MTM Hydro Foamer Mini Review

[swanicyouth]

So, I finally got my MTM Hydro Foamer and a chance to use it. The foamer comes in a plastic bag (no box) with an instruction paper that is pretty much useless.

The bag looks like this:



The foamer looks like this:



A closer picture of the mechanism:



I got this foamer on Amazon for around $50.00 from a pressure washer vendor. The product labeling said that this foamer was for "gas" machines with a 2 gallon per minute flow rate. The pressure washer I own is electric and is only rated at 1.25 GPM. I wasn't sure how well it would work. Also, the fitting on the foamer was a 1/4" quick release male that screws into the mechanism itself. The threads are 1/4" NPT size. So, since Karcher pressure washers have a proprietary connection system for attachments on their consumer guns, an adapter would be needed. I was able to get an adapter directly from Auto Geek.

The adapter looks like this:



So, removed the male quick connect, and replaced it with a short piece of 1/4" hollow pipe. Then the adapter for the Karcher screws onto the pipe. Everything I needed for the connection, except the adapter, was available at Home Depot. I searched and searched and searched, I could not find the adapter for a Karcher locally. Apparently Home Depot carried them at one point, but the ones in my area no longer do. The bottle on this foamer is about 32 ounces. The soap I used was CG HoneyDew Foam. I used 2 ounces and then filled the bottle with DI water at room temperature. I was a bit worried my pressure washer wasn't going to be powerful enough to get decent foam. I was wrong. I didn't take pictures of the foam, as my neighbors think I'm crazy enough spraying this stuff around, no less taking pictures of foam. However, I was very please with the foam I got with 2 ounces shampoo. The foamer has 2 adjustments: one to control the amount of product in the mixture, and 1 to control the width of the spray. How to use both controls became obvious once I was using it. When cranked open, it sprays some pretty serious white foam. But, on that setting, you can also watch the mixture go down in the bottle. You can adjust if you want the spray to be a fan or a narrow line. Either way, it shoots nicely about twenty feet. The one thing I thought was odd was that the fan pattern is vertical, not horizontal. I just expected it to be horizontal for some reason, but it's still fine. One thing is, I found the bottle to be heavier than I expected when full

[shadowpr]

links?

[swanicyouth]

I bought it from Amazon. I don't think AG likes links on their forum for companies that sell competing items

[kronos]

Originally Posted by swanicyouth

I bought it from Amazon. I don't think AG likes links on their forum for companies that sell competing items

Or reviews.

[Dynamic_Detailing]

I bought this last week on Amazon as well, it's still sitting on my kitchen table, because I can't figure out how to get it to work with my pressure washer (I made a dedicated thread to it looking for help here: HOW DO I MAKE THIS WORK & Eventual Product Review! (Pressure Washer/Foam Cannon)

Anyway, I asked Nick from customer service and sales at AutoGeek and he said the two products looks identical, so I went with the one that was $50 in stead of $120.

I'm looking forward to using it. Also, I don't think AutoGeek minds about people reviewing other products, we all talk about how AutoGeek sells the same bucket for way more than you can get it for with a lid and grit-guard at Home Depot for $8. Anwyay, if MTM Hydro makes the identical product without a Wolfgang or Blackfire sticker for 1/3 the price, they'll eventually adjust their prices. We all spend hundreds and thousands of dollars here, so I don't see why they would police the forum to 'cover up' information we all already know.

[Bunky]

Where are the foam pics?

[swanicyouth]

Originally Posted by Dynamic_Detailing

I bought this last week on Amazon as well, it's still sitting on my kitchen table, because I can't figure out how to get it to work with my pressure washer (I made a dedicated thread to it looking for help here: HOW DO I MAKE THIS WORK & Eventual Product Review! (Pressure Washer/Foam Cannon)

Anyway, I asked Nick from customer service and sales at AutoGeek and he said the two products looks identical, so I went with the one that was $50 in stead of $120.

I'm looking forward to using it. Also, I don't think AutoGeek minds about people reviewing other products, we all talk about how AutoGeek sells the same bucket for way more than you can get it for with a lid and grit-guard at Home Depot for $8. Anwyay, if MTM Hydro makes the identical product without a Wolfgang or Blackfire sticker for 1/3 the price, they'll eventually adjust their prices. We all spend hundreds and thousands of dollars here, so I don't see why they would police the forum to 'cover up' information we all already know.

It's hard to tell from your picture, but it looks like your trying to connect the foam gun to the pressure hose, not the gun. It gets attached to the gun. I don't know a lot about AR Blue pressure washers, but I believe there consumer models use a proprietary connector at the gun like the Karchers. I checked out AR Blues website for you, and I believe you can use 1 of 2 solutions:

1. You need this adapter:

AR Blue PW40788... It looks like this:



It looks similar to the Karcher adapter above I needed. It looks like the only place that really stocks this is Pressure Washers Direct. If this adapter is(?) similar to the Karcher, then all you need is this adapter and a small piece of 1/4" NPT pipe (available at HD in the plumbing section. The adapter will twist into your gun or wand, the small piece of pipe will screw into the adapter on one end and the other end will screw into your foam cannon(after removing the quick connector that comes with the foam cannon)

2. Go to Home Depot and buy a geric gun that goes on the hose you bought(assuming that hose does fit fit the outlet of the pressure washer). Make sure you get a gun with some type of exposed male threads or a quick release either on the bayonet or the gun. I believe HD sells a generic gun with a female 1/4" quick release that will connect right into the MTMs male quick release. If not, they make all types of single adapters for this, also the 1/4" male quick release that comes in the end if the MTM unscrews, and you can screw in a small piece of 1/4" NPT pipe (also available at HD). Basically, the AR gun isn't designed to be used with this item, and it will be a lot easier to adapt a generic one to work. You should really only need one adapter and one piece of small pipe to screw into the gun and the adapter. I hope this helps somehow.

