In the professional grooming industry, the subject of efficiency in drying as many dogs as possible in a given workday without tying up valuable personnel needed to successfully conduct and complete the whole of the grooming process will always be a challenge to be met on the road to long-term business success in any commercial business.

One of the best options at meeting this challenge is the hands-off, passive drying option offered by a professional cage dryer which produces massive air volume far exceeding any other type of drying equipment types available to the grooming industry.

These type units have proven themselves as the “backbone” of the water restoration industry, being the essential tool in drying a given area or space in the least amount of time with zero added heat, creating only ambient air in large volume measured in cubic feet per minute (CFM).

To put in perspective, the wide difference between force dryers and cage dryers, as to the volume of air each type unit is capable of generating, one only has to compare measured, preferably certified cubic feet per minute (CFM) specifications.

Simply stated, force dryers are mostly orientated to superior surface drying of coats and cage dryers are champions of deep, more complex animal coat types. Neither type dryer can replace the other in effectiveness and efficiencies in their prime drying role. Each type machine offers quite distinct and different advantages; one is airspeed/velocity and the other is penetrating air volume.

A comparison of CFM may be a bit difficult in the case of force dryers since these units are mostly used in the animal grooming industry which does not require a manufacturer’s strict compliance using certified testing criteria as exists in the restoration industry and that is mandated by insurance companies for water damage restoration settlements. Those companies that provide air movers and cage dryers for both industries generally follow the stricter restoration guidelines for CFM and undergo routine measurement procedures of all their equipment for this specification, since the same model machine is marketed to both business groups.

It is also much more difficult to accurately measure air volume output as well as air speed in force units since hose diameter, nozzle attachment openings, chassis design, and chassis integrity will ultimately determine air speed and air volume output.

I can only speak from firsthand experience and conclude that even 2-motor force dryers rarely exceed 200 CFM air volume output with the best single motor unit generally delivering about 150 CFM. However, the best cage dryers can produce air volume as high as 3,000+ CFM.

Quite a difference. However, the motor types and chassis design in both machines are vastly different in order to meet their specific purpose. Force motors have higher motor revolutions per minute (RPM) in the tens of thousands using mostly carbon brush motors. Direct current (DC) motors also produce even higher RPMs with zero carbon emissions. Cage dryers are equipped with slower speed induction motors using much larger internal fans which grab far larger amounts of air. These units with low speed, high air volume air production, which deeply penetrates and dries more complex coats faster than any force dryer, especially after gross water removal, do not tie up your valuable grooming personnel as does force drying.

In addition, force dryers are louder, use more electricity, and have shorter overall service life, plus they require more motor maintenance which includes greater attention to filter cleaning and replacement. The most popular, best-selling cage dryers use induction motor technology which does not expel carbon dust residue into the grooming environment that can cause serious long-term health issues.

Another important point to be made for induction motor and direct current (DC) motor technology is that they produce zero added heat to the grooming salon, producing an airflow equal to the room air temperature (ambient air temperature) only.

Many available cage dryers are equipped with timers, some up to 3 hours, which can allow for measured drying times which allows better control of the drying cycle and ensures animal safety through periodic checks.

The use of cage dryers for a salon’s efficient management of grooming personnel and optimum time control of the grooming process will allow maximum productivity. It is well-known for a grooming salon to grow its business, it must not only increase time efficiency but also ensure that the impact on higher profit is met at less expense. Even the most difficult-to-dry coats can be more efficiently dried with a measured session using a cage dryer as part of the overall drying sequence.

The cage dryer may be a grooming salon’s most valuable time management tool. Add this equipment to your dryer family and long-term business success is in sight.

We will follow the overall coverage of professional animal dryers with a separate presentation on the recommended specifications to consider in selecting force, cage, and finish type dryers in our later SEES review. Till next time, when the queen of dryers, the true “money maker” will follow.

Tune in for our next article,
-The Professor