Do I Need A Foam Canon?

I don't own a foam cannon so take this with a grain of salt but from my research, foam cannons have two huge benefits.
One: you can maxamize time (in theory). Its meant to truly be a productivity orientated item, just like a dedicated wheel cleaner or machine polisher. Yes, you can achieve similar if not identical results with a APC or by hand, but it will take longer. With foam cannons you can eliminate steps. Now people who are just tacking it on to their regular two bucket hand wash, is the loss of time worth the difference? I would say its negligible if your claying anyways but I guess the best detailers are just that OCD

Two: Its a 'Awwww' factor. Getting your customers involved is huge. Whether you be teaching them a rinselss wash, showing them 50/50s or showing them the plastic baggy test, getting them to say 'wow' is a big key in selling. And so through this, I've read constantly how exciting it is for customers to see pictures of their vehicles in the process of being cleaned with a foam cannon, and how they always request the pictures after to show to their friends or keep just to have, because it is unique. Kids love it. Customers love it. Will it bring you thousands of dollars in net profit? probably not. May it make your customers more keen to come back and or get you a referral or two? There's a good chance.

The way I look at it is washing and drying are responsible for the bulk of the swirls you get, and, given the ever decreasing 'thickness' of modern clear coats, you really want to do everything you can to minimize the swirls so that you do not need to polish it often, thus thinning out the clear even more.

So for me, anything I can do to help improve this step (washing and drying) is important.

My usual wash routine is

-HP rinse (thorough)
-Foam - this to my mind allows the product to help break the bond between the dirt and the paint, allowing you to then HP rinse off some more of the dirt
-HP rinse
-I then usually follow this with a citrus pre-wash - the idea being that it will help break down the traffic film (oil and stuff on the road that floats on the wet roads on the rain and is then splashed up onto your car)
-HP rinse again.

All of the above steps are aimed at trying to remove as much of the dirt as I can BEFORE I make contact with the paint. These steps generally will not get the car 100% clean, but it will be cleaner than had you not done them. - how much cleaner may be difficult to quantify and each of us would place a differing value on it to justify the expense of the cannon and foam...

-Then I will do a traditional 2BM wash thereafter.

For ME, I would rather spend the money on a foam cannon and the products to use with it, and see these costs as preventative maintenance.... what I spend on them, I will save by not having to polish as often, with the added benefit of then leaving more paint on the car as I go.

From my experience it's eye catching to potential customers but does nothing to help speed up the detail, in fact, it takes longer to foam everything down, and like you mentioned uses more product than needed. Or really wastes more product than needed, because the majority of the foam is on the ground after a few minutes.

I agree with the combined sentiment of the responses thus far. Overall, to me being a hobbyist it all depends on how a cannon is used....

1. Potential WOW factor
2. Potential to reduce the amount of swirling and polishing
3. Potential to lift dirt off the paint without the need for human kinetics
4. More areas to receive cleaning (e.g. - wheels, wheel wells, door jams, etc..)
5. Potential to take more time or save time (depending on your process and circumstances)
6. Potential for professional or factory-oriented shops will find some economies of scale by using this power tool vs. human kinetics

For example, a vehicle that hasn't been washed in years.. In 2013 I did an '06 Caddy CTS. The last time the owner had it detailed/washed in any intended way was in 2009. It took around an hour to power wash the vehicle.... the PW is going to get into a lot more areas where dirt accumulates (good) but it does take a lot more time to find those spots (bad).

No you don't need it. It's nice, but not necessary

ihaveacamaro said:

No you don't need it. It's nice, but not necessary

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:iagree:

I use a foam cannon, but I also use the two bucket method. It certainly isn't needed and I get the same results without the cannon, but I like it.

It uses more product, more water, and more time. On the other hand, it adds entertainment value. I'm a hobbyist, so I do it all for the enjoyment factor, aside from maintaining my vehicles.

