Whether you’re racing or bashing, keeping your RC car clean can feel like an endless task. On RCP tracks, cars suck up dirt, debris and pieces of foam that end up in every nook and cranny. The easiest way to give your car a quick clean is to blow the debris out using an air compressor or a handheld blower.
I’ve been in the market for a handheld blower for some time. There are some great ones on the market, but, as a dad on a budget, I have a hard time spending $80-$100 for one. When one of the car guys I follow on Facebook mentioned that you could get the Hyper Tough 12V 180-MPH Cordless Blower at Walmart for a mere $35, I ran out and picked one up.
Hyper Tough’s cordless blower comes packed in a small red box that shows off the unit and advertises many of its specs and features. Inside the box, you’ll find the blower, 12-volt 1.5Ah lithium-ion battery, high-volume nozzle, USB charging block, USB-C charging cable and an instruction manual.
The blower has a number of buttons and LEDs along the side that allow you to select the maximum speed of the brushless motor and view the battery life. My favorite feature though is probably the built-in work light, which really helps to see what you’re trying to clean off.
Unlike most other blowers, the Hyper Tough’s battery is removable. With a full charge, the blower can go full out for about 15 minutes, which is more than enough for a day’s worth of racing. If you need more capacity, you can buy an extra battery and keep in your tool box or upgrade to a 2Ah, 4Ah or 6Ah battery. The trade off with the battery being removable is that the blower’s hand grip is a bit on the large side.
I’ve been using Hyper Tough’s cordless blower on and off for the last few weeks and it works quite well. The brushless motor has plenty of power and, at maximum speed, it really blows (in a good way). It’s also surprisingly rugged. I’ve accidentally knocked it on the floor a number of times and there have been no issues.
My only complaints are the lack of optional nozzles (3D printed options are available!) and the relatively small 1.5Ah battery. Most RC blowers have a 4-6Ah battery but, then again, they cost considerably more. Also, with the Hyper Tough’s battery being removable, this is something you can always upgrade later.
At the end of the day though, the best things about the Hyper Tough blower are its $35 price tag and availability. If you’re like me, and no longer have a hobby shop in your town, you can head on over to your local Walmart, pick one of these up and be cleaning off your RC car in no time.