Leaf blowers for drying cars

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xlt4me

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I've been looking into buying an electric leaf blower to use for the obvious but also for blow drying the cars. I was planning on an electric one because they are lighter and the gas ones are said to blow exhaust resedue... don't want that on the car.

After some research, this is the one I've just about decided on...

http://www.amazon.com/Toro-Variable-Electric-Impeller-51599/dp/B000H1Y4EK/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

My concern is that if I use it to vacuum / mulch leaves and twigs etc. would it be possible that some little piece of crud could later be ejected out the blower when I was using it on the car. Does any BITOGer out there have any experience with these.
 
I use my stihl leaf blower. Never an issue with exhaust residue, the exhaust pipe is nowhere near the air intake.

Many on detailing forums do it, but there is always the caution....NEVER use a leaf blower that has been used as a vac, for very reasons you identified.
 
Originally Posted By: Jim 5
I use my stihl leaf blower. Never an issue with exhaust residue, the exhaust pipe is nowhere near the air intake.

Many on detailing forums do it, but there is always the caution....NEVER use a leaf blower that has been used as a vac, for very reasons you identified.


If they put the exhaust near the intake, it would ingest exhaust gas and score the engine, not good. Of course, that's why they put them on opposite sides of the engine. BTW, be careful with other brands of gas powered blowers, some of them put the exhaust into the blower tube, and of course that would blow [censored] all over your car.
 
I did the leaf blower thing for awhile, it was o.k. in the warm weather, but when it was cold out it took forever too dry the car.

Save yourself some money and just go too Wal-Mart and spend $10.00 for a towel for drying cars. I can dry my car off and then wash my Mom's car and dry hers off.

I can dry the car off faster with the towel than I can with the leaf blower. I use a different towel to dry off the windows.

I just let both towels air dry, this towel for drying automobiles is so absorbent that when I let it air dry it takes several hours for it too dry.

I was not using an electric leaf blower, I was using a Stihl gas powered leaf blower, it will take forever with an electric leaf blower, save money on your electric bill and get the towel.
 
Originally Posted By: Jim 5
Many on detailing forums do it, but there is always the caution....NEVER use a leaf blower that has been used as a vac, for very reasons you identified.


That's what I was afraid of... and I was kind of liking the idea of using the vac to mulch leaves and bush trimmings. Maybe I'll just stick with a blower.
 
Originally Posted By: c3po
I did the leaf blower thing for awhile, it was o.k. in the warm weather, but when it was cold out it took forever too dry the car.

Save yourself some money and just go too Wal-Mart and spend $10.00 for a towel for drying cars. I can dry my car off and then wash my Mom's car and dry hers off.

I can dry the car off faster with the towel than I can with the leaf blower. I use a different towel to dry off the windows.

I just let both towels air dry, this towel for drying automobiles is so absorbent that when I let it air dry it takes several hours for it too dry.

I was not using an electric leaf blower, I was using a Stihl gas powered leaf blower, it will take forever with an electric leaf blower, save money on your electric bill and get the towel.


Right now I use a chamois and or microfiber towels. If I use the blower it would be to get the bulk of the water off and blow it out of crevices or the bed of my Ranger. I would still use a towel or chamois to do the final drying.
 
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I think this towel I got from Wal-Mart is a microfiber towel, anyways, after I got it I washed the car in 40 degree weather.

The car is a Mercury Marauder, not a small car, it dried the whole thing off in less than 5 minutes.

In the cold weather the leaf blower is just going to blow water around, its a leaf blower, not a leaf dryer.
 
Sometimes I have to use one to clean out the interior of my wife's car.
LOL.gif


John
 
I'm sure you already know this but its worth mentioning. When your done washing the car, take the nozzle off the house and run the water over the car, just as it comes out of the hose. The water will run off the car in sheets making it a lot easier to dry, and less likely to have water spots. I'd be afraid with a blower especially if there's dirt on the ground that can get blown onto the car, or small rocks chipping it. HTH
 
Originally Posted By: demarpaint
I'm sure you already know this but its worth mentioning. When your done washing the car, take the nozzle off the house and run the water over the car, just as it comes out of the hose. The water will run off the car in sheets making it a lot easier to dry, and less likely to have water spots. I'd be afraid with a blower especially if there's dirt on the ground that can get blown onto the car, or small rocks chipping it. HTH


I usually wash the cars in the garage so I don't think the dirt or pebbles would be a problem but thanks for the tip about the final rinse. ... I knew that, but I never think of it at the time and do it.
 
Nice being able to wash it in the garage. I pull mine into it to wax it. Next time washing try the final rinse tip, it works well. My problem is sometimes I'm too lazy and end up spending a lot more time drying and then dealing with hard water spots.
 
I do a combination...I dry the car with towels and then use my blower (elec.) to blow the water out of all the little nooks, etc., that it likes to hide in. Then, I wipe off the excess caused by the blowing.

I agree that only blowing takes way too long. And, I also like the trick of a slow stream of water to make the small beads slough off.
 
Originally Posted By: xlt4me
Originally Posted By: Jim 5
Many on detailing forums do it, but there is always the caution....NEVER use a leaf blower that has been used as a vac, for very reasons you identified.


That's what I was afraid of... and I was kind of liking the idea of using the vac to mulch leaves and bush trimmings. Maybe I'll just stick with a blower.


I have tried to mulch leaves with the blower/vac and it was more trouble then it was worth. I have a backpack blower now, blow the leaves into the yard, and the guy that mows grinds them up and bags them. But I fill about 100 trash cans per year.
 
If you have access to cheap distilled water (such as an at-home purifier), pour it over your car after you rinse it. Then just walk away and let it dry on its own. There will be no hard water spotting or anything. Doesn't get any easier than that and there's no chance of scratching your finish with dirt on your drying towel.
 
You'd never get away with that here. The wind is almost always blowing and dust accumulates in the standing water. When it dries, your car ends up looking worse than before you washed it.
 
Originally Posted By: John_K
Sometimes I have to use one to clean out the interior of my wife's car.
LOL.gif


John


I should try that on my wife's van too! (though I will still have to start with a snow shovel).
 
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