Air Compresser Vs Leafblower

I

imported_liam

New member
I have done multiple searches on Leafblower, and found many good threads, however, none of these treads seem to mention the possiblity of using a air compressor as an alternative?



i would think that an air compresser would be the better option because:

A) the nozzle is much smaller and can get into small cracks and crevices

b) can generate Huge amounts of air pressure (think around 180PSI for a good oe)

C) are pretty cheap

D) and can be used to power air tools like drills, sanders, and maybe even a rotary.



what do we all think?
 
I have a small air compressor and find it useful for some things - drying my car isn't one of them. I use a Toro 215 mph leaf blower for drying.



An air compressor uses provides high pressure, low volume air. A leaf blower provides the opposite. The Toro provides 270 CFM of air flow while a decent size air compressor only provides about 5-7 CFM of air flow.



Also, my little compressor will only blow air full blast for about 30 seconds and then it starts dying. You'll need a very large tank on your air compressor to do much good.



So, to get an air compressor that is powerful enough and with a large enough air tank, it will be stationary and fairly expensive - as in several hundred dollars.



My little Toro leaf blower cost $60 at Lowes. It's also very handy to quickly blow off my driveway when I don't want to drag out my gas blower.



I think they are both very useful, but not for the same things.



BTW, if you get a leaf blower, don't forget hearing protection. I got a small headset type that look like these for about $6.00 (at Home Depot, I think):



http://www.storesonline.com/site/606795/product/SS-HP350-1001



I keep them on a small hook just below my leaf blower. They work great.



Good luck with your choice.



Regards,



Dan.
 
I use a Toro 215 mph leaf blower for drying.
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I have the 195 mph version. Its awesome !!!! Exactly what I need to dry the car with. Follow up with a Pakshak Waffle Weave and I am ready to go.
 
I'll simply second BookemDano's comment. I have both. The Toro is really quite a tool!



OTH, the compressor is invaluable for interior blowing; the Toro is sorta 'overkill' on the interior...



Jim
 
I wouldnt dare put an air compressor nozzle in a crack. If you use it that close to paint you will blow paint off the car.
 
Jimmy Buffit said:


OTH, the compressor is invaluable for interior blowing; the Toro is sorta 'overkill' on the interior...



Jim
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I did the leaf blower on the interior last weekend. I do bad things in my car & man, did that blow out the ashes from under the seats! Made a mess of the rest of the interior though. When I was doing it, kinda had that 'snow-globe' look going on inside.
 
eShine said:
I wouldnt dare put an air compressor nozzle in a crack. If you use it that close to paint you will blow paint off the car.
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You can adjust the air pressure down to a reasonable pressure to blow out an enclosed area. The blower attachment for an air compressor doesn't put out a whole lot of air and the diffuser that is on the nozzle most likely wouldn't allow a concentrated enough stream to blow paint off the car anyway. You'd have to have the pressure turned up absurdly high.



Also remember that air pressure and volume are not the same thing. The volume of air that comes out of one of those nozzles doesn't even come close to what a $25 leaf blower will produce.



Air compressors are handy to have though. If you do buy one make sure it's oil less.

If you don't use an oil less compressor it will put atomized oil into the air stream and make a mess all over your paint. I have an oil less 5hp 20 gallon and I use it to get air out of the rocker panels, body molding, and door handles. I still hand dry the car before chasing any water out of cracks and crevices.
 
Don't use a compressor far too much of a chance to 'blast' the finish with the associated stuff that CAN be in the tank, ie, manufacturing debris, rust, really disgusting stagnant water (remember Legioneers (sp?) disease??
 
RJJ said:
Don't use a compressor far too much of a chance to 'blast' the finish with the associated stuff that CAN be in the tank, ie, manufacturing debris, rust, really disgusting stagnant water (remember Legioneers (sp?) disease??
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~One manâ€â„¢s opinion / observations~



A compressed air outlet should use an oil/water filter on the line before the outlet.



