I am changing the subject a little. Before you going and spend $350 or so on a BP, have your wife go and try put one on first. Make sure BP is what she want. I found bp hard to put on, it is like 20lb back pack with a big tail!!! If you have a big area to blow, bp is the way to go because after struggle to put it on, it is very comfortable to work for hour at a time. If you only doing a few minutes, then she better try and see whether that's the way to go.

I have both. I am a gear head!!! I insist on buying a big bp. Now I end up using the bp during leaf season and put in storage mode for the rest of the year. All the other time, I still use my hand held. bp is not the easiest to put onto the back even for a man. And it is so easy to pull the hand held to do a 10 minutes job.

If your hand held is still working, consider getting another hand held and play dual pistol!!!! Don't laugh!!! So many times I have to switch hands with the hand held because, it blows left if you hold with your right hand, blow right if you hold with the left. I really wish I have two, one in each hand to blow a wide, straight path!!! Down side is your hands can get really tired if you have to blow over 10 minutes.

Hand held are stronger if it is the same size engine. Your hand held must be about 300cfm at the tube. All you need is another good one like Echo PB251 or the Husqvarna 125, you get over 600 cfm combined. That is as strong as a big bp, much stronger than the BR380/420 which is only about 400cfm. Both hand held are about $160 or so.

Again, go put one on her back and see how she feel, that is the most important thing bar none. Happy wife make a happy husband!!!

Thanks... I appreciate the advice.
But it's her birthday present... and it was already too late when I checked this message thread.

I'll have to build her a rack to hang it on so she
can shrug it on to use it. The idea will be that
she'll start it, lift it to the rack, slide into the
straps, and off she goes.

I know the handheld would be too heavy for her arm...
she has trouble with the Ryobli weed trimmer we have.
I didn't consider a shoulder strao for the leaf blower
like the one she uses on the weed trimmer... but I think
she'll get used to the 20 lbs that the blower weighs
(she has gone backpacking before).

We have a pretty big area to blow off, so hopefully
it will be worth the extra effort.

I got it for $207 with shipping, so it wasn't a bad deal.
Not sure if it's the BR380 or BR420... I think it's the 420.
Here are pictures from the eBay auction:
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No doubt this is one of the best tried and true blower. It is a very good price. I am sure after she put it on, she'll love it.

Go to the Stihl website to look at the picture to see whether you can tell it's a 380 or 420 if you are still interested.

I'll look more closely at the Stihl pictures...
I went there and downloaded the users manual for both models (probably almost identical instructions).

Maybe I can make a custom logo to go where the model
number label was... It'll say "Monica"

I have one last question to you.......Is this a present for you wife......or for you..........Better yet.....BOTH!!!

Anyway, either one is a very good choice. I was looking at BR380 before also because of the reputation. I went with the Maruyama BL8100 because it is only 20 lbs and is 64cc with 720cfm at the tube and 200mph.......I like POWER!!!!.........

She wanted a leaf blower (as big as our neighbor's) or a tile saw or a laptop...
I thought about surprising her with a dirtbike (our son just got his first dirtbike,
I have a dualsport, so eventually she'll need something to ride if we start going riding as a family)

Dangerous.....dirtbike!!! I like motor sport and I am getting too old. So lawn equipments it is!!!BTW I have no interest in cars.

It has the big tubes, so it should be BR420.