# tight fit AB foam lance



## p1tse

so i brought a karcher PW and a AB foam lance. the first few goes, it went on and off as easy as the original karcher lances, but now it's so tight to get on and off.

as the AB lances are awkward shape, it's hard to put on and off without twisting the brass adaptor or bending/turning other parts of the AB lance including the bottle. 

any advice?


----------



## Mark M

Hi mate.

The Karcher gun is male, and the Ab Lance is Female.

Drill out, ever so slightly, the female brass connector (hole) on the AB Lance and it will fit.

Same problem I have had with both of mine.

If the brass connector keeps turning, get some plumbers mate (white tape) and wrap it on the threads.

If you need more help or pics let me know


----------



## p1tse

thanks. 

yeah more help and pics please 

what size drill bit are you talking and how deep?
also plumbing tape, please show pics. i can see it on the lance as it is, coming underneath the brass bit.

thanks


----------



## Ronnie

Just on e to fit the hole be careful not to nip the rubber o-ring that is about half way up the brass fitting. Also when u do that smear a SMALL amout of copper ease on the inside of the brass fitting but not past the rubber seal that will solve ur problems


----------



## Deanoecosse

Dozens and dozens of reports of poor fitting requiring drilling the lances by the customer, also 30-40 people from this forum alone had brass pins flying out and yet the manufacturer wont acknowledge there is a fault with them! Not what you expect from something costing almost 50 quid.


----------



## Mark M

I'll try to get some pics up later for you.

And yes, personally I think it is totally unacceptable, my HD Lance cost £60 delivered.

Hang in there


----------



## Detail My Ride

V12MSM said:


> I'll try to get some pics up later for you.
> 
> And yes, personally I think it is totally unacceptable, my HD Lance cost £60 delivered.
> 
> Hang in there


Agree. Mine has also cost me a £45 new lance for my pressure washer, as putting it in broke my pressure washer lance!!


----------



## wilbz11

just spray a small amount of WD40 in the end of the washer gun when you have finished using it, this always gives me trouble free operation


----------



## p1tse

thanks all

i agree, very poor show. if i had known on the troubles i wouldn't have bothered. 

think something needs to be done about it


----------



## p1tse

i've now broken it, as i think i drilled too much and now nothing happens! grr


sent a PM to autobrite to see where i stand

as i wrote:
"i brought a AB foam lance from you guys not long ago. Used it less than half a dozen of times, and the first 3-4 times it went on and off easily. 5-6 times was very tight, and almost wouldn't go on and off (without prising open the end of my new karcher gun). 

then i read a post about drilling it partially. 
i then tried to drill the brass little by little, testing the fitment. by the time i drilled enough to make it fit, it doesn't seem to work at all. "

just not very happy, it's not very durable from my experience and was quite pricey. but would like a foam lance though.

hope it's good news


----------



## jerry318

Keep us updated mine is the same and not pleased at all


----------



## Renmure

jerry318 said:


> Keep us updated


ditto


----------



## GateKiller

I was about to buy one of these and from the above I'm now thinking of sticking with the Glimour?

GK


----------



## jerry318

great piece of kit the foam lance if only it didnt have these "faults"


----------



## p1tse

i will keep all posted. hopefully AB will come up top trumps in their customer service (fingers crossed).

hope to hear something soon, PM was to AB via this site sunday 30 Sept 07.


----------



## [email protected]

got my lance today works a treat. ive had the same trouble its very tight dont want to force it and break it. they must have a test karcher gun to try these things in?


----------



## [email protected]

Right DW members i will explain about the Brass connectors on our Lances..The Karcher connectors are manufacturered by the thousands and they are all the same fitting and size.It all depends on YOUR Karcher lance.What i mean by that is that all Karcher guns are slightly different in size.All Karcher guns have a black plastic peg with a spring around it inside the Karcher gun,if you look down you will see it. Depending on how much you use your gun by taking the lance apart etc the black plastic peg will become worn and easy to fit rather than a new fitment! Its like a new pair of shoes i suppose,when you buy them they are tight,when you have worn them in they fit! You can slightly drill the hole in the brass connector slightly wider for the black plastic peg to fit snug into the Karcher brass connector! Or you can grease it and get some sand paper to sand it a bit! 99% of our Karcher connectors fit Karcher guns,1% of them are tight but they do fit with a bit of paitence. Unfortunately we can not supply these in different sizes.We CAN NOT ask for 1000's of them to be made in different sizes can we? So i does all depend on your lance if the lance will fit. So please it is NOT our brass connector that is at fault and WE DO NOT have any other sizes and WE HAVE NOT SUPPLIED YOU THE WRONG CONNECTOR as these are a standard fitment and if it wont fit it it may depend on YOUR lance on your machine..

Thankyou!!


----------



## [email protected]

im not buying into that! if karcher make the foam lance thats fair enough but they dont. i have bought several original equipment lances and guns from karcher with no problems.so your saying whoever makes the after market product is right and apparently its karcher that does not make its fittings universal.


----------



## Renmure

YEVAD said:


> im not buying into that! if karcher make the foam lance thats fair enough but they dont. i have bought several original equipment lances and guns from karcher with no problems.so your saying whoever makes the after market product is right and apparently its karcher that does not make its fittings universal.


You are Soooo correct.

To state the blindingly obvious:
Karcher make Karcher Pressure Washers.

Autobrite supply an after-market product which they claim is fully compatible with Karcher pressure washers. For whatever reason, this appears not always to be the case.

It is a ludicrous suggestion to propose that the problem is infact that karcher Pressure Washers are responsible for manufacturing a product which is not always compatible with an after-market Autobrite product.

Autobrite might be advised to make themselves more familiar with the provisions of the Sale of Goods Act 1979 (as ammended) when considering how they handle complaints about products they supply, whether that be non-fitting fitments or incorrectly fitted brass pins.


----------



## GateKiller

Is the problem only with Karcher pressure washers and thus, do they make the adapter for any other make and do they have similar problems with them or only with Karcher?

GK


----------



## [email protected]

Renmure said:


> You are Soooo correct.
> 
> To state the blindingly obvious:
> Karcher make Karcher Pressure Washers.
> 
> Autobrite supply an after-market product which they claim is fully compatible with Karcher pressure washers. For whatever reason, this appears not always to be the case.
> 
> It is a ludicrous suggestion to propose that the problem is infact that karcher Pressure Washers are responsible for manufacturing a product which is not always compatible with an after-market Autobrite product.
> 
> Autobrite might be advised to make themselves more familiar with the provisions of the Sale of Goods Act 1979 (as ammended) when considering how they handle complaints about products they supply, whether that be non-fitting fitments or incorrectly fitted brass pins.


We are not blaming anybody at all in this situation and particular not Karcher,we are just stating that shoes fit better when they are worn in! I.e some Karcher guns will be tighter and stiffer (EXAMPLE - NEW GUNS) when new!!!!

If you are experiencing any major problems ring me on 01782 744115 on Monday then i will be happy to sort it out for you,it is a bit difficult to sort problems out when im sitting on my bed at night trying to catch up with e-mails and the stress of running 2 businesses,and my wife being 8 months pregnant and moving out and into a new premises in a matter of 2 fecking days!!! But as always that not your problem is it??


----------



## .Martin

AB keep calm mate! You have to remember to stay professional because it's not anyones problem that you have a lot going on  If people see you acting unprofessionally it could cost you customers!

This next month will fly in and once the wee one comes along you will really have something that will stress you out!

Hope everything works out fine :thumb: 

Will be ordering a lance in about a month or so when moneys not so tight :thumb:

-----
PS. Congrats for when it comes! If it's a boy I hear Martin is the name of a champion :lol: (as long as he gets over the rhymes)


----------



## m33porsche

Now that's a lot going on and appreciate the offer of help.

basic situation is that a variety of Karcher attachments that I have purchased fit both my PW's without any issue, one is fairly new (c 6 months) the other over 2 years old, yet the AB lance is real wrestle and always has been. The results once it's on are great but the fitment is undeniably sub-standard as experienced by many DW'ers.

I guess by the very nature of this forum we've all got high standards and expect something more than the corporate norm from our friendly traders!


----------



## bullit

autobrite-direct said:


> We are not blaming anybody at all in this situation and particular not Karcher,we are just stating that shoes fit better when they are worn in! I.e some Karcher guns will be tighter and stiffer (EXAMPLE - NEW GUNS) when new!!!!
> 
> If you are experiencing any major problems ring me on 01782 744115 on Monday then i will be happy to sort it out for you,it is a bit difficult to sort problems out when im sitting on my bed at night trying to catch up with e-mails and the stress of running 2 businesses,and my wife being 8 months pregnant and moving out and into a new premises in a matter of 2 fecking days!!! But as always that not your problem is it?? NOW BACK THE FECK OFF!!!!!!!


very professional


----------



## [email protected]

bullit said:


> very professional


And???