The detergents and surfactants would need to be a lot stronger than 2-4 caps full of shampoo in order to negate any mechanical cleaning steps (mitt or sponge) required to clean truly dirty paint. It is entertaining, for sure, and if as you say your cars are well-cared-for and kept fairly clean, it will indeed speed your process and wash away loose dirt -- provided you maintain a good LSP on your cars' paint.

I have a cannon. Between setting everything up, soaking the vehicle, letting the foam dwell, and so on, it doesn't save any time. Is it better? Well, I never really let my care get that dirty, so it's probably overkill. I don't always use it, 'cause I'm too lazy to drag everything out. It is fun to use, though.

I'll give you my experience on the foam cannon. I use the Gilmour FoamMaster II.

I'll agree with others that mention that it is nice to have but not a must have, I could happily be without it.

I only find myself using it for two things and within both these things it is not a necessity by any means.

- Car is very, very dirty, I just the cannon to give it a presoak and let the soap/suds dwell on the paint prior to beginning my 2 bucket wash method

- Car is lightly dusty and needs a rinse. I'm talking a very little amount of dust on the car. I give it a quick rinse with Duragloss 901 in the Foam Cannon and let it dwell/sit and then rinse the vehicle down and then dry it with a drying aid.

I did plan on selling it but the buyer backed out the last minute.

It does drawn attention from the neighbors when they see me blasting the Mustang down covered in white foam.

Foam cannons are a complete waste of time, money, and soap. I had mine for a month and sold it. A pressure washer with just water cleans better than foam dwelling on your car. Others may disagree but I speak from experience.

Toxix said:

I'll give you my experience on the foam cannon. I use the Gilmour FoamMaster II.

I'll agree with others that mention that it is nice to have but not a must have, I could happily be without it.

I only find myself using it for two things and within both these things it is not a necessity by any means.

- Car is very, very dirty, I just the cannon to give it a presoak and let the soap/suds dwell on the paint prior to beginning my 2 bucket wash method

- Car is lightly dusty and needs a rinse. I'm talking a very little amount of dust on the car. I give it a quick rinse with Duragloss 901 in the Foam Cannon and let it dwell/sit and then rinse the vehicle down and then dry it with a drying aid.

I did plan on selling it but the buyer backed out the last minute.

It does drawn attention from the neighbors when they see me blasting the Mustang down covered in white foam.

Click to expand...

That's a foam gun.
Similar but different as the foam cannon uses more pressure.

Feel the same as conquistador. I always pressure wash before doing a conventional wash to remove any grit and it has worked well for me.

Although some use a foam gun like the Gilmore and aim it at their wash media as they are washing. This seems to make more sense than just foaming.

I don't use anything anymore that suds or foams. If the car is super dirty, a PW followed by rinseless. Otherwise a waterless presoak followed by a rinseless.

I like the option of using the Canon. I wash my ride so many different ways. But sometimes I get that lazy, cold Lemonade kinda feeling, and that where the foaminator comes in. I like having options to wash my girl as I see fit. Take care.

Peace,

Darrin

I use one for pretty much any customer detail and the seasonal details of my own cars.

I don't necessarily agree that it takes more time, maybe a few minutes in my case. It definitely uses more product, but we're talking about $0.30 worth of soap and $0.20 worth of APC when I do it. It adds up for volume operations, but it's not a big ticket in my overhead.

I use that time to go around the vehicle with a raceglaze brush and clean out all the nooks and crannies. Saves me from spraying APC directly into those areas and risking any runs. It also adds lubrication for the brush work. I feel it would be necessary to do the same brush work to grilles, cowls, mirrors and other tight spots regardless, so the only time wasted is filling the cannon and applying, just a few minutes in my case. Some people may operate differently and find more time wasted than I do.

Like others have said, for me it's a matter of softening soiling and starting to breakdown the bond with the paint before I touch anything. Thus, reducing potential for marring and swirls.

If I use an acid wheel cleaner, the APC in the foam also acts to neutralize the acid, saving me that step.

Durrr how dumb am I that I never thought to spray APC out of the cannon?