The Great Dryer Adventure
Now, I have to admit, when I'm looking at specifics that are listed in the PetEdge magazine, I have no idea what I'm looking for. The following is what is listed: Air Volume Air Speed Heat Amps Watts Volts Ooookkkkaaaayyyy. So, what does all this mean? I assume that watts is how much electricity is used to power the device. Heat seems pretty standard when it says "Warm Air". Is there a benefit to a two speed system? I have both cats and two OES. Presently, my OES' coats are 5 1/2 & 4 1/2 inches in length. I also have one long hair and three short haired cats. Should I be looking for different airspeeds for puppycut/cat coats versus full OES coats? What the heck is an Amp or Air volume? Is a dryer with cage drying and double hose use more/less preferable to a hands free dryer? This is all very confusing to a novice; I'm completely lost. I'm hoping that Carl will see my post and give his expert advice, he seems to know just about EVERYTHING about grooming. Any help you can give will be most appreciated! |
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| Amps is the power/force it takes to push volts through the wires.
amps x volts=watts. Air volume is the amount of air it moves per minute.as in5cu ft per 1 minute. I hope this helps |
I was at a show recently and the Chris Christensen dryer was being demonstrated. WOW!!! It works very quickly. To try it out someone poured an entire bottle of water over the back of an OES, let it soak in, then dried. The coat was throughly dried, to the skin, in minutes. No hot air is used and it has several speeds. I didn't buy one but I was tempted  . They run about $350. I know Amber got one, maybe she'll see this and post about how she likes it. |
| Not to sound dumb but how does a dryer dry the hair if it has no heat at all? I always thought the air force dryers with no heating element is for fluffing up and the dryer with some heating element is the one used to actually dry?
I am looking at dryers myself and totally confused. Carl wrote a great post on dryers I was able to pull up. But it was a little technical for me  I need something for two OES who are afraid of the loud dryer noise. I think the K-91 and k-911 are extrememly loud? The Metro I read was powerful but also noisy. My breeder uses an Edemeco(spelling) but I think they are on the higher end. There is something called a Granddaddy the groomers use alot but also big bucks...so confusing...
Any suggestions? |
| I use K9II's at The Paw (where I teach classes and get to use the facility). They are pretty loud, but are powerful. They have 2 hooked in tandem (with a Y connector) and it really blasts the water out of the dogs. They are in the pool area, for fast drying of mutiple dogs. Chewie isn't afraid of noises at all, and he does not like the sound of the 2 going. They really are loud. 1 is still loud as well, just less.
I know a few who have the Double K dryers. The stand dryers are great. The smaller portable one seems good too. (DoubleK ChallengAir) I have an old stand dryer that I use at home, but it is no longer made. 
My portable is an older Metro Air Force 220 volt dryer. It works just fine still. Good power, not overly loud. My daughter has the smaller Metro Air Force Quick Draw. It is less powerful, but still a good dryer. The noise is the least. The long hose allows the dryer to be further from the dog, so it really helps a dog who doesn't like the dryer sound. The picture in the catalog shows the black nozzle right on the dryer, but we always use it on the end of the hose. The cage dryers are mostly for professional groomers. They hook on the crates in the groomer shop and they can have multiple dogs drying at the same time. The heat - most dry by the force of the blower blasting the water out of the coat. More expensive ones have heat settings - I only use cool or warm, never the hot. The more basic dyers blow warm-ish air and it is heated from the dryer motor. It works well. Good luck, hope this helps! Having a dryer really is a good thing. It will pay for itself in saving trips to the groomer and convenience and saves your sanity when you have a wet or dirty dog that needs cleaning NOW! |
Quote: The heat - most dry by the force of the blower blasting the water out of the coat. More expensive ones have heat settings - I only use cool or warm, never the hot. The more basic dyers blow warm-ish air and it is heated from the dryer motor. It works well
That pretty well was my answer. Most dryers work by blowing the water off, unlike our hair dryers which use more heat. The more force you have from the "dryer" the more water that flys........beware small animals and children  If you note, many of those dryers don't mention heat because they don't have any!
