What's A Good "Power" To Have for a Leaf Blower to Dry Car With

Hi all

They have ratings but I don't know what I need to be able to dry the car with it.

Thanks in advance.

 

The specs on the blower might be less important than what is protecting the vehicle and how hydrophobic it is. When you've got a really fresh wax/sealant or a decent coating they will bead water well so less air will be required to push all the water off. If you've got no paint protection and the water just clings the blower will just make a splashy mess.

Also if the sun is blazing on the paint or it's just sweltering heat in general the blower may not be fast enough to not end up having water dry on the paint. So if the water is hard then you end up with water spots.

I think this is why some use the towel and drying aids (makes towel slicker, helps with water spots) and save the blower to push the water out of crevices that the towel can't reach. Or out of places like door handles, side mirrors etc...

Now when it's cool or you're inside or under good shade then you've can spend more time chasing down all the water and never touch it with a towel. In that case get a simple blower $70-100 leaf blower like a Toro. The dedicated car blowers are not much more powerful, compressed air is going to take a significant tank to blow a truck dry.

 

@gorram is right. You shouldnt need a high powered blower as long as you have a good sealant or wax. Hydrophobic coating is the key. Air drying is best, but your need a spotless water system must likely. Towels work well but do increase risk of scratches, drying aids work very well and leave behind extra gloss and in some cases, paint protection. I use good drying towels and some kind of spray sealant, wax, drying aid. Sometimes I use my blower. Which is gas powered 600+CF/MIN and 200+MPH. overkill for drying a car. Because I maintain my paint meticulously, even a battery powered blower would work. Battery or electric blower would be the safest to use. With gas you risk the possibility of fuel, exhaust, etc blowing on your paint.

 

This one...

 

I've been using a Makita 18v handheld workbench blower. It's tiny. A hair drier on steroids. Would I like more power? Yep, very much so. But in tandem with a small microfiber towel to get the remaining drips, it gets the job done. As mentioned, a good coat of paint sealant helps a lot.

Any random $50-100 electric leaf blower will suffice. And it'll be far superior to what I've been using. Remington makes a decent one.

I more recently picked up an Echo gas powered leaf blower for about $160 at Home Depot. It's incredible. Very happy with it. But a cheap electric one would be fine for drying vehicles.

 

Thanks all! Since I have a bunch of DeWalt tools with the 20v battery Ill probably look into one from them.

 

Just about any electric will be more than adequate for home use. I have something I picked up at HD for about $30 and it's still running fine after 3-4 years. And I used it about an hour a day in the winter to clear oak leaves off the drive/vehicles/garage. Yea, it is a massive tree.

Anyway, it's fine, lasts long, and 'may' be cheaper than an attachment for your existing battery stuff. And unless those batteries have a lifetime warranty like my Rigid stuff does, you may not be happy about their replacement costs when that day comes. Often its cheaper to just buy a new tool set. Unfortunately.

So the corded option may make more sense.

 

I agree with bill-- a cheap electric one is a better choice than the DeWalt/Makita route. It'll be way more effective for drying vehicles and cheaper.

 

Like the others said if you don’t have a good sealant on it then it doesn’t matter how strong the blower is.

I used one on my wife’s new to us Camry in preparation for coating and the blower was nearly useless due to no sealant/wax on the car.

I will try it again on my truck but I didn’t care for the awkwardness of the blower.

 

I came to the same conclusion and that was with the a leaf blower would seem even more tedious.

One nice feature it had was the tip is rigid but rubberized so not much issue if you bump into the paint with it. So that may be a something to think about if you use a leaf blower that may leave a lot nicer scratch than a dry towel ever could. You could make some kind of sleeve to put over the blower nozzle I guess.

 

Still hated the leaf blower on the 4runner. I do not recommend one at all. Not to mention the damn water spots. I felt my Sidekick did a better job due to the nozzle on it and being able to direct the flow better.

 

I'll agree here, but with a condition. Sure, having a fresh coat of something (wax, sealant, coating, KY Jelly, etc.) will make any leaf blower much more effective on most automotive surfaces. And not having a fresh coat of something will make the blower work much harder. But, a blower will always help in those pesky areas where water collects and doesn't want to come out until you drive away. Areas like door handles, side view mirrors, grills, door jambs, etc. are tailor made for a leaf blower.

That said, I use my trusty Stihl BG 85 hand held blower after every wash.

 

Prefer my metro sidekick for that. Plus has rubber nozzle.

 

That's why I like my Makita handheld blower. Rubber tip. I can go around all the tight spots and blow the water out of the nooks and crannies and wheels and then finish with a towel.

 

Agreed. I actually took rubber vacuum hose, slit it lengthwise, then glued it around the plastic tip of my Stihl.