What's In DFB's Cabinet?

[markayash]

Is there a better alternative to using the roller drum on a typical Gerni?
(Other than the obvious - a better aftermarket hose etc)

It's such a tight roll, the tension in the hose causes the drum to spool back, and the wind becomes loose.

I can appreciate why you'd fit a QC on the pressure washer, and probably hang the more-flexible aftermarket hose (with QCs on both ends) on a hose hanger.
I think I just answered my own question.

My hose is super stiff so I just unhook it and coil it up and stick behind a cabinet

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[DFB5.0]

What do you recommend for washing cars with wraps using a foam gun? Meguiars didn’t really do well to remove bugs and things. I started using chemical guys Mr pink and had been working really well where stuff just wipes right off pretty easy. I know it isn’t the best stuff. But needed something better than what I had and it did the trick. Bought a small bottle to try and need to get another of something. Always down to try something better. Thanks

Thre products come to mind that will work just fine with your wrap, but be a more effective on bugs and general road grime.

At the top end in both cost and ability, Carpro Reset. This is supposed to be pH neutral, but cleans more like an alkaline soap. It foams well, its ultra slick and cleans better than most.

CARPRO Reset Car Wash 500ml (17oz) (carpro-us.com)

NV Snow is offers near Reset levels of slickness, but is no less capable in dealing with tougher road grime and bugs. It's listed as pH neutral, but measures higher than that, which in effect delivers that deeper clean, while still being safe on coatings and wraps.

Nv Snow | Foaming Car Shampoo – Parks Car Care

Thirdly, a value proposition, at least for you in the USA, Meguiar's Hyper Wash. This product is brilliantly slick, foams like MF, and cleans very well. Again, this soap has an elevated pH so it delivers superior cleaning power while remaining safe. Its only drawback is the thick consistency, but its an otherwise high-level soap that gets lost in a sea of more posh brands.

Meguiar's® D110 Detailer Hyper-Wash™, 1 Gallon (meguiarsdirect.com)

 

[RiotfunK]

You rock DFB5.0 Thanks

 

[DFB5.0]

Is there a better alternative to using the roller drum on a typical Gerni?
(Other than the obvious - a better aftermarket hose etc)

It's such a tight roll, the tension in the hose causes the drum to spool back, and the wind becomes loose.

I can appreciate why you'd fit a QC on the pressure washer, and probably hang the more-flexible aftermarket hose (with QCs on both ends) on a hose hanger.
I think I just answered my own question.

The best thing you can do here is to cut that hose into 100 pieces and send it to landfill!

First, lets talk length. For car washing, you want about 12 - 15 meters so that you can get around the car without having to move the machine.

Next, you want a rubber jacketed hose that actually has some flexibility to it. The best way I can describe how a good pressure washer hose is to use is to think of a quality garden hose and how flexible they are, not the brittle hard things that come with most pressure washers. I'm not sure of the hose reel arrangement, so you may or may not be able to use a new hose on that reel. But In any case, the freedom an aftermarket hose would bring would negate not having the reel function, just coil and hang the hose up.

An aftermarket hose also gives you more opportunity to put on quick connect fittings.

But where to start? At the moment, Waxit have a good offering of affordable pressure washer upgrade kits, as well single item parts so you can pick and choose what to upgrade. I would stick with the 1/4-inch hose, they are easier to manage when under pressure, or in storage.

