Hotronic Snapdry Boot Dryer still made / sold?

[murphysf]

Hello

Does anyone know if the Snapdry boot dryer is still made and sold?

The Hotronic website lists it however they list two online retailers and neither show it on their website.

I found it on Sturtevants website however i was $79, I recall it being a good bit less.

 

[James]

Sounds about right price. Maybe it was $70 when I bought one a few years ago.

 

[KingGrump]

You can also try the Thermic units. ski.com has 1 basic unit left for $40.
The Thermic basic unit is quieter but doesn't appear to last as long and does not have a timer.
My snapdry finally died last season. I go through about 1 blower per person per season. Another consumable.

I have also picked up a Lenz blower over the summer. Haven't put it to use yet. It's huge and bulky. Two separate fan units.

 

[James]

I like the snapdry for it's 220v setting. I don't think the timer worked too long. I never use it anyway.

I have also picked up a Lenz blower over the summer. Haven't put it to use yet. It's huge and bulky. Two separate fan units.

I had to laugh. It'll probably work well though. I miss the old Dry guy heated boot pucks that did gloves at the same time. Albeit with smelly boot exhaust air.

 

[KingGrump]

Albeit with smelly boot exhaust air.

I was wondering why my hand smelled like feet after I shook your hand.
Well at least it doesn't smell like fish sauce.

 

[murphysf]

I just called and spoke with someone at Hotronic. She said the Snapdry has been discontinued however they are working on a new smaller more travel friendly model that will be available next season.

 

[James]

I just called and spoke with someone at Hotronic. She said the Snapdry has been discontinued however they are working on a new smaller more travel friendly model that will be available next season.

Wow. There's likely many available in stores still. It works well. Low heat is good. Just air is ok if you're in Wyo or CO where the air is dry but I still like heat.

 

[murphysf]

are there different generations of the Therm-ic Dryer?

I see some reviews that they seemed to have failed early.

Did they come out with a new version or are all the Therm-ic Dryers the same generation.

I am not talking about the refresher.

 

[KingGrump]

Been more or less the same crappy design forever. They changed the color of the plastic now and then.
Figure about 600 to 900 operational hour each. Take about 6 hours for a reliable drying cycle.

 

[raytseng]

Newer one seems to have the usb port. KingGrump must have very wet boots. I agree they aren't bomber; but the device isn't very complex.
I have the refresher, it hasn't died on me, but I also haven't hit the 900hours quoted yet.
For my setup, I typically only hit 1 hour cycle after ski, then overnight just regular time and overnight air does it's thing. Then I hit it again for the 1hr in the morning to both warm and finish off any residual moisture. (I fear overcooking).
Perhaps the lower duty cycle is easier on mine, as this one is 3seasons in; although I did fry my first one in 1night using a relatively cheap power converter over in europe.
If I'm skiing with friends who don't have boot dryers, or just the passive ones, I run a 3hr cycle on theirs the same night too, and seems to be enough to dry out most boots (assuming the drying area is typical low humidity mtn air).

 

[James]

I Run it all night too. It's good white noise. And that's with the liners out. Most people are delusional about moisture in the boots. It usually gets pushed out of the liner and sits between liner and shell. Do it for a couple hours and take the liner out and see the moisture.
The timer went out long ago anyway.

 

[KingGrump]

I use the basic units with a count down timer and a splitter cable. Much less expensive and more durable.
I am on skis 100+ days per season. 6 hours per day. 600+ hours is about right.

 

[murphysf]

I Run it all night too. It's good white noise. And that's with the liners out. Most people are delusional about moisture in the boots. It usually gets pushed out of the liner and sits between liner and shell. Do it for a couple hours and take the liner out and see the moisture.
The timer went out long ago anyway.

Interesting point I've been using my dryer with the liners in the boots. Should I be pulling them out each day I ski to dry them?

I actually currently own a a hotronic snap dry, think this is going on the third season. I wanted an addition dryer as I have two kids so a total of 3 pairs of boots and often their mittens need to be dried out as well.

 

[raytseng]

None of the dryers work great with mittens; they're all finicky to get lined up so the air can get to the wet parts. But mittens are cheap and small compared to boots; you are better off buying double pairs of mittens, and alternating.

