Snow/Foam Cannons

[M3AN 4016]

I searched unsuccessfully, if there's a related thread please share the link...

I pulled the trigger on a pressure washer/water blaster and, even though we can't actually use outside hoses in Auckland at the moment, I clicked and collected yesterday. I must admit I'm fawning a little, I've been wanting one for years and it's now been sitting in my lounge since I got it. ?

It came with a detergent container that's meant to foam but I've read that pretty much all of the included ones, regardless of brand, are really quite inadequate. I'll try it out for sure but am seeking opinions on upgrades. A quick look suggests a plastic bottle with a brass nozzle can be up to $200 which seems mad to me.

Any suggestions? I can use Bosch or Karcher fittings or 1/4" adaptor isn't out of the question.

 

Edited August 26, 2020 by M3AN

[Cammsport 390]

I bought an el cheapo off AliExpress a few years ago, similar to this. Its held up fine and once you "tune" it to the right settings you can get that real thick layer of foam. I use it with Chemical Guys Mr. Pink. only down fall would be that with it attached to my karcher, the way they have the thread means the bottle is cocked off 30 degrees from vertical (kind of hard to explain).

[aja540i 1906]

I have one from Super cheap ( i think its branded as a tool pro) That i use on my big petrol water blaster and it works very well, I also have a small ryobi water blaster and the small ryobi foam gun that fits it, it does work but the foam is a lot thinner and more watery, it runs off the car a lot quicker, I suspect this has more to do with the lower pressure and flow of the water blaster than the design of the foam gun. I can also water the snow foam mix down quite a lot when using the big foam gun, but I have to use it neat in the smaller one to get any kind of foam.

[B.M.W Ltd 950]

I use this one on my Karcher mini water blaster. It's great:

https://www.mitre10.co.nz/shop/karcher-waterblaster-fj3-foam-lance-300ml-black-and-transparent/p/239907?gclid=CjwKCAjwkJj6BRA-EiwA0ZVPVqI2MveIryRPFYz8GVXfF5smvX21c7r0h_Fmm27o_OohJfun2sBn_hoCTzQQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

The only complaint I would have is the detergent bottle is a little small. I need to fill it twice to do the Kona which really isn't a big deal

[Navin 180]

PA Italy snow foam Lance. Think it's about $140, works great. I've heard the ones from detail depot are also pretty good and are about $80.

[dirtydoogle 383]

I use a cheapo one with my petrol blaster. 

I'm sure it's tool pro

It worked pretty well but I did modify the nozzle a little for a better "sheet" effect and I have rejetted it too, keihin/mikuni jets work quite well for that ?

Rejecting for better foam action does make a decent difference in the amount of product used 

[GorGasm 563]

I also have a PA Italy device and it works great.  Pricey I guess.

[adro 1083]

8 hours ago, Navin said:

PA Italy snow foam Lance. Think it's about $140, works great. I've heard the ones from detail depot are also pretty good and are about $80.

I have one of the ones from detail depot and it works great on my Karcher, although I have a similar issue to @Cammsport and it sits on a bit of an odd angle.....but not a deal breaker.

[M3AN 4016]

Thanks for the suggestions and advice @All - what capacity for a medium sized car, is ~600mls enough or better to go with 1l? I don't fancy a refill mid foam.

 

[Breaker 980]

I have one of the little $20 karcher ones and find it’s great, I don’t have to refill it with snow foam from UCC. Maybe I’m just cheap.

would definitely recommend one Dave for $20 And local from Mitre10, not a big loss If it doesn’t suit you 

[M3AN 4016]

1 hour ago, Breaker said:

I have one of the little $20 karcher ones and find it’s great, I don’t have to refill it with snow foam from UCC. Maybe I’m just cheap.

would definitely recommend one Dave for $20 And local from Mitre10, not a big loss If it doesn’t suit you 

The Bosch I got actually comes with one, very similar if not the same as the Karcher unit, about 600mls. It's just that I've read many reviews that suggest all of the stock ones suck compared to aftermarket equivalents. This remains to be seen of course in my case.

I was thinking that if I can pick up a brass unit for ~$25 from China I might as well try it, but I'd be disappointed if I got the wrong size and later regretted that 25 bucks simply because I didn't ask about the size.

But your note has been helpful, it seems like I wouldn't need the bigger capacity, cheers.

 

[Cammsport 390]

4 hours ago, M3AN said:

Thanks for the suggestions and advice @All - what capacity for a medium sized car, is ~600mls enough or better to go with 1l? I don't fancy a refill mid foam.

 

My one is 1L and there's usually 1/3 left in there. Definitely doesn't need a refill. The karcher one that came with my K5 was small and didn't get a good thick coat. If you're not in a rush, I'd go for the Ali one. Can't fault it. 

On second thoughts it might be best to go local in these times. Oty

[Olaf 3317]

On 8/27/2020 at 12:07 AM, M3AN said:

"I pulled the trigger on a pressure washer/water blaster and..."

that, mate, is just PUN-TASTIC!!!  ?

[GorGasm 563]

In my PA lance I get like 10+ washes out of the bottle.  It doesn't use that much out of the bottle to create the foam.

The stock stuff with waterblasters aren't foam guns, just mixers.  I found stock one didn't clean anything off my car but a foam gun you can almost get away with not washing the car afterwards.

 

I didn't listen to this, but the demo 4:30 and 6:00 is a good illustration.  PA unit makes really good foam that sticks to the car.  Cheap units may also do the same as PA, but I have never used one.

 

Edited August 27, 2020 by GorGasm

[tawa 150]

I've also gone with a cheapie from Aliexpress, rats ate the bottle so I rethreaded it for standard soft drink bottles, 600mm pump bottle goes well and does a whole car with a bit to spare.

Foam is certainly the way to go for washing cars.

[M3AN 4016]

Ali one ordered but PA one sitting in my cart just in case... and now I hear water restrictions probably through October wtf.

[Jacko 2154]

I have a cheapy aliexpress $30 one, works great. The same thing gets rebranded by heaps of companys. They put their logo on the bottle and slap a $70 surcharge on it  

[_BRS_ 209]

Karcher K3 and PA Italy snow foam lance from UCC does the trick for me. Like you, i wanted one for years and finally got one about 3 months ago. Best investment ever.