----------



## bullit

autobrite-direct said:


> And???


and im going bed. night


----------



## [email protected]

bullit said:


> and im going bed. night


Goodnight! After the day ive had think ill join ya!!! (NOT)


----------



## transtek

Just read this post and I was a bit surprised TBH.
AB have given me great service and even replaced a foam lance that never arrived (see my locaion!), and I can't be happier with it.
Granted, as stated, as my Karcher is new, it is a snug fit, but has got better over time and with a little WD40 or grease as suggested works fine every time.
However, if you are one of the unlucky ones whose lance doesn't fit or will not connect for whatever reason, wouldn't the best and most sensible thing to do be to contact AB directly and have a (polite) chat with them rather than vent problems on here before actually consulting the supplier? I'm sure that Mark or the other chaps (or chapesses) would be more than happy to help you find a solution.
Just a thought!


----------



## scott508

transtek said:


> Just read this post and I was a bit surprised TBH.
> AB have given me great service and even replaced a foam lance that never arrived (see my locaion!), and I can't be happier with it.
> Granted, as stated, as my Karcher is new, it is a snug fit, but has got better over time and with a little WD40 or grease as suggested works fine every time.
> However, if you are one of the unlucky ones whose lance doesn't fit or will not connect for whatever reason, wouldn't the best and most sensible thing to do be to contact AB directly and have a (polite) chat with them rather than vent problems on here before actually consulting the supplier? I'm sure that Mark or the other chaps (or chapesses) would be more than happy to help you find a solution.
> Just a thought!


totally agree. mark has been very friendly in my dealings with him.

you must also remember that a plastic to plastic fitment will have more give than plastic to brass. i know this is not the best solution, but maybe sanding down the brass fitting could be a good idea. the brass fitting is a cast piece, thus the size will not differentiate by any more than microns.

if you don't want to sand, put some lithium grease on the male end and ease her in gently- it's her first time for god's sake!


----------



## nsanity

I'm sure this will be resolved in due course, but lately there has been numerous posts along these lines, I mean the lance is not a cheap item and you'd expect it to be of a very high standard (which many people have told me that theirs are) but there seems to be some variation... maybe a few bad recent batches?

Not to sound pedantic, but autobrite-direct, your personal situation is your personal situation, fair enough you're busy, but so are the majority of other people, bringing this out to sorta justify the less than polite responses (afterall you are a trader on here) isn't appropriate IMO. Your problems are your problems, and while we may sympathise with you as I do as running businesses and moving and a pregnant wife are a lot to be going on at one time, they have nothing to do with the original thread starters problem with his lance.

Anyways, just my 2p's worth


----------



## A20 LEE

All my karcher attachments work spot on and are a perfect fit, my lance had to be drill out by 0.2mm. IMO is a tolerance issues with the lance,


----------



## Mark M

I have had this discussion before with Mark @ AB.

Having owned an original lance that fitted fine, and then an HD lance that didn't, I was a bit pissed having to drill my new lance @ £60 delivered out.

In addition, I had to get some more plumber's mate (white tape) to seal it properly.

Now, personally I think that is a bit wrong having to do that to a product that is supposed to fit, since the previous one fitted.

But, when you calm down and weigh up the options, the AB lance (once fitting correctly) is probably the best piece of equipment for assisting in the reduction of swirl infliction in your washing.

I think AB need to speak to the manufacturers to save themselves a LOT of hassle as this is a regular occurance and needs to be dealt with.


----------



## 309Goodwood

autobrite-direct said:


> If you are experiencing any major problems ring me on 01782 744115 on Monday then i will be happy to sort it out for you,it is a bit difficult to sort problems out when im sitting on my bed at night trying to catch up with e-mails and the stress of running 2 businesses,and my wife being 8 months pregnant and moving out and into a new premises in a matter of 2 fecking days!!! But as always that not your problem is it?? NOW BACK THE FECK OFF!!!!!!!


Crikey !!

Customer service huh ? :doublesho


----------



## magic919

It worked for Gerald Ratner.


----------



## [email protected]

309Goodwood said:


> Crikey !!
> 
> Customer service huh ? :doublesho


I was having a bad day ok!


----------



## Maxtor

autobrite-direct said:


> I was having a bad day ok!


:wave:

Jesus......can you imagine, how far would I get?

"dear customer" I can not help you today as "it's a bad one"

Mark.

If you are too busy...too freaked out and too busy to look after YOUR customers.

It is time sit back mate.

No :thumb: No :wave: and no 

Night.


----------



## Boyakasha

Mark you did sound stressed when I phoned you at 16:00 today, looking forward to giving you my order on Monday when things have calmed down.

Marc (The one who is buying the Kranzle 1150T + some more goodies) :thumb:


----------



## JonR

In Marks defence he is a top bloke and i would never ever think twice about using him in the future.

Always on the phone when you need him, good prices and best of all fast delivery.

To be honest the problem is with the Karcher lance as its made from plastic.
The lance is brass. if they ade them really loose in the first place to fit the karcher they would leak. then everyone would be moaning that they leak and spray everywhere.

no big deal imo, i just put a bit of copper slip on it, problemo solved.

Ta


----------



## [email protected]

well were do i start , the karcher lance s are mass made so are the brass fitting s ,so all are not going fit spot on .like mark said they are like new shoes after a little wear they will fit . i see your point on drilling your new toy but sometimes u just have to do these things just get it right . but it also works with grease very well .and not forgetting he has sold many with out complaint still with loads of enjoyment today which u all do . mark also offers a outstanding advise on any question s u may have on his stuff . Mark has many phone calls /pm /e mails/mobile every day has does one thing there is another also there is the valeting /detailing side which we are employing others before say .... if u could see it from my point of view what goes on the autobrite side he does loads for u as members bends over backwards cheap deals,questions,promblems,returns,missing stuff payed out of his own pocket to make u happy as a customer which is right .plus all the calls above and re ordering :thumb: .I know some of u are kind hearted and others not so but mark only human and has issues outside autobrite ie a life  
please all those how have problems call mark cheers


----------



## p1tse

i've been offline. but mark at AB has been very good at helping me resolve issues over PM. the service has been good and will be in touch with mark at AB, but have put it off due to being busy and postal strike. 

when it was working, it was a good piece of kit, so hope to get it resolved.


----------



## Matt306

If it is any relevance, me and a firend travelled to AB with our lance and it fitted fine, this is with a A karcher from costco if that matter and the model is a K2990 im sure... again if that has any relevance..


Matt


----------



## Stevie K

Well i got the same lance a few days ago, it was very tight to get on and off my Karcher, then i remembered i had a spare lance for my Karcher, so i tried the foam gun into it. 
It went on and off very easily, just like all the plastic Karcher stuff.

So i suppose some lances do need wearing in like shoes etc, as mentioned earlier.

I've also fitted a jubilee/hose clip onto the nozzle, covering the brass pins to prevent them working loose :thumb:


----------



## p1tse

sent back over a week ago, any update on return? have tried to PM you but no reply. thanks


----------



## [email protected]

p1tse said:


> sent back over a week ago, any update on return? have tried to PM you but no reply. thanks


Call me tomorrow mate with your address please?:thumb:


----------



## p1tse

nice one, PM your way with my add


----------



## p1tse

any update if it has been sent out or not yet? thanks


----------



## Dougster

Mine has started to stick and bottle is out of line.

PITA


----------



## [email protected]

p1tse said:


> sent back over a week ago, any update on return? have tried to PM you but no reply. thanks


Ready to dispatch mate address please?


----------



## p1tse

autobrite-direct said:


> Ready to dispatch mate address please?


sent PM of address again

thanks


----------



## Reaperman

Stevie K said:


> I've also fitted a jubilee/hose clip onto the nozzle, covering the brass pins to prevent them working loose :thumb:


Did that work Steve ? - as I bought an AB Karcher Foam lance a 3 or 4 weeks ago from AB and the black nozzle just fell off yesterday with the 2 brass pins nearly disappearing down a drain..


----------



## p1tse

reaperman, you keep following me ;-)


----------



## Dougster

Has anyone taken pictures or a video of drilling out the connection.

I need to borrow a drill and bit and get some tape. I'd rather be washing cars than chasing my erse off looking for these.


----------



## nick the fish

Dougster said:


> Has anyone taken pictures or a video of drilling out the connection.
> 
> I need to borrow a drill and bit and get some tape. I'd rather be washing cars than chasing my erse off looking for these.


if you want to borrow my 8.5mm drill bit please pm me


----------



## Dougster

I take it the 8.5 mm bit is the one for the job?

How far will I have to drill down?


----------



## mattjonescardiff

Ive just received an Autobrite Lance through Rachel at auto rae chemicals.

After sending her a photo of my PW lance fitment she told me i needed a lavor fitment.

