If you want serious power out of a leaf blower, you’ve come to the right place. We are going to go over some of the key features of two of the most profound leaf blowers made.
The Ferris FB3000 Hurricane and the Scag Windstorm. These are both amazing machines with elite ingenuity. We are going to choose a machine from each category with an overview of each at the end.
Power
Everyone loves more power right? With both blowers offering a 35hp engine either from Briggs and Statton (Vanguard), you are sure to have the most power available for the stand on type commercial blowers. When it comes to moving massive amounts of leaves, more power is definitely a good thing.
Power is commonly overlooked even though landscapers will spend a majority of their time outdoors. Power doesn’t always have to mean just a bigger engine. CFM (cubic feet of air per minute) and wind speed (MPH) are huge factors that will help you decide which machine would suit you best.
Another major role in your ability to blow massive amounts of leaves is the angle of the air being expelled from the machine. With the right angle, the cfm does not necessarily increase, but it will change the angle increasing the power behind the air being generated.
Features
Ferris and Scag both have designed these with max power in mind, but each has its individual design with unique features. Some are more necessary than others, but all are welcomed.
The Scag stands out here to me because traditionally they are more of a feature rich machine with Ferris focusing almost solely on durability. I have listed some of the features below of each one of these blowers below.
Scag Windstorm
- Auto left right switch
- Nozzle Direction System
- Fine tune system
- Vertical tilt adjustment
- V-Ride frame
Ferris FB3000
- Joystick deflector control
- Quad control steering system
- Unique blower housing designed to keep noise low and power high
- Integrated LED light bar
- Torsion mounted front axle for going over curbs and bumps
Comfort
Standing on these machines over uneven terrain can wear you out before you know it. The V Ride platform from Scag mitigates fatigue just about better than any other company. Ferris did add a front torsion suspension to help with bumps and go over curbs for a smoother experience.
Both machines support a nice thick pad on the back. These pads can make or break an operator and both companies took that into consideration as always. I like the simple and rugged design of the Ferris here. This section however is about comfort and the Scag knows all about it.
Aesthetics
Again, Scag does another great job here. The housing on the front does look a bit large, but I kinda like it. It has a more aggressive stance than the FB3000 with wider tires. Ferris tends to stick to minimalistic with their machines and let the durability and quality do the talking. That Ferris red, the logo up front, and a small led light bar, will give you the sleek professional design. For more on the wild side, something bright and shiny, the Scag will suit you just fine. It’s the perfect amount of flair.
Price
So as far as price goes, the price ranges from $13,199 to $11,500, it looks like you will be able to get a Scag Windstorm for about $1500 less than the Ferris FB3000. The price is fitting as I was expecting something around the same price as the original Billy Goat blower and these two split the difference.
With the Ferris being just a little more expensive than the Scag, you can justify that by the outstanding specs from this blower. If you are looking for a more feature rich machine and dont mind sacrificing a little bit of wind speed, the Scag should be great for you. Both are excellent machines and you really can’t go wrong with either.
Wrapping it up
After careful consideration and studying the specs of each machine, I have made a decision on which one I would purchase or at least benefit the most from.
Some people like to have shiny bells and whistles while others focus more on performance. That would be me personally. I tend to lean towards no frills performance than anything else.
I still like fancy things and cool gadgets just as much as the next guy, but when it comes to a high price machine such as the Ferris FB3000 or Scag Windstorm, I am looking almost exclusively at performance.
Best bang for your buck I would have to say is the Ferris FB3000 due to its amazing specs and ability to just blow leaves.
It will cost you a couple grand more than the others, but you will get exceptional quality, performance, and a pleasing aesthetic look as well.
What do you think?
Which blower do you prefer? Let us know in the comments below what you think about the Scag Windstorm and the Ferris FB3000.
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For more information on these blowers, check out Ferris‘ official site or Scag's official site.
Images are from Ferris and Scag.
References
https://www.scag.com/product/stand-on-blowers/windstorm/
https://www.scag.com/engine/briggs-vanguard-engines/
