Opinions on drying with a leaf blower?

WilliamHBonney said:
Can you please post a link to the air wand.
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Sorry, I missed this... :o



"Thank you!" to cshorey for finding the link. That's the one I have.



cshorey- I have a few issues with the AirWand (e.g., *TERRIBLE* build-quality- expect to spend a while smoothing over the sharp edges where the two halves of the thing are poorly aligned before being glued together), but I do like it a *LOT* better than other forms of forced-air drying that I've tried.





I'd expected it to be another gadget that I'd play with and then write off, but I use it all the time and *really* like the thing. But like the foamgun, I didn't get the hang of using it for the first few (or the first few dozen!) times, there's a definite knack that comes with experience.



Don't bump the paint with it (well "duh", huh?), that "felt" stuff along the outlet edge isn't something you want to touch your paint with ;)



Holding your free hand over half of the air outlet makes for a more concentrated flow, good for blowing out side-view mirror housings/etc.
 
Accumulator said:
.............I have a few issues with the AirWand (e.g., *TERRIBLE* build-quality- expect to spend a while smoothing over the sharp edges where the two halves of the thing are poorly aligned before being glued together), but I do like it a *LOT* better than other forms of forced-air drying that I've tried...............
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Accumulator, I can't remember, did you buy the whole kit or just the wand itself and adapt it to an existing leaf blower?



I started to buy one a couple of years back until their web-site set off all kind of alerts with my McAfee at the time. This might be a good item on my Christmas list...... then again maybe not, I get funny enough looks when I open detailing stuff that come from one of my lists.
 
Just like here, search engines are the way to find things ;)



Oh and Accumulator I am glad to help :)



I ended up picking up a cheap toro leaf blower with some leftover gift card money, so I was thinking of getting this attachment. I djust need to verify it will fit. I probably won't bother picking it up until the spring though, but thanks for the warning on the quality.



chris
 
Count me in as a leaf blower fan. Touchless wash start to finish if I'm washing conventionally. Otherwise ONR and some weird spongy thing I picked up at Home Depot. Don't know why I bought it, it was just some momentary stroke of genius I had.
 
Mach32V305 said:
Black and Decker offers an 18V battery operated leaf blower. It is light weight and you do not need to drag electrical cords through the water. For those of us living in a drought stricken area and cannot wash cars at our homes you can take the B&D blower to the car wash and blow the water off when you are through. The 18V B&D blower is not as powerful as a plug in or gas powered however it is a good option.
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Mach32V305,



Would you know how long the charge lasts on the B&D leaf blower? Thinking of getting one myself. Thanks in advance. :waxing:
 
Setec Astronomy said:
Do you have some ancillary filtration, or are you just referring to the HVAC filtration?
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Heh heh, no way I'd rely on just the HVAC's filter ;) I have a few free-standing HEPA units that I used to use in the house (allergies + dogs + cat + dust mites = :rolleyes: ). They don't keep things operating-room clean, but it sure isn't bad for a garage/shop. Clean enough that I no longer bother covering stuff like the Jag/RX-7.



Eliot Ness said:
Accumulator, I can't remember, did you buy the whole kit or just the wand itself and adapt it to an existing leaf blower?



I started to buy one a couple of years back until their web-site set off all kind of alerts with my McAfee at the time...
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I remembered your warning about the AirWand website, and I haven't been linking people to it, just throwing out the name.



I got the whole kit, as I didn't have an electric leafblower and wouldn't want to use any of my gas-powered ones for this.
 
Accumulator said:
I remembered your warning about the AirWand website, and I haven't been linking people to it, just throwing out the name.



I got the whole kit, as I didn't have an electric leafblower and wouldn't want to use any of my gas-powered ones for this.[/COLOR]
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I e-mailed them about back then and it looks like they've cleaned it up, or at least I don't get warnings anymore. Their site also looks a bit different now than it did, at least from what I can remember.



I appreciate the info, I have a spare electric blower, but the connector looks different so I guess I'll order the whole kit if I decide to try that out. I almost hate to mess with it since I finally found my dream towel for blot drying: The Danase Extremely Large Water Devourer. Those combined with a small version of a leaf blower, The Cycle Dry, seems to handle all the nooks, crannies, wheels, etc. pretty well:



cycle dry



There's also a cheaper version someone else pointed out that looks like the same thing:



Lawn and Garden Gear



What I like about it is the small size and rubber nozzle..... it's another one of those things that I would definitely buy again.
 