Im a bit gutted, the one she has sent me doesnt come anywhere close to fitting, the teeth are twice as wide as they should be and 50% too long.

Ive just emailed her to see what she will do about it. Has anyone else had any experience of this supplier and/or part?


----------



## nick the fish

mattjonescardiff said:


> Ive just received an Autobrite Lance through Rachel at auto rae chemicals.
> 
> After sending her a photo of my PW lance fitment she told me i needed a lavor fitment.
> 
> Im a bit gutted, the one she has sent me doesnt come anywhere close to fitting, the teeth are twice as wide as they should be and 50% too long.
> 
> Ive just emailed her to see what she will do about it. Has anyone else had any experience of this supplier and/or part?


just contact racquel - first class customer service - she will sort out your problems:thumb:


----------



## nick the fish

Dougster said:


> I take it the 8.5 mm bit is the one for the job?
> 
> How far will I have to drill down?


8.5mm bit does the job fine - drill right the way through

if you don't fancy doing it just unscrew the brass part and send it to me and i'll do it on my bench drill/mill - free of course!!


----------



## p1tse

autobrite-direct said:


> Ready to dispatch mate address please?


any update on dispatch, sent you addy last week or so. 
regards


----------



## [email protected]

p1tse said:


> any update on dispatch, sent you addy last week or so.
> regards


It went a few days ago mate,you will get it soon mate..:thumb:


----------



## p1tse

thanks, got it today. hopefully give it ago this weekend. i even had shampoo and superfoam left in the bottle


----------



## Dougster

Nick, cheers for the PM

I only have an 8mm drill bit but it seems even an 8.5 will fit no problem. Should I go up to a 9mm bit?

I also got some plumbers tape. How do you get the fitting to line up correctly?

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Auto-brite for providing me with an enjoyable task..............:wall:


----------



## p1tse

nick the fish said:


> 8.5mm bit does the job fine - drill right the way through
> 
> if you don't fancy doing it just unscrew the brass part and send it to me and i'll do it on my bench drill/mill - free of course!!


just got my new replacement. it doesn't fit at all. really tight. 
so a 8.5mm drill bit all the way won't break it?

i've seen people drill and say it doesn't work afterwards.

i'm either thinking of drilling it with the 8.5mm recommended size, or just sale it as new and take it that it doesn't like the karcher. the actual bass width seems tight even before it gets to a 'male' part (can't think of another description) in the karcher


----------



## kirbrot

My foam gun from Auto Rae-Chem was really really tight, I had to stand on the karcher gun and really pull & wiggle the foam gun to get it out. Evne hit myself in the face one when i slipped! :lol: 

i took the brass fitting off, ran an 8.5mm drill bit through, took a couple of goes to get all the way through but now the gund fits like a dream, really quick on and off and still performs like a mother 

Just have to get some more PTFE so when tightened up the foam gun sits straight with the Karcher lance and not at 45 degrees


----------



## nick the fish

kirbrot said:


> My foam gun from Auto Rae-Chem was really really tight, I had to stand on the karcher gun and really pull & wiggle the foam gun to get it out. Evne hit myself in the face one when i slipped! :lol:
> 
> i took the brass fitting off, ran an 8.5mm drill bit through, took a couple of goes to get all the way through but now the gund fits like a dream, really quick on and off and still performs like a mother
> 
> Just have to get some more PTFE so when tightened up the foam gun sits straight with the Karcher lance and not at 45 degrees


i would not bother with the PTFE tape - i used professional heavy duty thread lock and its NEVER moved:thumb:


----------



## p1tse

so just get a dril bit of 8.5mm and go as far as possible?


----------



## twhincup

carefull, dont drill out the rubber seal inside - i ruined mine and had the 'pleasure' of paying £9 for a new one


----------



## p1tse

twhincup said:


> carefull, dont drill out the rubber seal inside - i ruined mine and had the 'pleasure' of paying £9 for a new one


what drill bit size did you use

how do you make sure not to ruin the rubber seal, if others say drill it all the way through?


----------



## nick the fish

twhincup said:


> carefull, dont drill out the rubber seal inside - i ruined mine and had the 'pleasure' of paying £9 for a new one


thanks for that Tony it needed pointing out :thumb: - i just removed the rubber o ring before i drilled it out


----------



## nick the fish

p1tse said:


> what drill bit size did you use
> 
> how do you make sure not to ruin the rubber seal, if others say drill it all the way through?


remove the 'o' ring first and then drill all the way through with an 8.5mm bit - then refix the 'o' ring - job done (at least for me!)


----------



## p1tse

can you put some pics up of the 'o' ring?

do you have to take the brass bit out off the lance first then?


----------



## Dougster

I seen no 'o' ring when I removed the fitting??


----------



## kirbrot

I saw the o-ring last night, the drill had already been down past it and it still works fine 

oops!


----------



## p1tse

just had a quick look down the brass fitting still on the lance, i can see a black rubber o ring half way down inside.

i'm not sure about drilling it. might just sell it


----------



## p1tse

as mentioned my old one got tight

but my replacement isn't even tight, it doesn't even go on at all. can it be the wrong fitment? the brass thing fits down the karcher gun, but not over the male part in the karcher gun


----------



## ianFRST

ill vouch for the new karcher lance / gun being tight.

i broke my old karcker lance a couple of weeks ago, the AB lance fitted the gun perfect.

my new gun and AB lance is seriously tight :thumb:


----------



## Stevie K

Reaperman said:


> Did that work Steve ? - as I bought an AB Karcher Foam lance a 3 or 4 weeks ago from AB and the black nozzle just fell off yesterday with the 2 brass pins nearly disappearing down a drain..


Sorry for late reply mate, yes it does work, my lance gets plenty of use, and no probs at all, the pins cannot work loose with the jubilee clip fitted :thumb:


----------



## p1tse

i'm in two mines to dril mine. does it have to be taken off the lance to drill or can i just drill it on?


----------



## kirbrot

p1tse said:


> i'm in two mines to dril mine. does it have to be taken off the lance to drill or can i just drill it on?


It took me all of 5-6 minutes to remove the brass fitting from the stainless steel tube, grip the brass bit in a vice, run the drill bit through, give it a blow out then PTFE tape the threads and screw the brass bit back on.

maybe 7 minutes if i'd removed the o-ring, but from what i can see the PTFE tape actually negates the need for this o-ring. The Karcher Lance has its own o-ring which is what i think makes the foam gun a tight fit in the first place.


----------



## Dougster

I have some PTFE tape. Anyone know the 'o' ring size just in case?


----------



## HeavenlyDetail

Blimey i have just read this lot after also struggling to get the lance on and off.....I have just bought the heavy duty one to replace it...


----------



## Renoir

I had the same problem with mine and being a bit of a boring engineering type i thought i'd see if i can work out what the actual problem is here.

As far as I can see after testing all the Karcher attachements I have, the control they have over the tolerance of the bore of the hole is pretty good, around +/- 0.1mm (mind you, I only have 3!). Now i'm no injection moulding expert but i would have thought that is a pretty reasonable tolerance to achieve with this type of process. I would also think that they have some sophisticated guaging and statistical process control systems to ensure they meet the required tolerance and level of capability considering they are making them in the 1000's.

Moving onto the brass lance fitment (mines from Auto Rae Chem) the casting and turning also look pretty good also. Now I dont have a selection of these to measure and check repeatability but I think the source of variation here is the boring of the internal diameter and if we were to check a reasonable sample my guess is we would find some spread. I would imagine this is done on a little sliding head automatic (or CNC) lathe. The source of variation can only really come from one place and this is tool wear on the boring bar used for the boring operation. This can be controlled in two ways, firstly if the machine has in process measurement of the tool itself which measures tool wear and adjusts the tool offselt accordingly or, post process guaging where the operator measures the part and then manually adjusts the machine accordingly. It is possible that neither of these are carried out therefore allowing variation in the size of the bore of the brass fitting.

The other area where a problem can be occuring is from a tolerancing clash. For example, if both the Karcher fitment and the foam gun bore are at mid tolerance then they fit. If the Karcher fitment is at the top of the tolerance and so is the bore of the brass fitting then they fit. However, if the Karcher fitment is at the top of the tolerance and the bore of the brass fitting is at the bottom of it's tolerance then there is interference and they don't fit.

I think it is actually this tolerancing problem which is the route cause of the problem. The designer of the foam gun fitting will not have sight of the Karcher tolerances and therefore wont be able to design his part accordingly to ensure no tolerance clash occurs. Seeing as some people have a problem and some don't, i think this is the most likely reason for the problem some people are having.

The solution, take out the 'o' ring and drill it right through so it fits. Mine needed 8.3mm. It might be worth AB & ARC feeding this back to the manufacturer though as it seems that if they bored the fitting to 8.5mm +/-1mm then there would be no problems at all. The 'o' ring would easily allow for any variation or wear in the Karcher fitting.

