# Dryers.. again :)



## jeffsf (Dec 6, 2010)

Think "vacuum cleaners" when you look at specs -- most of what is quoted to buyers is pretty meaningless. Want a bigger "FPM" number? Just stick on a smaller nozzle. 

HP and Amps are going to track pretty closely, with most units with about the same HP having about the same current (Amps) draw. If you've got older wiring in your house, or newer wiring without a dedicated circuit, you probably want to stay below 15 A so you don't blow breakers or overheat wiring.

Noise? Most of the noise comes from the air itself rushing over and around the dog -- the contribution of the motor itself, is relatively small. It may be "annoying" or "noticeable" when you aren't drying the dog, but as far as damaging, it is the drying part that makes the difference. Within reason, there isn't much a dryer manufacturer can do; it's all the same physics about a bunch of air rushing out of a nozzle and head-on into a dog. (You do have real hearing protectors, not cotton balls, yes?)

At $100, if it does a good job for you, you're probably doing just fine. 

Mid-level dryers like the K-9 II or the Chris Christensen Kool Dry (nice for portable use, as it draws under 15A, but can be whimpy) are around $350. Then there's the Romani Granddaddy...


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

I have the B-Air Bear. It is alright! Decent enough for me. With Henry's short coat it takes no time to dry him. Millie still takes quite some time with all of that long hair...but its not bad and it was a decent price! 

Jeffstf - what would "real" hearing protectors be? I am assuming you mean for the dog? I have not been using these... Am I making a bad mistake?


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## jeffsf (Dec 6, 2010)

For humans, I'd suggest at least a set of over-the-ear muffs or some of the foam insert style (or both used in tandem). Decent muffs can be had for $20 or less. The higher the NRR value, the better. For example, if they fit _you _the same way, plugs rated 29 are going to be a lot better than ones rated 22. In my opinion, a difference of one or two in NRR isn't big.

NIOSH Topic: Noise and Hearing Loss Prevention: Learn More About HLP: Choose the Right Hearing Protection | CDC/NIOSH wisely suggests that something comfortable that you'll wear is better than anything that you won't.

I haven't found anything yet for dogs. In my opinion, a "Happy Hoodie" may make you and the dogs feel better, but fabric or plain cotton balls just don't reduce noise by a significant amount. I'm looking for something that will seal against the outer edge of the ear canal reasonably (I don't want to push stuff into their ears, nor do I think any kind of muff is going to seal well), but nothing has really caught my attention as a viable solution yet.

At least if you're a home groomer you're only exposed an hour every week or two. Not great, but much better than drying several hours a day, five or six days a week.


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

Hmmm...but my dryer doesn't seem loud enough to need hearing protectors?? It is no louder than my own blowdryer and defintely not as loud as concerts I go to or even the music I play in my car occasionally.


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## jeffsf (Dec 6, 2010)

One article that points out some of the concerns is that of Barbara Bird, available at http://www.groomteamusa.com/pdf/Winter09.pdf

Her measurements suggest noise levels of around 100 dB from forced-air drying. NIOSH recommends no more than 15 minutes of exposure per day at those levels. 

(Her measurements of motor noise, at ~90 dB, indicate that it is about ten-times less than the noise of the drying nozzle.)

I don't know what conditions she measured the noise under (things like a hard-surfaced room, the size of the room, how war away from the nozzle, etc.), but certainly the levels are enough to take some reasonable precautions. 

Oh, avoid the 102-dB "barking bichon" too


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

jeffsf said:


> Oh, avoid the 102-dB "barking bichon" too


Ha ha. I actually should probably start taking care of my hearing. I go to concerts in the third row often and have permanent tinnitus in a quiet room!


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## Feathersprings (Jul 15, 2010)

The ear protection is probably a good idea. A bit late for me ,haha, after over 30 hrs grooming and using loud dryers for many of those using a HV dryer once a month or so doesn't really concern me much. Thankfully at this point I have no hearing loss. 

