Metro Blaster Sidekick defect?

J

J504

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I bought a sidekick blaster and was testing it out the other day. I noticed that the body portion was not "sealed" completely. So when it is turned on, air will blow out of the nozzle and the non-sealed part. Just wondering if this is how it is supposed to be.

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I had a similar problem with my Master Blaster. I ended up going to the hardware store and buying some plumber's rope caulk to replace what Metro had used and careful not to over tighten the cap. The caulk is a non-hardening soft material that basically seals the gaps between the cap and body. It works as long as you do not over tightened to expand the gaps beyond the caulk.
 
They all leak air. I wrote about this a while ago in a review of the Master Blaster and Sidekick. I got silicone and smeared it all around the leaks on my Sidekick. It stopped the leaks but looks pretty ugly. The Master Blaster is powerful enough - not worried about that.

I had an AirForce Blaster. It leaked as well.
 
It should say on the box that air coming out of the body is normal for the sidekick if I remember correctly. Mine does it and it works just fine.
 
Actually, once I sealed up the air leaks it seemed more powerful. Mine leaked air so bad it would blow other stuff down, like towels and such, that were near.
 
Why should a person be forced to perform a sealing-job that should have been part of the Metro's assembly process?
And...For the price of these units...Ridiculous!!

Just think of all the contaminates the unsealed areas of these rather expensive blower-units are pounding your vehicle with, as it's being towed around the vehicles' perimeters!

And some folks say not to ever use a leaf blower---especially one that's gasoline powered---around a vehicle: HA!!

Bob
 
interesting... looks like GG carries the sidekick rebranded with their logo. btw, i bought my master blaster (rebranded with their sticker) from them so i could get the lifetime warranty. just piece of mine considering how much they cost ($300+)...

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FUNX725 said:
Why should a person be forced to perform a sealing-job that should have been part of the Metro's assembly process?
And...For the price of these units...Ridiculous!!

Just think of all the contaminates the unsealed areas of these rather expensive blower-units are pounding your vehicle with, as it's being towed around the vehicles' perimeters!

And some folks say not to ever use a leaf blower---especially one that's gasoline powered---around a vehicle: HA!!

Bob
Click to expand...


Well, your not forced to do anything. You don't even have to wash your car or buy a Metro unit. The air from the unsealed areas is blowing out - not in - so, it's not likely contaminates will be shooting at your car.

With all the Metro faults (...and I have more of them), the SideKick, Master Blaster, and AirForce Blaster do work pretty well. I did have a leaf blower to start with, but mine didn't blow - it sucked. I can't imagine using a leaf blower after trying one of these units.
 
FUNX725 said:
Why should a person be forced to perform a sealing-job that should have been part of the Metro's assembly process?
And...For the price of these units...Ridiculous!!
Click to expand...

I had contacted Metro and based upon the feedback decided to spend $5 to fix it myself rather than the hassle of sending it back. You just pick your battles.
 
swanicyouth said:
Well, your not forced to do anything.

The air from the unsealed areas is blowing out - not in - so, it's not likely contaminates will be shooting at your car.

With all the Metro faults (...and I have more of them)...
Click to expand...
I'm not even forced to type the below...
but I'm going to anyway. :D

Correction:
The leaking air that is blowing out from the unsealed area(s) would now be blowing the stirred-up air-born and ground contaminates directly at the vehicle.

Also:
I've read some of your other Metro Vac "incidents".

Bunky said:
I had contacted Metro and based upon the feedback decided to spend $5 to fix it myself rather than the hassle of sending it back. You just pick your battles.
Click to expand...
Battle, or no:
These units are still too expensive to have their issues become Consumer responsibilities to engineer "DIY Fixes" for/to any under warranty appliances...
and then paid with their own out-of-pocket expenses.

Things have a funny way of not ever getting fixed by Companies when they know this will be the case.
No wonder Consumers are the butt of the jokes told around so many of the Corporate World's "Big Tables"!