Sorry to bimble on but it's not often I see a post about something i know a little bit about and i do love the sound of my own voice!! :thumb:


----------



## Dougster

Renoir it was you who mentioned 'bore'







 

Interesting post but I still have some unanswered questions:

1. As I appear not to have (or have lost) the 'o' ring, what size is it?

2. Can I get away with refitting the brass fitting with just PTFE tape?

3. I have tried an 8mm bit however it's spinning away in the hole. Will 0.5mm make _that_ much of a difference and would 9mm be too large?

Many thanks if you can answer the above.


----------



## nick the fish

Renoir said:


> I had the same problem with mine and being a bit of a boring engineering type i thought i'd see if i can work out what the actual problem is here.
> 
> As far as I can see after testing all the Karcher attachements I have, the control they have over the tolerance of the bore of the hole is pretty good, around +/- 0.1mm (mind you, I only have 3!). Now i'm no injection moulding expert but i would have thought that is a pretty reasonable tolerance to achieve with this type of process. I would also think that they have some sophisticated guaging and statistical process control systems to ensure they meet the required tolerance and level of capability considering they are making them in the 1000's.
> 
> Moving onto the brass lance fitment (mines from Auto Rae Chem) the casting and turning also look pretty good also. Now I dont have a selection of these to measure and check repeatability but I think the source of variation here is the boring of the internal diameter and if we were to check a reasonable sample my guess is we would find some spread. I would imagine this is done on a little sliding head automatic (or CNC) lathe. The source of variation can only really come from one place and this is tool wear on the boring bar used for the boring operation. This can be controlled in two ways, firstly if the machine has in process measurement of the tool itself which measures tool wear and adjusts the tool offselt accordingly or, post process guaging where the operator measures the part and then manually adjusts the machine accordingly. It is possible that neither of these are carried out therefore allowing variation in the size of the bore of the brass fitting.
> 
> The other area where a problem can be occuring is from a tolerancing clash. For example, if both the Karcher fitment and the foam gun bore are at mid tolerance then they fit. If the Karcher fitment is at the top of the tolerance and so is the bore of the brass fitting then they fit. However, if the Karcher fitment is at the top of the tolerance and the bore of the brass fitting is at the bottom of it's tolerance then there is interference and they don't fit.
> 
> I think it is actually this tolerancing problem which is the route cause of the problem. The designer of the foam gun fitting will not have sight of the Karcher tolerances and therefore wont be able to design his part accordingly to ensure no tolerance clash occurs. Seeing as some people have a problem and some don't, i think this is the most likely reason for the problem some people are having.
> 
> The solution, take out the 'o' ring and drill it right through so it fits. Mine needed 8.3mm. It might be worth AB & ARC feeding this back to the manufacturer though as it seems that if they bored the fitting to 8.5mm +/-1mm then there would be no problems at all. The 'o' ring would easily allow for any variation or wear in the Karcher fitting.
> 
> Sorry to bimble on but it's not often I see a post about something i know a little bit about and i do love the sound of my own voice!! :thumb:


thanks very much - superbly written and makes all the relevant points:thumb:

so i would suggest that its a quality control problem with the lance manufacturer - pretty poor given the price - guess its probably made for pennies in the Far East?

not surprisingly i suspect that Karcher would be unwilling to release details of their manufacturing tolerances especially since they make a foam lance themselves!


----------



## nick the fish

Dougster said:


> Renoir it was you who mentioned 'bore'
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Interesting post but I still have some unanswered questions:
> 
> 1. As I appear not to have (or have lost) the 'o' ring, what size is it?
> 
> 2. Can I get away with refitting the brass fitting with just PTFE tape?
> 
> 3. I have tried an 8mm bit however it's spinning away in the hole. Will 0.5mm make _that_ much of a difference and would 9mm be too large?
> 
> Many thanks if you can answer the above.


i dumped the PTFE tape and used pro grade Locktite - sorted and has not moved!!

i've offered my 8.5mm bit on free loan before - if you want it just pm me!


----------



## p1tse

kirbrot said:


> It took me all of 5-6 minutes to remove the brass fitting from the stainless steel tube, grip the brass bit in a vice, run the drill bit through, give it a blow out then PTFE tape the threads and screw the brass bit back on.
> 
> maybe 7 minutes if i'd removed the o-ring, but from what i can see the PTFE tape actually negates the need for this o-ring. The Karcher Lance has its own o-ring which is what i think makes the foam gun a tight fit in the first place.


i don't have any PTFE tape, or a vice etc. so getting it off seems difficult.

i also don't have a 8.5mm drill bit, only 8mm.

so what would happen if:

1. just get a 8mm drill bit and drill the brass fitment without it being off the lance?

2. as above with 8.5mm

or do i need to get the brass fitment off?


----------



## Renoir

p1tse said:


> i don't have any PTFE tape, or a vice etc. so getting it off seems difficult.
> 
> i also don't have a 8.5mm drill bit, only 8mm.
> 
> so what would happen if:
> 
> 1. just get a 8mm drill bit and drill the brass fitment without it being off the lance?
> 
> 2. as above with 8.5mm
> 
> or do i need to get the brass fitment off?


I managed to get the brass fitting off using my hands, it's not on that tightly, failing that, grip it with pliers and turn the body of the lance. You can get some PTFE tape and an 8.5mm drill for pence in most DIY places. I wouldn;t advocate it, health and safety and all that, but you could just hold the fitting in some pliers and drill it through. Brass is pretty soft and you're not removing much material.


----------



## Renoir

Dougster said:


> Renoir it was you who mentioned 'bore'
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Interesting post but I still have some unanswered questions:
> 
> 1. As I appear not to have (or have lost) the 'o' ring, what size is it?
> 
> Dunno, i'll take a look when i get home.
> 
> 2. Can I get away with refitting the brass fitting with just PTFE tape?
> 
> Yup.
> 
> 3. I have tried an 8mm bit however it's spinning away in the hole. Will 0.5mm make _that_ much of a difference and would 9mm be too large?
> 
> Yes, 0.5mm is a huge difference. You'd be amazed at what difference even 0.01mm makes! Just go buy an 8.5mm bit for just a few pennies.
> 
> Many thanks if you can answer the above.


Good luck:thumb:


----------



## nick the fish

if anybody wants to borrow a quality 8.5mm bit (German engineering )

just pm me

and i still reckon pro Locktite is better than PTFE tape


----------



## Renoir

nick the fish said:


> if anybody wants to borrow a quality 8.5mm bit (German engineering )
> 
> just pm me
> 
> and i still reckon pro Locktite is better than PTFE tape


Yup, don't doubt that but PTFE is £1.60 a roll and Loctite pipe sealer is a tenner on screwfix!


----------



## sconav

Hi,

I also have a problem with the fit of my HD Foam lance with my Karcher. Just a quick question. If I remove the O ring, how easy is it to get it back in the hole. And with the O ring removed should I drill past the part where it was originally seated. I am thinking of doing this but just wanted some advice as I dont want to mess it up.

Cheers.


----------



## Dougster

Drilled to 8.5 and yes what a difference compared to the 8mm bit.

Reatatched with PTFE tape but still out of line and will need pliers to straighten things up.

Sill not been able to try it with the lance but watch this space.

P.S. Autobrite informed me that I had no ring for the Karcher fitting and it was my lance that was the problem. How come others with a Karcher have 'o' rings then??


----------



## nick the fish

Dougster said:


> Drilled to 8.5 and yes what a difference compared to the 8mm bit.
> 
> Reatatched with PTFE tape but still out of line and will need pliers to straighten things up.
> 
> Sill not been able to try it with the lance but watch this space.
> 
> P.S. Autobrite informed me that I had no ring for the Karcher fitting and it was my lance that was the problem. How come others with a Karcher have 'o' rings then??


Autobrite in denial??

sorry, but imo they could have handled the whole issue in a more professional manner - hence why i bought from Auto Rae Chem


----------



## 2548

I haven't had a problem with my AB Lance karcher fitment, but if the PW is on ready to go and I change lances unless you dump the pressure before you try and fit the foam lance it is very tight. Without any pressure it fits no problem. Just a thought but I have 2 AB Lances identical and neither have suffered ?


----------



## p1tse

i'm going to try and get mine off and drilled with a 8.5mm drill bit all the way through.

does anyone have any pics on how to get the black o ring out and in again?

thanks


----------



## Dougster

Nick cheers for the advice.

Karcher fitment once drilled to 8.5 fits like it should.


