Rating of compressors for drying dogs and cats

How to choose a single-engine compressor

There are three main types of hair dryers-compressors:

1. Hair dryers used for drying cats and small dogs. Lightweight and mobile.
2. Single-engine compressors used on a wide range of animals, from cats to medium and large dogs. They are used in pet salons and mobile grooming.
3. Twin-engine compressors used for medium and large dogs, exclusively in pet salons because of their size and weight.

In this article we review single-engine compressors, which have a wide range of applications and are the most popular among groomers. We will go through all possible parameters and characteristics. We will identify the really important ones and understand where marketing tricks are used and where the truthful information is. So, let's go!

Air speed

The air velocity depends on two parameters: the compressor performance and the amount of nozzle narrowing. Strictly speaking, this parameter cannot be considered as determining due to the fact that when using different nozzles for a hair dryer, there will be different air velocity. If you want to increase the speed, use a narrower nozzle, if you reduce it, use a wider one. Without using the nozzle, respectively, there will be a third speed. Exactly what speed the manufacturer means by indicating it on the label remains a mystery. But one thing is clear – this parameter is very easy to manipulate.

Power

For the user, power consumption means power consumption. The higher the power, the greater the electricity consumption. The lower the power, the lower the consumption.

Does a compressor with high performance have high power? Yes, it happens. Does a compressor with low performance have a lot of power? Yes, it happens if it is a cheap motor with low efficiency.

Is it possible to rely on power when choosing a compressor? No, you can't, because this is an indirect indicator that does not reflect the essence of the matter.

What indicators should I focus on?

A natural question arises, how then to choose a compressor. Let's think about what the compressor "produces"? It produces a flow of air and heats it to the required temperature. It is the main product of the compressor.

Performance

This is one of the most important parameters of the compressor. Productivity is measured in m3/s, as well as l/s, m3/h, cfm (cubic feet per minute). Most manufacturers do not specify this value. Guess why :) The flow rate of m3/s indicates the actual performance of the compressor – how many cubic meters of air per second the device produces.

Adjustment

Regulation of air flow performance and temperature can be stepwise (speeds 1, 2, 3, etc.) and smooth adjustment by the controller. In most cases, smooth adjustment is preferable, because you can make settings that are optimal for a particular animal. And you can also gradually increase the power so that the animal does not get nervous and gets used to the noise.

Heating temperature

Heated air increases the drying speed. But it is important not to over-dry and not burn the skin of the animal. Of course, it is advisable to dry the wool at room temperature, but it is important to save time when the salon is running. Therefore, heated air in the compressor is often used.

The air flow temperature should not exceed 50°C and be comfortable for the pet. In addition to the air temperature controller (if available), the temperature can be adjusted by the distance from the wool to the nozzle of the hair dryer.

The greater the distance, the lower the temperature will be. The smaller the distance, the higher the temperature. But it should be borne in mind that if the distance to the wool increases, then the air flow rate decreases, which increases the drying time.

Therefore, if the compressor produces too high a temperature (above 50 ° C), then you will have to increase the distance to the animal's fur and, accordingly, the air velocity will be less. This means that it will take more time to dry, which is undesirable when working in a pet salon.

Noise

In noise, everything is simple – the lower the noise, the better :) The less noise, the less nervous the animal is. But to make a low-noise compressor, and at the same time powerful, is not an easy task. Because in order to reduce noise, it is necessary to apply new technological solutions that cost additional costs and ultimately increase the cost of production. That in a competitive market is an important condition for existence.

Therefore, it is advisable to choose a compressor with low noise. And do not forget that if the compressor is regulated by power (smooth adjustment is best), then the lower the set operating power, the lower the noise will be. Therefore, if you need to make less noise (for example, when working with cats), then turn on the compressor at the lowest power.

Weight

The lighter the compressor, the more convenient it is to work with it and use it for mobile grooming (home visits). When working in the cabin, weight is not so important, because the compressor is most often fixed and stationary.

