Many here have bought K-9 Mini dryers from me and recommended this board to help others find the right dryer. I now have Newfoundlands, but was a Husky owner originally, and have always loved the breed. If I can scan some pics of my Tigi, I will post them here.

eddycaaa wrote:

Has anyone tried the Metro Air Force Quick Draw Portable Compact Pet Dryer or the XPOWER 2-in-1 Pet Dryer and Vacuum, 2 HP, 2 Speed? I'm looking to save some money but at the same time I want something that will last at least a year or two

I just bought the Metro Air Force Portable Dryer. Budget was a concern, and I have just the one dog, so it seemed like a good option.

It works really well for me. I'm sure the higher end dryers will do a better job, but if you're on a budget and just looking for a decent dryer for the occasional bath or post-rain drying, it works well. I gave my dog a bath and dried her in about 20-30 minutes, and I was handling it very clumsily. I'm sure with practice I could do it better. She looks great now, very fluffy and full coat

I just got a B-Air and I love it!

This is an old thread but need suggestions/tips.

Budget is a small concern (sure I can pay off in small payments on CC but reluntact to place on CC).

Air Force Commander 2-Speed Dryer 4.0 HP Motor S by Metro $163

or

K-9 Mini ($250)

Can't see the specs to compare them. if they are comparable I rather save the $100

I have the commander 2-speed. I got it about 2 weeks ago. It works great, but is pretty loud. Dizzy doesn't like it very much and won't tolerate it for too long, so I'm still working on training. But dang it works well. If he would stand still, he'd be bone dry in probably 15 min max.

Edit - I should mention, that's on the low speed. I haven't tried the high speed yet.

They have the Commander 2 at our local self grooming salon- and you aren't kidding Jen it is LOUD even on low speed. I don't think it works nearly as quickly as my Kool Dry, but it does do the job!

From what I can tell the mini doesn't flow enough CFM to get the job done quickly...I haven't used that one but I have used the bigger version, again LOUD.

wpskier222 wrote:

I have the commander 2-speed. But dang it works well. If he would stand still, he'd be bone dry in probably 15 min max.

Edit - I should mention, that's on the low speed. I haven't tried the high speed yet.

How loud can it possibly be? Compressor loud?

Meeka goes to petsmart for grooming so I am sure she will get used to it fairly fast if used at home. When i first got her I would use my wife's hair dryer and it would take me an eternity (way more than an hour). 15 minute dry time would be great!

If it works for you it can work for me....will research a bit more on my end but getting a first hand review from someone in this site is much appreciated.

Kind of reminds me of the shop vac my dad had when I was a kid, its loud... But yeah, much, much better than a hair dryer.

wpskier222 wrote:

Kind of reminds me of the shop vac my dad had when I was a kid, its loud... But yeah, much, much better than a hair dryer.

That's not too loud then. I have a 2 HP Shop Vac that I recently bought. I did try to use it to blow off the water off of Meeka, but just leaves her damp after a good 45 minutes of us, not much drying.

I'm talking the old school shop vac lol... The one you can hear your neighbor using down the block. I'm sure it will be fine, and you'll probably be underwhelmed by the noise after all the build up. I hope it works as well for you as it does for me!

placing following specs for anyone looking at these in the future:

k-9 mini
Specifications:
Air Volume: 89 CFM
Air Speed: 32,529 FPM
Heat: Warm Air (no heating element)
Amps: 9.5
Watts: 788
Volts: 110/120

Metro Blaster Model HP Air Volume FPM Amps Weight
BLASTER B-3 4 29,250 9.5 8



Metro Air Force Commander
Model HP Air Volume CFM/FPM Amps Weight
Air Force 3 4.0 130/28,000-65/14,000 11.5 8 lbs

k-9 mini
Specifications:
Air Volume: 89 CFM
Air Speed: 32,529 FPM
Heat: Warm Air (no heating element)
Amps: 9.5
Watts: 788
Volts: 110/120

Metro Blaster
Model
HP 4
Air Volume FPM 29,250
Amps 9.5
Weight 8




Metro Air Force Commander
Model
HP 4.0
Air Volume CFM/FPM 130/28,000-65/14,000
Amps 11.5
Weight 8 lbs

So I did it. I went ahead and ordered my K9 II on Tuesday. I'm now jonesing for it to get here so I can bath the puppies and use it. I've already started a list of things I wanna do with it once I receive it, the boyfriend is looking forward to cleaning out the PC and electronics with it. It should be here by early next week. It really can't come fast enough! I've been checking the tracking information several times a day now.