----------



## Maxtor

p1tse said:


> i'm going to try and get mine off and drilled with a 8.5mm drill bit all the way through.
> 
> does anyone have any pics on how to get the black o ring out and in again?
> 
> thanks


http://hobby.uk.com/shop/prodpages/page-ATH4W.html


----------



## Demonic

I got a lance from elsewhere and it suffers from the same problems. It's actually getting stiffer. The main problem I have is that it's harder to get the damn thing off. The lance just unscrews from the brass fitting. I'll have to grab an 8.5mm drill bit, some mole grips to hold the fitting (I don't have a workbench or a vice) and hope for the best. Or maybe a Dremmel would do a job of relieving the fitting sufficiently. As for lining the bottle up, I look for a nut to use as a locknut for the brass fitting.


----------



## p1tse

can someone confirm, if the o ring has to be removed before drilling the brass fitment out? with the link above and not really wanting to spend more money on extra tools.


----------



## Demonic

I popped the 'O' ring out with a needle. Pushed it back in with the blunt end of the drill bit that I used to drill the fitting out with. Easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy. 

The lance now pops on and off with ease. So much so that I doubt I'll need to get any Loctite to "lock" the lance so that the bottle faces downwards when fitted. 

On the subject of drilling it out, I don't have a vice or bench drill and I found that the 8.5mm drill kept jamming (as I thought it might). So I "relieved" the hole with an 8mm drill bit and a bit of "wiggling" whilst holding the brass fitting in some mole grips. Worked OK.


----------



## maersk

Ok, now we have sorted the underbored brass fitting, can we find some stainless tube to replace the rusting standard fitting?

:devil: :devil: :devil:


----------



## quattrogmbh

The problem that I have experienced was not with the bore of the connector, but with the extra friction that the cast brass fitment exerts on the bayonet mount of the Karcher lance.
I found that it was easier to connect/disconnect once I had sanded the casting marks from the brass fitment on the foam lance.

Agree with all previous comments that this shouldn't be expected of a commercial product. If the issue was a genuine tolerance issue then Karcher would experience the same problem with all their accessories.


----------



## ChuckH

Forgive My ignorance But You had to get a bit of sandpaper and burnish the finish a little And this results in a complaint ??? Blimey if only all the little problems were so easily sorted !!!! :thumb:


----------



## Transit

I think you need to read the whole thread Chuck.


----------



## nick the fish

ChuckH said:


> Forgive My ignorance But You had to get a bit of sandpaper and burnish the finish a little And this results in a complaint ??? Blimey if only all the little problems were so easily sorted !!!! :thumb:


it should work from the box!

if 'casting' imperfections are present they should be removed by the manufacturer - its not as if its a 50p product

and people wonder why we get supplied with **** - answer, because we put up with it!!


----------



## jimjon

not read all of this thread, is interesting tho as i ordered a lance today and have a karcher machine.

i'd read autobrites first reply in the thread and i believe that.

i have the karcher foam lance, made by the same people and thats bloody hard work to get into the gun and get out again, its even fallen apart a few time.

the gun is the crappy bit of enginnering imo, not seen the ab lance yet though


----------



## ChuckH

jimjon said:


> not read all of this thread, is interesting tho as i ordered a lance today and have a karcher machine.
> 
> i'd read autobrites first reply in the thread and i believe that.
> 
> i have the karcher foam lance, made by the same people and thats bloody hard work to get into the gun and get out again, its even fallen apart a few time.
> 
> the gun is the crappy bit of enginnering imo, not seen the ab lance yet though


The AB lance is a realy top bit of kit !! The Karcher fittings on the other hand ................................................


----------



## jimjon

like i say, i think the problem is with the karcher handle, maybe they changed/revised the diameter of the hole/plastic rod thing?

i took my karcher lance apart and its deffo the hole in it thats the wrong size.

have ordered another karcher handle anyway,that way i can leave the foamer in the handle part.........i hope, not sure how hard it is to swap hoses.

i've not even got the AB lance yet, it may fit mine perfectly.


----------



## Mossman

Hmmmm, I was going to order a AB Lance today but this is putting me off


----------



## jimjon

a new handle is only £8 on ebay

i think the hose just unscrews


----------



## D-an-W

My new AB HD Lance fits my brand new Karcher K4.99 just fine, I used a little WD40 on the end before trying but it no way at all was it tight to go on or off.


----------



## Ade25

Had same problem with my karcher fitting. A friend who is a toolmaker skimmed the outside diameter by 0.065'' . I then reamed the inside bore to 8.2mm after re assemling back on the lance I put some silicone grease on the O ring using athin bladed screwdriver. Had no problems since & have used it weekly since end of October.
The finish on the casting was appaling not parrallel or round this was checked using a digital vernier caliper prior to machining. This is not accepable on a product costin the best part of £50


----------



## jimjon

i think people should state what karcher washer they are using and how old it is.

surely not every single lance doesn't fit a karcher?


----------



## Lee gsi

My one fitted fine


----------



## magic919

Many of them fit fine. It's just unlikely people will post to say it worked ok. Same with any product.

Okay, mine was fine.


----------



## Transit

Yeah, let's try and even things out a bit. Mine fits my K4.99M perfectly, no WD40 or anything needed.


----------



## D-an-W

Do all Karcher's come with the same lance?


----------



## rorton

I too had this issue, and living close to Mark, decided to pop down to discuss. 

My lance was initially OK (its a HD lance) i had a std lance before which was always perfect, same connector...

Eventually from use, it started to go tighter and tighter to the point it was a REAL pig to get off. 

I took mine down to Mark, and we discussed the issue. 

Mark produced a brand new Karcher Gun from under the counter, and attached my lance to it. It fitted perfectly. He then produced a bag containing 50+ of the brass fittings, and proceeded to show me how each fitting was a smooth fit on the lance he had. 

While i agree that by drilling out the brass connector will solve the issue, i agreed with Marks comments, and decided to sand the black peg on the inside of the gun.

To do this, i removed the 6 torx screws, opened up the Karcher lance, and removed the black peg, which is a long black tube that runs down most of the inside. 

I took this out, and hit with some fine grade sand paper.

Every so often, i offered the black tube up to the lance, tested for tightness, and continued sanding to suit.

Once i was happy that the peg didn't snag, i re assembled the gun, and tried the lance properly. 

Perfect fit! So in my eyes, the issue is with the poor plastic of the Karcher guns. Mark proved he had a gun that didnt snag, and that my AB lance that snagged on my Marcher gun, didn't snag on Marks.


----------



## ianFRST

mine fitted fine also into my 4.99 gun.

broke the gun, bought another, and it dont fit now :lol: so as said, its down totm he gun imo.

will give the sanding a go rorton


----------



## EP02JAY

Run a karcher 4.99 and h/d lance with no problems at all - appears to be luck of the draw!


----------



## fordy

Mine was fine for the first 6 months, now i have to hammer off and cannot lock in but rely on holding the lance in position within the handle as it wont go in far enouth to twist lock!

I guess the plastic has deformed or the brass shrunk in the cold ambient temps, either way i need a fix or the lance is pretty useless!

After all this time i am reluctant to drill out the brass connector, maybe to strip and sand the original karcher handle is the way?..any updated views please ?


----------



## Dougster

Drill the connector fordy.

Still too much hassle for my liking as I have had to borrow a drill bit and spend more on ptfe tape (didn't work) and Loc Tite.


----------



## fordy

I will explore the 8.5mm drill option tomorrow!


----------



## nick the fish

my findings would not indicate its a Karcher problem as would other posts on the subject

just get digital verniers and measure a few units - rough casting 

drill out to 8.5mm and its all sorted - remove the 'o' ring first


----------



## Jonmurgie

Used mine for the first time at time at the weekend and it fitted my 5 year old Karcher 520M perfectly


----------



## cheezemonkhai

Well I would get one, but to be quite honest I don't fancy having to ask one of the mechanical engineers at work to have to pop it on the lathe and fix it.

From what some people are saying it sounds that the Karcher guns are made with a certain tolerance and that due to whatever reasons noticed above the brass isn't ideal and doesn't fit.

Now call me a bit mad here, but surely by definition the Karcher guns can not be wrong as Karcher define their connector and its tolerances.

I've never had one of their tools not fit, so I can only guess that the +- on the plastic isn't replicated in the brass.

I guess I might still get a gun as I could always use it with a different washer type.


----------



## Jonmurgie

cheezemonkhai said:


> *...the brass isn't ideal and doesn't fit.*


It DOES fit though, it's just some are tighter than others as has been mentioned many times.


----------



## cheezemonkhai

Jonmurgie said:


> It DOES fit though, it's just some are tighter than others as has been mentioned many times.


That snippet is out of context, however....

It obviously DOESN'T as otherwise people wouldn't be having the issues they are. It is all down to tolerances on the Karcher Spec and any aftermarket connectors have to allow for these tolerances.


----------



## p3t3rb

Karcher 620M and Autobride HD lance, very very tight fit, tried grease and WD40 - made no differnece so need to do something about it, haven't decided what yet.


