There is a big difference and it's easiest to just try both and you'll see why. The Master Blaster has a much better concentrated air flow and comes with different nozzles. It's a big expense, but very well worth every penny and then some. I have 8HP model and recommend it over the 4HP even though the 4HP gets the job done.

 

worst is to use a leaf blower that you use to actually blow leaves... you'd be surprised at how much debris gets sucked into it and is forced on to your paint...

I actually have a small hand held blower with non marring rubber nozzle that is made for pets... it's identical to others that are rebrands for cars...I got it from a pet c store with a big on line discount... powerful, easy to hold and long extension cord... easy to store.

 

Can you share the brand and model with us so we can check it out?

 

There are some youTube videos that go over leaf blowers to dry a car. While I totally feel that they are not worth using; the whole point is to NOT use a towel on the vehicle to prevent scratches; in my experience i have always seen droplets of water or areas that aren't blown off that well and you have to go behind it and use a towel which defeats the purpose. Plus depending on which one you can get oily residue, debris etc...... If you can afford an Aston or any other expensive vehicle then you can afford the $400 or so for the top of the line Big Boi or Metro blowers. I have and have used the Metro Sidekick ( used it last night) and while good, it is just not powerful enough to dry the whole car without some water on panels drying on the paint leaving spots and that does depend on how hot it is outside or if in the sun at all. I owned the Metro 4hp and used it once to dry and while a great vacuum the blower part sucked. I also owned the 8hp and swear by it and the 30ft hose. Used it for leaf blowing, car drying, blowing out the garage etc..... But... in the past year i have also seen/used the Big Boi large one and would not by the Metro in place of it. Several of my friends have the Big Boi ones and they are nicer by far. The 30ft hose is much much nicer to use and the blower has a heat dial to use also. Its my first suggestion to anyone.

I have not. I used the Zipang on the Aston (Jet Black) and was not likening the removal of it and due to how soft the paint was scratches were inputted into the paint from my MF towel. I removed and didnt use and went the route i mentioned above with the AMMO products. I prefer OverCoat over any other type of SI02 rejuvenator. Kamikaze products are top of the line and are worth the money. I just like them and 22ple. Honestly i feel that i have seen a higher gloss amount with the 22ple.

There are other types of concentrated blowers and i have used one on my dog also. I think pricing is pretty comparable so IMHO go with the Big Boi ones. DONT cheap out, get the expensive $400 ones and you will never look back. Similar to we all know the Michelin new PS4's are the absolute best tire to get. If your the type who doesnt want to ever wonder if something could be better, spend the extra up front and there will never be that thought and the work will get done faster and better.

 

Get the Big Boi blower and spend the $400. Be done with it LOL

 

I bought this leaf blower from Home Depot and using to dry DB9 and BMW Z4. $40 only and does an excellent job. Never have to use microfiber towels. Save the remaining $s for something else.
RYOBI 135 MPH 440 CFM 8 Amp Corded Electric Jet Fan Blower

 

I have not used a blower to dry my cars, but have seen people do it. I have never seen all the water blown out of mirrors, panel edges, etc.... and not drip afterwards with a blower other than a higher focused nozzle. Cuddapah is a friend and is as picky as i am about his cars. This is worth a try for someone and maybe return if they dont like before spending $400. (the sidekick or small Big Boi is around $100 but water will dry before you get it all off, they just dont have enough air blowing through to get it done IMHO) It can't hurt to do try it out. For me, 30ft hose with concentrated air, is all i will do. But good to have options for anything you do.

Thanks for putting that in Cuddapah!!!

 

This is a really good blower. I strongly recommend it. Neighbors who saw me using it, bought the same.

 

Another question. I read on another forum that our paints are too soft for clay bars and we shouldn't clay our cars. Is this true and if so, what should we use to clean our car's paint before sealing or waxing?

 

An important consideration for clay is that you'll need to polish the car afterwards. No way around it if you are fussy about paint and don't tolerate swirls, micro-marring, etc. Personally, I like using products like Iron-X for metal particles (rail dust, brake pad and rotor dust, etc.), and either P21 Total Auto Wash or a wax and grease remover for misc road grime, in lieu of clay. On the rare occasions when I do use clay or a synthetic clay pad, I proceed with caution.

If you choose to clay to remove contaminates, use a lot of lubrication, mild-to-no force, and immediately throw it away if it falls to the ground. Don't think you'll be able to pick out bits of debris if that happens...you won't get them all, and will likely regret it. Yes it can be frustrating when your almost done and the last of your clay launches to the floor, but its just not worth risking the inevitable collateral damage.

 

Iron-X works, but boy does it stink and stays with the car for almost a week. I still notice stuff on the paint using clay after Iron-X, but it is easier to go over than no Iron-X. I like using the Nano Mitt instead of the clay bar. The fine grade is all that's needed. Can be rinsed off and washed. Still needs polishing like the clay bar.

 

You likely only need to clay your Aston once. You keep it in the garage and don't drive in bad weather all the time. So most likely no contaminants will get on the paint. That is mechanical decontamination getting the embedded particles. Iron remover will get surface contaminants which is typically iron so it disolves it. Both only need to be done once for the most part. Even on daily drivers, most cars only need it once per several years. People tend to do it way to often. Almost NO clay bars or nano mitts will do their job without micro marring the finish. Only do it if you plan to polish the paint afterwards.

And no, there is not any too soft paint where you shouldn't clay it at least once. Especially a vehicle from a dealer and a new one should be ironed and clayed when purchased. The rail dust and environmental fallout during shipping and transferring of the vehicle will be more than at anytime during your ownership.

Only solution is to use the nano skin mitts or a product such as Chemical Guys blocks which I use. Otherwise garbage the clay if you drop it. Use dedicated clay lube, spit wax, or I use heavy dawn liquid soap mixture when I do it. Dawn liquid will help strip the surface of previous waxes and sealants. NOT coatings. Coatings can only be removed with a heavy clay (and not all of it) or a compounding polish.

Iron the vehicle once, then use a fine clay bar or mitt and clean it up. Then polish the finish to a high luster and then put a sealant or coating of choice.

 

Okay I'm learning a lot. So follow up questions, if you all don't mind sharing:

1. Say I clay the car and need to polish afterward, can I hand polish or are you only considering polishing by using a random orbital (or rotary) buffer?

2. What's a great product for protecting and reviving our black trim?

3. What's a great product for restoring our chrome trim pieces (or any plastic chrome pieces on other cars)?

 

Another dumb question along these line:

How do I know if the car has been coated? I still have nice beading after six months - all I have done is hose off the dust/debris. I have not applied any wax. One I used high pressure spray to remove debris/dirt. Mostly I just use a bucket. Using two buckets, I washed in with just water (no soap) and then rinsed microfiber in another bucket. I didn't get all the dirt off, on the sides, but it still looks good, and beads. I really need to clean the wheels.

 

Soap is a surfactant designed to safely remove and suspend dirt, and to add lubrication between the mitt and paint. Water alone does not do this, and you risk adding swirl marks using the method you described.

If the car is seldom used and/or washed, just about anything can last a long time...6 months really isn’t that long in the grand scheme of things. Obviously there are a lot of factors that affect this though (whether the car is stored indoors/outdoors and how much sun it sees are big ones).

Regarding the identification of what’s on the paint (coated vs not coated), the only way I know of would be to try removing it with an IPA (isopropyl alcohol solution like CarPro Eraser designed to remove polish residue), wax and grease remover, or maybe Dawn dishwashing soap. Those products shouldn’t affect a heathy coating, but will remove most waxes and sealants.