Car Detailing - What products are your go to? - Page 45

Junkyard-Dog · 28-02-2022, 12:38 AM

I don't think you will regret paying for the detail, correction and ceramic coat even if the car arrives in good condition.

**DFB FGXR6** · 01-03-2022, 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bfets

Having just watched these videos, it has me slightly worried about what condition I'll receive my new Mustang in. I might decide on getting a professional detail, correction and ceramic coat if the car is in bad shape and then just try my best to maintain it from there going forward.
This detailer from Melbourne says that Mustangs in particular can be pretty bad from what he has seen. He talks about this in the second video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1mhbRo3Cmc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSapEegiZM8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpX6usGyW1o

Try not to worry too much. My Mustang was made in late 2016, so an early S550 build, and the paint was very good on delivery. Now, of course I went ahead and polished it as I would any new car, and even under close scrutiny, the were no obvious defects such as poor coverage, dust nibs or spot blemishes.

Just make sure you have a good look over the car, preferably before final signoff and preferably in natural light. Anything that is very obvious should be in writing and dealt with by the dealer. Otherwise your initial detail (by yourself or professional) will have it sorted. This advice would be for any new car, Mustang or otherwise.

To be honest, one the best things in my opinion about getting a new car is dialing it in to be exactly how you want it to be.

**DFB FGXR6** · 02-03-2022, 09:16 PM

For those with bikes, Gtechniq now offer products for bike detailing.

https://www.detailstore.com.au/colle.../gtechniq-bike

I'm not entirely sure how different they are to their line of car and marine products though. I'm actually in the process of cleaning up a vintage DeRosa bike using ONR, Green Star and Bead Maker.

bfets · 03-03-2022, 11:23 AM

Yay! First order (Waxit) came in this morning.

bfets · 03-03-2022, 12:22 PM

Damn... I have a cheap Aldi Workzone pressure washer which I was going to try. The plan was to see how it goes and then get a better washer if needed. I was told the Lavor fitting will work with the Workzone washer. It does not. So now I need to either try getting another fitting for the lance, or bite the bullet and buy a proper pressure washer.

What pressure washers are a good option for a weekend warrior detailer wannabe?

**FTE217** · 03-03-2022, 01:20 PM

Karcher or Gerni......

bfets · 03-03-2022, 02:12 PM

https://www.repco.com.au/en/car-care...fer/p/A5542992

That one is looking good as well, but I dont see an adaptor for the Waxit lance to attached it to the Bigboi either.

**DFB FGXR6** · 03-03-2022, 06:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bfets

https://www.repco.com.au/en/car-care...fer/p/A5542992

That one is looking good as well, but I dont see an adaptor for the Waxit lance to attached it to the Bigboi either.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bfets

Damn... I have a cheap Aldi Workzone pressure washer which I was going to try. The plan was to see how it goes and then get a better washer if needed. I was told the Lavor fitting will work with the Workzone washer. It does not. So now I need to either try getting another fitting for the lance, or bite the bullet and buy a proper pressure washer.

What pressure washers are a good option for a weekend warrior detailer wannabe?

Seeing as you already have the foam cannon, skip the BigBoi as it comes with a foam cannon included.

For cleaning cars, the key figure to take notice of is not the "pressure" but more so the flow rate. More flow, less pressure is generally what's best for cars.

In terms of Karcher, opt for one without too much fluff added, as in useless attachments or foam cannons. Something like the K4 Premium (7 liters/min) or even the K5 Premium (8 liters/min) without too much added stuff. You then get a Karcher K attachment fitting for the cannon and your good to go -

https://www.kaercher.com/au/home-gar...-13241130.html
https://www.kaercher.com/au/home-gar...-13246150.html
https://www.waxit.com.au/collections...ce-attachments

The above would be the more obvious choices, however I see Karcher now offer the "Compact" series. These offer more flow rate with less bulk.

