My K3.99 died recently, and after detailed research and speaking to a few people, I decided to buy a Kranzle 1150T. I was brought up with a 'buy the best you can afford - buy it once' philosophy, and after the continual stories of consumer grade Karchers packing up year after year, I decided to buy a machine with a reputation for longevity :thumb:
So, what is all the hype with the Kranzle machines....
Delivery
Next day delivery from the Kranzle factory, with the machine arriving like this. Fully assembled except for the handle for the hose reel, which needs a single screw to fit it :thumb:
Build Quality
These machines are in a league of their own for the 'feel' of quality. The machine is very heavy, but has sturdy wheels and a solid handle for moving it about, so is easy to move to where you might need it - dont even think about putting it in the boot of your car though...
Comes with a 15m hose and a reel on the 'T' version, which although it adds a lot to the cost, is hugely useful IMHO. The hose is a soft rubber and rolls flat on the reel with no issues and lays flat on the ground with no kinks and loops. I had a constant fight with my Karcher extension hose that was like a live python and would never stay on the ground or coil up. 15m is an ideal length that enables me to walk around 2 cars easily without moving the machine.
The lances have the same quality feel - fairly heavy, with all brass M22 screw threads on everything - no poor plastic connectors here Matt at i4 Detailing supplied me with a new brass adapter for my foam lance and 5 mins later it was ready to go. Lovely steel tools and the standard lance has a variable spray from wide fan to narrow jet. Pressure doesnt change though, so unlike my Karcher I cant turn the nozzle and reduce the flow to just a dribble. There are 2 slight downsides here as a result; firstly you need to spend a few seconds unscrewing the lance and then screwing back in a foam lance, which takes probably 30secs; secondly the high pressure means I cant turn it down for a low pressure rinse for my convertible hood and is something I need to find a workaround for.
Everything you can see on the pump is brass and looks like it sill stand up to heavy use. A pressure gauge tells you just that, and you can adjust the pressure of the machine itself, which might solve my issue above.
Cleaning Power
For once I read the instructions as I heard there were a few 'pre-flight checks' to carry out before using one of these I was also nervous about blowing fuses and other issues on start up but luckily, following the instructions (idiot proof) had it working instantly
This model has a flow rate of 10 litres/minute, which is almost twice my old K3.99 and most domestic washers. Flow rate is key to cleaning, not pressure, so I was expecting good things here. A quick water-only rinse of the Audi instantly took off all the road muck particles and appeared to remove much of the thin layer of road film as well. Used on the wheels it removed most of the weeks worth of dirt as well, although my FK1000 on there is now >8 weeks old and doesnt clean perfectly with just a PW rinse now. There is quite a kick when you pull the trigger and it bursts into life.
The big test for me was foaming. I was worried that the significantly higher flow rate would mean twice as much foam mix needed. To test, I mixed my usual solution of 100ml of BH foam and 400ml of warm water, which is enough to foam one of the cars well. What I found instantly was the Kranzle produced a MUCH thicker and richer foam than my old K3.99. BH foam is not the thickest foam like some that produce shaving foam consistency, but this time I got a very visible increase in the thickness compared to what I have achieved using it the last year. What I then found was that I could foam the entire car with the thicker foam using HALF THE SOLUTION :thumb: I actually had enough mix to foam BOTH cars completely Anecdotally, it seemed like the foam might not have stayed on the car quite as long as usual, but a cold damp day and wet car usually produces the same result, so that is not a conclusion just yet.
Having the solution go twice as far as usual is great on one hand, as it makes it more economical, however it also means twice the dilution of the mixture (I think, but my brain hurts today so please correct me if I'm wrong) so I might expect there to be less cleaning power from foams like the BH foam that actually clean as well as drag muck off? Mrs Pikle had to leave immediately I finished rinsing to go back to work, so I didnt get a chance to see the level of cleaning once the car dried, but a quick inspection seemed to suggest the car was pretty much spotless, and appeared to be MORE clean than usual after just a foam??? It might be that the more powerful cleaning of the water compensates, and more, for less chemical cleaning? A test for the future but great news, as it makes a quick foam and rinse an even better touchless winter wash for me now :thumb:
Conclusion
This machine certainly appears to deserve the reputation it has. Straight from the box this reeks quality and on first use this afternoon, blows away the typical consumer PW's I have used in the past. Its loads more expensive than a mid range machine, but I think its still good value and am already glad I paid the price. As long as it lasts as long as owners have told me, I reckon it will be one of the best things I have splashed out on
Thanks to Greg at Valet Pro for great service and THE most expensive test sample I will ever buy :lol:
So, what is all the hype with the Kranzle machines....
