Gilmour Dial-A-Mix

EdLancer

EdLancer

New member
Has anyone use a Gilmour Dial-A-Mix or have done modifications to it to perform as a foamer ?



I have an old 15-18 year old one here and I have filed a triangular spray head to give it a fan spray. I will try it tomorrow to see if it foams or not. The foamer spray head is identical to a pressure washer's two plate fan spray design.



If it works, then we can all have a low cost reliable foamer for under $10.



270009_front500.jpg
 
I've been using one of these for years in my wash technique:

http://www.ortho.com/index.cfm/even...t/documentId/f579a6c8279538f677dc1b9e16bf9c06



I think they're $10 and it foams up pretty well.. you do need to use a high concentration of soap though, and it dilutes the solution as you go further along so you need to up the consistency when it starts to look weaker.. it eats through a LOT of soap, but it's cheap and works well IMO. Plus the nozzle can rotate 180deg which is great for cleaning wheel wells..
 
I've used one of these as a pre-soaker for years. The overall pressure/volume isn't all that high, but it is usually enough to distribute the soap well and float off any light surface dirt.
 
The pictured device is basically a foamgun without the foamer nozzle. The dial is a plastic/rotary version of the brass/sliding bar mixing valve of the "usual" foamgun, and the black plastic tip is a non-foaming nozzle that comes as an accessory with the foamgun. Doesn't work well for me for this application. Maybe you could buy just the foamer nozzle from Gilmour- you'd pull off the current black plastic thing and replace it with the foamer nozzle, creating a foamgun.



As it is, it'll spray a watery mix of shampoo/water, not sudsy foam. Better than nothing though, at least IMO.
 
These cheapo sprayers, are the trailer park, freckled faced, red head 3rd cousin of the real Gilmour brass foam gun.



These $10 sprayers are not even the same tool as the foam gun.



Once you've used the real thing (I've used both), you'll realize and agree that these sprayers don't belong in the same conversation as a cheaper version of the foamer.
 
I've never owned a foam gun, but I can tell you that the Ortho Mix Gun is significantly different from the Gilmour Mix Gun. The Ortho has a Fan pattern and generates a lot more foam than the Gilmour does - I couldn't tell you how well it compares to the Foamaster, but the result looks pretty similar to the pictures and videos posted of foam guns IMO.. either way, I was using it long before I ever heard of the Foamaster and it's always provided marring-free washing for me, so for $10 I don't think it's a bad deal either way.
 
I'll have to second the Ortho Mix Gun. I have the identical unit in my garage and after hearing all the talk on this site I thought I'd give it a shot about 6 weeks ago. Pretty impressive foaming out of it - not shaving cream, but at least as foamy as the foam gun video thread being hit regularly over the past few weeks. I also have a sprayer with the fan like the first post, nowhere near as good as the Ortho, but I'm sure not as good as a "real" foam gun. I'll post some pictures of the foaming action if I get a chance this weekend.
 
Anyone what to inquire how much a foam wand (P/N 7571GM) would cost from Gilmour ? I know it should work fine. If its around $15 then you can have a foamgun for under $25.
 
I'd call 'em up and try to order the foamer as a replacement part. I dunno if I'd tell them the details of what you have in mind though ;)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top