----------



## jimjon

Like i've said earlier in thread, i have the karcher foam gun and its a very tight fit into my karcher jet wash.

i think karcher have different guns, i am in contact with Darren from Karcher as we speak to try and sort this out. As i'm sure Autobrite are fed up with some folk now...

from what i can work out there are different gun handles for the different flow rate/max pressure of the pressure washer, 120bar or 160bar. I reckon they changed the diameter of the plastic shaft to allow greater or lesser water flow throught the gun???

not confirmed by karcher yet tho


----------



## cheezemonkhai

I'm not saying that it is AB's fault, but something somewhere has changed such that the AB connector no longer meets the current spec. 

That might not be their fault as Karcher may have changed it, but at the same time Karcher can't be wrong about their own spec. As I said, by definition what karcher says goes as the spec.


----------



## [email protected]

jimjon said:


> Like i've said earlier in thread, i have the karcher foam gun and its a very tight fit into my karcher jet wash.
> 
> i think karcher have different guns, i am in contact with Darren from Karcher as we speak to try and sort this out. As i'm sure Autobrite are fed up with some folk now...
> 
> from what i can work out there are different gun handles for the different flow rate/max pressure of the pressure washer, 120bar or 160bar. I reckon they changed the diameter of the plastic shaft to allow greater or lesser water flow throught the gun???
> 
> not confirmed by karcher yet tho


Yes this conversation has been going on now for quite a while but we will try to help our customers out with any possible advice they need!
As we have said before our brass connections are exactly the same size as every other brass fitment that are supplied all over Europe by other suppliers.There is only ONE size and ONE size only,,As we have explained before guys it must be the Karcher guns! At some point Karcher must have changed there guns slightly in measurements?? Being plastic i suppose they will have a snugger fit than our brass connector?? ..Either that or the plastic black peg is swelling and making the fitment tight?? Like i said 95% of these brass fitments do fit straight in the Karcher guns and this has been proved by many of our customers,but there are a few that are tight but there are a few steps to cure this..As 'Rorton' said in a earlier thread this can be sorted by getting sand paper/emery cloth and lightly sanding the black plastic peg (if you look inside the Karcher gun) around until the desired fitment fits perfect.. A 10 minute job to do if your gun is tight..As i said previous 95% of the Brass Karcher fitments fits perfectly.. Try this guys...:thumb:


----------



## jimjon

got a new karcher handle today, just so i can compare a couple. not looked at the two properly, but i have a funny feeling the plastic shaft in my old one may have cracked down its length making it wider than it should be. Explaining why i can't fit my karcher foam gun (not got the AB one yet so can't comment on that)

chap from Karcher said they are all the same, no difference in the shaft for pressure or flow reasons.

I'll going to take things apart tonight and will get some pics


----------



## jimjon

got home and tested everything out.

Foam gun arrived and the new karcher handle i bought










foam gun is fine, well made, feels solid and has a nice weight to it, i can't see any problems with the adaptor???


















Now, the foam gun fits into the new handle perfectly, very smooth, easy as pie..........but trying the foam gun on the old handle i have it doesn't fit at all, was no way it would go in the hole, let alone turn it.

So obviously its the karcher handles causing the problems.

this is the new handle i got: bit blurry but says max 160bar etc









this is the old one, has a pressure gauge and a bit for adding shampoo sticks

















and the writing on there says 180bar? so i let you draw your own conclusions.

if anyone is interested i got my new karcher handle from here and it was a 160 bar one.

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/pressurewashers4u

hope this helps a little


----------



## [email protected]

jimjon said:


> got home and tested everything out.
> 
> Foam gun arrived and the new karcher handle i bought
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> foam gun is fine, well made, feels solid and has a nice weight to it, i can't see any problems with the adaptor???
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Now, the foam gun fits into the new handle perfectly, very smooth, easy as pie..........but trying the foam gun on the old handle i have it doesn't fit at all, was no way it would go in the hole, let alone turn it.
> 
> So obviously its the karcher handles causing the problems.
> 
> this is the new handle i got: bit blurry but says max 160bar etc
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> this is the old one, has a pressure gauge and a bit for adding shampoo sticks
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> and the writing on there says 180bar? so i let you draw your own conclusions.
> 
> if anyone is interested i got my new karcher handle from here and it was a 160 bar one.
> 
> http://stores.ebay.co.uk/pressurewashers4u
> 
> hope this helps a little


Exactly!!!

I said right from the beginning that the Karcher guns were the problem and it is looking like this..Good pics and clear desciption mate:thumb:


----------



## Dougster

Easy option to blame it on something else.

So was it Karcher's fault my foam lance was out of line as well then??


----------



## jimjon

all i wanted to explain was that the handles "are" different, i knew something was up when my karcher foam gun didn't fit the handle


----------



## [email protected]

Dougster said:


> Easy option to blame it on something else.
> 
> So was it Karcher's fault my foam lance was out of line as well then??


Not blaming it on 'something else'! Just saying that this looks like to be the problem eh? And NO it was not karchers fault your foam lance was out of line! And yes if you would have sent it back to us we would have put it right for you and refunded your postage..


----------



## Epoch

Jimjon please report back on this over the comming weeks, mine fitted great for about two months and now it's ***cough*** not so good


----------



## Dougster

If you looked back over the thread the majority of 'fixes' have happened after people have drilled the bit to 8.5mm


----------



## Epoch

Yeah cheers I'm gonna have a go at this at some point


----------



## [email protected]

As explained by 'Rorton' in earlier thread try to lightly rub with emery cloth the black plastic thread in your karcher gun that will take a fraction off the peg which will fit into the brass conector!


----------



## jimjon

Epoch said:


> Jimjon please report back on this over the comming weeks, mine fitted great for about two months and now it's ***cough*** not so good


thats the other thing that has confused me, i can't see any explaination for this? unless the plastic shaft splits and gets wider because of that.

the chap at Karcher said to regulary lubricate the O-ring, not with WD-40 as that not really a proper lube. Silicone grease or Vaseline is best.

but yeah, i'll let people know how i get on with my stuff. Was no way the lance would fit in the old handle i have, no amount of grease would help that


----------



## maersk

Er, mine is a new lance, eactly the same as the one in the pix.
Very, very tight fit. Goes on but won't come off! Silicon grease used etc., etc. No real improvement. Karcher fitting reads 8mm on calipers therefore you have an almost interference fit. Its too tight!

Cured by.......................................

8.5mm drill bit after removing the 'o' ring.


----------



## 2548

maersk said:


> Goes on but won't come off! .


Do you dump the pressure before removing ?


----------



## robsonj

Mine was a bit of an interference fit, i followed the advice given in this thread to smear a bit copper slip on the male karcher bit and the female lance bit and its made a massive improvement , I would advise everyone to try doing that before resorting to drilling


----------



## jimjon

maersk said:


> Er, mine is a new lance, eactly the same as the one in the pix.
> Very, very tight fit. Goes on but won't come off! Silicon grease used etc., etc. No real improvement. Karcher fitting reads 8mm on calipers therefore you have an almost interference fit. Its too tight!
> 
> Cured by.......................................
> 
> 8.5mm drill bit after removing the 'o' ring.


does it say 160 or 180 on it? or something else all together?


----------



## maersk

160..........


----------



## Mossman

Just for reference, I received my Lance this week and attached it to my new Karcher 399 PW and it fitted perfectly. Have just had a quick blast with it and I now see what people mean - it's great fun!


----------



## Cozzer

So a bit of lube will bring the foam gushing out of your lance 


Just a quick question, how do you take the gun apart to get to the black peg. Ive been trying to sand the peg down but not making much progress (with it fully assembled. I undone the four star screws and theres 7-8 other screws with no teeth, I dont know how to get these ones off.


----------



## jimjon

i have another two karcher handles downstairs at work, will check how it fits those. I don't see how people can blame the AB lance anymore, even the Karcher stuff doesn't fit the karcher stuff.....sometimes

i think the easiest option is to replace the handle, they not much more expensive than a bottle of shampoo or polish


----------



## nick the fish

jimjon said:


> i have another two karcher handles downstairs at work, will check how it fits those. I don't see how people can blame the AB lance anymore, even the Karcher stuff doesn't fit the karcher stuff.....sometimes
> 
> i think the easiest option is to replace the handle, they not much more expensive than a bottle of shampoo or polish


well i'd trust Karchers manufacturing standards/quality control more than those of a bit of rough casting as on the foam lance connectors!

as i said a long time ago - a friend who teaches engineering would fail a student for a project as badly made!

if you get a few connectors and then measure them with digital verniers you would see my point

the Karcher part is presumably injection moulded and as such tolerances are very good and easy to maintain

and i would never advise taking apart and sanding the Karcher 'peg' - thereby voiding your warranty on a pressure washers

hell - the foam lances can't even maintain a standard whereby the lance lines up with a Karcher handle - crappy ptfe tape that needs to be removed - use industrial locktite and align everything properly - job done

that casting of the connector is the cheapest/nastiest option available - at the price of the lances said connector should be finished to a decent standard or have it injection moulded in the first place


----------



## Rundie

Got to say I agree with the above, my profession is Engineering/Quality related in a production environment so I've got an idea of what I'm talking about.
Yes they work but I would expect them to fit and to not fall apart so easily due to PTFE being used.
Simple corrections could be made at minimal costs rather than blaming Karcher, for a product in this price range I think that's not alot to ask for.