Concentrator nozzles (cones) will help propel the air faster rather than a bigger motor, that might be helpful. Of course the nozzles must fit securely or else they become projectiles. For hand's free, look for a stand or way you can secure the nozzle. Many groomers are very adept at one handed grooming. If you want to experiment with this air dry method.......do you have a shop vac? Can you reverse the hose to the exit port and have a blower? There you go, another plus for your PP presentation, the dryer can be used to clear leaves from the patio! |
| Erin,
I'm too busy at work to reply in depth right now but if you PM me or post your specific question's I'll try to answer tonight - if one of my home computers agrees to work (1 hard down and 1 acting really flakey). In short though you should get a stand dryer, not a blower, simply on account of your low noise requirement besides all their other advantages. Most of what has been discussed here are blowers, essentially little bagless/canisterless vacuums that have the hose pluged into the exhaust port. They can be great for quick touch-ups at dog show or while you are away from home but in my not so humble opinion I really don't think that they are very suitable as a primary home dryer. SheepieBoss wrote: Quote: The heat - most dry by the force of the blower blasting the water out of the coat. More expensive ones have heat settings - I only use cool or warm, never the hot. The more basic dyers blow warm-ish air and it is heated from the dryer motor. It works well That pretty well was my answer. Most dryers work by blowing the water off, unlike our hair dryers which use more heat. The more force you have from the "dryer" the more water that flys........beware small animals and children If you note, many of those dryers don't mention heat because they don't have any! Concentrator nozzles (cones) will help propel the air faster rather than a bigger motor, that might be helpful. Of course the nozzles must fit securely or else they become projectiles. For hand's free, look for a stand or way you can secure the nozzle. Many groomers are very adept at one handed grooming. If you want to experiment with this air dry method.......do you have a shop vac? Can you reverse the hose to the exit port and have a blower? There you go, another plus for your PP presentation, the dryer can be used to clear leaves from the patio! I strongly recommend not trying a shop vac if it has ever been used as a shop vac. You'll NEVER be able to get it clean enough to be sure you aren't blowing some tiny but nasty piece of shop debris into the coat and skin (or eyes) and if it has ever had wet debris in it you can be pretty sure there will be mould spores present. |
I bow to Carl's knowledge. For me a blower works fine, but then I'm in a dry climate where the dogs dry naturally except for the Pyr with an undercoat from hell. She gladly stays inside until she's dry. Never blowing near a face is good advice expecially with the shop vac. For the one time experiment to see if the dogs would tolerate the noise,it was fine. |
| I borrowed my friend's metro air force cannister dryer. It was WONDERFUL! It was noisy but I wrapped the body in a towel, leaving the back vent open so not to start a fire or something. It blew the water right oof my OES ! Still took over an hour to completely dry and around the face it was a little strong so he didn't like it. But, with the air concentrator on on the hose, I was able to dry him and look right into the skin for any knots or mats. Minor knots the sucker blew right out! And if there were any matts, I could see them and while blowing, trim right out. Loved it! what a difference between this pro dryer and my regular stupid dryer
I am going to get myself one of these but also get the samller Andis for the face. The smaller Andis for the face looks live a human dryer but has a stand. |
Ashley wrote: I am going to get myself one of these but also get the samller Andis for the face. The smaller Andis for the face looks live a human dryer but has a stand.
I have the portable metro cannister too. Have you tried taking the nozzle tip off and just using the hose on the face? That works for Chewie. It lessens the force enough to make so he tolerates it just fine. |
| Dawn, I never thought of that! Duh My poor dog has a dummy for a Mommy! |
got sheep wrote: Ashley wrote: I am going to get myself one of these but also get the samller Andis for the face. The smaller Andis for the face looks live a human dryer but has a stand. I have the portable metro cannister too. Have you tried taking the nozzle tip off and just using the hose on the face? That works for Chewie. It lessens the force enough to make so he tolerates it just fine. Do you know I forgot the metro has a nozzle - I actually never use it |
kerry wrote: got sheep wrote: Ashley wrote: I am going to get myself one of these but also get the samller Andis for the face. The smaller Andis for the face looks live a human dryer but has a stand. I have the portable metro cannister too. Have you tried taking the nozzle tip off and just using the hose on the face? That works for Chewie. It lessens the force enough to make so he tolerates it just fine. Do you know I forgot the metro has a nozzle - I actually never use it you should use it! 
