Suggestions for What to Use for Blow Drying Vehicles after a 2-Bucket Wash

[JSFM35X]

Master blaster dual motor 8hp

[Silly Rabbit]

Silly Rabbit:
Thanks for getting back with model number of your EGO leaf blower. The 650 model is the one I am considering because of its good reviews (best value in a EGO blower) and the fact it is on sale now at Ace hardware for about $250 for a base unit. The short, stubby air extension with a foam rubber banded end for scratch protection that seems to be designed expressly for drying/blowing off cars and would replace the longer OEM leaf-blowing extension is NOT included. I have no idea what that would cost. For me, it this EGO leaf-blower sounds like a logical choice. BUT my fiscally-responsible other half is not "exactly" enamored with this leaf-blower choice and she has "250" good reasons for not allowing this purchase. Some how this leaf blower purchase process is like the Federal House and Senate Democrats and Republican representatives trying hash out an agreement to have a Federal budget so the government (IE, my vehicle washing) can be funded and operate . (don`t tell her I said that that!! Yes, I can imagine a lot of you "other half personal relationship of either-sex" (politically correct about personal relationships these days) Autopians can relate to this on several fronts concerning items you wish to purchase)

As far as the water-dribble sheeting thing to get more of the water off the vehicle before towel drying it, no, that sounds like too much work and effort; Run to the outside wall spigot (shut-off hose bib valve), turn it off, run BACK to the hose by the vehicle, detach the spray nozzle from the male hose bib, run BACK to the spigot, turn it on, run BACK to the vehicle and pick up the hose and douse off the entire vehicle SLOWLY with water, run BACK to the spigot and turn off the water, run BACK to the hose and reattach the spray nozzle, run BACK to the spigot, turn it on, because I am going to use the spray nozzle to clean out the wash media later. Somewhere in this "process" I probably should have purchased a shut-off fitting to attach to the male hose fitting to take the place of the spray nozzle to control the amount of water trickling over the vehicle as needed, No it ain`t gonna happen. I get tired just typing out the sequential steps in this water-trickle rinsing process, let alone actually DOING this. I must be getting old(er)! (ANOTHER title for Captain Obvious: Cranky Senior Citizen)

I will say the Blowerband end piece is a worthwhile piece if your using it for car detailing. I have had the tip touch here and there while drying, so it was nice having the tip on the end. Accidents happen, nice to have a buffer between those accidents. Up here they are $19 CDN and around $50 CDN for the stubby. I like them, make the Ego that much nicer for drying a vehicle.

[Accumulator]

NO, I do not have an electric air compressor and tank assembly in my garage, so an Air Wand or similar device using such compressed air power is not in the offing..

Note that the AirWand (which I use at every wash) connects to a leaf blower, not a compressor.

[Older]

I use my Greenworks 80V blower on the car. I, too, have a stubby nozzle with the blower band. Worth every penny. I use my old Sidekick for when I do the engine compartments.

[Lonnie]

Older:
The Greenworks came from Costco, did it not?
Looks great and based on the 80V, I bet it moves the excess water from a vehicle after the final rinse with the spray nozzle.
But at $230 it is slightly out my detailing budget, according to my detailing financial advisor.

[Sizzle Chest]

Another vote for the EGO...

[Older]

Older:
The Greenworks came from Costco, did it not?
Looks great and based on the 80V, I bet it moves the excess water from a vehicle after the final rinse with the spray nozzle.
But at $230 it is slightly out my detailing budget, according to my detailing financial advisor.

I got it on sale last year. I think it was $169.00 with the battery and charger.

[Coatings=crack]

EGO 765 Blower, with the shorty nozzle listed below. It has a soft rubber tip so no accidents. This nozzle will let you get up close and personal. I`ve loved mine.

I realize this is a pretty expensive recommendation. That said, if one has a yard or garage or has other need for a blower, this is almost a no-brainer. They just don`t get much more powerful than this in a cordless. I`m sure the other less powerful EGO blowers would also work but hey if you`re going to move some air...

Attachment 38127

Attachment 38128

Amazon.com

What stubby is that?

Nevermind saw the link.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Lonnie]

Leaf Blower purchase update (FINALLY):
Well I have made my decision for a new leaf blower for drying vehicles after a two-bucket wash: I went back to the electric-corded Toro Ultra Leaf Blower-&-Vacuum Model No. 51619. But there`s more to this decision and it`s kinda "convoluted" (read on).