----------



## Ade25

Must say I agree with Nick , when mine did not fit my karcher I did actually measure mine with a digital caliper. As mentioned earlier in this thread mine was neither parrallel or round with flash lines evident from the casting process.
As you say the tolerances on the injection moulding process are tighter than a ROUGH cast fitting. As a aircraft engineer I work to tight tolerances & high standards & to be honest was appalled at the quality of the brass fitting supplied.


----------



## cheezemonkhai

Well I think that's my mind made up.

Won't be getting any after market lance until the whole situation is sorted.

There is certainly no way i'm messing around with part of an extremely high pressure system to make a lance fit. It's just too risky if i do it wrong.


----------



## bullit

think i may just buy another handle, just add more cost to use it. i did think where the 50 pound had gone. glad i got free ssf and postage 

been a interesting read this


----------



## Cozzer

Karcher peg question.

Ive been sanding mine down, in an attempt to save money by not going out and spending 36 quid on a new gun (or 10 quid on ebay).

Ive noticed the peg inside can twist and ive never been able to take the gun apart because the screws are moulded in. 

Does the peg twist cause the pressure washer to change from high pressure mode to low pressure and vice versa?

Im asking because my lance has a tight fit and my karcher is temperamental when it comes to turning on. Wondered if the reason was the peg wasnt twisting enough as it was a true fit with the brass connector.


----------



## chr15barn3s

I recieved mine Yesterday. I put the lance into the gun and it goes on and comes off fine. I will see how it is over a few weeks.


----------



## nick the fish

heck - there was even one batch incorrectly assembled by the MANUFACTUER with the result that the brass pins fell out and the nozzle shot off 

for circa £50 its a fecking disgrace

having said that i reckon at the 'point of origin' they are less than £5 each?

if you look on alibaba.com you can see the prices the manufactuers charge!

what pisses me off is that some 'retailers' try to blame Karcher or the world and his wife!! - has anybody sent a 'super connector' to Karcher and asked for their comments? - perhaps a retailer should?

i've got many Karcher 'bits' some new and some very old but strangely they all fit - funny that eh?


----------



## Rundie

Mine has now got an M22 fitting direct onto the valve section as I'm going onto a HD pressure washer. Lots better as I get rid of the brass bayonet and also the tube and PTFE :thumb:


----------



## nick the fish

just wonder if any of the engineeering lads on here could offer a proper connector turned on a CNC?

might be a bit of 'pocket money' if they can do it at work?


----------



## PETER @ ECLIPSE

for the money that these things are going for , you shouldnt have to resort to doing your own engineering to make it fit .
looks to me as if someone has their head berried in the sand , 
if it dont fit send it back stop fxxxxxx about with bad PR, if these things start arriving back at the company theyll soon sort out the connection


----------



## Cozzer

My gun is now broken from trying to get the lance out the first time i put the lance on, the tight fit caused me to unscrew it improperly, it was extremely tight. Its deformed the two notches which lock the lance into the gun (the bayonet bit)

Supposed to press down and then twist to get it off (like a light bulb), but the two notches on the inside of the gun that hold the lance/attachment in place have deformed, so when i use my original karcher lance, twisting the end nozzle to high pressure mode now makes the gun fall out. 

I already sanded the peg inside, and then sprayed copper grease inside. Copper Grease really helped, much better than WD40 (and it doesnt dry).

Not totally blaming it on the HD lance, i have my own PW problems (i think the pressure switch is faulty). TheKarcher switches on with nothing attached to the gun, but doesnt switch on with the HD foam lance attached. Found someone in Knowsley who will take a look at it for £10.

Anyways, i need to buy a new gun and get the pressure switch looked at.

Bit of advice, If it requires a lot of effort to get the gun on in the first place, STOP, don't fully push it down or you will not be able to get it out again.


----------



## PETER @ ECLIPSE

which means theres a design fault, but hey if peeps keep buying them or certainly dont complain then nothing will be done .


----------



## shane_ctr

I have had mine for quite a while now and yes it is tight to fit but i seem to be ablt to get it in and out without to much hassel, i just deal with it to be honest, I think its great bit of kit:thumb:


----------



## nick the fish

thats the problem with this country - we get sold **** and do nothing about it!!

or at best have to spend time and money to sort it out

but we/you keep buying the **** despite reading these threads? - so who is the fool?


----------



## nick the fish

peter richards said:


> for the money that these things are going for , you shouldnt have to resort to doing your own engineering to make it fit .
> looks to me as if someone has their head berried in the sand ,
> if it dont fit send it back stop fxxxxxx about with bad PR, if these things start arriving back at the company theyll soon sort out the connection


no - 'some' blame Karcher or the moon phase  

or in the case of the 'flying brass pins' charge YOU for replacements!


----------



## Hotcoupe

Spooky,came on here to ask about the attachment I recently received from Auto-brite and found umpteen pages all about the same problem I'm having.
It's a nightmare to get in,then it won't lock in position,then it's a nightmare to get out again.Tried every type of lubricant known to man (and women for that matter!) all to no avail.

I can't believe some of the suggestions,why the hell should you carry out some kind of DIY engineering to get it to fit.

It's clearly not fit for purpose,so it will be going back.


----------



## jimjon

used mine for first time today, and i'm pretty impressed with it, had no problems, made good foam and could see it lifting the dirt off.

i noticed that with the new karcher handle attached to jet wash but without power on the water sprayed out in a thin fan type spray, whereas my old one would pour out like a hosepipe with nothing on the end.

there is definately something different in the handles that is causing the AB lance not to fit some peoples karchers machine.

i very gently tried the AB lance in my old handle, (must of been bought about 5yrs ago, maybe older) and it got stuck, i didn't even push it in, or try and turn it. But the new handle it fits very silky smooth and easy, everything is lined up, there are no brass pins that can fall out and the tape isn't really and issue i don't think.

time will tell i guess, but i'm happy with mine and don't agree with the ab lance being called unfit for purpose


----------



## [email protected]

Hello there we getting a bit disappointed and concerned with the problems some are having with the brass connectors..I have tried to explain the best way i can that the brass connectors are not at fault,the connectors are bought from our supplier in bulk (1000's)..They all are according to Karcher sizes and they dont do any more sizes in these brass connectors! 95% of them fit in the Karcher guns and dont have a problem at all and there are a few that have had stiffness/tightness problems! I can only see that it is the Karcher gun that is the problem??? As explained before on the guns that have the problem with the black plastic peg that is slightly bigger than the hole in the brass connector causing the tightness when the gun is engaging into the brass connector.If there was an issue with measurements surly there would be a problem with all of the Karcher guns would'nt there?? We have sold over 5000 of our foam lances with the brass connector and 95% of them have fitted with ease,however there have been a few that have not..These lances are built very well and made of heavy duty brass and well worth the money IMHO,,they are a lot better than the original lances we do.I have personally gone back to the supplier in Germany and asked for different sizes,,they have told us that karcher ONLY do ONE SIZE so the answer was no as they are to Karcher sizes and anything different simply would not fit...So to ask for different sizes for the connectors would be pointless as there may be 100's of different sizes and combinations??? We also asked them if they have had any problems withe the brass connectors and they told me they have not had any problems at all??So other than trying to do a small mod to your gun (eg grease etc etc) it will fit your Karcher gun in time,or is to purchase a new gun..Having said that we have a brand new Karcher Gun and a used Karcher gun upstairs and with both of them our connectors fit perfectly!! So i can only see the Karcher gun to be at fault..Guys you are not prepared to do a small mod to your gun (5 minute job) then maybe a foam lance is not for you?? iam really trying to be honest and helpful as i possibly can guys,really! You have got to remember DW members that there are hundreds of pressure washer suppliers that supply these Karcher brass connectors all over the UK and Europe even in the states and not just us. But i must stress that there only is a very small percentage that have had the tightness in there lance! Again guys we would like to stress that we ARE NOT putting any blame on anybody including Karcher but on this occasion it does look like its the Karcher gun as though they have changed the size ever so slightly?? Im in the dark as much as you about the connectors but we have really followed every step possible..We want to try to help our customers out as much as possible and feedback from our customers is very important indeed. Can one of you please call me on 01782 744115 so you & i can share our thoughts and problems and hopefully we can sort this..

if any more furthur comments or questions can you do the decent thing and call me?? I would love to speak with you!!


