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Beginning in 2 weeks (March 15th), I will be stocking a new product from the makers of Hoover and Dirt Devil (www.ttifloorcare.com), the Nomad 18V 90psi pressure washer with a 3.5 gallon water tank. With an integrated power pack, you can wash anything without having to be plugged into a cigarette lighter.
Original Nomad
The new 18V version has been completely redesigned and includes a battery pack and charger or can still be powered via the 12V cig lighter.
I will be demoing this in Vegas at AMVIV. I think it will be a GREAT solution for keeping the wheels clean, and even washing the MINI while on vacation. Store it in the boot. Just fill it with distilled water from your local grocery store for spot free washing under the sun or to get the smashed bugs off your windshield or front end before they turn to hardened corpses!
Ok I've got them in stock now, and a lucky person at AMVIV is the first recipient of them. I've also donated one to the MINIMania Event on Saturday May 17, 2008.
The construction is superb. The quality of the materials down to even the charger are heavy duty. Doesn't feel like one accidental drop and it's history. The feel when taking it apart and the quality of the accessories are top notch. The battery is on charge right now..so more action shots will be taken soon--now if I can only find the battery charger for my DSLR!! lol.
Not sure what the question is?? To charge the battery from the car? You can plug the unit into a 12v cig lighter to power the unit without the battery as well.
The charger specs are
120 V 60Hz 80W output/19V 2.2A
Ok the battery is charged, and I got 8 gallons of distilled water from the store--ready to go play!!!
Richard
Quote:
Originally Posted by bad venge
How much current does the AC charger pull ??? Thinking about size of AC invertor needed
Ok, I just washed my MINI with the washer. It's awesome!!! Ok first some quick notes:
1.) There's definitely enough pressure to get off bugs and wash a dirty MINI and wheels
2.) There's enough water to rinse off a MINI and the wheels and still have water left over. The water capacity is 3.5 gallons.
3.) I used a 3.5 gallon bucket filled with tap water and mixed with car wash soap. I use the Nomad to rinse the dirt off, then wipe a panel down at a time with soap. Then rinsed it off, and dried it with a MF Waffle Weave. It takes some practice to rinse the panel without getting the just dried adjacent panel wet again.
4.) No water spots at all when using Distilled Water. At my local grocery store it costs $5 for 5 gallons of distilled water.
5.) The cord is long enough to position the washer at the rear of the MINI and walk around without restriction to the front and spray the roof, so you don't have to lug it around as you wash.
This is by FAR the best and more usable solution to wash your MINI. I've tried bug sprayers and various hand pump washers and none worked very well.
Wheels were cleaned off and paint was hosed down
Medium Volume Spray
Higher Volume Spray
Pencil thick jet stream for distance
Hose is long enough to reach all the way around the MINI and to the roof without restriction.
i do many weekend shows wanting to recharge the battery while at the show... does it recharge when pluggged into the lighter or just run off the lighter???
That's a good question. Based on the design of the washer, I believe the 12volt plug is for powering the washer only as the location of the battery would interfere with the 12volt plug.
A single battery will last 3 tanks or 10.5 gallons of water. You could potentially get additional batteries and charge them ahead of time.
You can see the jack here
And what it looks like with the battery in place
Quote:
Originally Posted by bad venge
i do many weekend shows wanting to recharge the battery while at the show... does it recharge when pluggged into the lighter or just run off the lighter???
The wheels were pretty dirty so I spritzed on some Meguiar's Wheel Brightener first.
Hit it with the Nomad
Use a soft brush to clean the wheels
Then rinsed them clean
Using the Nomad to rinse the dirt off. I adjusted the spray pattern
Used a lambswool wash mitt with a 3.5 gallon bucket filled with Turtle Wax Ice Car Wash soap--just for fun.
Black Wow was used on the trim, Nero on the interior, Clarity on the glass, Hydro on the wheels, Meguiar's Insane Shine on the tires, and Meguiar's Trim Detailer spray on the grills.
I started with 3 gallons of water in the Nomad, and added 2 more gallons via 1 gallon water jugs. I used about 4 gallons of water to wash the paint, wheels, and glass. And another 3.5 gallons in the soap bucket. I didn't charge the battery at all.
One of the surprising attributes of the Nomad is just how quiet it is. It's completely silent unlike typical pressure washers!
