Model comparison
Compare STIHL BG 86 and BG 86 C-E
Three ways to approach a higher-output handheld cleanup
For a handheld blower comparison, start with the exact task and operating plan rather than picking a model from a single air-speed label. The STIHL BG 86, BG 86 C-E, and EGO LB7654 cover three related but materially different choices: conventional gasoline starting, STIHL’s Easy2Start gasoline variant, and a battery handheld alternative. This is not a claim that their published numbers come from the same test or that one will finish a yard faster. It is a way to see which tradeoffs are relevant before using a questionnaire.
BG 86: ElastoStart and the lighter published body
The ordinary BG 86 is STIHL’s 27.2 cc gasoline handheld with an ElastoStart recoil handle, HD2 washable filter, four-spring anti-vibration system, and both flat and round nozzles. Its US SKU is 42410111763US. The 2025 chart lists a 9.7-pound dry body, 14.9-ounce tank, 15 N, 444 CFM at the round nozzle, and 365 CFM at the flat nozzle. The manual lists 477 CFM without a nozzle. This can suit an owner who wants a fuel-powered handheld and does not require the Easy2Start mechanism. It still requires the documented mixed-fuel routine and does not include a vacuum kit.
BG 86 C-E: the same family with a different starting routine
The C-E SKU is 42410111764US. STIHL’s blower FAQ says the C denotes its blower comfort feature, Easy2Start; its manual describes a steady starter-rope pull for that version. The comparison chart puts the C-E at 9.9 pounds dry with the same 14.9-ounce tank and the same round/flat-nozzle output figures as BG 86. That makes Easy2Start the practical reason to compare this model, not a published increase in CFM or force. The difference between a slow, steady pull and the standard version’s brisk pull may matter to a user’s starting comfort, but it does not remove priming, choking, fuel mixing, engine care, or the need to use the correct starting procedure.
EGO LB7654: a battery alternative, not a gas substitute
The EGO LB7654 is a current battery handheld that offers a different ownership path: no gasoline/oil mixing and no recoil starter, with an EGO 56V platform and a manufacturer-listed 765-CFM maximum. Its package and included battery must be checked separately from the STIHL blower-body SKUs. If you already own compatible EGO batteries, the right package might be different from someone starting a battery system from scratch. Its output, nozzle figures, weight basis, and battery package are not directly interchangeable with the STIHL chart’s round-nozzle measurement. It is useful as an alternative only when gasoline and Easy2Start are not essential requirements.
Keep the air figures on their stated bases
The BG 86 family reveals why CFM and MPH need qualifiers. The 2025 STIHL chart lists round-nozzle figures separately from flat-nozzle figures; the family manual lists an additional 477-CFM blower-mode figure without a nozzle. The current BG 86 and BG 86 C-E product pages list 170 mph at the round nozzle, while the chart/manual give 154 mph round and 190 mph flat. That source disagreement is preserved rather than “corrected” with a guessed number. Do not combine 477 CFM without a nozzle with a round-nozzle speed, and do not compare the BG 86’s round-nozzle CFM with another tool’s differently based maximum as if it were a clearing-time test.
There is another functional distinction: the BG 86 and BG 86 C-E retail SKUs are blowers, not bagged vacuum packages. STIHL does list an optional Vacuum Kit compatible with both, but it is a separate SKU and is not included in either blower’s package. The EGO LB7654 is also a blower rather than a collection tool. If bagged leaves are essential, compare the EGO LV5000/LV5005 or a fully documented STIHL blower-plus-vacuum-kit configuration instead; do not make a blower-only answer satisfy a collection requirement.
What to select in the finder
If handheld format, round-nozzle output, or 15 N are hard constraints, use those only as manufacturer specification screens, not as a ranking of real-world results. If Easy2Start is essential, the BG 86 C-E has the feature but remains a reference-only model here. If gasoline is optional, relaxing the power-source requirement can lead to current battery handhelds such as the LB7654; if fuel power is essential, battery models cannot fill that requirement. A 9.7- or 9.9-pound body number is before fuel, so it cannot answer a full operating-weight limit. The questionnaire also cannot treat a separate vacuum accessory as included in the base SKU.
Both STIHL exact models stay outside purchase recommendations because their model-specific CPSC status has not been established. STIHL also says they are unavailable for purchase or delivery in California, and the current listings mark online availability out of stock. Those constraints are not the same as an absence from the product catalogue: the exact models remain useful technical references, but they should not be ranked as available buys. The better first decision is whether the task needs gasoline, Easy2Start, longer backpack carrying, or actual leaf collection. Once that is clear, compare exact package contents and the source basis behind each number.