California Water Blade?

[imported_NHBFAN]

Do you/would you use a CWB?[list=1]
[*]Yes, it`s a very effective timesaver
[*]No, I`d never drag that thing across my pristine finish
[*]Don`t know, never tried one
[/list=1]

[CRXSi90]

I voted yes. There is one at work [I`m a dealership wash boy :p] and it saves the most time on cars that don`t bead water. Ya know, the kind where the water just kinda clings to the surface... I would buy one and use it on my car, but I don`t feel that it`d be really useful for me...my car always beads or sheets. Either way [beading/sheeting], you can use the high-volume, low-pressure method by taking the nozzle of your hose and the water will come off in sheets. Beware, you`ll get your feet wet, though!



I think for those on Autopia, it wouldn`t be a useful tool.

[imported_NHBFAN]

Thanks for your reply, CRXSi90



I did a search on CWB and it seemed to me (to my amazement) that most autopians who used the CWB like it.



I recently bought one and like it, but think it has limitations. You shouldn`t expect to completely dry your car with one, but it does a good job of expelling a lot of water fast which is important to apt dwellers like myself who can`t always wash/dry in the shade.

[andriver]

My CWB is a time saver when it come to drying my SUV. I am able to use one WW instead of two when drying. I have been using mine for two years.

[Glossequation]

This is a wonderful tool that I have been using for the last 2 years on all my vehicles, including my garage kept black Cobra...I have recently found that going over just the major panels and windows with the CWB, then running the leafblower on the rest and finishing with a 100% cotton towel has given me great results in a fraction of the time it used to take when starting the whole process with a towel or chamois...



:up to the CWB

[stevet]

I use the CWB for windows only. I hate the sound it makes dragging along the paint. It also didn`t save me any time compared to taking the nozzle off the hose and sheeting the water off the car and drying with a WW MF.

[Kleanride]

I put `yes`, but in actualality, I just got a CWB for Christmas and haven`t had a chance to use it. I will probably only use it on my 1992 Civic, and continue using the Water Bandit on the 2001 Civic...

[chris0626]

I finally had a chance to try the CWB at the Autopians GTG in St. Louis last fall. Like stevet I HATED the sound it made! More importantly (to me), it just didn`t save me any time. Maybe if I were working on a vehicle with all straight lines, it would help; but with all the curves and contours on my Benz, it just didn`t do much to speed my drying. Give me my hose-sheeting followed by waffle-weave any day! :up

[madazskunk]

I got one with the autopia wash package I just bought but I don`t think I`ll use it on my black trailblazer(I QEW anyways)but I might try it on someone else`s car

[6cyl's_of_fury]

For ease of removal of water from major panels (ie bonnet, roof boot) I find the CWB awesome. For those worried about dragging dirt along their paint and scratching it, I would be more concerned that I didnt wash it right in the first place. That seems to be the biggest "neg" for ppl and the CWB.

[togwt]

~One man’s opinion / observations~



I use the CWB for glass surfaces only, to dry I’d adjust an Ultimate Nozzle to ‘sheet’ the water off the car and dry with a WW MF and a Metropolitan Vac ‘n blow.







~Hope this helps~





Experience unshared; is knowledge wasted…/



justadumbarchitect * so i question everything*

[Accumulator]

I voted "yes", *BUT*, well, there is a "But..." I DO NOT use it on anything except the glass on my "good" cars. Just not gonna take a chance on some unseen contaminant marring the finish (I do my best to *ONLY* blot those cars, no wiping- what a pain, BTW).





I`m as careful as can be with the CWB, and as far as I can I`ve only inflicted very minor, and *VERY* infrequent marring with the it. Even that marring could`ve come from something else, so who knows. For me, especially on vehicles like the minivan, the time savings are usually worth the risk, but it`s always gonna be that trade-off. If you wipe (CWB, WW, anything), you risk marring more than if you blot.

[imported_Terry]

Originally posted by 6cyl`s_of_fury

For ease of removal of water from major panels (ie bonnet, roof boot) I find the CWB awesome. For those worried about dragging dirt along their paint and scratching it, I would be more concerned that I didnt wash it right in the first place. That seems to be the biggest "neg" for ppl and the CWB.

Yep, My vehicles are always washed properly.....I`ve been using CWB`s for 2 yrs followed by a leaf blower....it`s been great for me too. :up

[esbrown]

Yep! Not a fan of the sound it makes, but a BIG fan of the blade. Only used for about 3-4 months but I have had no problems. It cuts my drying time in half, but I do have a sliverado which dosen`t have a lot of curves so it`s pretty easy for me to use it over the entire body. Great tool!



Eric

[Horseman2475]

Only on my glass!