K7 Compact with 8.5 liters/min
https://www.kaercher.com/au/home-gar...-14470550.html

K5 Compact with 8.3 liters/min
https://www.kaercher.com/au/home-gar...-16307570.html

Out of all of those, the K5 Compact appeals to me as it's cheaper, meaning you could put a few dollars towards an upgraded (and easier to use) gun, again select the Karcher attachment -

https://detailingshed.com.au/collect...34389153677471

I'm not sure I should provide this link at the risk of scaring you off, but the ultimate would be these..........

https://detailingshed.com.au/collect...anzle-k1152tst

**DFB FGXR6** · 03-03-2022, 07:10 PM

Probably the biggest aspect of detailing I have learnt the most about over the last two years has been in regards to pressure washing.

It's one thing to research and choose a pressure washer, the making of it ideally suited to washing cars is another story.

Hoses, quick connect fittings, guns, lances, nozzles and nozzle sizes can be complicated to get your head around. Will it fit, if not what will? Where do I get them from? All of that is information you will unlikely receive at the big box stores.

My first pressure washer was a Karcher K2. I just about wore that thing out!

When I looked into replacing it, I was overwhelmed. I wanted something better, but I also wanted a short gun and I had no idea how to achieve those two things together. In some ways, I over reacted to that and went with the Kranzle package from Detailing Shed as it came all fitted and ready to go.

Since then, I have learnt how it all works and where to get it all from. I get a kick out of the wonderful distraction this thread provides so don't hesitate in asking for advice.

prydey · 03-03-2022, 07:15 PM

I have a K2.180 karcher and its well over 10yrs old. Don't have the specs on hand (not sure if they're the same as current k2) but it hasn't missed a beat in all the years I've owned it. Foams up good with the Bowdens foam cannon.

It does work better with mains pressure. It does have the ability to suck water from a bucket, and back when we had water restrictions, I'd run it off the rainwater tank (gravity feed) but you could tell it wasn't quite as good as mains pressure. Still handy to have the feature though.

A major shortfall is the length of the standard hose though. Look for one with a 6m hose as a bare minimum. Karcher do a 10m extension hose but its not cheap.

**DFB FGXR6** · 03-03-2022, 07:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by prydey

I have a K2.180 karcher and its well over 10yrs old. Don't have the specs on hand (not sure if they're the same as current k2) but it hasn't missed a beat in all the years I've owned it. Foams up good with the Bowdens foam cannon.

It does work better with mains pressure. It does have the ability to suck water from a bucket, and back when we had water restrictions, I'd run it off the rainwater tank (gravity feed) but you could tell it wasn't quite as good as mains pressure. Still handy to have the feature though.

A major shortfall is the length of the standard hose though. Look for one with a 6m hose as a bare minimum. Karcher do a 10m extension hose but its not cheap.

My K2 was a trooper, did everything I asked of it. As I was using it more and more and more, the short hose was the limiting factor for me.

In the end, I could here the motor and pump were starting to get nosier so retired it once the hose was wearing through.

bfets · 03-03-2022, 07:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Probably the biggest aspect of detailing I have learnt the most about over the last two years has been in regards to pressure washing.

It's one thing to research and choose a pressure washer, the making of it ideally suited to washing cars is another story.

Hoses, quick connect fittings, guns, lances, nozzles and nozzle sizes can be complicated to get your head around. Will it fit, if not what will? Where do I get them from? All of that is information you will unlikely receive at the big box stores.

My first pressure washer was a Karcher K2. I just about wore that thing out!

image

image

When I looked into replacing it, I was overwhelmed. I wanted something better, but I also wanted a short gun and I had no idea how to achieve those two things together. In some ways, I over reacted to that and went with the Kranzle package from Detailing Shed as it came all fitted and ready to go.

Since then, I have learnt how it all works and where to get it all from. I get a kick out of the wonderful distraction this thread provides so don't hesitate in asking for advice.

The Kranzle does look nice, but my wife would kill me if I spend that much on another tool.

I liked the 15m hose on the Bigboi. It looks like it was made with car washing as a primary focus. But I can see that it has a fairly unique fitting system and currently it doesnt look like Bowden or Waxit has fittings to make it work with their lances. I dont know how good the Bigboi lance is that you get with it. The price is good at a little over $300.

Karcher looks like a good alternative. I like the K5 and K4 that you linked to DFB. They are more expensive but I see people generally have a good experience with them and their accessories are plentiful and easy to get.

