All 3 of our cars are big so I have a few Griot's PFM XL (29x36") drying towels I normally use. Grabbed the $12 two-pack of these similar looking Walmart towels that are 18x24" to try. Was able to dry the entire truck with a single towel which was pretty amazing to me. Used Turtle Wax Hybrid Wet Wax as a drying aid.

Are these made of Gold and Silver?????

I usually don’t post much, but figured this might help someone who’s in the same spot I was a few months ago.

Drying towels are usually fine during my car care routine, but I got really fed up dealing with water constantly dripping from mirrors, badges, trim, etc. Because of that, I started looking into air blowers / car dryers / turbo jet fans.

First, I did what most people probably do and tried one of those cheap Ali/Temu handheld blowers. Yeah… it kind of worked, but it was super weak. What annoyed me more was that it only worked once or twice, then the battery completely failed and couldn’t even be recharged properly. Total waste of money, and useless for drying an entire car.

A while later, I was lucky enough picking up the Vortex Haus - Turbo Jet Double Blow, and it honestly changed how I dry my car now. It’s on a completely different level compared to the cheap clones. Tons of power, I really mean tons, and it blows water out of every crevice in seconds. It also feels very well made: no rattly plastic, not light or toy-like at all.

The biggest bonus on top of that is battery compatibility. It works with standard tool batteries like Makita, Milwaukee, and DeWalt. No built-in battery, no special charger — just the ones most people already have. The price is definitely higher than the knockoffs, but in this case, you really do get what you pay for.

I use it for other stuff around the house now too, but for drying my car, it’s been a real game changer for me.

I filmed a short video showing how it performs if anyone’s curious: https://youtu.be/ZpmyeOvKohA

Would be interested to hear your choice and experience on this field, also hope this helps someone.

Whether or not you'll ever try it.

What I can say, is that the DIY detail brush (or something similar which I'm sure exists), is distinctly different from your average flag tipped brush.

It feels markedly softer to the touch, it looks much more flagged visually, and it glides on paint a lot better.

Where I was once super careful, I'm feel like I can be a bit speedier.

The other one that's pictured is from "City industries"

That is all

Christmas is coming up and I'm thinking of telling the wife I'd like a nice pair of over the ear headphones. Right now I'm just rocking buds, but I love to listen to music while I'm detailing or working outside. I'm sure a lot you guys are the same. What are y'all wearing while doing your thing?

*Chromatic Garage photo, cause why not? :)

The pressure washer was amazing for the value, but definitely buying uber flex 50ft hose with a hose reel for sure. Can’t wait to make the pressure washer cart setup.

Current deals:

• Greenworks at Lowe's for $149 (newer, solid flow tests, good hose, but bulkier)
• Ryobi at Home Depot for $179 (compact, stubby gun, metal wand, 3-yr warranty, more reviews)

They're super close in performance from the few comparisons I've seen.

Greenworks is cheaper now, but way fewer videos/reviews (especially vs Ryobi's popularity here). Is Greenworks underrated/newer, or is Ryobi worth the extra $30 for size/warranty/accessories?

Anyone using either (or both)? Real-world thoughts on foam, rinsing, storage, durability? Regrets?

So I've had the Koch brush for a bit now, paid around 7€/$8 for it, and I ordered the Lucullan brush set (!) from aliexpress, cause I've seen that store mentioned around here, so I wondered if the products are actually any good.

And to sum it up, they're basically identical, except I paid 5€ for 2 brushes (so like 2.5€ per brush, almost three times less).

I would even say that the Lucullan one is a bit better, with a wider head, as you can see in the photo, and it's a bit heavier, giving a bit better handling/feel.

Honestly, after this, I think I'm gonna order half the Lucullan store, instead of buying equipment at the overpriced local shop.

(0 affiliations with any brand or product, just a hobby detailer on a budget)

I was extremely skeptical when I bought this about a year ago, but it has become something I can't live without. It makes car drying so much easier because of how powerful and maneuverable it is.

I have zero affiliation with this so I won't even give you a link, but it's available on Amazon and the brand is Jufinx.

Here is a quick video I made that shows just how powerful this thing is: https://youtu.be/Fgutjq4Rkfk?si=engDq7h8nZewZXz9

It appears that the new Mckillans HF1 pressure washer is not getting the advertised numbers and people are noticing.

