Is it ok to dry a car with a compressor?

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xirurg

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Has anyone used theirs for drying purposes?

I dry my cars by hand now, but it is getting more and more annoying for me :(

Thanks!
 
Air compressors can build up rust inside the tank due to moisture content in the air. If you are going to use an air compressor, it needs to have a sump/filter so that any rust particles don't sandblast your paint.
 
Air compressors are great for blowing water out of small crevices but for drying an entire car there is simply not enough airflow. Like 07rs said, leaf blowers work great. Even then it's nice to have a dedicated one to minimize the risk of blowing yard crap all over the car.
 
2black1s said:
Air compressors are great for blowing water out of small crevices but for drying an entire car there is simply not enough airflow. Like 07rs said, leaf blowers work great. Even then it's nice to have a dedicated one to minimize the risk of blowing yard crap all over the car.
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Some leaf blowers come with a built in filter. I recommend that type.
 
If you do try the compressor route, I would definitely recommend hearing protection!

In the winter here at the shop I'll sometimes use compressed air to blow the snow off of cars before working on them. Our lines have filters and moisture traps.
 
I can dry my daily driver way faster by hand with waffle weave towels than I ever could with any kind of blower. And I have a dedicated blower, I rarely if ever use it. It's kind of like a pressure washer, I'm halfway done washing my car with a foam gun and two bucket method before I can get my pressure washer out, plugged in and hoooked up to the water source.

I look to Mike P and his post and how he washes and dries vehicles. A blower is great for getting water out of crevices but down here in Florida in the middle of the summer water spotting is a major issue so speed is everything.
 
oneheadlite said:
If you do try the compressor route, I would definitely recommend hearing protection!

In the winter here at the shop I'll sometimes use compressed air to blow the snow off of cars before working on them. Our lines have filters and moisture traps.
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Good point! Even the leaf blowers need hearing protection since the motor is inches from your ear. (I flip the blower upside down while drying the car. It gives me better control over it but it puts the noisy motor right next to my head.)


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a compressor would be more ideal for smaller areas to blow out and doesn't have the wider air mass to push water like a blower would. using a tool like this would be more efficient since it was designed for the specific task...

McKee's 37 Turbo Car Dryer
 
2black1s said:
Air compressors are great for blowing water out of small crevices but for drying an entire car there is simply not enough airflow. Like 07rs said, leaf blowers work great. Even then it's nice to have a dedicated one to minimize the risk of blowing yard crap all over the car.
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Why would you need a dedicated blower and how do you get yard crap in your blower?
 
Rsurfer said:
Why would you need a dedicated blower and how do you get yard crap in your blower?
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Leaf blowers used for yard work are subjected to higher than normal dust and debris conditions by the nature of their work. Some of that dust and debris passes through the blower and accumulates over time in the air ports and on the impeller of the blower from where it can break loose and be shot out of the blower. A dedicated blower eliminates, or at a minimum, significantly reduces that risk.
 
Also depending on your compressor you could mist out water or oil which you give you a do-over on the car!
 
If you have a blower it will be sufficient. If a compressor is the only thing available I recommend drying the vehicle with a waffle weave towel and drying aid of your choice, and then using the air compressor in your nooks and crevices.
 
Mike Honcho said:
Good point! Even the leaf blowers need hearing protection since the motor is inches from your ear. (I flip the blower upside down while drying the car. It gives me better control over it but it puts the noisy motor right next to my head.)


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I do that to.

Today I went and got a haircut to even out my hair from when the end of my braid got sucked into the impeller.

YMMV.
 
Lol! I never saw the Flowbee before. Looks like an interesting idea!

Thanks! Fortunately it just caught the very end and the guard kept it from getting sucked up further, so it was more of a surprise than anything. I did the "look around to make sure nobody saw that" then untangled it and made a mental note in bold text to be more careful when holding the leaf blower near my shoulder in the future!

To the OP: I use a dedicated leaf blower for crevices and dry the rest with a towel. If the vehicle is well-waxed and I sheet the water with the final rinse it doesn't take that long at all.
 
Thanks for replies guys, really appreciate it!

Will keep the compressor for smaller areas and buy a leaf blower with a filter. Any recommendations?
 
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