On this dryer, the nozzle on or off makes a huge difference. |
| I found when I used the concentrator, it not only blew the water off the dog, but it seperated the hair nicely and I could easily see if there were any mats under. I have found the hair on the "outside" can look nice and fluffy, but underneath can be a complete woven mat. With the concnetrator on the dryer with this power, it seperated the hair so I can see skin ( hopefully) and matts if there were any.
But next time I will take the concentrator off for the face  |
| After a lot of research and advice from this forum, I bought this dryer: Edemco F160 Best 'N Show Heat Stand Dryer. I needed something that would travel well and I wanted the versatility of a heat and force dryer. This has the optional kit that makes it a cage dryer; a concentrator for the hose for force drying; and is hands free as well. I have been thrilled with it.
I travel with someone who uses a force dryer and a few times in very humid locations we were happy to have the option of having a heat setting rather than just just forced air plus 10 degrees. Good luck. |
| I was looking at that one as well nut having never seen it in "person", it looked a bit big for my area of use. Does it take up a lot of room? |
Quote: I found when I used the concentrator, it not only blew the water off the dog, but it seperated the hair nicely and I could easily see if there were any mats under.
You won't have to worry about this dryer not blowing down to the skin. You don't even the need the concentrator for that. In fact I only use the concentrator to blow the water off sideways - never directly at the dog. This dryer has the force to straighten shaggy fur to a show presentation straight - and without using any hands or brush to pull on the fur as it dries. I have found the hands free/hose option to be ideal. Betsy doesn't seem to mind just hanging out on the table while this dryer works. All you have to do is reposition it as areas dry. And then I use the hose feature to finish her legs. As for space, no, it is pretty small. It fits in a duffel bag less than 32" long. My crate and table are both 32" long and I can fit all of this in addition to my luggage and grooming supplies in the trunk of a small convertible. Don't let the small size fool you, this dryer is a workhorse. It is loud but mighty. I use it once a week and then daily on the show weekends. My friend has used her Metro force dryer for 10 years and she loves it. The dryers are about the same size - but the Edemco has a long metal nozzle and a stand that makes it hands free - and bigger. But as I mentioned, when it is humid having the option of 140 degree heat instead of air temp. plus 10 degrees makes a difference. And my friend uses her Metro force dryer for shows only. She has a large stand dryer at home. Good luck in your search. |
| When I started this thread, I had a lot of questions, and I still do! I think Carl has taken a sebatical after the death of his OES.
Josh said he'll buy a dryer for me if I get that powerpoint presentation together this month! I'm looking to get a standing dryer. I guess I need to know is there a benefit to getting the highest speed for faster drying? I'm also thinking about the Chris Christensen's dryer, does anyone have this? |
* Capt. Obvious Danger wrote: When I started this thread, I had a lot of questions, and I still do! I think Carl has taken a sebatical after the death of his OES.
Josh said he'll buy a dryer for me if I get that powerpoint presentation together this month! I'm looking to get a standing dryer. I guess I need to know is there a benefit to getting the highest speed for faster drying? I'm also thinking about the Chris Christensen's dryer, does anyone have this? Erin, Sorry I have "been below the radar" for so long but I have been having quite a bit of difficulty dealing with Martin Zephram's rather sudden and oh so untimely (early) passing. Anyway, I've poked my head back up into the land of the living so fire away with your questions, I'll answer as promptly as possible. I'll be up front with you, I am always pre-disposed to stand dryers which I'm glad to see you are tending towards. I think that they are by far the best option for your "primary dryer". There are very few instances where a "blower" is a better choice and those invariably rest on it's portability and compact size which can be of benefit for traveling (dog show circuit or extended vacations) with limited equipment. Anyway, thanks for your patience. Carl |
steveoes wrote: Amps is the power/force it takes to push volts through the wires.