My paving does need a good cleaning. I wonder how well those fittings work.
It would be good to get more use out of it other than car washing.

**DFB FGXR6** · 03-03-2022, 08:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bfets

The Kranzle does look nice, but my wife would kill me if I spend that much on another tool.

I liked the 15m hose on the Bigboi. It looks like it was made with car washing as a primary focus. But I can see that it has a fairly unique fitting system and currently it doesnt look like Bowden or Waxit has fittings to make it work with their lances. I dont know how good the Bigboi lance is that you get with it. The price is good at a little over $300.

Karcher looks like a good alternative. I like the K5 and K4 that you linked to DFB. They are more expensive but I see people generally have a good experience with them and their accessories are plentiful and easy to get.

My paving does need a good cleaning. I wonder how well those fittings work.
It would be good to get more use out of it other than car washing.

The fitting system looks like a standard 1/4 inch pressure washer fittings, that is a bonus actually. For reference, this is the attachment if you wanted to fit the Waxit cannon to the BigBoi -

If you like the BigBoi, I don't think you would be unhappy with it and they also sell a gun upgrade too -

https://detailingshed.com.au/collect...-flo-hose-pack

or

https://www.detailstore.com.au/colle...39667112509495

You could always use the second foam cannon for a foaming wheel cleaner or dedicate one each to Snow and Snow+.

bfets · 03-03-2022, 08:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

The fitting system looks like a standard 1/4 inch pressure washer fittings, that is a bonus actually. For reference, this is the attachment if you wanted to fit the Waxit cannon to the BigBoi -

image

If you like the BigBoi, I don't think you would be unhappy with it and they also sell a gun upgrade too -

https://detailingshed.com.au/collect...-flo-hose-pack

or

https://www.detailstore.com.au/colle...39667112509495

You could always use the second foam cannon for a foaming wheel cleaner or dedicate one each to Snow and Snow+.

I see what you mean... its complicated to work out what accessories can be connected to what.
I did not know thats the adapter I would need for the Bigboi.

The Bigboi caught my eye because it seems to be focussed on car washing and the price is reasonable. It has a long hose (15m). It has 7l/min flow rate which is less than a K5 or K4 Karcher.

How big would that difference be in real life? Would it be noticeable?

**pwr4ce** · 03-03-2022, 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

My K2 was a trooper, did everything I asked of it. As I was using it more and more and more, the short hose was the limiting factor for me.

In the end, I could here the motor and pump were starting to get nosier so retired it once the hose was wearing through.

My K2 is still going strong

One day I’ll look for something better but for now the K2 will do

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Top_Ghia · 03-03-2022, 08:25 PM

I have a K7 premium full control with all the fluff.
8.5L/min
2600 psi
10m hose on a reel which I really like. It’s super easy to wind it up.
Pressure adjustment on the gun which is also quite good.
Seems quite well built and has a solid feel to it.
All the fluff that comes with it is junk. Their foam cannon is just about useless but I do use it with Bowdens own Happy Ending which really doesn’t need to be foamed up. It’s more of an applicator rather than a foam cannon.
I’d recommend the K7 full control but buying it bare without all the junk would be better value.
The K7 compact misses out on some of the key features which I value highly, but still has the power and flow to make it a good pressure washer.

Historically I’ve never had a good run from Karcher pressure washers but I’ve previously only ever had their cheapest washers.
The K7 is really next level stuff and much better built. And I believe it has a 7 year warranty.

I’m not suggesting it’s as good as the Kranzle but it’s also about half the price.

**DFB FGXR6** · 03-03-2022, 09:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bfets

I see what you mean... its complicated to work out what accessories can be connected to what.
I did not know thats the adapter I would need for the Bigboi.

The Bigboi caught my eye because it seems to be focussed on car washing and the price is reasonable. It has a long hose (15m). It has 7l/min flow rate which is less than a K5 or K4 Karcher.

How big would that difference be in real life? Would it be noticeable?

The BigBoi is comparable to the Karcher K4 in terms of flow, both 7- l/m. I'm guessing both would be an upgrade compared to what you have now.

