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To go along with my new GT3, I of course had to get some decent tools to keep it clean. After doing some research, I went with:
1. Sun Joe SPX3200 electric pressure washer
2. Simple Chuck's Double Chuck water filter/de-ionizer
3. MTM PF22 Foam Cannon
4. Adam's Ultra Foam car shampoo
I went with the SPX3200 pressure washer over many others for a few reasons. First, it's small. I live in an apartment and space is a commodity. I can also fit it in my GT3's trunk if I need to transport it somewhere. Second, it's quite. It only turns on when you pull the trigger of the spray gun and when it is on, it really doesn't make much noise. Not even as loud as a vacuum cleaner. Third, it has a fairly high flow rate (1.76 GPM) for an electric washer. And really, it's the flow rate that matters more so than PSI, when it comes to using a foam cannon and getting good suds/foam. The max PSI is listed as 2,030. But the actual working PSI is like 1400, which is still enough for a car. A lot of people complain about leaks with cheap electric pressure washers. But I put a bit of teflon tape on all the various fittings and connections and I have no leaks. The pressure washer seems to work well. And it was only $150. The SPX3200 is the same as the SPX3000, just in a smaller package.
The Double Chuck lets me rinse off the car without worry too much about drying since it's supposed to eliminate water spots. For the most part, that is true. I did get a few water spots here and there. But maybe that was due to a bit of soap residue. In any event, it definitely helps with worry-free drying. It's also small and compact and good for those with space/storage issues.
The MTM PF22 foam cannon is nice. There are cheaper ones out there, but I wanted a nice foam cannon and the MTM piqued my interest for a few reasons: 1) It comes with a smaller 1.1mm (3.0) orifice. This is important because most foam cannons are set up for gas powered washers with high flow rates. But electric pressure washers don't pump out as much water per minute. So the foam you get from a foam cannon is watery and not thick like shaving cream. The smaller orifice included with the MTM cannon lets it work better with electric units. And so far, so good. I'm getting incredibly thick fluffy foam that doesn't run off the car. And contrary to some reports with other brands of pressure washers, the 1/4" quick connect plug that comes with the MTM unit does work and does fit the Sun Joe quick connect sockets on the sprayer.
The Adam's Ultra Foam soap seems to work well. People go nuts for the Chemical Guys Snow Foam. But the Adam's stuff is giving me super thick foam. It's satisfying and it seems to clean my car well. I also don't need to use that much. The first time I used it with the foam cannon, I followed the directions of 2 ounces and then the rest is water. I covered the entire car and only used 1/4 - 1/3 of the mixture in the foam cannon. You can definitely wash an entire car with 0.5 ounce. So a little goes a long way.
Finally, I also picked up a small battery-powered leaf blower from Lowes. The Kobalt "Jobsite Blower". It's not as powerful as a full-sized leaf blower. But the battery lasts about 30-40 minutes and it will dry the majority of your car with ease. It's also quite small and portable.
So that's my space-saver setup. I wish I had a garage, but I live in a small apartment in the city, so I gotta make do with what I can. So far I'm really happy with the pressure washer and foam cannon. I can probably make do without the Double Chuck de-ionizer. But I guess it helps with hard water a bit and I don't have to be so **** about drying the car.
Great writeup! I use the normal Adams shampoo and really like it. Best soap I have found. I dont have a pressure washer that I use on my car currently, I used one in the past but it was so annoying to setup that I ended up not using it as much as I thought I would and when I did, it was annoying. I am looking at Matt from Obsessed Garages Kranzle setup, just haven't decided I wanted to spend the money on it yet, even though I know I eventually will.
Great writeup! I use the normal Adams shampoo and really like it. Best soap I have found. I dont have a pressure washer that I use on my car currently, I used one in the past but it was so annoying to setup that I ended up not using it as much as I thought I would and when I did, it was annoying. I am looking at Matt from Obsessed Garages Kranzle setup, just haven't decided I wanted to spend the money on it yet, even though I know I eventually will.
I honestly don't think you need such a high-end, expensive pressure washer to be honest. The Sun Joe seems to work just fine, especially with the smaller "low volume" 1.1mm orifice the MTM cannon now ships with. Sure, the plastic on the Sun Joe is cheap. But it seems to do the trick.
One thing that would definitely improve any cheap electric pressure washer is a live swivel on the sprayer/gun so the hose doesn't keep getting in the way. Quick connects are good too, but can be fitted to pretty much any unit. I would rather get a Sun Joe and then upgrade the sprayer gun and hose, than splurge on a Kranzle, which is overkill unless you're a pro detailer with a business.
I honestly don't think you need such a high-end, expensive pressure washer to be honest. The Sun Joe seems to work just fine, especially with the smaller "low volume" 1.1mm orifice the MTM cannon now ships with. Sure, the plastic on the Sun Joe is cheap. But it seems to do the trick.
One thing that would definitely improve any cheap electric pressure washer is a live swivel on the sprayer/gun so the hose doesn't keep getting in the way. Quick connects are good too, but can be fitted to pretty much any unit. I would rather get a Sun Joe and then upgrade the sprayer gun and hose, than splurge on a Kranzle, which is overkill unless you're a pro detailer with a business.
I agree. You don't need a fancy power washer. You do need to watch the pressure / flow rate though. I have a 3100psi, 2.7 gal/min gas powered washer and it's too much for the foam cannon. I bought high-powered for washing the exterior siding and windows on my 2-story home. It's fine for washing the car, but the flow rate is a touch too high to get a nice thick foam from the MTM cannon. It's more of a highly sudsy liquid. Better than nothing, but not as wonderful as you see in every youtube foam cannon video. I've even tried buying different orifice sizes from MTM and it doesn't make a difference.
Regarding the live swivel, it's nice, but not as great as you'd think. They twist and swivel really well when there is no pressure. Under pressure the connection is still rather tight and it doesn't swivel freely. You have to torque on it a bit. It's great when you're unwinding the hose and laying everything out to wash the car. It's mostly useless while you're actually using the washer.
I spent yesterday driving through the mountains and murdered about 4.5 Million bugs. Snapped a few shots. I used Adam's Detail Spray as a drying agent this time and it really does work. Makes drying easier and the car does seem a bit shinier than usual.
Ha a GT3 in a small city apartment and no garage. Washing on the street with people passing by.
Foam is good for pre-soak to loosen up the big stuff, but you still need to touch it with a mitt to clean. I think you're adding way too much in the video... just enough to cover surface and letting it soak for 5 min should be fine.
Ha a GT3 in a small city apartment and no garage. Washing on the street with people passing by.
Foam is good for pre-soak to loosen up the big stuff, but you still need to touch it with a mitt to clean. I think you're adding way too much in the video... just enough to cover surface and letting it soak for 5 min should be fine.
Thanks, but the way I do it works for me. And I have a garage.
06-20-2018, 03:04 AM
Pressure Washer and Foam Cannon Review