amps x volts=watts. Air volume is the amount of air it moves per minute.as in5cu ft per 1 minute. I hope this helps Sorry Steve but you have this one "upside down". Amps, short for (Amperes) is the measure of current flow which is the the "amount" of electricity that flows down the wire. Voltage (volts) is the measure of electrical potential, very much the "pressure" in the electrical system. Most people can envision water being pumped through a pipe and out of spray nozzle much more easily than they can electrial current flow so I'll use that as an analogy. The water pressure in a system comes from either a pump drawing the water from a resevoir (hence huge municipal pumps at a river or other municipal water supply), or from a resevoir being positioned higher than the hose a spray gun (erg the old water towers). That water pressure is always there even when the tap or spray gun is closed. In fact that is when the water pressure is at it's highest. But by itself water pressure doesn't do a whole lot of good, it is simply an indicator that water power is available for use but nothing is happening yet. This is what voltage is, it is the "push" in the electrical system produced at a generating station or in a batttery for small electronic or hobby/convenience systems. But the electricity doen't "go anywhere", it is "stopped" until someone throws the switch for the light, fan etc. As soon as the tap or spray gun is opened the water pressure forces water to flow through the opening and you get a your spray. As soon as the water starts to flow the pressure will drop a bit (you can easily see the needle on a pressure gauge drop down when large taps are opened). The wider you open the tap or spray nozzle the more water flows but at the same time the greater will be the pressure drop. The amount of water that flows is dependant on a number of things including the size of the orifice (tap or spray nozzle), the size of your hose (1/2", 5/8" or 3/4" diameter) and how long the hose is. the longer the hose the less water tht will flow because of internal flow resistance. This is very much like the current in an electrical system. Once the switch is closed and the light or fan is connected to the voltage electrical current flows and you get work, in this example in the form of light or a fan turning. How much current (amps) flows is dependant on how big the appliance is - 60 watt light or 200 watts, a small fan with a 2 amp motor or a large fan with a 10 amp motor. And yes we will also get a small drop in voltage once the light or fan is turned on. Because the electrical grid has such a large capacity we can't readily measure that on our house system but if you did this on a battery operated small light or fan you could see the voltage drop on a volt meter. And how much current you can flow is dependant on the wire (analagous to the hose in a water system). Long small gauge wires will induce greater voltage drops (and hence heat losses) than will short large gauge wires. This is why we use heavier wires on major appliances, to prevent the heat losses from literally melting the wiring. Anyway, probably not what anyone really wanted in this thread but just my $.02 for the moment. Thanks and Cheers Carl |
| Welcome back, Carl! Thanks for helping me with this puzzling dilemma. I guess, the first question is... what criteria do you use when selecting a dryer?
My ultimate goal is to get a dryer that will dry two sheepdogs in a reasonable amount of time (anything less than the air drying time is wonderful). I'm not sure exactly what Air speed and Air volume is... I would think that air speed has something to do with how fast the air is being pumped through the unit and will ultimately be responsible for the dry time... is that right? What range should I look for when it comes to the OES coat? |
* Capt. Obvious Danger wrote: Welcome back, Carl! Thanks for helping me with this puzzling dilemma. I guess, the first question is... what criteria do you use when selecting a dryer?
