Choosing the foam gun

[91Whitelx]

What's the best foam gun for the price. I will mainly be using it for personal use.
Thanks for help!

[jamesboyy]

First off check around different sites like autogeek, amazon, ebay, etc to get the best prieced foam gun though the best said one is the all plastic one with plastic dial setting and all

[alanG40]

Probably a stupid question, but do the hose powered ones work as well as the pressure washer powered ones?

Id hate to wheel out and setup my pressure washer every time I want to wash my car.

[Mike Phillips]

The only way I wash my own cars, a Mercedes-Benz SLK350 and my daily driver 1987 Chevy Silverado is with a Foam Gun.

It's fast, effective and simple. Just like I want when it comes to getting my rigs clean. It helps that I always keep the Black Label Diamond Surface Coating on the Mercedes and usually Pinnacle Souveran on my truck.

Someone mentioned a foam gun with all plastic parts? All plastic parts doesn't sound good to me but I haven't used one like that just the one AG sells with BRASS parts.



How to wash a car with a foam gun (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/ask-expert-featuring-mike-phillips/74349-how-wash-car-foam-gun.html)


Autogeek carries and sells both foam guns and foam cannons and the soaps that go with them, so this method of washing a car isn't new to this online detailing community.

I'm a fan of foaming a car, in fact for the most part I foam every car I wash. The idea behind foam is that unlike water foam offers,

Dwell Time


That is the foam or suds will cling to car body panels longer than soapy water and by dwelling on the surface this gives the cleaning agents time to loosen and dissolve any road film or dirt on the finish.

For this step I'm using the Detailer's Half Gallon Foammaster Foam Gun (http://www.autogeek.net/dp-foam-gun-64oz.html) with Detailer's Xtreme Foam Formula Auto Shampoo (http://www.autogeek.net/foam-gun-soap.html).


Start at the top just like you would wash normally by spraying the roof down with foam.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2111/2006_SLK_350_025.jpg


Move down the windshield...

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2111/2006_SLK_350_026.jpg


And then down the hood...

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2111/2006_SLK_350_027.jpg

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2111/2006_SLK_350_028.jpg

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2111/2006_SLK_350_029.jpg

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2111/2006_SLK_350_030.jpg


Foam down one side and work around to the back of the car...

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2111/2006_SLK_350_031.jpg


Then foam down the back of the car...

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2111/2006_SLK_350_032.jpg


Foam dwells on paint allowing the soap solution to go to work loosening road film and dirt...

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2111/2006_SLK_350_033.jpg

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2111/2006_SLK_350_034.jpg

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2111/2006_SLK_350_035.jpg



Loosen dirt with wash mitt...

Or in this case the new Lake Country Wash Wedge (http://www.autogeek.net/gold-wash-wedge.html)...

The most important thing about using a wash mitt, sponge or brush is to NOT scrub the paint more than what's needed to loosen the bond of any surface dirt so that it can be rinsed off. I cover this in my how-to book also.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2111/2006_SLK_350_036.jpg

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2111/2006_SLK_350_037.jpg

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2111/2006_SLK_350_038.jpg

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2111/2006_SLK_350_039.jpg

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2111/2006_SLK_350_040.jpg



And here's the Mercedes-Benz after rinsing and drying using a single Ultimate Guzzler (http://www.autogeek.net/waffle-weave-drying-towel.html)

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2111/2006_SLK_350_008.jpg



:xyxthumbs:

[Mike Phillips]

Again, not sure what the plastic stuff looks like but I can't imagine the components in the pictures below being made from plastic. You want heavy duty parts that will last a lifetime.



How to adjust the metering slide bar
Your Marine 31 Foam Gun comes with a metering slide bar that allows you to adjust the concentration of soap solution to water.


6 hole stops on the top of the metering bar
Looking at the metering bar from the top you'll see 6 equal sized holes. These are "stops" that lock the metering bar into position with the use of a spring loaded check ball inside the mixing chamber.