The long hose, higher pressure and $268 saving over the K4 makes the BigBoi compelling.

**DFB FGXR6** · 03-03-2022, 09:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Top_Ghia

I have a K7 premium full control with all the fluff.
8.5L/min
2600 psi
10m hose on a reel which I really like. It’s super easy to wind it up.
Pressure adjustment on the gun which is also quite good.
Seems quite well built and has a solid feel to it.
All the fluff that comes with it is junk. Their foam cannon is just about useless but I do use it with Bowdens own Happy Ending which really doesn’t need to be foamed up. It’s more of an applicator rather than a foam cannon.
I’d recommend the K7 full control but buying it bare without all the junk would be better value.
The K7 compact misses out on some of the key features which I value highly, but still has the power and flow to make it a good pressure washer.

Historically I’ve never had a good run from Karcher pressure washers but I’ve previously only ever had their cheapest washers.
The K7 is really next level stuff and much better built. And I believe it has a 7 year warranty.

I’m not suggesting it’s as good as the Kranzle but it’s also about half the price.

I was shopping the K5 and K7 when I went looking for a new machine. Then I started to entrain the thought of a Kranzle, jumped in the deep end and went nuts.

Any of the machines I was looking at were going to be an upgrade over the worn out K2.

bfets · 03-03-2022, 09:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

I was shopping the K5 and K7 when I went looking for a new machine. Then I started to entrain the thought of a Kranzle, jumped in the deep end and went nuts.

Any of the machines I was looking at were going to be an upgrade over the worn out K2.

Yeah the K5 and K7 both look like good options. The Kranzle is awesome, just out of my league atm.

What I do like about the Karchers, are that I can just go and pick one up from Bunnings. Long warranty means less worries and easy to deal with if something goes wrong. I like that.

At the moment I'm leaning towards the K5 PREMIUM FULL CONTROL PLUS if I end up buying a new washer. I like the patio cleaning accessory that I can use on my paving. Bunnings has them in stock for $703.

I also worked out that my Aldi Workzone pressure washer actually uses a Bosch fitting. So the cheapest option is to just get the right fitting, $20 and I'm off to the races. The WorkZone has a flow rate of 6.3L/m and 1500PSI of pressure. Will that be enough to get decent foam out of a lance or do I really need to replace it?

**DFB FGXR6** · 03-03-2022, 09:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bfets

Yeah the K5 and K7 both look like good options. The Kranzle is awesome, just out of my league atm.

What I do like about the Karchers, are that I can just go and pick one up from Bunnings. Long warranty means less worries and easy to deal with if something goes wrong. I like that.

At the moment I'm leaning towards the K5 PREMIUM FULL CONTROL PLUS if I end up buying a new washer. I like the patio cleaning accessory that I can use on my paving. Bunnings has them in stock for $703.

I also worked out that my Aldi Workzone pressure washer actually uses a Bosch fitting. So the cheapest option is to just get the right fitting, $20 and I'm off to the races. The WorkZone has a flow rate of 6.3L/m and 1500PSI of pressure. Will that be enough to get decent foam out of a lance or do I really need to replace it?

My K2 had no problem creating good quality foam from 5.8 L/m and 1700 psi, you should be good with the Workzone. Get the correct fitting and see how it go's.

bfets · 03-03-2022, 10:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

My K2 had no problem creating good quality foam from 5.8 L/m and 1700 psi, you should be good with the Workzone. Get the correct fitting and see how it go's.

Lol - I'm cursed. Waxit is out of stock on the fitting I need.

Now I need to see if I can find the fitting somewhere else, or just buy an new friggin washer.

**GasoLane** · 03-03-2022, 10:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bfets

Lol - I'm cursed. Waxit is out of stock on the fitting I need.

Now I need to see if I can find the fitting somewhere else, or just buy an new friggin washer.

Is there a total Tools nearby?

**DFB FGXR6** · 03-03-2022, 10:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bfets

Lol - I'm cursed. Waxit is out of stock on the fitting I need.

Now I need to see if I can find the fitting somewhere else, or just buy an new friggin washer.

Do you need Bosch or Bosch AQT?