I bought a NEW Toro Ultra Leaf Blower-&-Vacuum Model No. 51619 at Menard`s (Midwest building supply store) to replace the one that had died. Then I went to Mill`s Fleet-Farm (another Midwest farm and building supply store, not to be confused with Blaine`s Farm-&-Fleet) and found a Worx WG583 (the new model is WG585) 40V NITRO leaf blower as a display model one sale for half price and about $50 more than the Toro I just bought. PERFECT!!!! I already had two 20V batteries for it from a Worx string trimmer, so if it only came with just the leaf blower and no batteries, great, I had the batteries to fit it. SO return the Toro, bring in my Worx batteries from home, back to Fleet Farm to try out the WG583 leaf blower to see if it fit and worked with those batteries. It did, as I tested it in-store. So make the purchase and lo and behold, the display came WITH two 20V-4 amp(h) batteries and charger and user manual, but no container box like a new model. NOW I am set and a happy detailing camper, ready to go back ans wash-and-dry with my new tool that I thought was PERFECT for drying after a two-bucket wash. Two features that I REALLY liked about the Worx WG583 was it`s really light by weight (about 6.5 pounds with the two batteries) AND it has an adjustable sliding nozzle that allows the choice between air volume (longer) OR air speed (Shorter). PERFECT, I thought for drying vehicles. UNTIL I used it for leaf blowing. The air flow power switch as three setting and a TURBO switch when a lot of air is required. Trouble is at is MAX setting (3) it required the use of the TURBO switch to move leaves, even when they are dry and there are a few of them. AND it only ran for 12 minutes on a FULL charge of the batteries. I got about 3/4 of my small lawn done to move the meager fall leaves that had fallen on my yard. THIS AIN`T GONNA WORK! Yes, I said my leaf blower is mainly used for vehicle wash drying, BUT when I do want to use it for leaves, like blowing out the roof eaves of leaves in them or from the lawn, this in NOT the tool to be using for that task. Now the "simple solution" is to switch out the batteries and keep working. BUT the short run time of 12-13 minutes is not my idea of a good work time. I hate having to switch out batteries in the middle of a job, especially on a ladder or standing on the roof blowing out leaves in the eaves. Yes it ONCE to dry a vehicle a washed, my wife`s Ford Taurus. Same experience. By the time I got to drying the 4 wheel after washing and drying the body ( I do that first, including towel drying, then the four wheels and wells), it was starting to slow down, out of power. THIS AIN`T GONNA WORK, EITHER! so what I thought was a "perfect tool" for drying vehicles, is not for me. Again I know I could swap out the batteries and continue working, but WHY?! Now some of you think I am lazy or I just do not understand how cordless tools "work", but having to swap batteries to continue working after a short usage time just is not acceptable to me.
SO, return the Worx leaf blower to Fleet-Farm, and go back to Menard`s to buy the Toro leaf blower I had just returned days earlier, hoping it was still there. It was, although "hidden" on the shelf with the shelf stock price sticker now attached to box, as if it was not going to be re-stocked! Who buys cored electrical leaf-blowers these days anyway?
SOOOO, it`s back to the same-old-same old; my familiar corded Toro vacuum-&-blower for drying vehicles and blowing leaves. I will probably never use the vacuum part of it for sucking up leaves and grass. I did that once and then used it to dry a vehicle. BIG MISTAKE! The left-over leaf debris that was cut up by the blower blades inside the housing blew onto my car, so I learned from that experience.

I also bought a new electrical extension cord at Menard`s since my old extension cord had been shorted out when I used an even older dying/dead Toro blower (same model. I just do not throw things away, thinking I will fix them some day, or scavenge the parts from it) as it was dying trying to finish drying my car. I bought a new Smart Electrician 50 foot, 12 Gauge wire with a yellow jacket extension cord, model 370-0571, that has a unique LOCKING female connector end. PERFECT for when I plug in and use my Porter-Cable Dual-Action polisher. Now it will not come apart and loose power as I move around, nor do I have to painter`s tape the connection together or tie the two cords together to prevent this "unplugging" from happening. I have used it with said PC-DA and it works very well. I highly recommend this extension cord for such a use as I have told here. The nice design feature is you do not have to use the sliding lock tab/switch if you do not want to. Not sure how long it will last as it slides forward to the lock position and back to unlock it, but it works for me and overcomes one of my personal pet-peave complaints/problems with electrical extension cords: having the male connector from an electrical tool come unplugged from the female connector on the cord.

Thanks to all of you Autopians for your suggestions and experiences on leaf blowers for drying vehicles. Maybe the newer, updated Worx WG585 NITRO blower is better than what I bought and if you are used to short work times of battery-powered tools, it might just be the perfect leaf blower for you for drying washed and rinsed vehicles. I thought I got a deal at my purchase of a display model at half price and I did! It`s just that its shortcoming of a too short of a run/work time (in my opinion) did not overcome the purchase price. And as stated above, check out the Smart Electrician extension cord: it might just be the ideal cord you are looking for with use of your cored polishers or other electrical tools.

[GearHead_1]

I have very limited experience with WORX products, read as exactly one experience. I bought one of their electric cardboard/box cutters. It was a joke from the minute I got it out of the box. It simply would not cut the average cardboard box. I shipped it back within a matter of days. Their other products may be just fine but this one was not.