This kit bundles everything you need to upgrade everything from the pressure washer outlet to the nozzle outlet and can be had with or without a foam cannon. Even though they use brass fittings, for $350, that's a good buy.
Waxit Recommended Pressure Washer Upgrade Kit - Gerni/Stihl/Nilfisk – Waxit Car Care

You can otherwise buy the hose itself, then piece together that parts to adapt it to you existing gun and pressure washer outlet. In this case, you would want the 50-ft (15.2 mt) version, then Gerni adaptor kit. I would just go for the kit above so that you end up with a much better functioning short gun. -
ProPulse Uberflex 1/4" Pressure Washer Hose – Waxit Car Care
ProPulse 1/4" Uberflex Hose Adapter Kit – Waxit Car Care

At the top end, you would go with a 3/8 MTM Cobra Jet kit. But then you start to get into the value of the machine vs the value of all the accessories argument. The counter argument being that these accessories will easily transfer to other machine if/when desired.
MTM Hydro Premium MTM Kit 1 Pro with SS Swivel (detailingshed.com.au)

Or this hose kit with a Gerni Adaptor -
MTM Hydro Gray 4,000 PSI Non-Mark Kobrajet Hose for Car Wash (detailingshed.com.au)
Purchase Gerni / Stihl M21 - M22 Adapter Online - MD Car Care

I hope that helps, it can take a bit to get your head around what's needed. Reach out if needed, or have a chat with the guys from Detailing Shed or Waxit, they are most helpful.

 

[kilobravo]

Oderless mineral spirits are cheap and don’t stink to high heaven

Damn, I'm gonna have to look at the two gallon jug I have, Brian to see if it says "Odorless." Probably not because I can definitely smell it although it's not unpleasant to my noze. :=)

It's such a tight roll, the tension in the hose causes the drum to spool back, and the wind becomes loose.

Two excellent suggestions, Adam..

The best thing you can do here is to cut that hose into 100 pieces and send it to landfill!

<grinning> and then take D's suggestion to heart and do some upgrading.

Waxit have a good offering of affordable pressure washer upgrade kits

You will be SO much happier with a quality hose and QD's. I'd get stainless fittings but if you're not in a high humidity area, brass is fine.

 

[RiotfunK]

Picked up the Meguiar's. 25$ at harbor freight. Good score. It worked good, quick hit the car after back to back days of busting bugs. The stuff is thick enough that it stays on for a bit before you rinse it off. And oddly smells like cherry robitussin.

How long do you usually let the soap sit before you rinse?

 

[Evolvd]

Picked up the Meguiar's. 25$ at harbor freight. Good score. It worked good, quick hit the car after back to back days of busting bugs. The stuff is thick enough that it stays on for a bit before you rinse it off. And oddly smells like cherry robitussin.

How long do you usually let the soap sit before you rinse?

Long enough to encapsulate the dirt but not to the point where it starts drying.

 

[RiotfunK]

Long enough to encapsulate the dirt but not to the point where it starts drying.

Cool, what I’ve been doing.

 

[DFB5.0]

A little re-org of two cabinets today.

Starting with my tool cabinet, I wanted to free up space by getting some of the Milwaukee collection hung on the cabinet walls. After a trip to the dreaded green shed for a selection of brackets, I attached these to the cabinet walls to create a more organized layout.

Pinnacle Gloss Black Heavy Duty Pegboard Tool Holder - 6 Pack - Bunnings Australia
Pinnacle Small Galvanised Double Hook - 5 Pack - Bunnings Australia

About a month ago, I ordered this Rupes Systainer case for my new polisher.

Rupes Stackable Systainer System Case III 9.CASEIII | tools.com

This purchase was a bit too good to be true actually. When searching for the case, I found one vendor selling it $30 - 40 cheaper than most of the others, so naturally, I ordered it from them. A month later it arrived, or to be precise, I had to pick it up from the post office (that in itself another annoyance). Despite being an Australian retailer, they are clearly drop-shipping products rather than warehousing them here. So, while I saved money, it took 35 days to arrive, which may or may not be an annoyance for you.

These Systainer cases are modular and stackable in a similar concept to Milwaukee Pack Out, just without the huge accessory catalog. I already had one of these which came with my iBrid Nano, which is cleverly designed with a two-layer foam insert to hold the machine, batteries, backing plates, tools and accessories.