Bob
 
As much as they are charging for that leaf blower surely they can come up with a better solution then what they currently offer. If I dropped that much on a reverse shop-vac and it didn't perform properly I would be highly upset

Makes you wonder if they have anyone working quality control. How can someone notice this and think "it's okay"?

VISITOR said:
interesting... looks like GG carries the sidekick rebranded with their logo. btw, i bought my master blaster (rebranded with their sticker) from them so i could get the lifetime warranty. just piece of mine considering how much they cost ($300+)...

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15130
Click to expand...

Nice piece of advice for those interested in buying an over priced hair dryer
 
My sidekick has always done this. It is still very effective and even this little guy is better than a cheap leaf blower when it comes to drying a vehicle.

The master blaster (8hp) is not even comparable to a leaf blower... It might be expensive, but for a pro, I feel it was well worth it. I love mine (and my sidekick)... I had previously tried a couple of leaf blowers and hated them. The metro tools are far superior in terms of capability and efficiency.
 
A Précis:

-I don't have or use cheap leaf blowers.
-And none of them have "Metro-type-leaks".
-Nor can any Metro blowers compare to the efficiency, capability, and safety of a 4-cycle leaf blower.

To add:
Pro, or not...Why anyone would use an electrical appliance, to blow dry a wet vehicle in a wet environment, goes well beyond the scope of my definition of Working Safe!

As others have also proffered:
Just a few (more) of my thoughts/opinions.


Bob
 
Where do I find a 4 cycle hair dryer to use in the bathroom?
 
Suppose I should always expect some sort of answer from you, so I guess I'll play along.....


FUNX725 said:
-I don't have or use cheap leaf blowers.
Click to expand...
^Good, then you probably spent a fair amount of money on a very high quality leaf blower. So you would not be one of the ones complaining about the perceived "high price" of the metro units.

FUNX725 said:
-And none of them have "Metro-type-leaks".
Click to expand...
^Hats off to the engineers & assemblers of your leaf blowers :) This "leak" so to speak does not seem to hinder the performance of the sidekick, therefore who really cares about it.

FUNX725 said:
-Nor can any Metro blowers compare to the efficiency, capability, and safety of a 4-cycle leaf blower.
Click to expand...
^I don't see how any large, heavy leaf blower can be 'as safe' as a small hose that is very easy to control... but I suppose it is all subjective. As far as efficiency, you're right - large, high powered leaf blowers probably move more air... I have never seen one with a nozzle that gives such precise control and direction of air flow - perhaps a retrofit would make these leaf blowers the pinnacle of air dryers.... but again, I would HATE to carry one around.

FUNX725 said:
To add:
Pro, or not...Why anyone would use an electrical appliance, to blow dry a wet vehicle in a wet environment, goes well beyond the scope of my definition of Working Safe!
Click to expand...
^Thanks to the wonderful GFCI outlet, this should be a non-issue. For what it's worth, I also wash vehicles outside, and then move them 10 feet forward into the garage to blow them dry. Even if I were to bring my MB out onto my driveway, there is not nearly enough water remaining on the ground for me to consider it safety hazard. I suppose if someone is washing and drying the vehicle in an area where small puddles occur, they need to use common sense and not drag electrical cords through that area.
 
I somehow pulled the ground plug off my MasterBlaster, one call and a new plug and directions on how to install were immediately sent out. Please consider contacting Metro for any issue, I suspect they will answer any design issues and most importantly likely want you to remain happy. I would NOT hesitate to get another one !
 
zmcgovern45 said:
Suppose I should always expect some sort of answer from you, so I guess I'll play along
Click to expand...
I don't consider speaking out about Consumers' Rights to complain, and finding relief for faulty products: a game to be played.
Or, even, a personal attack on any individual's right to testify...in trying to justify...otherwise.

Regarding these points:
I should always be expected to lawfully "stand my ground" and provide some sort of answer.

Speaking of "stand your ground" laws...
IMHO:
We are in desperate need of everyone to be 21st Century championship-caliber Consumers...
Consumers that are as smart and clever as the Companies themselves.

Bob
 
I agree, Blasters are not built that well, certainly not worth $300. My leaf blower is good enough... And I have a master blaster,,,,
 
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