Ok, so I've been using blowers for car drying for many years now. I did have a dedicated car drying blower, but the convenience of battery power and the lack of a hose makes a leaf blower a quicker and easier to manage solution.
I started off using a small handheld Makita. With a 5.0 ah battery, I could blow off a large sedan in one charge. A workable solution, but not the most efficient or effective.
I then tried using a mid-level Stihl battery leaf blower. The long tube and lack of grunt meant the little Makita actually worked better.
From here, I went the dedicated blower route. Most certainly this is the most effective way of air drying a vehicle, the way the nozzle tapers increases the air velocity and makes it easier to "drive" water from the surface. If it matters, air is drawn through a filter first, and heated too. But as mentioned, you need to manage both a power cord and hose.
From here, I went the EGO route. No question at all, EGO make the best battery powered blowers money can buy. In fact, the top spec model is the most powerful handheld blower on the market, and that includes petrol powered blowers too. But which EGO blower. Ignore the LB530, it's too lean and the lack of a variable trigger and the lag between squeezing the trigger and the motor spinning is frustratingly slow. The LB615 and LB650 are shrill. The ones to look at are the LB765 and LB880. I also recommend the 4.0 or 5.0 ah battery, the 2.5 ah will do it, but you cut it fine.
Now, that tube length is far too long for this role, or at least to close for comfort for my liking. This is where the stubby nozzle comes into the picture. For a while, the only option here was an aftermarket 3D printed nozzle. However, EGO now make their own with proper injection molded plastic and a release tab. It also comes with a rubber tip to prevent accidental damage if made contact with the car.
Part Number is AST200
If you already have a leaf blower, you can get stubby nozzles for a variety of brands, including Milwaukee, Makita, Ryobi, DeWalt. These are the 3D printed type, but they work just fine. They don't come with a rubber tip, so make sure to order the optional silicone Blower Band as well. If you have an EGO, go with the OEM stubby as it's actually cheaper.
STUBBY® Car Drying Nozzles for Leaf Blowers
stubbynozzles.com
Just keep in mind that you won't totally dry a vehicle with a blower, there will always be a few areas where a towel will be needed to finish things off. That may or may not bother you. Also, you must have a decent wax, sealant or ceramic coating on the vehicle to permit water beading, which in turn allows the air to drive the water off the car. It will also take you a bit of practice to do this efficiently.
Also, ignore those 3D printed mini blowers that you see heavily advertised on social media and sold via Amazon. They look impressive for the brief demos shown in the ads, but they just don't have the capacity to do a complete job.