Detail store have the AQT-
https://www.detailstore.com.au/colle...-new-aqt-ryobi

**FTE217** · 03-03-2022, 10:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bfets

Yeah the K5 and K7 both look like good options. The Kranzle is awesome, just out of my league atm.

What I do like about the Karchers, are that I can just go and pick one up from Bunnings. Long warranty means less worries and easy to deal with if something goes wrong. I like that.

At the moment I'm leaning towards the K5 PREMIUM FULL CONTROL PLUS if I end up buying a new washer. I like the patio cleaning accessory that I can use on my paving. Bunnings has them in stock for $703.

I also worked out that my Aldi Workzone pressure washer actually uses a Bosch fitting. So the cheapest option is to just get the right fitting, $20 and I'm off to the races. The WorkZone has a flow rate of 6.3L/m and 1500PSI of pressure. Will that be enough to get decent foam out of a lance or do I really need to replace it?

Being you mentioned Karcher/Bunnings/WTY......

Just the other day I was in my local bunnings and one of the slaes guys I've come to know well is a good tradie. knows his products etc.....
Ive had Karchers first then got a large Gurnie that serves me very well.
I was talking to this guy about other adapters etc so we then just talking the p iss on the 2 brands.
He didn't like Gurnie for he had WTY issues it took too long whereas with Karcher he said their WTY system process is way better, so there you go.

By the way, I've tried some Aldi product - I won't again, had WTY grief never again plus you get what you pay for.
You need something like above for at least they are good known brands and many users.

bfets · 03-03-2022, 10:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Do you need Bosch or Bosch AQT?

Detail store have the AQT-
https://www.detailstore.com.au/colle...-new-aqt-ryobi

I found and ordered one here:

https://www.foamee.com.au/collection...-older-washers

$20 shipped.

Fingers crossed that one works, but the dimensions matches up with what I have and it looks identical.

**DFB FGXR6** · 03-03-2022, 10:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bfets

Lol - I'm cursed. Waxit is out of stock on the fitting I need.

Now I need to see if I can find the fitting somewhere else, or just buy an new friggin washer.

Bowdens sell a fitting for Workzone and "Old Bosch" -

https://www.bowdensown.com.au/snow-blow-cannon-adapters

bfets · 03-03-2022, 10:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FTE217

Being you mentioned Karcher/Bunnings/WTY......

Just the other day I was in my local bunnings and one of the slaes guys I've come to know well is a good tradie. knows his products etc.....
Ive had Karchers first then got a large Gurnie that serves me very well.
I was talking to this guy about other adapters etc so we then just talking the p iss on the 2 brands.
He didn't like Gurnie for he had WTY issues it took too long whereas with Karcher he said their WTY system process is way better, so there you go.

By the way, I've tried some Aldi product - I won't again, had WTY grief never again plus you get what you pay for.
You need something like above for at least they are good known brands and many users.

Yeah I've heard Karchers warranty is pretty good.

Also according to Bunnings site:
7 year warranty: 5 years standard + 2 years when registered online

So thats a good amount of time for a warranty.

**DFB FGXR6** · 04-03-2022, 06:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

For those with bikes, Gtechniq now offer products for bike detailing.

https://www.detailstore.com.au/colle.../gtechniq-bike

I'm not entirely sure how different they are to their line of car and marine products though. I'm actually in the process of cleaning up a vintage DeRosa bike using ONR, Green Star and Bead Maker.

Picture of said bike.

Used Koch Chemie Green Star to clean, some Autosol for the chrome and wiped down with Bead Maker for slickness. Also used Autoglym Leather Balm on the seat.

prydey · 04-03-2022, 06:59 PM

Such simple machines back then... Looks like it's already been restored. Classic. I have an old steel frame bike in the shed (Ricardo) but I can't see me ever riding it again.

CyberWasp · 04-03-2022, 07:17 PM

One thing on pressure washers and flow rates.
Time how long it takes to fill a bucket to determine how many litres a minute your house actually delivers. Can you fill 8l in a minute for example. Maybe you can get 10.
Water pressure and flow vary from place to place.
That will guide you to what you should look at to get the best out of what is being delivered.