nfsG37

I'm debating between a gas vs. electric power washer for car washing (with a foam cannon), plus cleaning sidewalks, wooden decks, and vinyl siding around the house. From what I have read and/or seen when researching forums/Youtube videos, the foam cannons appear to be better suited with a gas power washer instead of the electric, in part due to the higher gallons per minute capabilities of the gas power washers.

Two models I am comparing are the Generac (model 6922) 2800 PSI with 2.4 GPM, and a SunJoe SPX3000 Electric power washer (2030 PSI with 1.76 GPM). Please let me know your experiences with power washers, and power washing cars.

The Pope

iTrader: (2)

I'd like to know as well......

nfsG37

I posted this question on another website forum and got quite a few responses. I also read many online reviews and watched a few Youtube videos. From what I gathered, it seems that an electric power washer will do an 'OK' job with most foam cannons, but a gas power washer will do a 'great' job with the a foam cannon. The higher GPM and PSI of a typical gas power washer should allow for a thicker foam to be applied.

I went ahead last night and ordered a Chemical Guys Foam Cannon, Honeydew Snow Foam Auto Wash, and a Generac 2800 PSI, 2.3 GPM gas power washer. I plan on using the power washer around the house for cleaning other stuff to, so it will be a benefit of not having to use an electric cord everywhere I use the power washer. The downsides are going to be noisier operation and a little more maintenance than an electric model.

Once I receive all of the items I ordered, I'll post a few pictures and let you know how well the pressure washer/foam cannon perform.

Lt8Che

iTrader: (6)

I bought an electric one off Amazon a while back for a great sale price but it's a hassle with the hoses and power cord. If I had to buy again, it would be gas powered.

Black Betty

iTrader: (60)

If you plan to use it for anything more than washing the car, the gas powered unit was the way to go without question.

LateApex

This is an interesting thread to me since I have a very nice 3300psi/3gpm (with the Cat pump) gas-powered model now. I'd like to explore the foam cannon wash route but I was looking at very small electric units because getting this big gas unit in and out to wash the cars once a week would be a PITA. Space is at a premium in the garage so it's kind of locked in... I have to move the generator a bit to squeeze it out, and to move the generator, I have to move one of the kid's quad. It's fine for the 4 or 5 times a year I use it on the deck, house, driveway, etc. but... weekly, no way.

So I was looking at very small, lower powered electric units that would fit on the shelf. I called Chemical Guys. They indicated that the EQP321 would work fine with the electric unit, though maybe not as quickly or efficiently as with my gas one.

nfsG37

I ended up going with a Generac 2800 PSI gas power washer, along with the Chemical Guys Torq foam cannon. I washed 2 cars with one fill up of the foam cannon (G37 and a Rogue), and had almost enough to complete both cars. I was impressed how the soap/water combination shot out of the cannon and clung to the car. On the G37, after soaping up the car with the cannon, I let it sit for a few minutes, and then got a sponge and moved the soap around, then proceeded to rinse off the car. On the Rogue, I just soaped up the car with the cannon, and then rinsed off. Even without using a sponge to move the soap around, it did a pretty good job of cleaning up the SUV (SUV was moderately dirty), but not quite as good as using a sponge on the car in addition to the foam cannon.

I did hear back from Chemical Guys about using Electric vs. Gas with their cannons, and they commented: "To produce a thick consistency, go gas (2500-3000psi/2-3gpm). The bubbles in the thicker foam act more effectively in the emulsification/encapsulation process."

I'm sure an electric power would still be acceptable, but may be slightly less effective at cleaning the car.

guy from norcal

iTrader: (2)

You definitely want gas. I borrowed my neighbors electric one and it was horrible, with the water hose and the sprayer hose then the electric cord