but cheaper and (almost?) as good as the Airmax?

Drying is taking longer than washing, and while I use the CR, I still like to dry the car after washing. I'm wondering if the Airmax is worth it, or if there's a cheaper alternative...?

It seems the thing that makes the Airmax better than other is that it heats the air, whereas the other dryers that I've seen seem to just blow the water - just like my leaf blower, tho presumably with more force (and the air is filtered). Is the extra force of a "real" blower sufficient, or would the Airmax be even better?

Don't want to spend $150-$200 just to be dissatisfied and end up buying the Airmax, but, yeah, the Airmax isn't cheap...

 

I don't know anything about the "air max" but I have a metro blower and love it as much as my cr spotless

 

+1 I also have the metro blower and love it. I dry the entire car with it and I believe my neighbors think I'm mad!

 

I have been using Airmax (got it from Moe) for about a year. Absolutely love it. Have had no issues whatsoever. I am not so sure if the heated air is a bonus.... I guess it is. You have low and high speed (by clicking one or two switches). So if you are worried about some areas (like on my 3.2 I always worry if the side view mirror glue would come off) you can just use the blower with one switch on. The unit is built to last. Only one problem. I have tons of spray on wax left. Not sure if I would ever use them now that I don't dry paint the conventional method. Remember drying can also induce swirls if the paint is not washed thoroughly or if the drying towel has some dirt clinging on to it. Although I hold the blower at a distance, I always worry long term what it would do to the seals around windows. Can anyone chime in ?

 

Here's an economical solution

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...&blockType=G13

 

The airmax won't have any effect on the seals. The seals are tucked under any body panel or molding. Remember, your car was designed to be driven at high speeds on the autobahn

 

I've had the opportunity of using the metro vac on numerous occasions and can compare it to the airmax. The metro vac does the job well. I mean these machines are designed to blow air, nothing exciting or magical involved. The faults I did see compared to the airmax were:

1. Machine not stable - no matter how hard I tried, the darn thing keeps tipping over if you leave it on the ground and drag it along while drying. Airmax has a sturdy base and doesn't tip over.

2. The hose is too stiff - OK. Before I explain, you know who you are, no funny comments. Seriously though, the hose was not flexible enough and I think that's why the unit would tip over. The airmax has a nice flexible hose that is easy to hold and maneuver.

3. The exterior heats up - this was a big issue as the metal housing would heat up and you cannot comfortably put the unit over your shoulder. If you arm hits the unit after being used for drying half the car, the heat of the unit has an uncomfortable "heat shock" when your arm hits it. It's not going to burn you, but it become a nuisance.

4. Build quality - the airmax just feels more well built, solid, and sturdy. The metrovac felt more like a tin can.

All-in-all, both units are great. Better than leaf blowers or vacuums that have the blowers on them. When we were considering which one to bring on our site, we went with the airmax because I felt it would hold up better to the abuses we put equipment through daily when detailing. So the airmax was our choice for the above reasons and for over 5 years, we've never second-guessed that decision.

So Joe, hate to be a broken record, YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR. Can't go wrong with either the metro or the airmax.

 

My only concern with this item is how long it takes to drain the air and refill, portability, noise, and still not sure if it has the same volume of air output as the airmax...266CFM.

 

I know Moe very well. He will absolutely NOT sell anything that does'nt meet his level of perfection. Every product that I've bought from him has been stellar. ... and Moe good point on the autobahn.

 

Thank you for the kind words Sir!

 

I found AirWand to work more efficiently on open sheetmetal than my AirMax.