thoughts on electric pressure washing / foam cannons

hey guys,
What are your thoughts on electric pressure washing and using a foam cannon?

I have been reading reviews online and watching videos and they seem to do a pretty solid job of getting the truck clean.

Can anyone recommend a brand / model pressure washer and foam cannon?

horror stories?

actual pictures of your personal foam cannon are not wanted

Thanks in advance

 

From what I understand, they're really great if you have already taken the time to remove any swirls in the paint and want to do a "touchless" wash.
I've wanted to get one but the Chief Financial Officer probably wouldn't approve.. not even going to bother asking, haha
Chemical Guys and Adams Polishes both have big followings in the detailing world.

 

I have heard nothing but great things about Chemical guys... and I need something high powered, because apparently having a black 4Runner and the shitty acidic / volcanic holy water rain here in Hawaii is leaving some insane water spots

 

The only thing I can add about pressure washing is that it is both good and bad. I don't do pressure washing because sometimes water is forced into places that water wouldnt normally get into and can cause issues and rust points.

 

would you mind elaborating a little? from what I understand, when using a foam cannon, you arent generally using a super high pressure... no more than a typical touchless car wash.

 

I am not necessarily impressed.

It is by no means quicker....unless you leave your pressure washer hooked up and ready to roll near your truck.

It removes bird shxt well though.

 

thats why you dont point it at places where water shouldnt be... lol

but yea pressure washing is fairly common.. i mean you see professional detailers use it.. and its not rocket science to use.. just dont go crazy with it and start pointing it at places where it shouldnt be.. just point it on paint.

ive been pressure washing my car for awhile now.. few of my cars infact.. not a single issue any of them.

when trying to pick out a pressure washer.. go for gas, its essentially more powerful than electric.. and foam cannons tend to foam more with gas..

go with 2200+ psi and 2.0GPM+ ratings.. those produce the best foam.

foam cannon, buy from chemical guys.

 

i'm not necessarily looking for quicker, just a little easier and touchless as possible.

is that Chemical guys wash I see??? I'm thinking of ordering a gallon right now... Amazon has a 25% off sale right now so you can get a jug for about $18

 

I use a Sun Joe pressure washer and a $20 foam cannon from Amazon.

 

I am actually looking at the exact same setup. how has that Sun Joe worked out? It got amazing reviews. so did the Amazon cannon

 

I use a 1900psi one. Product line from Canadian tire called simoniz.

As long as you're not too close I wouldn't worry. I actually do both bucket and foam. I usually rinse down, then foam then bucket.
Find out works better for rincing and getting mud off. Works great for cleaning wheels too. I use a flat spray attachment when using on the car. Reduces the pressure

 

Chemical guys honey dew and a gas pressure washer >2800 psi

 

The Sun Joe is awesome. Just make sure you ask for the all metal hose connector. Mine HAD a junky plastic/aluminum one that would only thread on to the hose a few turns. I called them and the sent me a brass constructed fitting for free.

 

I use a Generac 2800 psi 2.5 GPM gas pressure washer with an Amazon Foam Cannon.

$15 DUSICHIN SFL-001 Foam Cannon Snow Foam Lance Pressure Washer Jet Wash Quick Release Adjustable Nozzle 1/4" Male Fitting Foam Dispenser

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00WPKHFA6/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The Foam Cannon appears to be almost identical to Chemical Guys and its of good quality construction. I do use the Chemical Guys Honeydew. I had some older ZipWax that I used to use by hand, but when trying to use it in the foam cannon it did not produce good results.

I thought I would like the touchless wash, but it really doesn't remove everything. The cannon is fun to use though. It great as a touch up or winter wash (too cold to put a wet mitt on my hand). It may work better for cars that don't see the amount of miles I do. I'm putting on about 2500+ miles a month so there is a lot of grime on my truck when I do a weekly wash.

I do like the foam cannon for lathering the vehicles up and then using a two bucket mitt wash. I just don't think the process is as good as the Chemical Guys video's make it look. Chemical Guys make good products and are great at marketing, but "your results may very" when using them.

It does make washing a little more entertaining and the pressure washer cleans wheels and tires very well. Be careful around tires as some washers/tips have easily enough pressure to cut your tire. Also be careful how close you get to your vehicle as the pressure can lift paint and mar plastic.

 

I've got a Ryobi 1700psi electric washer from HD and a cheap cannon I got off of Amazon.
Right now I'm using Mr. Pink wash from CG.

I don't know if it's the washer or the quality of the cannon, but I'm not impressed with the amount of foam I'm getting, and once you get about half way through the foam cannon bottle it gets even worse.
Over all I like the idea, just haven't been able to dial it in.

 

I wasn't a big fan of foam canons when I was using chemical guys soaps. I heard about an Auto Finesse product called Avalanche and it changed my world. Much more effective in removing baked on dirt and bugs and still safe on waxes/sealants. It's a little more expensive than chemical guys but well worth it since it saves me time in the washing process.

 

First off, there's a whole Detailing forum here with TONS of info. Be a good forum to read about this.

I already had an electric pressure washer from Sams club for small jobs. Added a $20 foam canon from Amazon. Works well

I prefer to stick with hose pressure for washing and rinsing though.

The single most important thing is to use a wash method.

 

I've got the same Amazon cannon as bbrown above me, and probably the same one you have too
I get pretty similar results with it to the pictures he posted. Clearly not the tons of suds you see other people using cannons get.
Do you have pretty similar results?
Thinking Maybe it's the cannon

 

I have this cannon but it's probably the same thing by a different name. I get similar foam as pictured; I'm still working through a gallon of pink Chemical Guys soap.

To be honest I've never been bothered about the amount of foam. The job of getting soap to sit on on the paint for a bit is getting done. That's the part thats important to me.

 

I have a small 1900psi electric pressure washer that has an intake hose for soap/detergent/liquid wax or whatever you think will run through it. Works great!