Metro Air Force Steel Commander Durable 2-Speed Dog Dryer, 18000-Feet/mins

I used to be a groomer; I bought this for home use. So far, it has worked fine for me as a forced-air pet dryer. I thought people looking for a dryer to dry their own pets at home might like a little info on this type of dryer.First, all pet dryers are noisy, and forced-air dryers are the noisiest. I used to wear earplugs at work. That's just how it is.This type of dryer is meant to blow water and loose hair off of the pet. You will get the best results if you have the pet on a grooming table. It's a good idea to put a towel under the pet to catch the water. I have my dryer hanging (with snap ties) from the handle, on some wire shelving. The dryer is about at eye level. That way it's secure, and the hose hanging down is easy to use. If your pet has a lot of loose undercoat, a forced-air dryer will blow it all over the place. At work, we used to have hair literally hanging off the light fixtures. This is not something you want to do in your living room.If you have a no-shed breed like a poodle, you will get best results with a stand dryer and a brush. However, a forced-air dryer like this one can dry that type of hair and fluff it out for clipping acceptably well if it's all you have. (A stand dryer has, well, a stand, and an arm that you can adjust to point to different places on the pet. You don't have to hold the arm, so you use one hand to hold the pet and the other to work a brush under the flow of air. With a forced-air dryer, you'll need one hand to keep the pet in place and the other to hold the nozzle.)Not all pets will tolerate this much air and noise. In grooming school, we never used forced-air dryers on cats. Some dogs are also too sensitive. As other reviewers have said, be careful not to point at eyes, into ears, etc. If your pet freaks out with this dryer, you might have better luck with a stand dryer. The temperature and air flow are usually adjustable on those (and they don't have to blow as hard, because they have heat). They tend to cost more, though.Use the nozzle close to the pet (so you can see the hair parting under the flow of air) but keep it moving constantly. It's best to avoid the head as much as possible--they usually don't like the high-pressure air on their heads. If you have a cooperative pet that will stand still (or you have a helper to hold the pet) you can use a slicker brush along with the flow of air to remove even more loose hair and tangles. (Although no dryer will remove severe mats; if you have a matted pet, he needs to be brushed out or clipped short before bathing and drying.) You'll have to keep going over the pet for a while, covering the same areas over and over, to get him completely dry. It's not a "one-blast-dries-an-area" kind of thing. You can use the dryer to get out undercoat and the worst of the wetness, then when the pet is only a bit damp, just turn off the dryer, let him loose in the house or put him in a crate, and let him air-dry the rest of the way.This dryer does warm up. I don't know if it has a heating unit, though; I think it just warms up as you use it, as the motor gets going and warms. If the air seems cold, run it for a few minutes and see what happens.

I have been a professional groomer for 13 years, and was looking for a dryer to use at home on my two pugs (smooth coats that shed heavily 24-7-365) and my family's dogs (labs, a golden retriever, a cocker, havanese and beagle). I was impressed by the high rating and the great price ($121). Unfortunately, I returned it after excitedly unwrapping it and turning it on. Compared with the dryers I use at work, this dryer is WEAK. It is okay for very small dogs with thin hair or fur, like a maltese or shih tzu that is kept clipped short. But it just does not cut it for anything else. A force dryer should do just that-force the water from the dogs coat when the dryer is held close to the skin. It should blow out undercoat and loosen (properly pretreated) matting. This seemed more like a powerful human hair dryer. My husband joked that I accidentally ordered a "Hamster Dryer 2000". At work I use a Metro Master Blaster. The dryer I ordered has about a quarter of the power, on high, of the Master Blaster on low. To wrap this up, if you have never used a pro dryer before maybe this will be okay for your dog, but it is 3rd rate compared to other dryers available. Don't bother if you have a thick and or large breed. (FYI-Dryers are loud, but dogs usually do well with lots of praise and encouragement. Never force dry your dogs' face! Remove concentrator attachment and hold hose farther away from head. Calm owners=calm dogs! Happy Grooming!)

Do not buy this dryer if you are looking for a quiet dryer. I purchased this dryer because a couple of reviews on this site said the dryer was very quiet. That is not true. This thing is as noisy as a cheap leaf blower. Anyone that says it is quiet is either working for the manufacturer or have their hearing aid turned off. If you want a very effective and quick dryer, then this is a good buy. I purchased it to dry my husky puppy. He hates the noise (so do I) but after a restraining him and feeding lots of treats, he is slowly learning to tolerate the noise. The dryer does work very well. It drys my husky completely in about 20 minutes. I have no intention of returning the dryer. Knowing how well it works I can tolerate the noise. So if you want a very effective dryer, buy this one but, be warned, it is NOT QUIET.

I like it a lot, now that I got used to it. It takes a few times to get used to the loudness and holding the end & tube. I purchased that 3rd arm clamp for this dryer and I can dry and brush my Bichon's hair straight at the same time. The hose is long enough to leave the unit on the floor too. I like the fact that it only blows ambient air temperature, anything warmer or hot will harm the dogs coat and make her very uncomfortable. My Bichon is now used to my using this dryer, even though she still cowers a little, because of the noise, I use ear plugs now. She knows I'm going to finish drying, brushing and combing her because I love her, and she looks like a SHOW DOG. Even though I don't show her, she sure looks like a Show Dog.

I usually dry my Westie with my hair dryer when I bathe her. It took quite a while to dry her and she would get very impatient. Studied and researched the Metro Air Force dryer and after a while decided to order it. It was a little costly, but has cut drying time in half. I usually start on the low setting and then switch to high. If your pet is afraid of loud noises, I'm not sure it will do well with this dryer, but just be patient and try to get them adjusted to it and you will love it in time. I sit mine under my grooming table as I have plenty of air circulation and it muffles some of the noise. The hose is plenty long. The air starts out cool and warms up a little as the dryer runs. I am proud of this purchase.

No es la más potente de las secadoras de pelo, sin embargo para la cantidad de trabajo a la que se le somete es más que suficiente. Es ligero y de buena construcción. Los implementos son funcionales. Me preocupa un poco la manguera, siento que esta pueda romperse con el uso (pero no en el corto plazo).