Question about Foam Guns...

brig2221

New member
I have recently begun to get a little intrigued with some Foam Guns I have seen. From what I understand, you simply pour in your auto wash of choice at a determined concentration rate, and then the foam gun sprays out sudsy water onto your car.



I assume the theory is that it will work at removing the grime from your vehicle so that you only need to lightly scrub it with you mitt of choice.



I'm looking to get some opinions from those that use foam guns regularly. Do you like them? Does it actually save you time, and was it worth the money? Lastly, can you use your auto wash of choice with these things? I use Megs Gold Class Car Wash.



Thanks!
 
Yeah, I just have the normal hose foam gun, it wont do what SuperBee's will do. It will make some foam though, pour in some soap, and set to foamin, that simple.
 
you don't need a pressure washer to get good foam, here is an example of the foam gun filled with just straight soap with no water added...



350z004jl7.jpg
 
I have a Gilmour (hose) foam gun, and find its invaluable to my traditional wash regimen. The level of foam is very much dependent on the type of soap used. I find CG's Maxi Suds, Z7, Adams Soap, and Duragloss 901 all produce a nice foam with good lubricity. IIRC, Autogeek also has a soap that produces REALLY thick foam, I'll find a link for ya.
 
The need of a pressure washer depends on if you want "serious" foam or "good" foam. That foam is good, but the stuff you can get with a pressure washer you can write your name in. Way beyond the foam in that pic.
 
SuperBee364 said:
The need of a pressure washer depends on if you want "serious" foam or "good" foam. That foam is good, but the stuff you can get with a pressure washer you can write your name in. Way beyond the foam in that pic.



understandable, but the principle and sacrificial amount of foam you get in the pic shown, is all that is needed...
 
BigAl3 said:
understandable, but the principle and sacrificial amount of foam you get in the pic shown, is all that is needed...



The better/thicker the foam, the better the lubrication for whatever your washing tool of choice is on your paint.
 
I have used SuperBees foam CANNON nothing compares to it, the more foam you have on the car the longer it can work its magic without you having to rub it down.



I can get okay foam by using my Ortho WEED/FEED hose end sprayer, but I always have to put a mitt to the paint. If you use the foam cannon, let it soak, and wash off........you will get it perfect. True the type of soap you use makes a huge diff........superbees last "mixer" was Z7/CG Gloss. He used that on my highly pollinated and dust paint......came out super clean.



I have to save my pennies for the foam cannon.
 
SuperBee364 said:
The better/thicker the foam, the better the lubrication for whatever your washing tool of choice is on your paint.



not to start a :argue, but i can get the same amount in the pic below, and that's more than enough to work with and i don't need any more than that, imo...

xtreme3.jpg




here's a foam video that imo, is just about the perfect amount of foam to work with (bottom video)...

Porter Cable Random Orbital Video Demo
 
BigAl, you really need to come by my house sometime. :) Once you see how much of a difference there is, I think you'll agree with Greg and I; there is no substitute for how well a good thick foam will clean your car. That picture from the AG site in your last post isn't bad, but you just wouldn't believe how much better it gets than that. One wash, and you really would be hooked. It's kinda like the difference between a PC and a rotary. Sure, the PC will do just about everything that a rotary will if you put the work and time into it, but once you've tried the rotary, it's hard to go back to the PC.



My washing process is totally touchless now. HP rinse, foam, HP rinse, foam (if really dirty, gently use a BHB), then sheet rinse. It wouldn't be possible to do this without the shaving cream.



And if what you're using works for you, great! :bigups



RCBuddha, I bought the one from this link: Cam Spray 527100 - Foamer Attachment - Cam Spray 527100 - Every Pressure Washer. Great Selection of Electric Pressure Washers, Gas Pressure Washers, Hot Water Pressure Washers, Cold Water Pressure Washers, & Much More!
 
Superbee,



I just re-watched your video, it seems the foam you get clings a lot more than the foam I get. Interesting...I just bookmarked your link to the cam spray, but what brand pressure washer are you using? Sounds like a gas powered, right?
 
It's a John Deere Pressure washer I got from Lowe's. You can get the exact same pressure washer under several different brands... John Deere, DeWalt, and I think Rigid. Just look for one that has the triplex piston pump and a Honda engine.



The Z7 does seem to cling better than all the other soaps I've tried so far. DP Extreme Foam does create great foam, but it doesn't cling for shucks.



My favorite still is the z7/CW&G mix.
 
SuperBee364 said:
3000 PSI 2.8 GPM Gas Pressure Washer



You can get the exact same washer sold under a different name for cheaper, though. The DeWalt branded unit I think is about a hundred bucks cheaper. :(



Thanks for the link, I will look into it! :2thumbs:



Anyone use an electric PW? I figure the gas must produce good power, but I may need it to be quieter, so I don't bother the neighbors as much.
 
I just got my Glimour foamer about 3 weeks ago and WOW what a difference. I don't detail professionally and only wash my two cars. It has been a great time saver not to mention fun to use, always seems to bring the neigbors out of their man caves to see what the hell I'm using to make the foam.



My foamer is the base model and just hooks up directly to the water hose, no pressure washers here. While I dont the kind of thick whip cream like foam a pressure washer can produce it really is not that bad considering it's just a water hose. I was always mixing the car wash with water in the foam container while it was okay once I put in straight car wash into the container it really produced some thick stuff. Also, I can just leave the soap in the container for next week's wash.



Best $60 I have ever spent.
 
RCBuddha said:
Thanks for the link, I will look into it! :2thumbs:



Anyone use an electric PW? I figure the gas must produce good power, but I may need it to be quieter, so I don't bother the neighbors as much.



The really good electric ones that are capable of putting out good flow rates (I think 2.0 gpm is minimum for a good wash) require some huge amounts of electricity, and they are darn near as loud as the gas ones. You'll need a dedicated 20 amp circuit. Lowes, Home Depot, etc. carry smaller electric ones (I've gone through a bunch of them. They are cheap and don't last long), but they just don't have the gpm to really do a good car wash.



Mine does 2.8 gpm, and I really wouldn't want to go any lower than that.



I know mine sounds loud in that video, but my wife was taking it from inside the garage. Makes it sound much louder than it really is. It's not quite as noisy as a lawn mower.
 
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