Millie, thanks for the B-Air Dryer info. I figure if I get one and don't like it I will get a different one down the road. With only the one dog to dry if it takes a while that will be ok. I am also going to need some new shears and some clip on combs.  Got to keep this boy looking good!


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## Ms Stella (Aug 16, 2010)

I dont think a dryer is something to skimp on with a standars..I have not used or seen anything with a dryer less than a K9 II. My groomer used a K9 III. I know that a good dryer is worth its weight i gold


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## skinnydoggz (Jan 9, 2011)

Ms Stella said:


> I dont think a dryer is something to skimp on with a standars..I have not used or seen anything with a dryer less than a K9 II. My groomer used a K9 III. I know that a good dryer is worth its weight i gold


Do you have any suggestions for the cheapest dryer I can get (tight budget)? I still need to announce it, but I got my first spoo last Sunday. I also have an Afghan hound whose coat is about 3" long. I already have a Metro Airforce Flexdri force dryers that clamp onto the grooming table. I've never used it because I was taking my dogs to work to be groomed. I'm no longer working, so I can't do that without paying. I'm guessing that small dryer will not be of much use. I'd also have to look into having an electrician come since my house is over 100 years old. I was thinking of buying the Kool Dry Dryer because of its size and the fact that it won't draw much electricity. I'd _really_ rather not spend that much.

Everyone has such a different take on dryers. My head is spinning from all the research I've done.

Thank you!


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## Feathersprings (Jul 15, 2010)

haha, that is just how I was feeling. The B-Air I am looking at is inexpensive ($99.)and the amps it draws is lower than the others. I don't know the Metro Dryer you were using.. Mine was the 4hp commander. I was going to get another one but after reading the info on both I have decided to get the B-Air. obviously the best idea is to get the best one you can, but like you, right now I need one I can afford and will do my research again when I am ready to get a better one. I figure For the price of this little dryer I couldn't pay for 2 grooms from the local groomer.  it is hard for me to not just save up and buy the really great dryer having been a groomer and really love great equipment but keep reminding myself I only have one dog!


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## skinnydoggz (Jan 9, 2011)

*Dryers Again/Setting the straight hair*

The B-Air looks good for our purposes, but I was hoping for a dryer with heat to set the hair so it doesn't curl up right away. Here's a thought, and remember we are grooming our own dogs, would it work to go over the dried, brushed-out dog with a regular hair dryer to set the hair with heat?


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## Feathersprings (Jul 15, 2010)

You have to think about while drying all that coat the heat will set the curl before you have time to dry the dog so blowing it with the cooler dryer actually helps keep it straIght.I try and have the dog completely dry with the HV dryer but do some touch up with a regular dryer at the end. For me that is mostly around the ears and then I sort of go through the whole coat one more time. Though I am a retired groomer I am by no means a poodle specialist like some on here, I am learning new things daily


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## Ms Stella (Aug 16, 2010)

*You got a new SPOO?*



skinnydoggz said:


> Do you have any suggestions for the cheapest dryer I can get (tight budget)? I still need to announce it, but I got my first spoo last Sunday. I also have an Afghan hound whose coat is about 3" long. I already have a Metro Airforce Flexdri force dryers that clamp onto the grooming table. I've never used it because I was taking my dogs to work to be groomed. I'm no longer working, so I can't do that without paying. I'm guessing that small dryer will not be of much use. I'd also have to look into having an electrician come since my house is over 100 years old. I was thinking of buying the Kool Dry Dryer because of its size and the fact that it won't draw much electricity. I'd _really_ rather not spend that much.
> 
> Everyone has such a different take on dryers. My head is spinning from all the research I've done.
> 
> Thank you!


Kewl! Do you have any photos? Maybe you have posted somewhere else about him/her by now? If you miss a day of reading here you miss a lot ! :act-up:
About the dryer...I only dried Stella once with a (very good) human dryer. Thats all it took for me! I guess I'm lazy. LOL. I don't know much about other dryers, but I'm sure you will get good ideas from others here or if you search the forum there are lots of posts on dryers :afraid: it is overwhelming for sure!
I'm not the best person to ask as I am a newbie too and I'm one of those people who thinks they need the best, even when I can't afford it! LOL


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## partial2poodles (Feb 11, 2010)

When you are comparing dryers while shopping, most look for FEATURES VERSUS PRICE

The lower priced dryers have low power, use the same amount of electricity and generally run very cool.