Hello!

I just have a question about HVD. Right now, when we bathe Gus, we just towel him off, and let him air dry. Air drying can take HOURS sometimes, especially now that it's too cold to just let him sunbathe outside.

I think i'm just a little sceptical right now about spending so much on a dryer (considered we don't really bathe him that much). Would a regular human hair dryer not do the job? Say i just wanted to dry his hair, and wasn't too concerned about blowing his undercoat out. I've never actually seen a HVD in action, so that could also by why i'm still on the fence. Everyone on this thread seems to love theirs so i thought maybe you guys can convince me haha.

You CAN use a human hair dryer with the heat OFF, however you will be there forever trying to dry the coat out that way. A force dryer literally blows the water out of the coat rather than "drying" it in the traditional sense that you'd blow dry your own hair.

There's really nothing else I can say about HVD's that hasn't already been said in this thread. If you can, try to find a self service dog wash that has a force dryer and try it out for yourself so that you have first hand experience before deciding whether to get one or not. There are also cheaper, lower power force dryers like the Metro's (can't remember the name of their smallest one right now) that may be a good fit for you.

Thank you!

I have seen the self service dog washes before, but never tried it out. That's a really great idea!

Huskyluv wrote:

I would not even consider the XPower dryer you linked to.  One, I've never even heard of it which cannot possibly be a good thing.  Two, I just looks flimsy.  Three, I wouldn't expect anything decent to cost less than $200.  You get what you pay for and I can totally appreciate that you're trying to save money but I wouldn't recommend skimping on a dryer since you'll most likely end up having to replace the cheapo dryer you tried saving money on with an expensive worthwhile dryer in the long run and spend that much more money.  If money is an issue I would just bide my time and stick it out with brushes (and maybe even using the HV dryers at self service dog washes when available) and save up until you can afford a good, quality dryer right off the bat.

Val please dont think i dont respect your opinion, cause on so many topics i love your advice!

But i just couldnt pass up trying out this dryer. They actually have it on sale for $25 less which makes it only 74 and free shipping. I figured if i hate it after a while ill trash it and get a new one, but i figured for the price its worth a shot. The specs on this are actually better than the K9 mini, i do know tjay better specs dont always mean a better product. I just felt its worth the gamble. I will let everyone know how i like it when i get it in a few days.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B009U35J1I/ref=redir_mdp_mobile?ref_=pe_385040_30332190_TE_M3T1_ST1_dp_i1

Hey, this is America.  You have the freedom to do what you'd like with your money.  My opinion is just that, MY opinion. Good luck with it, I'm more interested in it's ability to hold up long term.  Do you have personal experience with other dryers to be able to give a comparison?  My biggest concern would be a plastic body holding up to the heat generated by the motor and years of use.

I have never used another HV dryer to compare it to. So my review of it probably wont be much help to others. Maybe i will try to find one at a self grooming station so i can compare one for you guys. Ive been having a hard time finding one though. Not real popular where i live. For the plastic holding up, that was something i am curious and considered aswell. I just figured even if it falls apart after a few years, if i even get that long out of it, that it would be worth it since i cant afford a great one right now.

Since ive never used one, i should be getting it today, and will probably try it out tomorrow, but are there any techniques i should use, or avoid? Any tips to make it easier on me and koda? From what my groomers says koda absolutely hates the dryer, im hoping me doing it will put him at ease a little. But any ideas how to keep him calm? And how to be the most effective with the dryer? Like start from one end and work back? Or just blow at random?

I have a really nice Double K ChallengeAir drier that is plastic and holds up very well. Quite a few people in the show world recommended it because it is much lighter than the K9 models. It works incredibly well and even driers Cato quickly and he is plush.

I have a feeling the quality of the plastic may be different. When I questioned the plastic holding up, it wasn't a question of all plastic driers but Eric's cheaper model specifically.   After all, some full time groomers use the Double K's.  When I shopped for mine I only looked at what groomers themselves recommended, after all who would know better, right?  Even I looked at Double K's when I was shopping for a dryer.

Anyway, back to your question Eric, never use a force dryer on their face or ears.  As for techniques, I found watching videos on YouTube of how to use a force dryer very helpful. I work against the coat in sections and finally blow with the coat to finish him off at the very end.

For anyone wondering hvds come in handy in many situations. I used mine last night to blow up my air mattress. It's also handy for blowing out inside electronics.

I just got the KII, I was wondering if you guys that have it use one motor or both motors? On the directions it says to use both motors to extend the motor life but when I do that it's too powerful and Parker doesn't like it. Any tips?