# Best Choice for HV dryer that is quiet and economical for home grooming?



## tortoise (Feb 5, 2012)

If you find a way to create a 40 mph stream of air quietly, you'll be rich. We'll all buy one!

My fiance's dog is terrified of the vaccuum, but it totally fine with a forced air dryer. 

If your dog has already accepted the hair dryer, I don't think you'll have much problem introducing a higher-powered dryer.

To save time short term, you CAN use your hair dryer on high. Keep your free hand in the air stream to make sure you don't burn your dog. I use a hair dryer on high quite regularly on dogs.

Here is a great article for how to use your hair dryer correctly - it is hard to learn but worth it. Even when you get a forced air dryer, you'll want to finish drying with stretch / fluff drying.

http://www.bbird.biz/uploads/fluff_20drying_20faq_s.pdf


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## fantastic poodle (Sep 8, 2012)

A shop vac generally does not have enough force to straighten the hair as you dry. A HV dryer is your best bet. Most dogs tolerate it well but you can get an extra hose and attach it so you can put unit farther away and it wont be so loud and close to your dog. The dryer can be put even in another room and close the door to muffle the sound. Using it outside can also help with noise although your neighbors may not agree with that.


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## tortoise (Feb 5, 2012)

fantastic poodle said:


> A shop vac generally does not have enough force to straighten the hair as you dry. A HV dryer is your best bet. Most dogs tolerate it well but you can get an extra hose and attach it so you can put unit farther away and it wont be so loud and close to your dog. The dryer can be put even in another room and close the door to muffle the sound. Using it outside can also help with noise although your neighbors may not agree with that.


You can put cotton or lamb's wool in your dog's ears too. I have one of the more powerful HV dryers on the market and I have to wear hearing protection. The dogs deserve it too!


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## tokipoke (Sep 3, 2011)

I had the chance to use the Chris Christensen Kool Dry - or maybe it was Kool Pup - I don't remember the exact one but it was variable speed. It was pretty nice. The air doesn't warm up significantly and the noise is not that bad. Any force dryer will be loud, but some are louder than others, like the Metro (which is what I have at home). I really liked the variable speed, I can put it on a low stream of air to dry the head. 

I was taught to dry with a force dryer while blowing a stand dryer with warm air on the spots I'm drying. Get as much water off the dog's head with the force dryer, then finish drying by stretch drying with the stand dryer only, while brushing. So I go over the whole dog again with the brush and the warm air of the stand dryer, and finish brushing the head with the stand dryer. The results are amazing when a curly coated dog like a poodle is dried this way. You get a very nice finish.

For the home, you can just use a force dryer. I will be buying a stand dryer soon but that will be used in a grooming salon.


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## Simsek (May 5, 2012)

Thanks for the great link! I think that keeping the wet parts wet and working more methodically are two of the things I need to work at, but I'm still interested in getting a stronger dryer. Are there no differences in volume and pitch between models? I was looking at the Air Force Quick Draw initially because it was so small and affordable, but several reviews said that the sound was so loud and so high-pitched that it was unbearable. Of course, I have no idea if these people had used other dryers and whether or not this noise is any worse than others. 

Is a stand dryer as good or better an option, or is it more like a regular hairdryer with hands-free? I wish I could go somewhere to try them each like I did when i bought my vacuum cleaner! LOL!

PS - Wow! Thanks for all the feedback! Is cotton enough to dampen the noise sufficiently? I like the idea of putting the machine in a separate room, too. I'll have to find out how I can get extra hose, as that's not readily apparent.


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## tortoise (Feb 5, 2012)

Simsek said:


> Thanks for the great link! I think that keeping the wet parts wet and working more methodically are two of the things I need to work at, but I'm still interested in getting a stronger dryer. Are there no differences in volume and pitch between models? I was looking at the Air Force Quick Draw initially because it was so small and affordable, but several reviews said that the sound was so loud and so high-pitched that it was unbearable. Of course, I have no idea if these people had used other dryers and whether or not this noise is any worse than others.
> 
> Is a stand dryer as good or better an option, or is it more like a regular hairdryer with hands-free? I wish I could go somewhere to try them each like I did when i bought my vacuum cleaner! LOL!
> 
> PS - Wow! Thanks for all the feedback! Is cotton enough to dampen the noise sufficiently? I like the idea of putting the machine in a separate room, too. I'll have to find out how I can get extra hose, as that's not readily apparent.



I think the air stream makes more noise than the motor. Especially if you are drying with the dog on a grate or pasing the air stream "over the edge" of the dog or over a moving comb or brush.


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## fantastic poodle (Sep 8, 2012)

Actually if you go to grooming shops in your area you can check out what they use. Try to drop by in the last hour before closing on slow days (not the weekends we are too busy) and tell them what you need. Now I will tell you not all groomers are going to be receptive to questions about using "professional" equiptment in a home setting, so you have to be a little thick skinned. A little tip- if you tell a groomer you have a very fat lazy dog that get explosive diarreah when you bring him into a grooming shop you will find the groomer falling over herself telling you what she uses so you can groom the dog yourself. LOL! Just a joke groomers so dont yell at me here. Anyway you will find groomers who will show you as let you try their HV dryer and recommend other tools. If not try a grooming trade show....you can get free samples of products and see all their wares and try them out. 
Another tip about the hose....Most of my best equiptment comes from stuff Ive modified myself. I go to home depot and make my own grooming helper type arms and loops and by hoses and foam pieces and such.


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