Drying car?

before the car it is a little overkill since all that comes off with air will no doubt fall off with the pre-rinse...

 

debating between the master blaster (which seems a favorite here) and an air compressor. if the latter, any recommendations on a good model? A>

 

you need something in the 60 gallon range with 150PSI or more...not cheap!

You will drain the tank very fast with wide open nozzle. Compressor is good for some things like dusting or quick cleaning, but for drying a whole car, a master blaster will be better and faster IMO

 

Unless you have a HUGE tank, I don't think a compressor will be an alternative to the Master Blaster or leaf blower. A compressor is great for drying small areas and a million other things, but I'd be surprised to see one work for a whole car.

I've used a leaf blower and find that it moves the water around but it doesn't really dry it. I don't know if the Master Blaster is better about actually drying the car.

One other alternative is to use the Mr. Clean Spotless system. You don't need to use all the products, just use it for final rinse is my understanding. It's discontinued now, but can still be found if you look. I was inspired to order one after I washed my car in a light rain and I was amazed how much better it came out when rinsed with rain water. I still dried the car after it was rinsed with rain water, but it came out looking a lot cleaner than when I just use tap water for rinsing. Supposedly, you don't have to dry it if you the Mr. Clean system, but I don't think I'd do that.

 

I used my leaf blower to dry the car for the first time a few weeks ago after I realized I had no clean wipes. Was very happy with the results, although the neighbors weren't too crazy about the extended period of noise, but that's ok... I didn't mind. Today I find this thread and I'll look into the MB now!

 

so i ended up going to home depot and found the rigid (brand-name) wx16800 shop vac with detachable leaf blower. very happy with it. on the shop vac side, i didn't realize the value of having one until i bought it. nice tool to have independently of the car drying aspect.

on the leaf blowing side, it does a fantastic job removing 99% of the water. i still use a microfiber towel for the finishing touch, but it is a lot easier than my old (microfiber towel only) method.

if choosing, i think it is important to distinguish CORDLESS leaf blowers with understandably lower power (even the 40 volt) and a CORDED leaf blower such as the rigid brand product. i don't have experience with the master blaster but i would be surprised if the result was much better than i'm getting with my (corded) leaf blower.

 

I've tested both a leaf blower and the Master Blaster -- much prefer the MB. The air comes out of a much smaller nozzle, and so easier to direct. The air is also filtered, so less chance of blowing a tiny pebble at the paint. Also have a Master Blaster series vacuum that I really like. If you want to get these, Amazon Subscribe and Save had the best price when I was looking (not quite sure why you'd need a new vacuum shipped automatically every few months - so just subscribe and then cancel).

The Spotless car rinse stuff is also amazing - I use city water for washing, and a quick rinse, then rerinse with the Spotless deionized water - rolls right off, no hard water spots, etc.
If you mange to find them, Costco has the best deal - roughly the same price as elsewhere, but comes with a refill of the resin.

I really enjoy washing / detailing - take her out on a Sunday morning, have NPR on the radio and a cold beverage. At the end you have a clean car and a feeling of having accomplished something.

 

Auto Anything dot com has a 15% sale off of the MBs right now. Just ordered the 4hp version myself.

 

No question: Circuiteer II Electric Cleaner (Showing Grooming - Equipment - Blowers)

With 2 motors, it's gentle enough to use on the interior but tough enough for the exterior.

 

A friend of mine built me a filtered portable water system with a hose connection. He tested it out and said no marks after rinsing. Going to try it out and see what happens. Maybe no needs to wipe at all.

 

Not to put other products down but that unit is designed to dry animals without harm thus the 1hp motors. The MB has two 4hp motors and designed for drying autos. I think you would be disappointed with the above unit for drying a car. The cost is comparable as well. I have had my MB for four years and after doing all of the other techniques mentioned in this thread before the MB I would never go back.

 

This thread seems to be broken into posts by two distinct groups -- those who have used a MB and love it, and everyone else, who don't understand the fuss -- after all, it just makes lots of wind...

 

Well, I bought one a few weeks ago after reading this thread. I'm convinced. Works as well as attested to in this thread. No spots, no streaking, no risk of swirls. I don't think it's any faster than microfiber towel drying, but it's better for the finish.