Delivery
Next day delivery from the Kranzle factory, with the machine arriving like this. Fully assembled except for the handle for the hose reel, which needs a single screw to fit it :thumb:
Build Quality
These machines are in a league of their own for the 'feel' of quality. The machine is very heavy, but has sturdy wheels and a solid handle for moving it about, so is easy to move to where you might need it - dont even think about putting it in the boot of your car though...
Comes with a 15m hose and a reel on the 'T' version, which although it adds a lot to the cost, is hugely useful IMHO. The hose is a soft rubber and rolls flat on the reel with no issues and lays flat on the ground with no kinks and loops. I had a constant fight with my Karcher extension hose that was like a live python and would never stay on the ground or coil up. 15m is an ideal length that enables me to walk around 2 cars easily without moving the machine.
The lances have the same quality feel - fairly heavy, with all brass M22 screw threads on everything - no poor plastic connectors here Matt at i4 Detailing supplied me with a new brass adapter for my foam lance and 5 mins later it was ready to go. Lovely steel tools and the standard lance has a variable spray from wide fan to narrow jet. Pressure doesnt change though, so unlike my Karcher I cant turn the nozzle and reduce the flow to just a dribble. There are 2 slight downsides here as a result; firstly you need to spend a few seconds unscrewing the lance and then screwing back in a foam lance, which takes probably 30secs; secondly the high pressure means I cant turn it down for a low pressure rinse for my convertible hood and is something I need to find a workaround for.
Everything you can see on the pump is brass and looks like it sill stand up to heavy use. A pressure gauge tells you just that, and you can adjust the pressure of the machine itself, which might solve my issue above.
Cleaning Power
For once I read the instructions as I heard there were a few 'pre-flight checks' to carry out before using one of these I was also nervous about blowing fuses and other issues on start up but luckily, following the instructions (idiot proof) had it working instantly
This model has a flow rate of 10 litres/minute, which is almost twice my old K3.99 and most domestic washers. Flow rate is key to cleaning, not pressure, so I was expecting good things here. A quick water-only rinse of the Audi instantly took off all the road muck particles and appeared to remove much of the thin layer of road film as well. Used on the wheels it removed most of the weeks worth of dirt as well, although my FK1000 on there is now >8 weeks old and doesnt clean perfectly with just a PW rinse now. There is quite a kick when you pull the trigger and it bursts into life.
The big test for me was foaming. I was worried that the significantly higher flow rate would mean twice as much foam mix needed. To test, I mixed my usual solution of 100ml of BH foam and 400ml of warm water, which is enough to foam one of the cars well. What I found instantly was the Kranzle produced a MUCH thicker and richer foam than my old K3.99. BH foam is not the thickest foam like some that produce shaving foam consistency, but this time I got a very visible increase in the thickness compared to what I have achieved using it the last year. What I then found was that I could foam the entire car with the thicker foam using HALF THE SOLUTION :thumb: I actually had enough mix to foam BOTH cars completely Anecdotally, it seemed like the foam might not have stayed on the car quite as long as usual, but a cold damp day and wet car usually produces the same result, so that is not a conclusion just yet.
Having the solution go twice as far as usual is great on one hand, as it makes it more economical, however it also means twice the dilution of the mixture (I think, but my brain hurts today so please correct me if I'm wrong) so I might expect there to be less cleaning power from foams like the BH foam that actually clean as well as drag muck off? Mrs Pikle had to leave immediately I finished rinsing to go back to work, so I didnt get a chance to see the level of cleaning once the car dried, but a quick inspection seemed to suggest the car was pretty much spotless, and appeared to be MORE clean than usual after just a foam??? It might be that the more powerful cleaning of the water compensates, and more, for less chemical cleaning? A test for the future but great news, as it makes a quick foam and rinse an even better touchless winter wash for me now :thumb:
Conclusion
This machine certainly appears to deserve the reputation it has. Straight from the box this reeks quality and on first use this afternoon, blows away the typical consumer PW's I have used in the past. Its loads more expensive than a mid range machine, but I think its still good value and am already glad I paid the price. As long as it lasts as long as owners have told me, I reckon it will be one of the best things I have splashed out on
Thanks to Greg at Valet Pro for great service and THE most expensive test sample I will ever buy :lol: