which tools?

[mcd]

finally i opened my company last week and bought my van yesterday. I have almost all the stuff but ofcourse missing lots of important things... Van came with 5hp wet/dry ridgid vacuum cleaner, 100 gallon water tank, a generator, and some spray bottles, etc... no pressure washer! ok... here are my questions;

1-I need a pressure washer that i can use daily and i need to know which guns, etc i need. Btw which is better gas powered or electric? also, i want the foam gun and i dont know which is a good one.

2- G110 v2 is the one im getting so which pads and what else do i need to get with that? also, is m105 and m205 is good for DA? or what are my best choices?

3- I know its very dependable but which chemicals do you use to wash exterior like detergents, solutions, tire, engine cleaning dressing ???

[Clutch34]

Re: which tools?

Congrats on starting the business! What's the name of your business?

I can't really help you with your questions as I'm still in the detailing learning process, but you say you want a foam gun, well, if you have a pressure washer, I think you should go with a foam cannon! As far as I know, it works better then a foam gun.

[StadiumDetail]

Re: which tools?

1) Budget is huge here, a PW can range from $500 to $5000 depending on what you need. If you didn't already know, you must have a PW that siphons, it needs to be able to pull from the tank rather than just letting gravity do its job. I'm not mobile, so I've never looked into these types of PWs, just sharing the info I do have.

2) Get a full line of pads: Cutting, polishing, finishing, and maybe one or two of those inbetween. Brand isn't as important, but you can't ever go wrong with Lake County. For polishes you should get what works best for you. I've just recently jumped on the 105/205 bandwagon (w/rotary) and they are everything I've hoped they were. I'd start there and experiment with others as you progress in your business.
Also consider what you want as far as glazes, waxes and sealants go. Once again it is your own choice for all three, but having some Megs #7, collinite 845, and Opti-seal on hand is always a good thing.

3) All Puropse Cleaner - 10:1 for interiors, 4:1 or 5:1 for exterior washing (wax stripping)
Gold Class car soap
Solvant based Tire Dressings
Silicone based trim dressing (most disagree with me on this one, some use solvent based)
Water based silicone dressings (Megs has it, but I don't know the name) - Engines, interiors.
Tire/Wheel cleaners - Try different ones, use what you like. Some wheels just need a stronger cleaner than others.

[mcd]

Re: which tools?

im trying to get something less than 800 and I guess i will go with the gas engine (it should be easy to fix I guess) also, name of the business is Solid Care LLC. Thanks for the replies i learned new things

[Innovative Detailing]

Re: which tools?

I recommend you spend a little bit more and you could purchase yourself a bullet proof gas powered unit.

I have 2 units, they are work horses and everyday they fire up and perform, one is about 12-14 years old and the other is about 5 years old

For about $1,200-$1,500 you can purchase a Honda 5.5hp coupled to a 5:1 gear reduction with a General t991 pump. Along with this would be your 50 ft hose and lance and maybe a stand, mount or cox reel.

The advantage to the gear reduction style vs direct drive is you will get more life out of the pump. The 5:1 reduction will reduce the spin of the motor shaft so that every 5 revolutions of the motor will produce 1 revolution of the pump, therfore less wear and tear on the pump. You will have to maintain one more part of the unit, the gear reduction with 80-90wt gear oil as well as the motor and pump.

These inexspensive direct drive units for $500 - $700 that you purchase at club stores or home improvement stores will not hold up from my experience.

[mcd]

Re: which tools?

i have been checking direct drive units and they are around 300-at least 1500 so I guess i should get something around 500 and put that general pump later. ? also pump is around 250-400 extra... let me see if i can handle this... It seems they last very long time from your experience to me. here is what i found at homedepot;

i think its on sale

http://www.homedepot.com/Gift-Center/h_d1/N-5ydlpZar30/R-100663200/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

[StadiumDetail]

Re: which tools?

i have been checking direct drive units and they are around 300-at least 1500 so I guess i should get something around 500 and put that general pump later. ? also pump is around 250-400 extra... let me see if i can handle this... It seems they last very long time from your experience to me. here is what i found at homedepot;

i think its on sale

http://www.homedepot.com/Gift-Center...atalogId=10053

That's what I use at my shop. The only thing to go wrong with it was a pump failure ($150), but that was after 350+ washes, averaging out to >$0.50 of wear and tear per car. Not bad for the cheap model from HD.

But, from what i've been told, you need a siphoning pump to draw out of a tank like you have. I could be completely wrong and I've never been mobile or had a tank, but the argument seems reasonable.