CMA's Car Wash Nozzle

Intel486 · 08-27-02, 07:56

Read before you buy!

I recently received the 9 pattern Spray Pistol Grip Hose Nozzle from CMA. From the description of the product, I thought it was going to be some heavy duty, non-breakable sprayer but it was relatively light feeling and made of extremely brittle plastic.

First day I got it I took it out and sprayed it around. Worked very well. Didn't leak around the bottle where it connected to the hose like my 8 month old PepBoys sprayer did. Some of the functions were fun to play with but most of them are useless.

The vertical Spray and Flat spray are like wide fans. One goes up and down and the other is just flat (horizontal). They don't put out a lot of water but a decent amount of pressure. Not enough water volume to rinse a car off but would be fine for getting the car wet quickly.

Mist, One of those fun to play with functions that is pretty much useless.

Soaker - Took me awhile to figure this one out and the people at CMA didn't even know what it was for. They told me it was for wetting plants... Yes, I like to water my plants with the setting that shoots water all over the nozzle itself, my hand, etc. This setting is for wetting towels, applicators, etc. Works quite well and is a useful function so you don't have to try to dampen a towel in a full force jet of water.

Cone - The cone setting is almost too wide of a cone to be functional. It shoots out wide! I mean, I could stand a foot away from the side of a vehicle, shoot it, and it would spray over the roof and onto the ground. Too wide to be useful.

Jet - Provides Lots of water pressure but hardly any water volume. Can break stuff lose on the surface but can't wash it away.

Shower - Water comes out like the water in your shower. Nice and gentle. Great for filling up buckets. You can also use it to sheet water off the car w/o having to take the nozzle off.

Full - Like the jet but provides a thicker stream of water and more water. With this function on the nozzle, the jet stream is useless. It is practically the same thing but with less water volume.

Center Spray- I used this one the most. Sprays out in small streams like a shower head would but with a lot of force and a decent amount of water. I used it for rinsing.

I feel that non of the functions on the nozzle provided enough water volume. It was difficult to rinse the vehicle off for this reason. I almost ended up having to go around and use the shower setting on every panel.

The metal piece that holds the handle open so you don't have to constantly squeeze the handle also broke off with the first use. What a POS!

Second day, I went out and was leaning over trying to get it on the hose and the nozzle slipped. Fell about 2 ft. Maybe 3 ft at most onto a brick sidewalk. Well... Like I said, the plastic was extremely brittle. The nozzle head now shoots out water where it joins the handle. In every direction!

I waited too long and CMA won't take it back. They even had the nerve to tell me it was because I had it on the soaker setting. I hope they would think I was smart enough to figure out it had multiple settings... I mean, I did buy a 9 pattern hose nozzle.

They said I could send it back and they'd give me store credit but they can't refund the shipping... Item is too cheap for me to screw around with.

Combined with the bad experience of this nozzle and my experience with the viper detailing cloths. I'm not sure I'll order from CMA again.

I'll got a sprayer similar to this one from Target but it looks to be a metal housing covered in a rubber coating. I've dropped it a lot and it is still going strong! Doesn't have as many settings as the CMA one does because it doesn't have as many useless ones. The different jets also put out a lot more water than the CMA's sprayer.

JustinTRW · 08-27-02, 08:06

I have a similar nozzle. The mist setting is useful however for getting towels evenly damp for wiping down the interior, etc...really nice.

Taxlady · 08-27-02, 08:43

Sounds like the eight setting one I bought at Reno-Depot for Cdn 12.11. But, mine is really solid and made of metal with rubber where you turn the head. I'll have to try mist. And I hadn't realized it had a thingee to keep it on.