... I'm curious, if connecting the foam cannon to the gun is the problem, why did you buy a new hose??? Post back if I can help.

[Dynamic_Detailing]

Originally Posted by swanicyouth

It's hard to tell from your picture, but it looks like your trying to connect the foam gun to the pressure hose, not the gun. It gets attached to the gun. I don't know a lot about AR Blue pressure washers, but I believe there consumer models use a proprietary connector at the gun like the Karchers. I checked out AR Blues website for you, and I believe you can use 1 of 2 solutions:

1. You need this adapter:

AR Blue PW40788... It looks like this:



It looks similar to the Karcher adapter above I needed. It looks like the only place that really stocks this is Pressure Washers Direct. If this adapter is(?) similar to the Karcher, then all you need is this adapter and a small piece of 1/4" NPT pipe (available at HD in the plumbing section. The adapter will twist into your gun or wand, the small piece of pipe will screw into the adapter on one end and the other end will screw into your foam cannon(after removing the quick connector that comes with the foam cannon)

2. Go to Home Depot and buy a geric gun that goes on the hose you bought(assuming that hose does fit fit the outlet of the pressure washer). Make sure you get a gun with some type of exposed male threads or a quick release either on the bayonet or the gun. I believe HD sells a generic gun with a female 1/4" quick release that will connect right into the MTMs male quick release. If not, they make all types of single adapters for this, also the 1/4" male quick release that comes in the end if the MTM unscrews, and you can screw in a small piece of 1/4" NPT pipe (also available at HD). Basically, the AR gun isn't designed to be used with this item, and it will be a lot easier to adapt a generic one to work. You should really only need one adapter and one piece of small pipe to screw into the gun and the adapter. I hope this helps somehow.

... I'm curious, if connecting the foam cannon to the gun is the problem, why did you buy a new hose??? Post back if I can help.

Thank you so, so much! Geez, seriously, THANK YOU.

Tomorrow on Saturday I'm going to go to Home Depot for sure - so I hope I can figure something out. It will be my second time there trying to remedy this issue. I think I may buy a new gun as you said, and hopefully the MTM Hydro will simply just SNAP right on, and BOOYAH, I'll be foaming away to my heart's content in no time! I have a couple jobs already lined up for next week, so I really want to get this sorted out asap!

YOU REALLY seem to know a lot about pressure washers, so other than solving this problem, can you answer something for me? What does it mean when a product is a "Cold Water" pressure washer? I have a hot-water hookup I can use to detail cars, will this make the machine brake or explode or melt!?

So, if you wouldn't mind... could you check this over for me:

1. Take back the hose I bought to Home Depot and get a refund, along with all the ridiculous attachments/connectors/couplers I bought as well
2. Buy a new generic gun/sprayer part for the AR Blue 383 pressure washer that fits the existing hose that came with my pressure washer (1/4''... or proprietary?)
3. Buy a few inches (?) of 1/4'' NPT Pipe in the plumbing section of Home Depot
4. Remove the male quick-release portion out of the MTM Hydro Foam Cannon, and replace it with the 1/4'' NPT Pipe, after I wrap it in Teflon tape

Then... at this point after steps 1-4 above, I should just be able to snap-on and go (that sounded dirty, haha) and Foam away to my heart's content!?

PS: WHICH one of the connections do I need, and will it screw (the male part) directly into my new generic foam gun? Search Results for#1/4 NPT Pipe#at The Home Depot

PPS: Do any of these guns or adapters look right when I go tomorrow? Outdoors - Outdoor Power Equipment - Pressure Washers - Pressure Washer Accessories at The Home Depot

PPPS: Last one, haha, but how about either of THESE as my generic add-on new gun sprayer to make this all work? Trigger Gun Kit-AP31001 at The Home Depot or Gun/Hose Pressure Washer Accessory Kit-90018 at The Home Depot

[swanicyouth]

I checked this out real quick this morning, and this is the kind of thing that will snap right into the foam gun as its at HD in the store.

Power Care 27 in. Replacement Wand for Gas Pressure Washers


.... Now all you have to do is pick a gun that comes with this one one that will work with it. If so, you can avoid the small piece of pipe, as it has the correct quick disconnect on it.
... The only thing, looking at your pressure washer, there may be a proprietary fitting that connects the gun to the hose, so you may need to keep the hose you bought. The good news is it looks like there is a regular screw fitting on the outlets of the pressure washer to the hose, see pic



That hose should look like yours and has a screw fitting. So, you may need to keep your hose to replace the gun. I know this is do-able. All you have to do is get a generic gun on there some how and take it from there.

[swanicyouth]

I really don't know a lot about pressure washers as you said above. Everything I found out was in the process of how to make MTM Foamer work with mine. The guy at PW Direct told me it couldn't be done too, and it can. I believe a cold water pressure washer is one that is designed to work with water up to about 100 degrees. Any water used at a higher temperature could damage it.