Stubby Nozzle: Electric Leaf Blower for Touchless Car Drying
by Reece @ DIThis article was written by Derek McCurry, owner of Stubby Nozzle Co.
Using an electric leaf blower as a touchless solution to quickly remove most of the standing water from a freshly washed vehicle has become a growing trend made popular by YouTubers in the auto detailing industry. Electric leaf blowers have become very powerful in recent years, due to advances in battery technology, and produce enough airflow to effectively remove 99% of the water from a vehicle in about 2-3 minutes. They make what was once the worst part of the car washing process (drying) fun again and effortlessly blast water out of crevices like side mirrors, door handles, gas caps, lug bolt holes, etc. where it often gets trapped. Another added benefit is that because you’re not physically touching the paint, you avoid the unnecessary risk of introducing swirl marks. With that said, it is still recommended you use a microfiber drying towel along with a drying aid to get that last 1% of the water and leave a perfectly water spot-free finish.
The one downside of using an electric leaf blower is that the stock tubes that come with them are often very long which makes them difficult to handle when drying a vehicle. Enter one of our newest products – Stubby Nozzle Co. Car Drying Nozzle for EGO Blowers!
The Stubby Nozzle Co. Car Drying Nozzle for EGO Blowers addresses this issue by shortening the length of the blower tube down to just 8″ long – roughly 12″ shorter than the stock tube. This shortened length makes the tool much more maneuverable when working around your vehicle and the tapered outlet directs the air into a tight stream which allows for even faster drying times. Worried you might hit your paint with the end of the nozzle while drying your car? Another great product called the Blowerband is a soft, silicone protective guard that slides on to the end of the nozzle offering further protection and peace of mind from accidental bumps. The Blowerband pairs perfect with the EGO Stubby Car Drying Nozzle (Kit) and will also with the stock EGO blower tube.
Source: YouTube
Why EGO leaf blowers?
Any leaf blower that produces at least 400 cubic feet of air per minute (CFM) will get the job done. However, the higher the CFM rating, the faster you will dry your vehicle and EGO manufactures some of the most powerful electric leaf blowers on the market today. The EGO 650 and EGO 765 are the highest output models offered by EGO and are a fan favorite among professional detailers.
What about dedicated car dryers?
Dedicated car dryers are also a good choice for touchless car drying. They offer additional benefits like filtered or even heated air. The downside is that they are generally a) more expensive, b) not as powerful, and most importantly c) have a power cord that needs to be plugged in to an outlet. Battery-powered electric leaf blowers are entirely cordless and provide full freedom and mobility to easily move around your vehicle while drying it. They’re also a more versatile tool to use around the house and can be used for their original purpose of, you guessed it, blowing leaves!
The stubby nozzle is a definite improvement on the standard leaf blower. Everyone owns a leaf blower but not everyone can afford a dedicated car dryer, so it would make sense to just purchase the stubby nozzle.This is a great idea and will help make air drying easier. I will try this out and hope to give a review of it later.
Christian you are absolutely right! I look forward to your review when you get time to test it out.
Will do!
I bought a dedicated car dryer, and it was a mistake. It’s very quiet, and a bit easier to get into tight spaces but for the same money I could have gotten a great cordless blower that has a lot more power. My dryer is better suited for drying dogs, not cars.
I have had the McKee’s 37 car dryer for many years and it works great. But I finally went cordless and invested in the Ego 765. A great tool. The stubby is a must as it makes it easier to manipulate without sacrificing the amount of air it puts out. The blower band is a must just in case the stubby makes contact with the paint. The only thing is that the stubby is a bit difficult to remove and not as easy as the videos show.
You REALLY need to make nozzles for other manufacturers, specifically Milwaukee or perhaps Dewalt. Many people are heavily invested in other cordless systems and have lots of tools and batteries from that manufacturer. In my case, I’ve got lots of cordless Milwaukee tools and batteries, I’m not interested in buying another brands product just so I can get a leaf blower with a stubby nozzle.
Michael – Stubby Nozzle does make different options and we also carry the nozzle for the Milwaukee blowers here (https://www.detailedimage.com/Stubby-Nozzle-M128/Car-Drying-Nozzle-for-Milwaukee-Blowers-P2645/).
Thanks for pointing that out. I totally overlooked it, ordering now!
I agree, I have a Toro 700 corded leaf blower 725 cfm 140 mph – it gets the job done fast.
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I too, I’m not interested in buying another brands product just so I can get a leaf blower with a stubby nozzle.
Anyone carry stock on Greenworks nozzle. I have the 730cfm and it comes with a 8yr warranty and battery replacement. I know a bunch are being sold and they are just as competitive in force. Can’t find any anywhere. Thanks
This is awesome! When you’ve got one for the Ryobi 40v blower I’ll be your first customer.
I use my RedMax 8550 backpack blower. I put a longer smaller diameter extension on it, over a 1000 cfm and 215 mph of blowing force. stand 6 feet back from car goodbye water from the whole side of car without even moving.
Has anyone had issues with removing the nozzle from their ego blower? I followed the instructional video on how to remove it, but this thing seems to be locked onto my blower now, any ideas are welcome before I just take the loss and break it.