Grimm said:
Yeah I like using the leaf blower as well. I don't take the time to get it dry though because it's an exercise in futility, and I don't want to risk hitting the paint since it gets heavy after a while. I just make some quick passes to get the majority of the water, and to blow it out of the mirrors and such and then dry with a WW. Getting the water out of the crevices is about 75% of my reason for using it. I can't stand it every time I wash my car, when I move it water pours out of the gas filler area and the mirrors. The leaf blower eliminates that issue. The other 25% is that getting rid of the majority of the water makes it easier to dry.
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Exactly! :werd:
 
I modified my Ryobi cordless leaf blower with a shop vac type rubber attachment so that I didn't have to worry about accidentally scratching anything. The attachment being shorter than the leaf blower wand makes it easier to control and direct at tight spots. Works great, quiet (neighbors!), battery lasts plenty too. Use it also as a touchless duster ...here's the attachment...
 

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asucar said:
I modified my Ryobi cordless leaf blower with a shop vac type rubber attachment...here's the attachment...
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Welcome to Autopia! That's a cool gizmo you added to your blower, good thinking :xyxthumbs
 
Code: 
I Just started using a leaf blower myself and It works great. Especially for drying my Chrome Wheels! Gets the water out of the Lug holes as well as out from the drum where water pools





I do the same . Works like a gem .:2thumbs:
 
Well, this is all been helpful, but I’ve a procedure that’s more about my personal Long-Term-Detail Drying Method ... than just how we all dry cars.

My steps as follows:

1. For the final rinse I use ‘Spotless Water Systems’ (which will take out all the impurities in the water), thoroughly flushing any areas where water pools like mirrors, cowl/wiper area, hood & deck lid channels, wheel arches, etc.

2. While still wet, it’s a quick run up and down the block with two hard stomps on the brake peddle. REASON: It’ get’s the trapped filthy water out of the brake rotors and burnishes the rotors dry so they don’t flash over with rust. Since everything is still wet, it contains ‘most’ of the contaminants against the inner rim and it’s easy to wipe out. If I did this later, when dry, all these particles become a harder mess to clean up and end up ‘dusting’ the rims immediately.

3. After wiping out the rims, I’ll use the air compressor (with in-line water, oil & air filter) to blow out nooks & crannies. Before that I used what “Asucar� used, the Shop-Vac hose reducer, but pulled the motor from the canister to prevent dust blow-back and made sure the ‘fine-dust filter’ was on it. And before that, I used only an electric leaf blower. I suggest no one use the gas blowers, as all the gas ones are two stroke, which means they’re burning oil/gas mix, which also means that oil is atomized around your car(s) and will settle on them and leave those little oil pin-dots. (Some of you are smiling as you know just what I’m talking about. Those same dots are on your car after the landscapers come, weed-wack and blow off your driveways.)

4. A final wipe down with the plushest Micro-Fiber WW towel I have.

5. And if needed a quick detail finisher.



I found this method best for the longest lasting results. I know ... I know ... I’m insane, but I can’t see all that work into the cleaning, only to go 5 blocks for dinner a couple hours later and see all the brake-dust and brake-rotor-flash-rust has dusted the rims. My way allows for the cleanest wheels no matter how much later you or your customer go use the car.

It’s just a way to do it, and as I said (jokingly) in other posts ... I like my OCD and I won’t take my med’s :)
 
bBasso- I have a Sears Wet/Dry vac in the shop, and IMO it's not *nearly* as convenient as the shoulder-strap mounted leaf blower that's hooked to my AirWand.



Saintlysins- I take some pretty extreme (but different) measures to clean/dry the brakes and avoid that fresh-rust-on-wheels/calipers issue too, but no way am I gonna drive around the block and then touch the paint. I've done that before, but got away from it after I got....uhm...Autopia-ized with regard to micromarring :chuckle:



That final drying sure can take a while...I spent nearly an *hour* drying the S8 the other day...but then I was doing *everything*, even drying the undercarriage and the areas behind the front fenders that're only accessible with the doors partially opened. On the other drivers, I usually just let the undercarriage drip-dry :o
 
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