Foam Lance and Karcher K 2.54

[Mk2]

CCP, I'm looking at maybe grabbing one of the foam lances you guys sell (here) and would just like to ask about soaps. I understand your current special involves some snow foam gear but I'm wondering if I will still get a decent foam if I continue to use my current soap (Meguiars NXT Generation Wash).

Also, I am planning on using the foam on a weekly basis as my primary wash method. Will this be sufficient or will I still need to hand wash afterward? If so I might look into some quik detailer gear instead.

[LowerSpasm]

I have a karcher and the karcher foam lance they make. You will get a lot of suds if you mix the right consistency, however it varies from product to product so its trial and error from there. The karcher lance is a lot cheaper and does a fine job too so give that a go.

[Mk2]

My missus works at Bunnings and she reckons they have something for around $20. Is that roughly what yours cost? Also does it have a similar valve for adjusting the consistency or is it a matter of manually mixing it beforehand? Finally, do you just use the foam when you wash or do you still give it a once over with a mitt afterwards?

Cheers.

[LowerSpasm]

I cant quite remember, but i think it was around 18-30$, i got the small one which is just enough to do a sedan. It doesnt have a valve to adjust the consistency of the foam which i assume your asking, you mix it before hand.

Iv tried a few car shampoo's and found anything will work. But if you mix about an inch or more with warm water you will get a lot of foam.

My car is white, and i do some driving on dirt etc so at the end of the week it does get rather dirty so the procedure i use is:

inch to two inches of shampoo with water
spray car all over and let it sit for a few minutes.
Rinse
wash with a mit
rinse and dry.

A foam lance allows you to remove dirt etc easier before you attack your car with a wash mit, decreasing the chance of causing swirls.

however, if your car is sort of clean, i think you could get away without using a mit at all though.

[Mk2]

Cheers, mate. I'll grab one tonight and give it a go on the weekend.

[Mk2]

I tried the Karcher lance with some Meguiar's soap and it's terrible. I ended up using almost twice as much of my soap and it still didn't get all of the road grime off the lower half of the car. I'll give it a few more goes and see how it fares but I'm really not liking its chances at giving me a decent foam like I've seen on the internet.

[TinSnips]

The karcher gun won't foam up like a proper foam lance. They are apparently near on releasing a dedicated foam lance though, including variable mix ratios. Not sure how far off it is, but apparently it's already available OS. Go with the Autobrite lance from CCP - it's a great tool.

[Mk2]

Anyone want to buy a Karcher "foam" attachment? :lol:

The Autobrite one is going to be a little down the line for me, maybe a birthday present for myself. What product do you use with the AB gun?

[TinSnips]

Duragloss 902 works well (I use that for pretty much everything - sensational product) but the autobrite snow foam suds up well also.

I have used 902 in the Karcher gun with some success - certainly doesn't foam up as well, but the 902 does sit on the paint better than a lot of other products, but also rinses easier. I'll still use the karcher gun if the car isn't too grimey and I'm in a bit of a rush. Assuming you have the small karcher gun, like mine, I fill it about 1/6 or less with 902 (quite weak) and the rest with hot water. Then let it dwell on the car for around 5 min while I go over the badges and honeycomb grilles with a soft brush. I do follow up every time with a proper wash as well with 902.