My ultimate goal is to get a dryer that will dry two sheepdogs in a reasonable amount of time (anything less than the air drying time is wonderful). I'm not sure exactly what Air speed and Air volume is... I would think that air speed has something to do with how fast the air is being pumped through the unit and will ultimately be responsible for the dry time... is that right? What range should I look for when it comes to the OES coat? Erin, Okay, the first thing to confirm is that you are going to use a regular 115V, 15 amp household circuit - the most common general use circuit in homes here in North America. That is pretty much taken for granted unless you are building a dedicated dog grooming salon so I'll assume you are going to use a general purpose cicuit and answer according to that assumption. This means you will be looking for a dog dryer that is rated betweeen 1200 and 1750 watts. Watts is the total electrical power consumption of the dryer and it reflects both the motor that turns the fan and the electrical heating element. 1200 Watts is pretty marginal for drying our guys and 1750 is pretty close to the maximum you can safely use in your household plugs. About 1500-1600 Watts is ideal but if you can find a good deal on a 1700 watt dryer it will be safe. For any dryer in this size range it will be the ONLY appliance you can use on that circuit so don't try to plug it into the same circuit with the tv or other entertainment device you use to help pass the drying time. Air flow, velocity and temperature are your next criteria. You need to strike a balance here, too hot and it will damage the hair, too high a velocity and you risk "windburn" on your Bobtail's skin, too low an air flow and you won't effectively dry the hair and part it all the way down to the skin. Air flow is the total volume of air that a dryer moves in a given time frame. It is usually qoted in cubic feet per minute. So envision a cube shaped balloon one foot by one foot by one foot being "sucked empty in one minute". Air flows on a good dryer should be in the order of 160-200 cubic feet per minute. Again less than that is marginal to dry our guys in a decent timeframe and anything significantly higher is a very large "professional" dryer that may not be usable in your regular household plug and will invariably be a very loud unit. High noise is a big problem because it stresses both your dog and you. A stressed dog won't want to lie down and complete his blow drying session and a stressed groomer will have a tendency to "give up" just to avoid more of the noise because the dog is "okay" or "pretty much dry" which really means you are still 45 minutes from really being done so he/she is going to have that "wet dog" smell for quite a while. Air velocity or speed is how fast the air comes out of the nozzle and hits the dog. It is generally measured in feet per minute and it is basically the "wind speed" of the business end of the dryer. You should be looking for air speeds of between 3300 and 4200 feet per minute. Again values lower than this are going to be too slow to properly part the dog's hair all the way down to the skin so you will never be able to fully dry the dog. Speeds above this are getting into the range where I am concerned about "windburn" ie, drying the dog's skin. And again higher speeds generally indicate a much bigger "professional unit" that comes with increased noise and costs. Finally air temperature. This is very importnant and why almost all experienced groomers don't use large "human" hair dryers to dry their dogs. (You can easily go out and buy a 1500 watt human hair dryer for perhaps $65-$80 for a good one and with a bit of effort hold the dryer in one hand and brush with the other - assuming your dog lies still and cooperates fully - and you can dry the dog quite quickly. But remenber all those commercials for conditioner which repairs hear damage to your hair from hot dryers? Well they will do the same to your dog's hair but to an even greater degree, and the high temperatures will cause the dog to overheat and can burn the skin if you don't keep the dryer hot air blast moving around. Finally the other big strike against even the best human hair dryers is their service life. They rarely exceed 100 hours of service life in 10-15 minute bursts - drying a bobtail requires anywhere from 2-4 hours at a time depending on coat length, thickness and undercoat quality so if you bath a dog even as little as once a month you'll be lucky to get a year out of one of these - long duty cycles will eat up their service life far more quickly than the 10-15 minute designe duty cycles.) So you want an air temperature in the 125 to 140 degree fahrenheit range. If the maximum temperature is lower than this you won't have enough excess temperature to quickly evaporate the water, if it gets much higher than this it will be too harsh on the hair and could burn the dog's skin - most sensitve are the inside of the ear flaps, ear canal area, and belly/genital areas. The dog's face can also be quite sensitive to high heat and strong air flows. These are the "raw" techincal requirements of a dryer. If you find one that falls into these ranges it should dry your dog in a reasonable timeframe (reasonable varies with coat length, thickeness, undercoat etc.,) and give you a long service life. You will also want some "user friendly" features. The stand is of course the first of these. An adjustable height stand will help position the dryer where it can be used to best effect and frees you from constantly holding or adjusting it so one hand brushes while the other hand helps calm/re-assure the dog and "control" the