CharlesW · 08-27-02, 09:11

Try a cheap plastic shutoff valve and about a 2' section of hose from that old hose you have laying around. The shutoff valve lets you control the flow of water and the 2' piece of hose keeps it from being a jet when the flow is reduced. Wide open, it wets the car quickly and does the first rinse well, too. Close the valve quite a bit and you have the flow for sheeting on your final rinse.
If you feel you need more pressure, I guess you will have to put your thumb over the end of the section of hose. All plastic or rubber so you don't scuff your car. No spring loaded trigger to spray you or your car when you drop it. If you try it and like it, I'll tell you about my homemade underbody sprayer. (For cars)

Charles

Taxlady · 08-27-02, 09:29

I'd love to hear about your homemade underbody sprayer. (For cars)

NattyBumppo · 08-27-02, 09:29

Sorry to hear about the nozzle and CMA experience. That's why I dislike buying over the net/mail order where inexpensive, small orders are concerned. The return shipping make it not even worth it should there be a problem. I do it, reluctantly.

As for nozzles...I picked up two at the local dollar store. Solid brass and very simple. Turn counterclockwise to open as little or as much as you want, and clockwise to close completely. At wide open it's like not even having a nozzle on the hose. I've had em' for 3 years now.

Natty

CharlesW · 08-27-02, 09:46

Quote:

Originally posted by Taxlady
I'd love to hear about your homemade underbody sprayer. (For cars)

4' of 3/4" plastic plumbing pipe, another of those plastic shutoff valves, an adapter to screw on to a hose end, a 90 degree plastic street ell, a 3/4" plastic cap, some PVC cement to put it all together. The street ell goes on one end of the pipe, the shutoff valve and the connector on the other. Drill three 3/16" holes in the plastic cap, put it on the street ell. When you turn it on, the water from the holes in the plastic cap comes out with some force, no pressure washer though. It is spraying at a 90 degree angle to the pipe. You can now reach 4' under your car from any place around it. You can also clean out fenderwells without spraying yourself in the face, cause you can stand 4' away. If you do this regularly, you don't have a big buildup of crud. Kinda like cleaning your engine compartment every time you wash your car.
Works good for me.

Charles

Taxlady · 08-27-02, 09:59

Thanks

What's a "plastic street ell"?

CharlesW · 08-27-02, 10:08

Quote:

Originally posted by Taxlady
Thanks

What's a "plastic street ell"?

It is a plumbing fitting. A normal ell, (elbow), has female fittings on both ends, the street ell is male on on end, female on the other.
The female end goes over the plastic pipe, the cap goes over the male end of the ell. When you see the parts at the hardware store, you will see what I wish I could draw. If you can decipher IRS forms, you will have no problem with plumbing parts.

Charles

Intel486 · 08-27-02, 10:10

I'll try to get a picture up of my nozzle I got from target as well sa the piece of cardboard it came on with the name.

It seems most of the stuff in Target's Detailing section they just repackaged under a different name. They had the Water Blade And Claifornia Duster there under their brand name.

It is really a great nozzle and I think it'll last a long time.

Next thing I wanna try is one of those flat hozes you see on TV. Would take up soo much less space in the back of my truck than carry around a full rubber hose all the time.

JustinTRW · 08-27-02, 10:29

I have one of the coil hoses. Disadvantages are that you must stretch them and that they can get tangled if you cross the coils. 90% I love it.

Aurora40 · 08-28-02, 08:05

I got a similar 5-7 position nozzle from Lowe's. It is metal with a rubber coating. It was less than $10, and is really nice. I use the soaker setting for the final rinse to sheet water off the car. My shutoff is not at all convenient when using the hose, so I can't just run the hose over the car (unless I want to waste a ton of water). I also use it to fill the bucket and wet my chamois. But you have to point it down or it just runs down your arms and all into your shoes and such. No force at all. I use the shower for everything else. I have found the mist to be usefull for spot cleaning and such because water doesn't deflect everywhere. I've done this for cleaning wheels/tires when I wasn't going to wash the whole car (like when I'm too excited and need to try a new tire dressing or something).

That shut-off valve with the short length of hose is interesting. That would allow me to just let the hose run, which is what I prefer, and still be able to shut it off when not in use.

Intel, I've seen the CWB and CCD at Target too. Interesting how it's under a different name. Same prices, though. The only thing about those roll-up cloth hoses is that some water will sweat out of the hose. It's not a big deal, but you need to be aware of it. So, anywhere the hose lays will get a little wet.