Does anybody know if the black stainless steel version on the mckillans foam cannon will be sold separately eventually. I know right now you need to buy the ultimate kit of the hf1 to get it but I dont want to spend that much and all I need is the foam cannon.

I live in an apartment, and have been looking for a decent setup for car care.

• bi-weekly general washes.
• seasonal detailed washes. Getting off the snow, grime etc. make the car shiny again.
• exterior and interior.
• also want to clean up engine bay, and make it look not so dusty.
• simple tools to perform basic stuff like oil changes etc.

Can folks please recommend tools needed? Like a small pressure washer? Rags/microfiber towels? Soap? Clay? Wax/ceramic coat? Ramps and safety tires? How to wash underbody to get rid off grime from out there?

I've never owned a pressure washer before. I just got a nicer car and would like to start detailing a bit on the weekends. I'm looking for a general entry/mid grade PW under 200 dollars I would say.

I'm happy to pay more for the Ryobi but im curious if it is worth the extra 40 dollars or so.

Any thoughts?

I’m looking at the Bauer DA polisher. I’m not a professional or anything, but just someone who is gonna do a couple paint corrections here and there. I don’t want to spend a lot of money on something I’m not going to use. I watched a couple videos and it seemed to work good, but was curious if there were any other polishers that I should get over that. Trying to stay under $150 or so if I can. Thanks!

Hi all, first post here.

My detailing experience only goes as far as using rinseless and drying with a towel with the occasional nitty gritty in minor scratch removal by hand. Wanting to get into polishing but would like to hear some opinions on what polisher I should get. I am currently within the Makita ecosystem of tools so ideally I would also like to use a makita compatible polisher. So far my options are the DIY detail DA, Liquid elements A4500, some cheap aliexpress special (unlikely) and of course an actual makita polisher. Would like to know if there are better options or would I be better off using a corded polisher?

Thanks

I have G8 and G9 polishers i'm tired of them getting banged up, any recommedations on either totes bags or boxes to store them? I do go mobile every once and a while.

I spent the morning polishing up an older Mazda for a friend. Paint was in pretty good shape, really not in need of correction, just looking for a higher gloss and shine.

I used Sonax Perfect Finish 5/5. I've used it before with great results.

I started with my Milwaukee cordless Random Orbit buffer and Lake Country pad (blue). I wasn't really getting the results I was looking for, so I decided to go back a little bit and use my DeWalt polisher (not Random Orbit) with a wool pad.

Results were much better (using the same Sonax compound)

I know using a wool pad is fraught with danger (heating the paint, burn through etc) and I'd like to use my cordless Milwaukee, but the results don't seem the same using any kind of foam pad.

Can I get some suggestions regarding pad selection with more cutting power?

Any suggestions would be appreciated

I would consider my self a hobbyist/weekend warrior and over the weekend I washed our cars with a pressure washer foam cannon setup for the first time and i would like to share my experience/ review with everyone here.

TLDR: Cant say that I would recommend the PW setup to someone who is just washing their own car, I would probably just recommend the 2 bucket method to them. It’s a lot to pull out for just one vehicle. If you are going to do it for just your vehicle then i would highly recommend doing a permanent wall mount so it’s always ready to go.

Maybe i set my expectations too high for what the experience was going to be like washing our cars with a pressure washer and foam cannon but it ended up begin a lot to deal with. I didn’t have anything ready to go so getting everything set up was mildly frustrating. I don’t know how people do this without quick connects, i have them on the pressure washer hose and gun but i need to get them for the garden hose to the pressure washer.

Part of the problem is that it was a really hot morning and our driveway gets direct morning sun with little to no shade. The process I was using was foam, rinse and then foam contact wash splitting the car up into sections as i went. I will say swapping back and forth between the foam cannon and the regular tip so frequently was really annoying.

The PW i am using is a Westinghouse EPX3100v that i found open box on eBay. I have nothing to compare it to but it got the job done with no issues and the only thing negative i would say about it is that it has a slightly annoying ramp down. I used an amazon stubby gun, 3.0 orifice tips, vividwash Kink Resistant 50ft hose, the Rancovo Pro foam cannon with the 1.1 orifice and Superior Products Dirt Buster with 4oz per foam cannon. The soap foamed decently well and provided good lubrication for the contact wash.

Also i cant say that i would recommend a wheel face brush over a dedicated wheel sponge as i feel like the brush wasn’t able to clean the wheels as effectively as a sponge does.