The higher priced dryers have multiple speed control (for faces and ears)
They have the force behind them that warms up the motor which warms up the air blowing out....they do not have a heating element but their POWER makes them warmer. They do the job faster and better which cuts your electric usage. The hoses are longer and more flexible...the cords are much better made. The on/off switches dont break so easily and they generally weigh alot more because there is less cheap plastic components inside. Since they warm up, they are heavier metal.

So that is the basic breakdown.


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## skinnydoggz (Jan 9, 2011)

Geeze, I'm not getting notices of all the posts so I'm late to respond. Thanks for all the helpful advice. Maybe I'll get that groomers helper or arm that holds the hose and frees up both hands. I haven't bathed Pie yet. I've just had her for five days. I suppose she's due but I didn't want to bath her while she was adjusting to her new home.

I haven't announced that I have her yet because I can't figure out how to do a new post and how to choose where to put it. She's AWESOME! I was going to name her Whoopie, but she seemed to sweet instead of full of energy. I can tell you that's changing as she gets comfortable with her new family. She's a riot now, always into something. I swear I need to put shelves up high on all my walls. I move things up and she manages to get them somehow. Anyway, Whoopie made me think of Whoopie pies. She's sweet as pie, so we've been calling her "Pie". She's sleeping on the bed next to me and my whippet right now. When I finally get sleepy, I'll put her in her xpen so she has no chance of falling off the bed and getting hurt.


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## skinnydoggz (Jan 9, 2011)

Partial2, I've read here and there that hotter air sets the hair but what you say makes sense since human hair dryers usually come with a 'cool shot' button to set the hair. Do you have any favorite forced air dryers? Do you use the method where you hold the nozzle at the skin (to avoid whip knots) and move it very slowly or do you briskly move it instead of keeping it in one spot? I worked as a groomer's apprentice for a few months before having to stop working (due to illness), and the manager always kept the nozzle moving. Another groomer used the slow, close-to-the-skin method. 

Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience!


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## Feathersprings (Jul 15, 2010)

Just got my dryer in the mail today.. didnt have time to use it but did a "dry" run on Hoolie after coming back from the park Blew off all the dirt and bark. I was happy with the power for being a smaller dryer and it is quieter than the Metro Commander but it isnt "quiet" I will probably get around to doing a complete groom on Sunday... Cant wait to use it and to have Hoolie looking a bit more tidy !


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## skinnydoggz (Jan 9, 2011)

Is this the one you got: B-Air Bear Power I Grooming Dryer - Statelinetack.com

Will you be getting the groomer's helper clamp that holds a hose to free up both hands?


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## Feathersprings (Jul 15, 2010)

That is the one I got.. I didnt order the arm but should probably do that. I am so used to using these dryers without one i didnt think to do that but Im sure it would make things so much easier than the way I do it lOL! I think maybe i feel in control of how the air is moving through the hair whan i am holding it.. but ther are times when two hands would be good.


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## skinnydoggz (Jan 9, 2011)

That's the reason I would like a stand dryer. You can point the dryer arm where you want it while you fluff dry. I can't afford both types of dryers right now though. I heard that the groomers' helper (I think that's what it's called) that you get from petco ($20) kind of pinches the hose. Maybe the forced air dryer would be enough if you hold the nozzle while drying it then use a clamp to hold it while fluff drying or using a cool setting to set the hair. BTW, I posted an album with pictures of my (sweet as) Pie. 

Regarding that site with the dryer, they do not charge shipping, just $4 tax. Do you mind telling me where you got yours? I'd love to hear how well it dries and if Hoolie's hair stays straight for a good amount of time.