Housing material

The best material for the compressor housing is steel. But, most often it is not used, but plastic or cheaper metals are used. In turn, plastic can also be of different quality. Sometimes expensive plastic and it can be seen immediately, and sometimes cheap, when even with a slight fall or pieces of the product break off, or it completely splits. Therefore– plastic is different from plastic.

Nozzles

The following types of nozzles are most often used:

1. Narrow round nozzle
2. Medium flat nozzle
3. Wide flat nozzle
4. In the form of a comb

The more options the manufacturer provides, the more convenient it is to work.

Manufacturer's Warranty

If the manufacturer or seller does not give a guarantee, this is a bad sign. And if it gives – great, we need to look at the warranty period. For compressors, the minimum warranty period is 1 year, and if more, even better.

TOP 7 single-engine compressors for drying dogs

When compiling this rating, the following parameters were taken into account:

1. Compressor popularity
2. Its performance
3. Options for parameter adjustment
4. Heating temperatures
5. Noise
6. Housing material
7. Reliability
8. Weight
9. Number of nozzles
10. Manufacturer's Warranty
11. User Reviews

So, let's get started:

1 place. Metrovac Air Force Commander

This is the top American compressor, the leader of Amazon. Very reliable. And the manufacturer is not afraid to give it a 5-year warranty. There are many reviews when he served groomers for 20 years. Steel body. Reliable, like a Kalashnikov assault rifle, motor. Good performance. Among the minuses are the lack of heating (as we wrote above, this is good for animals), step–by-step switching of speeds (2 speeds) and a high price. It's really expensive.

2nd place. Tenberg Sirius Pro

A new brand, but already beginning to gain popularity among groomers. The most powerful among single-engine compressors, even exceeding the performance of most twin-engine compressors. The maximum air flow is 7 CBM (7 m3/s). High-quality plastic and components of the compressor. Optimal heating temperature. Smooth power adjustment. Of the minuses: despite the European roots, it is still "made in China" (although now most even branded goods are made in China).

3rd place. XPOWER B-4

American compressor, which is in the top of Amazon. Its absolute plus is the function of a vacuum cleaner. After grooming, they can also remove all the wool that has scattered around the cabin and save on a separate vacuum cleaner :) High-quality plastic housing. High performance with a low power of 1200 watts. This means that you will also save on electricity :) Light enough. It has a smooth power adjustment. It is stated that it is "40% quieter than competitors", but the amount of real noise is not specified. Hmm.. Cons – there is no heating function and the price is much higher than average.

4th place. KOMONDOR F-01 compressor

Popular compressor in Russia. Smooth power adjustment. Metal body, which makes it more durable to use. 3 nozzles. It is located in the middle price segment. The warranty is 1 year. Of the cons: a lot of unknowns. Unknown real motor performance, noise and even weight. Why these data are not specified by the manufacturer is quite understandable. But according to user reviews – an ordinary Chinese dryer, quite working.

5th place. DIMI LT-1090 compressor

One of the most popular brands in Russia. Low noise. Optimal air heating temperature. Smooth power adjustment. Quite budget-friendly. The actual performance is not specified, only "power" and "air velocity", as we wrote above. The power of 2800 watts, whether it is good or bad, respectively, is unknown. But you will need to pay a little more for electricity. Of the minuses: only 6 months warranty. Hm…

6th place. Codos CP-200

A very old Codos brand, represented in almost all pet stores and grooming stores. Codos is known to almost every groomer and is trusted. The compressor has a smooth speed adjustment. There is a heating function (but above the permissible limit). The performance, as with most Chinese compressors, is unknown. Of the minuses – the price is higher than the market due to the brand mark-up. But, this is rather a mark-up for time-tested.

7th place. LAN TUN LT-1090

This is one of the most purchased compressors in Russia. Easy. Its huge plus is the price. It is significantly lower than the market. Otherwise, there are more disadvantages. Only 2 speeds, unknown performance at high power (weak according to reviews), unknown noise (normal according to reviews), cheap plastic. The nozzles easily split when falling.

Summary table of compressor parameters

We hope that our review was useful for you. We wish you a good grooming of our pets and fast drying!