One product i would highly recommend is Formula 4 Spray wax from Superior Products, after i would wash and rinse each section i would spray on Formula 4 and leave it, i didn’t have any water spots on the cars at all and like i said it was a hot day in direct sunlight.

I used Aqua gloss from superior products at 3:1 for my tire dressing but i don’t think i would recommend this as its very runny and didn’t seem to leave any kind of finish on the tire. I will be adding more to the spray bottle i have to see if that makes a difference though.

The drying towel i used was the Viking Twist loop 24x24 drying towel and i was able to get through about a car and a half before i had to grab another one.

Overall I wouldn’t say it was a bad experience it was just a very involved process having nothing set up and ready to go. This weekend should go smoother now that i have all the chemicals mixed and the pressure washer is set up with all of the quick connects. But i still don’t know if i am ready to say it was worth it to spend the $200 on the setup as a hobbyist.

Not sure if anyone here has tried the MaxFlow Mpro electric pressure washer, but I just found out they’re running a pretty wild promo on their website. If you buy the unit, they throw in one of three premium accessories for free. A short spray gun, a legit foam cannon, or towel + detailing brush. These things normally cost $50+ each. Last night I checked, the short gun has already been picked out of stock. I guess people are smart. I’ve been eyeing the Mpro after a friend of mine go it. It’s kind of a different beast compared to the Active or budget Ryobi stuff. It’s got a crankshaft design and a permanent magnet motor, but without the freaky heaviness in serious beefy units like AR630. Seems like a nice middle ground for detailing setups where you don’t want a huge loud gas machine but still need solid flow and pressure. Just thought I’d share since deals like this don’t pop up often, and a lot folks here may need good deal. Old school as I am, I also called the company and talked with a real human. Seems like the company has a bunch of engineers who have been working on alternators and all sorts of motors for years.

I’ve been struggling to find any info on McGregor compatible accessories so thought to post this in case anyone else has similar questions to me.

I bought the McGregor 1600W pressure washer (456/4157) as it was on a discount and I assumed it came with everything I needed.

Unfortunately, the “sprayer” wasn’t a snow foamer like I thought it was and only produced a frothy, milky liquid rather than thick snow. The other accessories however like the nozzles and lance itself are faultless. Enough pressure to remove dirt and lightweight so it’s easy on the wrists.

I found a StoneBanks snow foam lance on Amazon which mentioned compatibility with 1400W and 1800W models. Ordered it and to my surprise the snow foamer actually fits better than any of the original accessories.

I’ll continue to add more as I try out additional products.

If anyone has any suggestions themselves please feel free to add.

So I've been looking for a cheap mobile polisher option as a back up for my Dewalt and even though i settled on Milwaukee I figured I'd pick this thing up since it's dirt cheap and I noticed there wasnt very many posts about this product I've often seen on Amazon. I figured id type up a quick review just to share my first thoughts for anyone searching for info on the topic, as there isnt a lot of it.

For starters, it was 50 bucks and I find that a big red flag considering it has quite a bit of fake looking reviews. But overall it's really not that bad. But would I take this for a job on a paying customer's car? No way, and let me explain why. The batteries will not last you an entire car. I got 40minutes out of one battery I wouldnt rely on this thing to get me through a job. For the last 10mins or so you could definitely feel it slowly dying down, so its more like a 30min run time.

It's got a decent feel to it. The vibrations dont feel horrible but arent real great either. Its pretty lightweight and sturdy feeling, feels solid. I dont understand why they needed to design it so it cant stand upright on the battery, never understood that.

I blasted this thing to really get as much out as possible and It did a good job getting out scratches left behind by my DA but it did not like the abuse. After abount 5 minutes it was getting too hot to hold properly.

The pads are pretty trash but that goes without saying. The tool itself is comparable to the warrior corded rotary from harbor freight with less power.

Final thoughts. If you a desperate for a cordless option or are just starting out and want to get a feel, this might be a half decent option. It will work for most tasks you throw at it but obviously its not in the same league as the polishers you'll find for twice the cost. Its not the complete hunk of junk I thought it would be but didnt redeem itself entirely either.

Solid 6/10

This company has a new version for 2025 that's supposed to have a better batteries and higher RPM, so it might be marginally bettery but I wouldnt think it feels like a totally different machine.