Product Review: BLO Car Dryer AIR-RS
by Mike CardenasAs professional detailers and enthusiasts, we are always looking for the safest ways to dry a vehicle. Whether its using the blotting method, high quality drying towels, etc. One of the ways that speeds up the drying process safely and effectively, is using air to blow dry a vehicle. I’ve heard of clients using leaf blowers and of other ways to blow dry their cars. In my old shop, we had the traditional car blower system that was heavy, cumbersome, with a rigid hose that was always a nightmare. So when it came to outfit my detail studio with a car dryer unit, I needed a blower that was strong, versatile, lightweight and easy to store. For me, that ended up becoming the AIR-RS by BLO Car Dryer.
Don’t be fooled by its size, this little unit really packs a punch! The AIR-RS is a compact and lightweight car dryer unit that delivers warm filtered air to drive water effectively from the usual suspect areas. The unit delivers 30% warmer air than that of the ambient temperature. With a 5.5 HP single motor, the force at which the AIR-RS can blow is extremely surprising for something this small and lightweight. BLO states that this lightweight motor puts out 55% more power than most of its competitors.
The AIR-RS has a variable speed control near the power switch. This variable speed control has a minimum and maximum blower speed which allows you to dial in the amount of air coming out. Making it easy to avoid too much air on areas where less is more. The AIR-RS also comes with a long 16ft cord with gives you plenty of ability to get around a vehicle or motorcycle without the need to bring out an extension cord like most traditional old-school blower systems.
The unit comes with two nozzles, a cone shaped nozzle and a flat style nozzle. Changing nozzles is extremely fast and easy. Simply twist and remove to change out nozzles. Locks in place and eliminates the fear of having a nozzle fly off the hose as is common on traditional units. The hoses are rubber tipped for safer drying.
Connecting the hose is also fast and easy. No more having to deal with gaskets and socket screwdrivers. Just simple twist and click into place for a secure fit.
The BLO AIR-RS comes with a 6ft hose that is certainly softer and more flexible than units I’ve used in the past. When the unit is turned on, the hose extends to a size of 16 feet!
With its lightweight construction and flexible collapsible hose, the AIR-RS is a really portable unit that stores easily. For me, this was something that I needed to have as I was never a huge fan of hanging these units on a wall, having to deal with hose hangers and rigid hoses with minds of their own. I store mine in a cabinet and it keeps things cleaner in the detail studio. When going mobile, the portability makes it a joy to pack along.
Some things to note about the AIR-RS, is that it is lightweight because its plastic constructed. The AIR-RS feels and looks rigid so don’t let the plastic construction deter you as the unit is solidly build. Unless you’re of the “I just throw my equipment without a care” mentality or a poster child for “this is why we can’t have nice things” than this unit will give you years of use without concern. It comes with a 3-year warranty from BLO Car Dryer. The unit does not have wheels so consider that if you’re used to wheeling around.
I’ve been putting mine through its paces for the past 3 months and it’s honestly one of the best blower systems I’ve ever used. The biggest things I love about this unit in comparison to the tradition vac/blower system I used in the past are:
- Its significantly quieter than the traditional units
- Its about 1/4 of the weight of a traditional one
- Forget the switches! The variable speed dial gives more flexibility for use
- Powerful! Just the right amount of power for drying cars, motorcycles, cleaning, etc.
- The hose. Makes life less stressful than messing around with the traditional systems. Makes storing a breeze as its collapses and extends.
To see the AIR-RS in action and get a little more in-depth information, check out my product review video on the AIR-RS below. If you’re looking for a drying system that checks a lot of boxes without breaking the bank, then consider the AIR-RS from BLO, you won’t be disappointed.
BLO Car Dryer AIR-RS Video Review
Video Transcription:
(00:00)
Hello, everyone. Mike Cardenas from Forza Detailing and Detailed Image here to show you some of the features of the air RS from BLO Car Dry. Now, the Air RS is a very portable and compact unit, although it’s made out of plastic, it doesn’t look cheap. It doesn’t feel cheap by any means. But what it does do is it makes it a very lightweight unit. The other thing that it does have is has a on, off switch up here, but you do have your control knob here that can set from a minimum to a maximum. So you can really dial in when you’re going to dry an area such as a mirror or something that might have more blow back at ya. As far as water goes, you could really have a lot more control with it. The other feature that I really love about this unit is the fact that the hose, Oh my gosh, the hose is the easiest thing to interlock and put in.
(00:53)
But the construction of the hose is this very flexible. It’s not the really hard. This is this, the length of the hose type units that you’re used to seeing. This is very small. And actually this starts out as a six foot hose, but once you turn this on, as you’ll see, it actually goes to about 16 feet, which is more than enough to get around a car and get around the other areas. The other thing to notice is it does have these rubberized tips up here just in case you accidentally hit something and a foam grip right here. This feels really nice. Give you a lot more control. This does come with two different nozzles that you can use a little bit flat one, and then your traditional one. But if anything, from these blower systems in the past, for me, that has always been just a pain is the hose because for all of us is where do you store this thing? And they, even if you do wrap them around, they never want to stay in place, right? So the biggest thing for me is the power that this unit gives and the portability and the hose. And we’ll show you how easily you can store this unit.
(02:04)
One of the things that I never liked of traditional blower systems in the past is that they’re so cumbersome and they’re very hard to store. The hoses are huge. And with AIR RS, you really don’t have that. It’s really portable. So actually I can fit that right in the cabinets and the hose that typically is the pain really just fits right next to it. I can just put that in there, close my doors, And it’s on to the next project.
(02:32)
Connecting the Air RS hose is really easy. You have these little notches, line, ’em up, twist it and boom, you are ready to go. Now, this unit does give warm, filtered air. As you can see back here, you do have the filter that’s back here and you can actually just remove this and wash it, clean it, and put it back into your unit. To turn on the unit, just make sure that you have a firm grasp onto handle, turn on the unit and you’ll see the hose go from six foot to 16 foot.
(03:05)
So if you’re looking for a car drain system that checks all the boxes, they consider the AIR RS it’s strong, effective, portable, and very easy to use. And it’s now available at Detailed Image.
Question about this: if drying the vehicle with a microfiber towel it will absorb both the water and any dissolved minerals but if drying using a heated blower won’t it just evaporate some of the water and leave behind the minerals resulting in water marks or is the goal to instead blow all the water off the vehicle completely?
Great question. The simple answer is that both a drying towel and a blower work hand in hand. Not to get too technical, but the blower helps remove more of the water without being as abrasive. Water hardness, environmental factors, vehicle protected/not protected, wash techniques and various other factors are things to consider when using both a towel and/or blower.
With the 5hp motor, can it be used with 2000 watt inverter generators?
Most likely no. Not to get too technical, but using the rule of thumb of 746 watts per each horsepower required. At 5 HP it will need 3730 watts to run properly.
Just checking to see if the BLO Car Dryer AIR RS comes with caster wheels ? The listing shows wheels here on DI. Thanks ! Jay