Do you dry your car with a cordless blower?

[tbike4]

I am going down the rabbit hole again of detailing and wonder if this is useful or something only a pro detailer needs. It looks like a small device would be much easier to maneuver than a leaf/snow blower.

https://www.amazon.com/PERFORMANCE-G...A2R7TPS6C3GG4F

https://www.amazon.com/EGO-110-Varia...7D8HYXBR&psc=1

[kppolich]

I use my Milwaukee M18 blower with a stubby nozzle I 3D printed. Makes it easier without the long nose on it.
I use that first, then finish with the large Harbor Freight microfiber drying towel when I was my car every 2 months or so.

[rice rocket]

Leaf blower works great, not spending $180 for a such a niche product I'll use twice a year.

You can print a stubby nozzle if you're concerned about maneuverability (or buy one for $15).

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5961096

[AM7Jeremy]

I use a Makita blower since all my cordless tools are Makita. As long as your paint is maintained with wax/sealant etc it will help tremendously drying

[Jdm]

I use a leaf blower to blow off most of the water. I still need to wipe my car with towels, but the wiping is much faster.

[fourflys]

Originally Posted by rice rocket

Leaf blower works great, not spending $180 for a such a niche product I'll use twice a year.

you only wash your car twice a year?

[cgolvin]

I (still) use a chamois.

[robt57]

Originally Posted by fourflys

you only wash your car twice a year?

Whether or not it needs it, yep.

I do hose it and use leaf blower after.

[rice rocket]

Originally Posted by fourflys

you only wash your car twice a year?

I drive through a touchless wash once all the salt disappears in the winter, that's probably my heaviest washing time of the year.

Actual washing with bucket and stuff? Probably once a year. Ceramic coat maybe once every 5 years.

[CAAD]

Originally Posted by kppolich

I use my Milwaukee M18 blower with a stubby nozzle I 3D printed. Makes it easier without the long nose on it.

This is my setup ^ I then finish up with a slurpy towel for door jambs and residual water left on the panels. Gotta have a some sort of hydrophobic coating on the car though to take advantage of using a blow dry system. SIO2 spray coating or full ceramic. With a coating the water just falies off the car when you hit it with a leaf blower.

https://aqualuxdetail.store/aqaluxde...lurpy-20-x-30/

[weaponsgrade]

I have a Ridgid shop vac that converts to a leaf blower. I use it dry off my bike too.

[zennmotion]

5 minutes at freeway speed? Not a "car guy". Clearly not.

[sg8357]

Originally Posted by fourflys

you only wash your car twice a year?

When it is about to rain, I spray the car with soap.
Science takes care of the drying.

[dgauthier]

Originally Posted by tbike4

I am going down the rabbit hole again of detailing and wonder if this is useful or something only a pro detailer needs. It looks like a small device would be much easier to maneuver than a leaf/snow blower.

I'm curious about the process you're going for: would a leaf blower, let alone a small one, get the car 100% dry? Do you treat the water to prevent spots?

(I use schmancy French terrycloth bath towels that have been "retired" from our bathroom. AFAIK detailers still recommend big, generous, cushy towels for drying.)

[benb]

What is the goal here anyway? Some kind of show car level car-guy cleaning process?

I will admit I have blown a bike off with the air compressor.

I can't really imagine going to that level of effort for a car.

I would be really afraid of kicking up dust onto the car after I just cleaned it, or even micro scratches from something the blower ingested. I hand wash a few times a year and just towel off the parts of the car likely to spot.

Usually I just go to the car wash.

At a certain level I start to think car guy stuff gets pathetic. That said a few weeks ago I spent like 2 hours wet sanding my headlights and then reapplying clearcoat. They came out amazing, so there is a kernel of understanding. That's more about avoiding the $1000 or whatever it would cost if I failed inspection over aging lights and had to pay to have the lenses replaced.