Snowfoam lance

[warmasice]

Can someone with experience confirm which snowfoam lance I should go for? Currently in two minds between this generic lance with brass fittings:

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre ... 3587240509

and this Karcher with plastic fittings:

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre ... 1744141857

Can anyone recommend which one to go for? I'm aware that the pressure washer and snowfoam detergent make a difference too, so looking forward to hearing about your experiences.

Thank you.

[mjennings23]

The Karcher and Nilfisk ones are generally crap, and most generic ones are just the same as the more expensive 'branded' brass ones so I'd say just grab one of the cheaper generic ones.

Obviously just make sure you get the right fitting for your washer.

[bz4kev]

Just got this one £13.27 eBay waiting to try it out for the k2 to k7

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[EssexZed]

I bought a Karcher pressure washer that came with various accessories including their snow foam lance. It seems to do the job of putting foam on the car ok. However, I’ve seen it criticised often so I’d be interested to learn in what way alternatives are better. Is it a price or performance issue, or both? I’d maybe upgrade if I could understand what benefits I’m missing.

[Nictrix]

I bought a lance a few years ago after getting sucked in by the whole snow foam malarky.
I use Meguiars snow foam and it goes on well and as thick as you want it but as for actually cleaning the car it does practically nothing.
Unless your car is caked in dirt you wont see it removing any more dirt than pressure washing alone.
The car will still need washed after you have used the snow foam.
Maybe this is just my experience with the wrong snow foam but I dont seem to get the same astonishing results from most of the cleaners that people rave about, like Bilberry wheel cleaner, after you have used it you still need to wash properly afterwards.
Cant beat hand washing.

[Gaffa22]

Yes Nictrix I agree
Snow foam used correctly can be beneficial in removing the worst of the grit before you have to touch it with a sponge or mitt ( sheepskin mitt being my personal choice) thus removing some of the risk of getting swirls in the paint.
But there are no miracle cleaners, most will work much better if your car has a good coating with a hydrophobic sealant / coating.
I sealed mine with Sonax Polymer sealant and found it did clean very easily, snow foam and pressure wash removed the majority of the muck, but it still required a quick going over with the mitt and shampoo, using the 2 bucket method obviously.

[LittleZ4]

I use the autobright hd Lance, although as said above its probably the same as most generic brass fitting Lance's.
Will definitely still need to wash the car properly after snow foam, I find it just "softens" some of the dirt before it's jet washed off.
The other thing to consider when using snow foam is the foam itself. You want one which dwells for a decent amount of time, cheap foams just run off the car quicker than Usain bolt!!
Again I use autobright, but that's only because it came with the Lance.

[warmasice]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I'm under no illusion about snowfoam and know that it will only soften some of the upper layer of dirt before a proper wash.

I think I'm going to go for the generic lance with brass fittings. Not a huge fan of plastic fittings.

There are so many different snowfoam solutions on the market. Any recommendations/experiences?

[scooobydont]

Bilt Hamber Auto Foam. It doesn't foam super crazy but it will do the job amazingly well and its not dear, £16.95 for 5 litres will last a while:

https://www.bilthamber.com/car-cleaning ... /auto-foam

I have been using Autobrites snow foam,, they do a deal with a snow foam lance as well, I bought it and have been using them both for over a year now and still about 3/4 left!:

https://www.autobritedirect.co.uk/index ... combo.html

[Gaffa22]

I also like the Bilt Hamber Auto foam, their shampoo is very nice as well
In fact all their stuff seems very good

[patriot66]

I've been using Carspunk ( ) Snowfoam for about a year now and it is without hesitation the best out of a dozen or so that I've tried over the last few years.

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Silly name, brilliant product. Lovely thick foam that is highly thixotropic (sticks like sh1t to a blanket !), dwells for ages and actually removes traffic film from the car. If the car is only dusty/lightly soiled then once you've pressure washed it off there is no need to hand wash it before rinsing....true contactless washing !

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It's not the cheapest at around £40 for 5 litres BUT it is very economical....I use just half an inch in my cannon bottle topped up with hot water per wash. They have an offer on at the moment for 3 x 5 litre of any product from their range for £80 http://www.carspunk.com/product-page/3-for-80-deal-5ltr, so if you bought 3 x Snowfoam it would literally last you for years to come.

[LordOxygen]

I've been using Carspunk

How long does the foam linger about on your drive? looks to have dissipated fairly quickly.

[patriot66]

I've been using Carspunk

How long does the foam linger about on your drive? looks to have dissipated fairly quickly.

It doesn't because I pressure wash then rinse the car copiously which tends to rinse the drive also.Trust me, this foam CLINGS big time ! I have before now covered the car in foam, gone inside to get a cup of tea and come back out 10 minutes later to find the car still about 70% covered and any foam on the ground was brown with traffic film.
The best snowfoam I had used previously was Chemical Guys Honeydew and this is MUCH better.

[bz4kev]

Anyone used auto glym polar blast is it any good

[adam1985]

This video shows the difference. The Karcher one works ok but the other generic ones are better imo.
https://youtu.be/QPyShU1OvNM

p.s. anyone know how to use the youtube button when posting video?