I actually thought that Rupes was sending out the new HLR kits with a Systainer, clearly not. The one I bought for the HLR-15 is an empty shell, so I cut up a section of foam trap mat to provide a bed for the polisher and batteries.

GEARWRENCH 83370 4 Piece Universal Trap Mat - Tool Storage Drawer Liners - Accessories, GEARWRENCH Catalogue, New Products, Racks & Trays, Storage Racks & Trays, Tool Boxes & Storage, Tool Cases - Discount Trader

Next, the bulk chemical storage cabinet. These cabinets require the right-hand door to be open in order to open the left side. The way I originally set this cabinet up had the stuff I used most on the left side, so opening two doors to gain access to one each time was getting old. So, I decided to swap sides.

The blue recycling bin above was completely filled with carboard boxes stored in both cabinets. Please explain to me the logic behind keeping the box the tool came in, you know, just in case? I'm pretty sure I inherited that from my Grandfather. Throwing away all those boxes freed up soooo much space! Don't keep your boxes people.

After too much time messing about, I then got the tools out and washed the Ranger.

Wheels, tyres and wheel arches were cleaned with Brake Buster from my foam cannon. The rest of the car cleaned with the excellent Adam's Mega Foam (the best of their three maintenance soaps), drying aid was P&S Clean Maker (90 % Bead Maker mixed with 10% Dream Maker). The tray and door jambs wiped with ECH20, tyres with OG Tire Dressing, interior wiped down with Auto Finesse Spritz.

 

[kilobravo]

My apologies for all the words again, guys. :=)

And oddly smells like cherry robitussin.

Binx, I laughed my butt off reading that but my brain immediately knew what it smelled like! A blast from the past FOR sure.

After a trip to the dreaded green shed

More regional differences, D. Here it's Homeless Depot (orange) and MacLowes (blue.) So, what is "the dreaded green shed" Down Under? <smile>

About a month ago, I ordered this Rupes Systainer case for my new polisher.

I already had one of these which came with my iBrid Nano

I actually thought that Rupes was sending out the new HLR kits with a Systainer, clearly not.

It seems nearly every product manufacturer is "cheaping out," and when I saw the image, I thought it looked exactly like the Nano case. Sorry RoopEz gipped you with the new polisher.

Please explain to me the logic behind keeping the box the tool came in, you know, just in case?

OMG, I laughed and laughed reading that my friend and of course you know why. <grinning> All twelve jurors would vote guilty in my case but, I don't keep them in the product cabinet. The thing is, because those type tools are so heavy, they come in extremely stout boxes and I like to keep them for my own shipping needs. As of this writing, I have never had to use the original box to return a piece of tool type gear but I have used them for a few other products like speakers.

 

[skinnyb]

New product alert. Used a couple new to me products today. Ordered a few things from Armour detail supply last week. Used their Hero rinseless wash last week but I used their Shampoo+ for my wash today, and for the final wipe/drying aid I used their Amplify ceramic infused detail spray.

Soap is very slick. Not Reset slick but very nice. Cleaned well, foamed pretty good too. I mixed 10:1 in the foam canon, I used 60/540 mix as I didn't need a whole liter of foam canon. Used 50mil in the bucket and added the leftover foam canon in the bucket as well.

Amplify made the drying towel very slick, and wiped clean. 5 stars, highly recommended. My new favorite, was using Adams Slick and Slide.

Also I got a bottle of their Adapt Waterless wash. It is very nice, I used it on my trip over the weekend to remove a couple of bird bombs and the carbon off the back end after a spirited drive..

So for those that can get Armour reasonably priced, I say their products are top notch.

 

[DFB5.0]

More regional differences, D. Here it's Homeless Depot (orange) and MacLowes (blue.) So, what is "the dreaded green shed" Down Under? <smile>

The Big Green Shed is in reference to Bunning's Warehouse, basically your Home Depot.......................





I both love and hate the place.

Love - because they are convenient.