Thanks, 
Lynn


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## BFF (Jun 10, 2009)

jeffsf said:


> I haven't found anything yet for dogs. .


My friend has a malamute that she bought some mutt muffs for. They were designed to help dogs who are constantly around loud noises such as flying. I think they would work wonderfully for grooming. 

Welcome to Mutt Muffs!

I'm sure in the end, the ears may need to be spritzed with water and dried separately.

I'm still in dryer envy mode.


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## skinnydoggz (Jan 9, 2011)

I couldn't wait to order a dryer, so, after tons of research, I ordered the Kool Dry Dryer along with the Hold A Hose. I apprenticed for 3 months before having to stop working (which I hated to do because I loved it). Also, about 18 yrs. ago I graduated from Pedigree Grooming Academy (but because of circumstances, never got to be a groomer). So, I have a tiny bit of experience. It only took that much to learn that having both of my hands free while drying/brushing/fluff drying makes all the difference in the world, especially time wise. Yesterday I bathed Pie and trimmed a poodle puppy face for the 1st time. I roughly clippered her front paws. That's all I did because I didn't want to overdo it on my wee girl. I posted some pictures in another post but will put a link here to a short photobucket slideshow. I didn't touch her topknot or ears. They were trimmed when I got her. I'm 99% sure I'm going to let her topknot grow long so I can band it. I love that look. I don't know why her ears were shorter than the rest of her hair. Perhaps they take longer to grow? In one picture it looks like I trimmed her paw too high, but I think the hair above is just flattened. She's sleeping next to me right now w/her legs tucked under her. I don't want to wake her to check it out. I also put a few pics of her playing with my son. He lives upstairs and works nights (sleeps through morning and afternoon), so I didn't use to see much of him. Now he comes down as soon as he wakes up to play with Pie. She's always exuberant in greeting him. I actually have TONS of pics of my son laughing like crazy during their love fest.

Image hosting, free photo sharing & video sharing at Photobucket

I'll report on how the Kook Dry Dryer & Hold A Hose works out for me as a pet owner (not professional groomer).


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## ArreauStandardPoodle (Sep 1, 2009)

Is the Kool Dry the Chris Christensen dryer? If so, could you please let me know how you like it? The smaller one or the bigger? I am thinking about getting one but want to speak to folks who have it to get their opinion. Thank you!


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## faerie (Mar 27, 2010)

cameo has one and i used it when she was showing me how to groom temperance. it's REALLY nice.


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## BigRedDog (Mar 2, 2011)

*Dryer*

I am in favor of a using a good (hands free)dryer, but they are expensive. I would recommend checking craigslist and other such lists for a used stand dryer. They last for many years with hard use in grooming shops and are not difficult to repair should the need arise. Air flow and temp are correct for drying and grooming dogs. Two brands I have experience with are Oster and Edemco


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## skinnydoggz (Jan 9, 2011)

Arreau, I got the Kool Dry dryer because I don't think my electrical system could handle a regular stand dryer. I've used it briefly a couple of times. I say briefly because my pup is still little. I'm going to groom her tomorrow and, hopefully, will get a better feel for it. I had to put it on low because I'm trying to break her in slowly. I'm thinking it's not as strong as a stand dryer heat wise but it did get warm. I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow.


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## skinnydoggz (Jan 9, 2011)

Arreau, sorry I haven't gotten back to you sooner with a review of the Chris Christenen Kool Dry dryer. I have the bigger one. I just don't feel I've given it enough of a workout to review it yet. I've only groomed Pie a couple of times (since we've had so much snow rain and mud). I haven't used it full force because I don't want to scare Pie. I'm trying to set us both up to succeed in future groomings. Also, I don't have a lot of experience. I did a good amount of fluff drying where I worked for 3 months with their stand dyers, but I couldn't go as slowly and gently there as I do at home. So, I see a difference in how much straighter I could get the coats, but I worked faster and the coats had less chance to crimp up and I wasn't working on puppy coats. I also haven't tried the Kool Dryer on my Afghan hound who has a very thick (mountain type) coat. We're supposed to get a couple days of rain, so I'll wait before grooming them again. All I can say for sure is that the arm is not as easy to point in the right directions as a stand dryer's arm. Because the holder clamps onto the table. You have to either turn the dog around to dry the other side or move the clamp. The most important thing to me is that I can use it without worrying about blowing my 100-yr. old house's electrical system. That was the main reason I picked this dryer. If that were not such a big consideration, I definitely would have gotten a stand dryer.


