Went out and bought the new blower this morning before I started, put to work immediately.
I ended up getting a small discount, every bit counts right? The first thing I noticed using this machine was how Husqvarna have a better anti-vibration system. The Stihl is great is this regard but this is a step beyond. The engine doesn't seem to rev as hard as the Stihl but I don't believe it wants for power. With the fan tip attached (as pictured) it also seems to have more better sense of finesse when trying to get corners clean. That last point is hard to explain, I guess there is a certain technique to using a blower so as to not be just chasing debris around, but rather controlling the flow of air so as to be quick and efficient. The Husqvarna seems a tad better at this.
After using the same basic blower design for the last 19 odd years, moving on to a different brand and model is going to take some time to adjust. I know the BG series Stihl basically inside out so I guess there is going to be some learning to be done on how to maintain them and adjust to their differences. For example, I kept thumping down to turn the thing off, like I always have, when the kill switch is mounted on the top of the handle.
Anyway, fun and games.