Hate - when Bunning's arrived in town in the early 2000's, they offered the largest range at the lowest prices. As the years went on, they basically ran all of the smaller operators out of business due to their huge buying power. And that's across all sectors of their business, from the family-owned lumber yard to the local plumbing shop, right through to the nursery.

Before Bunning's, there was 6 small family-run nurseries in town. As of 2024, only three remain, although it will soon be down to two. We just can't compete on price despite offering better products supported by qualified staff. Actually, as Bunning's have cut their product range over the last 18-months, we are seeing more returning to use for that expertise.

Another issue I have is how Bunning's started with the exact same products sold elsewhere, but over time they have forced suppliers into producing Bunning's specific products so that direct price comparisons can't be made, and thus don't have to honor their 10% price guarantee. Another thing I hate is how they dictate what we buy, where in the early days they offered a range of products at a range of prices, now there is no choice but the cheap and nasty products, tough luck if you want quality.

Customer service within store is non-existent. If you do need assistance, then be prepared to wait indefinitely for C-grade service.

But the thing I hate most is how they have conditioned consumers on how and what to buy rather than letting them choose for themselves. This is on a very phycological level, to the point where customers come to us with unrealistic expectations on what we can deliver within certain time frames, if at all.

But............................"Lowest Prices Are Just The Beginning"..............................

 

[DFB5.0]

New product alert. Used a couple new to me products today. Ordered a few things from Armour detail supply last week. Used their Hero rinseless wash last week but I used their Shampoo+ for my wash today, and for the final wipe/drying aid I used their Amplify ceramic infused detail spray.

Soap is very slick. Not Reset slick but very nice. Cleaned well, foamed pretty good too. I mixed 10:1 in the foam canon, I used 60/540 mix as I didn't need a whole liter of foam canon. Used 50mil in the bucket and added the leftover foam canon in the bucket as well.

Amplify made the drying towel very slick, and wiped clean. 5 stars, highly recommended. My new favorite, was using Adams Slick and Slide.

Also I got a bottle of their Adapt Waterless wash. It is very nice, I used it on my trip over the weekend to remove a couple of bird bombs and the carbon off the back end after a spirited drive..

So for those that can get Armour reasonably priced, I say their products are top notch.

Many thanks for the feedback, now I'm excited to try these once they land in Australia.

 

[skinnyb]

Many thanks for the feedback, now I'm excited to try these once they land in Australia.

I have loved what I have tried so far. I know you really like the wheel coating. That's on my radar but I have a bottle of Gyeon Rim to use up first. I love the Adapt so much I bought a gallon.

 

[kilobravo]

Amplify made the drying towel very slick, and wiped clean. 5 stars, highly recommended.

Quite a review, Alex and knowing you and the obsessive behavior we share, <grinning> it's gotta be good.

When I started using the Web for detailing products and gouge, Larry's site was, I believe, the first one I saw. Stuck with him and his early products but, like so many areas, I moved on to others.

But, I gotta say, he's clearly done his homework and, spent some serious cash on research as his current products apparently have upped his game immensely.

For me, sticking with CP for coatings, toppers, and soap seems logical and I think they are in the upper echelon of detailing products. Same thing for polishing, and with the exception of Sonax Final Finish, I stick with Rupes products for everything else.

Besides, I simply don't have the time (or inclination,) to compare products as some of you do (although I'm envious of your free time, <smiling>) and I'm happy to have an easy solution to get ninety percent or more towards perfection.

The Big Green Shed is in reference to Bunning's Warehouse, basically your Home Depot.

Thanks brother and isn't it funny how this type of company defines themselves with a color?

I both love and hate the place.

Couldn't agree more with everything you said, D and I am especially angered by the slow but steady reduction in competitive product choices. I see it here in our near monopoly grocery chain, too. Hell, these guys (HEB,) now have multiple separate product lines in an obvious attempt to pull the wool over customers' eyes.

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