That must not be anywhere near the pressure of a 'conventional' pressure washer (1400-1500 psi), since they picture using it on a dog!!! Look, I created a new breed, a yellow lab chesepeake hairless!
I'm guessing that's not the intent and that kind of pressure isn't needed for a general car wash anyway. I dial mine way back when washing the cars or truck. Dont' want to remove paint!
__________________ 2005 MCSC: LSD, Aerokit, Alta CAI and 15%, Magnaflow Catback, Hawk Ceramics, TSW XBrace chassis brace, Kosei K1's w/ Goodyear F1 GS-D3's 1969 Westerly Cirrus: Kappa sails, 155% genoa :-) , CDI roller furl/reef, Yamaha 4 stroke, Interlux Polyurethane, West system Epoxies and glass. My "Open Motoring On The Dragon Video"
Haha. Nope--they kept it under 100psi to be safe for humans and animals. FWIW, most household hoses are rated for a max of 140psi.
You're right--you don't need a lot of high pressure to wash a MINI--but if you wanted it---this isn't the product for you. It's not intended to replace a conventional pressure washer--however given the choice of using a local car wash, or a Nomad and a bucket of wash wash soap while travelling, it's a no brainer to me.
I can get very close to the water pressure I get from home, but use spotfree distilled water if I choose.
I'm actually working on some alternative forms of car wash soap applications to eliminate the 3.5 gallon bucket for travelling applications.
Richard
Quote:
Originally Posted by mmatarella
That must not be anywhere near the pressure of a 'conventional' pressure washer (1400-1500 psi), since they picture using it on a dog!!! Look, I created a new breed, a yellow lab chesepeake hairless!
I'm guessing that's not the intent and that kind of pressure isn't needed for a general car wash anyway. I dial mine way back when washing the cars or truck. Dont' want to remove paint!
Sure looks like a Ryobi battery and charger to me!
__________________ Bob K6RTM '08 MCSa ss/b sport convenience mfsw roof rack
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Naw better than QEW. QEW is a no rinse car wash solution--great for RV's and in situations where water is limited for rinsing it off--but not my preference for a good car wash soap. But I would like to avoid having to haul a bucket or similar--I know about the collapsing buckets--and that could be a potential companion as well.
Richard - the ultimate collapsible bucket for this would be "The Kitchen Sink" made by "Sea to Summit".
It's a PVC coated nylon bowl that's wider at the base than it is at the wire framed neck. As you fill it with water, the water pushes out the sides making the whole thing stand of it's own free will. They come in 2.5 and 5 gallon sizes, and when empty, fold down to almost nothing and weight just a few ounces. I have no affiliation to the company, except loving their products when I go camping.
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'06 MCS - Astro Black on Astro Black: "Black Sunshine"
'02 A6 2.5 TDi Quattro Sport Avant Arctic Silver.
Thanks for the tip! I've seen similar much lower end ones--so I'm very interested in seeing this one.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Doesnotcompute
Richard - the ultimate collapsible bucket for this would be "The Kitchen Sink" made by "Sea to Summit".
It's a PVC coated nylon bowl that's wider at the base than it is at the wire framed neck. As you fill it with water, the water pushes out the sides making the whole thing stand of it's own free will. They come in 2.5 and 5 gallon sizes, and when empty, fold down to almost nothing and weight just a few ounces. I have no affiliation to the company, except loving their products when I go camping.
Yep working on them!! Will have them soon. Btw, the AMVIV winner picked up his today--so there is atleast one other MINI owner who owns one now, lol...sad though--I think he's giving it away.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Minidrivr
How about posting some short videos of it in action? It's hard to get an idea of what kind of pressure it puts out.
Great videos! That's very impressive for something that small and QUIET. Not to mention being able to wash in the sunlight when using distilled water.
And it looks perfect if you are in an area with water restrictions. Pick up distilled water and you're good to go. Last year there were quite a few posts from owners that weren't allowed to wash their cars. This solves that problem. If you're just concerned about conserving water, this looks nice for home use since you know exactly how much water you are using.
Damn it, I want one.
Nice tip on sheeting the water off too!
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Last edited by Minidrivr : 04-11-2008 at 08:42 AM.
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Look, I created a new breed, a yellow lab chesepeake hairless!
Bob K6RTM '08 MCSa ss/b sport convenience mfsw roof rack
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