You can twist the metering bar sideways to push it in or out of the mixing chamber when choosing a solution level and then twist it back to the upright position to lock it into place.


http://www.marine31online.com/gallery/data/508/Marine_31_Foam_Gun_008.jpg

http://www.marine31online.com/gallery/data/508/Marine_31_Foam_Gun_009.jpg




5 graduated holes on the bottom of the metering bar
The smaller the hole the less soap solution that can be drawn into the mixing chamber and thus the less foamy suds. Just behind Nick's finger, opposite of the hole stops on the other side there is no graduate hole, this is last section is solid to enable you to switch to just water for rinsing.


http://www.marine31online.com/gallery/data/508/Marine_31_Foam_Gun_010.jpg


The larger the holes the more soap solution that can be drawn into the mixing chamber and thus more suds will be created.

http://www.marine31online.com/gallery/data/508/Marine_31_Foam_Gun_011.jpg


:xyxthumbs:

[Kamakaz1961]

I have the one that Mike Phillips uses it is great get that one!

[Mike Phillips]

Probably a stupid question, but do the hose powered ones work as well as the pressure washer powered ones?



We don't actually have high pressure water at our facility here. Not sure why? We have high volume but low pressure. Even so, the hose powered gun works awesome.







Id hate to wheel out and setup my pressure washer every time I want to wash my car.



Yeah... fighting the stiff water line coming out of the pressure washer is never fun and I'm with all the way.

I used to show the Foam Cannon at my detailing boot camp classes but now all I show is the foam gun.


http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/1815/May_2013_Detailing_Class_038.jpg


http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/1815/May_2013_Detailing_Class_039.jpg


http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/1815/May_2013_Detailing_Class_040.jpg

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/1815/May_2013_Detailing_Class_042.jpg

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/1815/May_2013_Detailing_Class_043.jpg


http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/1815/May_2013_Detailing_Class_049.jpg

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/1815/May_2013_Detailing_Class_050.jpg



:autowash:

[Dogfather]

Just be sure to buy shampoo by the gallon.

[91Whitelx]

Thanks for all the help! What is the difference between a foam gun and foam cannon?

What's the difference in

Pinnacle Quart Foamaster Foam Gun
Wolfgang Quart Foamaster Foam Gun
Detailer's Quart Foamaster Foam Gun
BLACKFIRE Quart Foamaster Foam Gun

Compared to the
Autogeek Quart Foamaster Foam Gun which is the one I'm thinking about going with. They all look the same but the ones above have a brand name on them, Is there any difference?

[Mike Phillips]

Thanks for all the help! What is the difference between a foam gun and foam cannon?



Foam Gun hooks up to a standard water hose.

Foam Cannon hooks up to a Pressure Washer







What's the difference in

Pinnacle Quart Foamaster Foam Gun
Wolfgang Quart Foamaster Foam Gun
Detailer's Quart Foamaster Foam Gun
BLACKFIRE Quart Foamaster Foam Gun

Compared to the
Autogeek Quart Foammaster Foam Gun which is the one I'm thinking about going with. They all look the same but the ones above have a brand name on them, Is there any difference?




There's no difference except for the branding. You know, some people are Chevy fans and some people are Ford fans. You ever look at how silly guys get about their favorite sports teams? :laughing:


My strong recommendation is whatever you get... go with the half gallon container so you will have lots of concentrate mixed up and ready to use.

I'm not kidding when I say this is the ONLY way I wash my own cars. It's just to fast, effective and easy.


I also practice what I preach and what I wrote in my how-to book (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/ask-expert-featuring-mike-phillips/64360-detailing-how-book-detailing-how-e-book.html) and that's the information about NOT SCRUBBING paint that you've already polished and waxed.

I'm not going to post verbatim what I wrote in my how-to book but suffice to say in the section under "People Watching", I notice most people don't pay attention to what they are physically doing with their hand and wash mitt when they wash their car and then later wonder where all the swirls and scratches come from.

In the picture below that's the half gallon version.





For this step I'm using the Detailer's Half Gallon Foammaster Foam Gun (http://www.autogeek.net/dp-foam-gun-64oz.html) with Detailer's Xtreme Foam Formula Auto Shampoo (http://www.autogeek.net/foam-gun-soap.html).


Start at the top just like you would wash normally by spraying the roof down with foam.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2111/2006_SLK_350_025.jpg





I've never been a hard sales guy but I do like to share products that I really like and solve problems.


:xyxthumbs: