Is it essential to have a vacuum?

[K3RMiTdot]

I'm just learning the ropes of detailing, however I would love to detail my car inside and out. Saw the Adams videos and the blaster was used. So I searched and noticed metro vac had a whole LINE of vacuums.

 

Metro Vac N'Blo Portable Vacuum | Auto Obsessed

 

This doubles as a vacuum and a blower. It would work in blowing out stuff in side the car too from the attachments that come with it.

 

Would something like this be needed? or am i just in over my head?

[AZGTO]

I just bought the blaster sidekick but I still dont have a dedicated car vacuum. I use my house vacuum with the attachments and it works well until I want to spend the money on that sweet metro vac that hangs on my garage wall

[J Tegeler]

I would get a dedicated blower and vacum if it was me. The handheld metrovac has had good reviews, I would like to pick one up some day for sure.

[BlueGenCoupe]

By using a vac as a blower, you run the risk of blowing dirt lingering in the hose onto your car. I have a designated blower(masterblaster) and I use my home vacuum to clean the interior. We just replaced our vacuum system and we asked the guy for a 50' hose. Im telling you this was the best purchase ever. No need to run an extention cord nor do you need to pull a shop vac around.

[DaytonaJae]

This doubles as a vacuum and a blower. It would work in blowing out stuff in side the car too from the attachments that come with it. Would something like this be needed? or am i just in over my head?

 

I have the Vac N Blo Portable unit and I agree with the people who have reported about it's air blowing ability: It's not very strong at all. Although the Vac N Blo is marketed as a 2-in-1 machine that vacuums as well as blows air, it does a much better job vacuuming. The air that it blows out is relatively weak, and in my experience, much less than even that of a handheld Blaster Sidekick. It will work to get the water out of mirrors and crevices, but it is definitely not strong enough to dry your car panels completely without a lot of invested time and holding the nozzle really close to the panel, combing it slowly.

 

The vacuuming part, however, is a different story. All the Metro Vac n' Blo models have the same motor - the 4HP one. (with the exception of the smaller 500 series hand held). The only difference between the Jumbo (the one sold by Adams), the Portable and the Senior are the canister sizes (how much dirt they hold before they have to be emptied), how much hose is included (the Jumbo has 24 feet of hose extensions included), and what wall mounting accessories or wheel dollies are included, according to David from Metro, whom I had the chance to meet recently.

 

At first I was worried that such a small unit would not have the suction power I was looking for to get the dirt and sand out of the tight weave carpet that I have in my mats... It turns out that there is a suction adjustment ring at the neck of the hose where you hold it, where you can decrease the amount of suction. At first, I wondered why anyone would want to dial it *down*.

 

I quickly found out that I *had* to dial it all the way down in order to be able to move the wand at all after it attaches to the mats. If I did not, it was almost impossible to drag it at all without a lot of effort. If I really tried to drag it at full power, the wand attachment will come off from the suction force. In most cases, it lifts the mat right off the floor of the car if you don't dial down the power and angle the wand slightly when operating it.

 

Needless to say, I don't think I will be looking for another vacuum anytime soon.

 

Give it a try and see if the blowing ability is to your liking. If not, I suggest adding a Blaster Sidekick to your arsenal, if not a full blown Master Blaster (pun fully intended)

 

Let us know what you decide on.

[Sizzle Chest]

I have been getting by with a shop vac for years now. Big, bulky, hard to use/move around the car...and that damn big hose! lol

 

I now have the vac n blo and absolutely love it! I only use it for vacuuming though.

 

It is fantastic! The hose is a lot small diameter/more flexible than a shop vac's. The attachments it comes with is awesome--something for anything you would need to vacuum: even one for your a/c vents! That is nice! No more banging or worrying about hitting your car with a big old shop vac. The power of the unit is first class as well.

 

I don't know how I 'got by' this long by using a shop vac for all these years for automotive vacuuming!

 

I love this thing!

[goheels]

I have a vac n blow 500 and sidekick. As far as vacuuming, I find having the vac n blow awesome in terms of convenience compared to lugging around our house vacuum.

 

So, essential? Probably not. However, having a dedicated blower (like the sidekick) I could not do without. Gone are the days of going around my car a million times with a GWDT wiping up water drips.

[Integrity Detailing, LLC]

I'm of the persuasion of having/using a separate vac & blower. I have two shop vacs (one large & small). I end up using the smaller one way more often. As far as a blower I only have the Metro Blaster Sidekick...IDK what I'd do without this lil guy.

 

K.I.S.S this time means Keep It Separate Sir!

[mc2hill]

Is it essential to have a have a dedicated car vacuum? No, but it is a very nice option. Like Scott and Jae, I have the Metro Vac n' Blo (Adam's no longer offers this model). It is fine for blowing off standing water, but not for doing the whole car. It is much better than a 'shop vac' type machine, but it cannot be used as a wet-vac. The hose is small and looks feeble, but it is very strong and pliable.