It is pretty noisy, though.

 

^ how do you think it would compare to a leaf blower? Curious if it would make sense for me to buy one.

 

I've never used a leaf blower on a car. It does have a filter so that the stream of air is free of particles.

Maybe someone who has used both could chime in.

 

I have used a leaf blower but not the Master Blaster. My complaint about the leaf blower is the form factor (it is very clumsy to move around a car surface). My other complaint is that, although it puts out LOTS of air on the high setting, it seems to mostly move water around rather than dry it -- it helps get rid of a lot of water, but it doesn't fully dry it.

The form factor of the leaf blower is so clumsy for using on a car that I never use it, so I just ordered this thing from Griot's: Airstream Drying Gun - Drying - Car Care - Griot's Garage. It's only 1.3 hp, so pretty weak in comparison to the Master Blaster, but reviews seem to be pretty good. I'll report back once I receive it and try it out.

 

Yup, I have one of those as well - AFAIK, that is a rebadged Master Blaster SideKick SK-1 https://www.metrovacworld.com/Blaster_SideKick_SK-1/overview.

It also works really well - it will take somewhat more time than a full size Master Blaster, but is much smaller (and so easier to store), and much more maneuverable. It has a smaller nozzle (the pointy one), and so makes a louder whistling noise. I have a pair of those expanding foam earplugs that I keep in a ziplock baggie squished into the nozzle - that way I always have them handy when I use the sidekick (if I didn't, I'd be too lazy to go into the house and find them) - it really gets loud, especially blowing water out from around the lugnuts for some reason. Earplugs are a definite must...

 

Glad to hear that it's a rebadged Master Blaster as I assume that means the quality is good. Bad news for my neighbors about the sound. I have a headset with expanding foam earplugs lingering from my old Craftsman 8hp shop vac (that thing was so loud that I had to get rid of it).

 

I used to use a leaf blower and it is much more cumbersome than the master blaster. Plus the master blaster has a more appropriate nozzle type discharge for the (warmed, filtered) air which enhances control over the leaf blower. Plus since the MB sits on the ground and rolls around, you can use the nozzle anywhere you like, without having to lift something heavy. I use my MB to dry the interior of the engine compartment as well, not really possible with a leaf blower.

Sure, these two devices are comparable in that they both blow air. But, there's really no comparison in the context of drying a car. The MB is the clear winner for ease of use and enhanced capabilities. That said, I would never use it to clear away leaves and grass clippings around my home, it's not appropriate for that.

I always use eye and ear protection with the MB. It is very loud, so best not to take a chance. I'll never go back to drying my cars any other way.

 

I received the Griot's drying gun. It will probably be a while before I have a chance to try it on a car, but I did plug it in and run it a bit. So far I'm very impressed with it.

It's much smaller than I expected -- it's about 9" tall and 5" diameter and feels quite light in the hand. It also puts out a lot of air for its size and it is quite a bit quieter than I expected. It's louder than a hair dryer, but not not significantly louder. It is definitely quieter than my old leaf blower. According to the specs, it doesn't have a built-in heater, but the air comes out warm (probably because the fans are so close to the motor).

I rarely pulled out my old leaf blower because it was so difficult to handle and the cool air seemed to just move water around rather than dry it. I expect I will use this new one all the time.

 

A micro-fiber waffle weave drying towel works great.

 

You bet - that's what I use

 

Lick it ?

 

Leaf blower plus microfiber to finish. If I do a quick wash I use leaf blower only. The master blaster sounds great.

 

Leaf blower plus chamois or now microfiber to finish. Best part was electric leaf blower was free from former condo owner. I use ear plugs now because you hold it up by your head sometimes. I got a touch of hearing loss in my right ear from that after only a few uses. Still works great and swirls are way down to none on both cars. I've done more damage using tar remover or rubbing compound on my Fcar. Luckily that buffs back out. Also, it's paving season so beware! A couple stretches on the parkways around Boston a chewed up. Have one small stone chip to touch up on drivers rear wheel bumper seam