Water has to be very stagnant to cause Legionnaires disease and that same air has to be introduced into your respiratory system (i.e. breathing the air from an HVAC system that has stagnent water in the condenser drip tray)



~Hope this helps~



Knowledge unshared is experience wasted [each one / teach one]

justadumbarchitect / so I question everything/ JonM
 
eShine said:
I wouldnt dare put an air compressor nozzle in a crack. If you use it that close to paint you will blow paint off the car.
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Not if you use common sense. I've been doing this since I was a kid in the early '70s and I've never had a problem. But you do need to use common sense around trim, etc.





Originally posted by RJJ

Don't use a compressor far too much of a chance to 'blast' the finish with the associated stuff that CAN be in the tank, ie, manufacturing debris, rust, really disgusting stagnant water..
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As ToGWT said, a good setup will have filters and draining the tank is part of routine maintenance. I have filters both at the tank and at the hose hookups and I check/change them often. No problems.



I'm not sure how you'd filter the output from a leaf blower. Using a dedicated on for the car is one thing, but the ones I use in the yard aren't getting anywhere near my vehicles. The blower would be better for drying than the compressor though. I use the compressor to get most of the water off the S8 (in addition to using it in the nooks and crannies) and it's not perfect by any means. And yeah, a good (think suitable for a commercial shop) compressor setup isn't cheap. Handy though, especially if you have some air tools.



Don't mean to slam the people cautioning about the compressors...you *do* have to have the right setup and use it properly. Just don't want people to think that it'll necessarily cause problems no matter how you do it.
 
I like using compressed air (the kind in cans for computers & electronics) to get around emblems and in cracks that I can't otherwise get to. I like the idea of the leaf blower, although I've never tried that or the compressor.
 
Has anyone tried that stallion blower? It looks easier to hold and manuver around the car. I know one day the end of my leafblower is going to drag across the hood of the cobra.
 
I think it will be a mixed bag. On the one hand, it will be easier to maneuver in on the sides. Other other hand, it may be more difficult to reach parts of the hood, trunk and top. Hmmmm....
 
My two cents.



I have both a leaf blower and a good PC air compressor. After several experiments, I now never use the leaf blower for water removal.



I use softened and filtered water to wash the car and final rinse with low pressure to flow most of the water off the finish. I follow with two micro-fiber drying towels to blot any remaining water. Finally I use the air compressor to blow out any crevices or areas prone to hold water. Certainly the air compressor nozzle is much easier to handle than a leaf blower. Ever detail your engine? An air compressor is my tool of choice for drying that area too.



The answer doesn't need to be either/or. Electric leaf blowers are pretty inexpensive and have limited use. An air compressor is more expensive but has a much broader use.
 
I had the opportunity a month back to try 2 different leaf blowers , one electric , one gas both =/- 200 mph. I used them on a 04 MDX that I was going to detail. On an unwaxed car in cool weather I found neither provided a benifit nor removed water that well.



On a waxed car maybe. But to me the time it took to drag it out .. plug it in .. or gas it and start it wasn't a savings.



In cars that I am going to wax I predry with a MF then I use the compressor with a modified nozzle to blow water out from all the lil hiding places then a final pass with a WW.



It doesn't take a hurricane to blow the water out of the crevaces so I set the pressure down a bit.



I don't even use the compressor on daily washings .. to me it or the leaf blower wasn't a time saver and I really don't like the idea of dislodging something and blowing it out on the paint for me to rub in withthe MF when I am drying.



Pix of nozzle

DSC00959.jpg
 
Jesstzn said:
I really don't like the idea of dislodging something and blowing it out on the paint for me to rub in withthe MF when I am drying.

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That's a very good point. I've learned where that's likely to happen and I blow the water (and dirt) into a plush Charisma. I don't move the towel across the paint for fear of marring, but I like the idea of the plush towel catching the contamination. If I see any dirty water/etc. on the paint I use some QD on it and blot.
 
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