 

[murphysf]

None of the dryers work great with mittens; they're all finicky to get lined up so the air can get to the wet parts. But mittens are cheap and small compared to boots; you are better off buying double pairs of mittens, and alternating.

agree boots are the priority

for some reason my son tends to get alot of moisture into his mittens.

I've been successful drying my kids mittens with the snap dry. The snap dry has a set of end pieces that are straight (not a right angle) that can be put on. I often position the snap dry initially in the palm area of the mittens and then after a couple of hours move the mittens further down.

When I am short on time I skip the mittens completely with the snap dry and just turn them inside out and use a paper towel to remove any moisture from the fleece lining and then let them dry overnight.

 

[laine]

I like the snapdry for it's 220v setting. I don't think the timer worked too long. I never use it anyway.


I had to laugh. It'll probably work well though. I miss the old Dry guy heated boot pucks that did gloves at the same time. Albeit with smelly boot exhaust air.

I thought I was the only one who had the Dry Guy Boot Pucks! Lasted about 15 years before finally dying last year. I was very sad. Searched ebay and a bunch of other sites before just caving and buying something else.

 

[James]

I thought I was the only one who had the Dry Guy Boot Pucks! Lasted about 15 years before finally dying last yea

I still have one that works. The heated ones were a little dangerous in that the high setting could do damage if you forgot. Great for a pre warm though.
All in all the Snap dry is easier for just boots. Smaller, not as many tubes, low heat won't cook.

 

[coops]

I got the new Hotronic one with the USB port on my trip to Utah when my old dryers packed up... reaches a good heat level and dries/heats up the zipfits very nicely, but

BUT
what's with the single 110 voltage stupidity? I suppose it's my fault for not checking... but seriously. Any computer whether laptop or full size, TVs, on and on is all dual voltage... and here we have a travel item which is 110v only.


Is this a ski related blind spot? The heated boot bags also are not dual 110v/220v... what the? 12v for the car socket, of course... 220v for pretty much everywhere else in the world?
Apparently, travelling to ski in the 'Rest of the World' is incroyable...

hopefully this converter is ok (the dryer is only 60w after all..)
https://www.amazon.com/Adapter-Conv...=8-6&keywords=portable+220v+to+110v+converter

 

[James]

I got the new Hotronic one with the USB port on my trip to Utah when my old dryers packed up... reaches a good heat level and dries/heats up the zipfits very nicely, but

BUT
what's with the single 110 voltage stupidity? I suppose it's my fault for not checking... but seriously. Any computer whether laptop or full size, TVs, on and on is all dual voltage... and here we have a travel item which is 110v only.


Is this a ski related blind spot? The heated boot bags also are not dual 110v/220v... what the? 12v for the car socket, of course... 220v for pretty much everywhere else in the world?
Apparently, travelling to ski in the 'Rest of the World' is incroyable...

hopefully this converter is ok (the dryer is only 60w after all..)
https://www.amazon.com/Adapter-Conv...=8-6&keywords=portable+220v+to+110v+converter

So does it run off the usb?
The old one was 110/220 but not 12v.

 

[raytseng]

which item are you referring to? the Refresher or snapdry? Snapdry should have 110/220 switch to change the voltage and advertised as such..
USB port for the refresher is gonna be output; so you can charge something else at same time.

As far as AC; the reason for AC is a fan motor is inherently at the lowest level, an AC device as it moves around in a circle. So to save a $ or two , you stick in an AC motor in there and removes a layer of circuitry and a failure point..
However, at this day and age, the majority of small fans are DC powered motors (e.g. everything in computers and most small electronics and so on) and all equally reliable so it's a bit of a moot point; but from a technical perspective there still is a circuit that does a conversion of dc into an ac before electrical potential can be converted into circular motion.

Your electronic devices work, because they have a wallwart that converts AC to DC before feeding your computer, because electronics run on DC. However, as stated again, then there is a DC motor (that internally converts it back to ac to create motion). So it would go ac->dc-ac which is a bit pointless if the main purpose is just a fan that needs ac to begin with.

Be very careful with voltage converters; I fried a thermic refresher because it was producing a simulated sinewave rather than a cleansinewave. If it is not a big brick of a converter it likely will not be good for AC-direct devices(but will be fine with electronics that do another conversion with a wallwart or powerbrick)..
As stated above, the motor is basically directly powered by the AC. If the fan sounds different and/or the lights are pulsing in intensity instead of what you tried at home, stop immediately.