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## FunkyPuppy (Jan 27, 2011)

Skinny doggz, if you don't mind, what is a '¥mountain-type' coat? I haven't had the pleasure of working with an afghan in several years, and of the two i used to work with, one was shaved down (sad face) and the other had a very fine, easily matted coat with no saddle, just a straight part like a lny small drop-coat breed.


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## skinnydoggz (Jan 9, 2011)

The old joke in the Afghan hound world is that there are three types of coat, the silky desert coat, the thick more cottony mountain coat (it's COLD and snowy in the mountains) and the matted coat. I'm in the process of uploading a video that will kill two birds with one stone. It will show my latest attempt at grooming my standard puppy, Pie, and it shows my Afghan hound, Oprah, or Opie. On Facebook it would take about 5 hours to upload, so I'm trying Photobucket to see if it'll up load faster. Oprah is a bit of a mess because we go out in the nasty weather. I'm waiting for a weather forecast that doesn't involve rain or snow (hopefully in a couple days) so I can groom her. Also, she was spayed last fall so the hair under her chest area needs to be trimmed/straightened out. And she loves to roll in snow/slush/grass/leaves so she always looks like Mother Nature (you'll see). I trimmed her hair down to about 2" last summer when I wasn't feeling well, so that's growing out (I may keep it short, not sure). Because she was spayed, her monkey fuzz (hair on her muzzle that you see on Af pups) is growing back. I let her saddle grow out over the winter to keep her warm since she's loves being outside. That may have been a mistake where I had her spayed. It came in VERY thick and will take some work to clean up. I'm trying to decide if I should continue cleaning it by plucking, pumice stone and stripping (carding?) knife or if I should just start clippering it. I'm afraid I'll ruin the saddle if I start clippering it. You may be able to see where I started working on it. Sorry this is so long. I just want you to know what's wrong with her coat. Oh, I'm letting her TK grow back too (big mistake, cutting it!).


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## faerie (Mar 27, 2010)

you can create a youtube account and upload there.


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## skinnydoggz (Jan 9, 2011)

Thanks, Faerie. The photobucket upload actually finished already. I'll try youtube too, see if that's even faster. I just got an invalid file message when I tried to attach it. I'll try the link button...[URL=http://s65.photobucket.com/albums/h212/OldeCapeCod/52%20Weeks%20of%20Pie/?action=view&current=MVI_1931.mp4][/URL]


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## skinnydoggz (Jan 9, 2011)

*Pie's latest grooming & Afghan mountain-type coat answer*

Thanks, Faerie. The photobucket upload actually finished already. I'll try youtube too, see if that's even faster. 

I think if you click on the picture it'll open up the video with Pie, Oprah and I groomed Pie about 3 days before this video was taken, so she's not very plush with all the wet weather. It's nowhere near perfect, but way better than my previous attempts. I'll let her body grow out now that I clipped off the divots I put in it last time.

[URL=http://s65.photobucket.com/albums/h212/OldeCapeCod/52%20Weeks%20of%20Pie/?action=view&current=MVI_1931.mp4][/URL]

FunkyPuppy, if you pause the video around 15 seconds into it, you can see where I've done more work on the saddle (than the other side). I think you'll see here how thick her coat is. She's overdue for a thorough grooming. Freshly groomed she gets that plush look while her hair is short like this. 

Here's a picture of her when she was in show coat. HUGE difference. In the overdue for a grooming pic, you can see how thick her coat really is.

OprahShowPic.jpg picture by OldeCapeCod - Photobucket


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