the operator is exposed to the uncovered spinning blades.

I have always bought STIHL equipment assuming that I was purchasing quality equipment. However, this particular tool is so bad that my local dealer is no longer selling it. In fact, he has elected to only sell the STIHL chainsaw.

My local dealer repaired this problem under warranty, however, the problem has recurred again as soon as the warranty ended. I feel that STIHL is obligated to repair it again because the problem occurred during the warranty and continues to recur especially because the nature of the malfunction is a safety hazard, exposing the operator to spinning metal blades. The user is exposed to the blades because both the suction tube and intake screen fall off simultaneously. The two aforementioned parts seem to fall off because the plastic material that the machine body wears quickly and the mounting castings wear away and can no longer hold the aforementioned parts onto the machine.

Neither the local dealer nor STIHL USA has responded to my several requests over the last four months to review the hazards in operating this particular equipment model. They have been notified prior to this correspondence of the dangerous malfunctioning of the STIHL SH 85 vacuum/blower that has been sold to me as a new equipment which cost $267.50.