coat. Second is a rotating nozzle. This will allow you to quickly and easily point the air stream to the exact spot you need without having to adjust the entire dryer. Almost all dryers have this but just ensure the descripotion incluses 360 degree adjustable nozzle. There are still the occasional dryers that have a "flexible" dryer tube (the aprt between the motor/element body and the nozzle. Avoid these, they are currogated to allow flexibility and those corrugations reduce air flow and will eventually fatigue and crack causing the air to leak out and ultimately they will break off entirely. The stand base can also be a feature to review. Most now have 5 or 6 castors much like a modern office chair. Don't buy and "old stock" dryer that hs 4 castors on "legs" they tend to bend and once that happens they are never stable again. This is the only compaint I have with my now 30 some year old dryers. Also acept that he casters are not going to work very well for very long. Hair will build up in the castors and wheels will stop rolling. You can put this off by cleaning the castors out after every use but eventually they will just "gum up" and the wheels won't roll any more and the wheels will grind down to a flat edge. At this point I replaced my castors with the flat "furniture glides". So after all of this which dryers are suitable? I recommend you consider the following as a "short list"" https://www.businessvision.net/Edge/Mai ... egoryID=41 This is the current Oster model of the dryers I have. https://www.businessvision.net/Edge/Mai ... egoryID=41 This is a good competitor to the Oster but it's air flow is a bit low and the air velocity is a bit marginal. And at a very similar price to the Oster I don't thnk it is a very good value unless you find one for 20% off or better. https://www.businessvision.net/Edge/Mai ... egoryID=41 This is the larger Edemco model but it is getting pretty large - hence noisy - and at it's maximum power it's temperature, and air speed are getting into the ranges where I wouldn't be comfortable using it for a full drying session. Quick touch ups maybe but not for 2-3 hour full drying sessions. http://www.pet-discount-supply.com/dogs ... dk9000.htm This is an alternative but it has a very high air flow rating and will probably be very noisy as well as having high air speed with the risk of "wind-burn. It does however have a relarively low price. I have no experience with this company and don't know how reliable it is. As I have stated before my personal choice is the Oster. After 32 years one of mine has just had the heating element fail and because it is so old there are no replacements available so it is now effectively dead. Fortunately Oster have a decent program where I can send back the dead one and get a remanufactured current model 309 for a good price. I'll be sending it in later this week or early next. Another example of good customer service and another reason why I am so fond of the Oster. Anyway, hopefully this helps. Don't hesitate to ask further questions. Thanks and Cheers Carl |
| Thanks, Carl! I had no idea that Oster had a service that they could repair your broken dryer. I would rather invest the money into a dryer that is of good quality and will have a good amount of longevity.
Do you have any suggestions on how to get your dog to accept the dryer? My dogs have been professionally groomed, but I think they have only been exposed to cage dryers, I'm not sure on how to properly introduce a standing dryer and using the grooming table. |
* Capt. Obvious Danger wrote: Thanks, Carl! I had no idea that Oster had a service that they could repair your broken dryer. I would rather invest the money into a dryer that is of good quality and will have a good amount of longevity.
Do you have any suggestions on how to get your dog to accept the dryer? My dogs have been professionally groomed, but I think they have only been exposed to cage dryers, I'm not sure on how to properly introduce a standing dryer and using the grooming table. Disclaimer: I have no association with, or financial interest in, the Oster Corporation. The opinions expressed are good faith commentary based on a lifetime of positive experience owning two Oster Dog dryers, Model 279 Series A. Erin, The program for which I qualify is not a repair but a complete replacement. I send in my old model dryer and for a reduced cost I get a factory rebuilt new model dryer. If parts were available to repair my dryer I would do it myself - I NEVER pay anyone to do things that I can do myself! But after more than 30 years of flawless service I can't complain that these dryers owe me anything nor can I legitimately complain that parts are no longer available for such an obsolete product. I estimate that I have completed over 1100 dog dryings with these so that amortizes them down to something in the order of $0.50 per bath. I would say that meets any quality, longevity and cost effectiveness criteria anyone could demand of any dog dryer. As far as I am concerned Oster makes an excellent product and I will never hesitate to recommend them. I included several other examples in my last post so you could make a comparison and come to an informed decision of your own. Obviously I think the Oster Model 309-61 should be your choice but only you can make that final decision. It is after all your money being spent. Oster, as with any other major appliance company, will of course do service if your dryer ever needs it but with even a modicum of care and basic maintenance you should never need to send them in for service. Thanks and Cheers Carl |
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