----------



## thomasb

"Again guys we would like to stress that we ARE NOT putting any blame on anybody including Karcher but on this occasion it does look like its the Karcher gun as though they have changed the size ever so slightly"

So you are saying it is Karcher that is at fault 

To be honest i was going to place an order with yourselves however i now find it impossible to do so reading this thread,being a retail manager myself for several years i find your approach to be very disappointing especially when your an approved trader of these very good forums.


----------



## [email protected]

thomasb said:


> "Again guys we would like to stress that we ARE NOT putting any blame on anybody including Karcher but on this occasion it does look like its the Karcher gun as though they have changed the size ever so slightly"
> 
> So you are saying it is Karcher that is at fault
> 
> To be honest i was going to place an order with yourselves however i now find it impossible to do so reading this thread,being a retail manager myself for several years i find your approach to be very disappointing especially when your an approved trader of these very good forums.


We are not blaming Karcher at all!! Look in the post,but the guns must have changed? Do we know for a fact that Karcher have changed the size of the gun?

Really sorry your disappointed mate,as we just stated we are not blaming Karcher at all! All we are saying is that the brass connectors are exactly the same as karcher sizes and our manufacturer do not make any more sizes? So we have spoke to the manufacturer and they have told us what i have told you..Maybe we should just take our lances of the shelf i think..


----------



## Deanoecosse

OK, I'm gonna stick up for Autobrite here and I'm going to say WITHOUT a doubt that the problem is with the KARCHER GUN. I'm saying this as someone who owns a HD Lance and a Karcher machine. My HD lance was a tight fit on my old Karcher gun (about 3 years old) and the Karcher gun started leaking. I then bought a brand new Karcher gun and the HD lance fitted PERFECTLY the first time I used it. However subsequent fittings proved to be tight again. 
As the brass lance connector is a piece of solid metal it cant possibly contract in size so the ONLY possible explanation is that the plastic peg in the KARCHER gun expanded slightly after it was first used hence making the fit a little tight. I simply gave the plastic peg a quick sand with wet & dry paper and put a little coppaslip on it and the lance goes on an off no problemo.
One thing I would say is DONT drill the lance, I did it with my original lance and fu**ed it!, just lightly sand the Karcher gun peg and use a little lubricant on it.


----------



## quattrogmbh

Hi All,
If it is the Karcher guns which are the root cause of the issue here, then the Vendor should clearly describe in their advertising / marketing collateral which of the Karcher guns the lance is designed to fit.
ie. As a prospective customer, what determines whether the lance is suitable for "my" Karcher Pressure Washer.

The vendor should work with Karcher to determine suitability for purpose if the lance is being advertised to be compatible with a Karcher product.


----------



## thomasb

I think taking the lances of sale is an idea you should seriously consider as you are selling a product, which in reading this thread you know there is a problem with.

Trading standards would take very a dim view on this and it would be you at fault (not the manufacturer or karcher),however other than some very off the wall comments, you have done your best to rectify the situation which i must give you credit for. 

Once this problem has been fixed i will most probably be ordering one


----------



## nick the fish

quattrogmbh said:


> Hi All,
> If it is the Karcher guns which are the root cause of the issue here, then the Vendor should clearly describe in their advertising / marketing collateral which of the Karcher guns the lance is designed to fit.
> ie. As a prospective customer, what determines whether the lance is suitable for "my" Karcher Pressure Washer.
> 
> The vendor should work with Karcher to determine suitability for purpose if the lance is being advertised to be compatible with a Karcher product.


thats hit the nail on the head

have any of the suppliers actually spoken to Karcher? - have Karcher confirmed they have changed the size of any component?

as i said earlier if its a Karcher problem why do many different Karcher 'bits' i have still fit the three different guns?

my guess is that Karcher will probably not be too helpful with non Karcher product - there again with the right approach Karcher may be prepared to take the foam lance 'on board' and make it an official product?

reading of the 'problems' it seems that there are just too many - and in truth this forum only reflects the views of a small minority - how many other buyers have just dumped the lance as a 'load of crap'? (a common brit approach)


----------



## Cozzer

jimjon said:


> i noticed that with the new karcher handle attached to jet wash but without power on the water sprayed out in a thin fan type spray, whereas my old one would pour out like a hosepipe with nothing on the end.
> 
> there is definately something different in the handles that is causing the AB lance not to fit some peoples karchers machine.
> 
> i very gently tried the AB lance in my old handle, (must of been bought about 5yrs ago, maybe older) and it got stuck, i didn't even push it in, or try and turn it.


My Gun is about 4-5 years old and is a bugger to get on or off. Once it was on, i turned the water on, it would drip out like you described. I also broke the inside of the gun where the bayonet is. So im hunting on ebay to find a new gun.

I remember someone posting an ebay seller who sold karcher guns or parts (ebay name karcherpower). Does anyone know the if they are reliable, 100% positive feedback, but ive never trusted ebay.


----------



## nick the fish

Cozzer said:


> My Gun is about 4-5 years old and is a bugger to get on or off. Once it was on, i turned the water on, it would drip out like you described. I also broke the inside of the gun where the bayonet is. So im hunting on ebay to find a new gun.
> 
> I remember someone posting an ebay seller who sold karcher guns or parts (ebay name karcherpower). Does anyone know the if they are reliable, 100% positive feedback, but ive never trusted ebay.


there are a couple of ebay sellers in Newark, Notts

told they are OK


----------



## cheezemonkhai

Deanoecosse said:


> OK, I'm gonna stick up for Autobrite here and I'm going to say WITHOUT a doubt that the problem is with the KARCHER GUN. I'm saying this as someone who owns a HD Lance and a Karcher machine.


So let me get this straight.

It is the KARCHER GUN.

Surely if there are the older and newer types of gun as you say then there needs to be two types of adapter for Karcher units?

Personally I find this explanation doubtful as in the family we have an old Karcher pressure washer with a lance with the built in pressure guage and a new lance.

The karcher accessories from both fit the other fine, so if there was a change then they wouldn't fit.

An interference design between a brass hole and a plastic peg is going to cause problems and when i measure the size of the hole on my karcher foam lance (As in the one made by karcher) it is greater than 8mm.

So as I see it either the manufacturer of the brass bit needs to fix their tolerances, they need to check they have the correct measurements or they need to make two connector types.

As I have said before and will say again, Karcher CAN NOT be wrong. They can say 8mm +- 1mm and that means any other adapters have to have a 9mm hole to deal with the worse case, but also be able to deal with anything down to 7mm.

If the old karcher tools fit the new handles and the new tools fit the old handles it can not be that causing problems!

I mean I want one of these, but I can't afford to take a chance with £50. That is a good chunk of the way to a PC/UDM/G220


----------



## Rundie

cheezemonkhai said:


> So as I see it either the manufacturer of the brass bit needs to fix their tolerances, they need to check they have the correct measurements or they need to make two connector types.


I wouldn't think that some sweatshop in China would know what a tolerance is I would think these are knocked out by the bucket load in the far east.


----------



## cheezemonkhai

Rundie said:


> I wouldn't think that some sweatshop in China would know what a tolerance is I would think these are knocked out by the bucket load in the far east.


Trust me I am well aware of the issues you can get with contract manufactures having to deal with these on a reasonably regular basis.

However even if karcher said their lances tollerance was 1", if you claim you support the gun, you have to support all cases.

It can't be a change in the gun as the old and new tools interchange with the old and new handles just fine.


----------



## [email protected]

Rundie said:


> I wouldn't think that some sweatshop in China would know what a tolerance is I would think these are knocked out by the bucket load in the far east.


made in Germany :thumb:


----------



## [email protected]

Its down to the people who make the foam lance fitment.You can not blame karcher because it is not there foam lance. All the suppliers crying about karcher saying its karchers fault need to take the responsibility and speak to the suppliers or manufacturers of the fitting.I'm sure karcher make more guns and different lances than the people who make the foam lance fitting.


----------



## Rundie

cossie devil said:


> made in Germany :thumb:


LOL, wouldn't buy a BMW then

Sorry mate, are you saying that the brass bayonet fittings used on foam lances are made in Germany or that Karchers are?
It's the aftermarket brass fitting we are on about.


----------



## [email protected]

YEVAD said:


> Its down to the people who make the foam lance fitment.You can not blame karcher because it is not there foam lance. All the suppliers crying about karcher saying its karchers fault need to take the responsibility and speak to the suppliers or manufacturers of the fitting.I'm sure karcher make more guns and different lances than the people who make the foam lance fitting.


We are not blaming Karcher!!!! OK.. As we said it looks like the plastic peg looks like it is the problem..Today i measured the hole diameter from 2 of our Karcher guns (the end vario lance that fits into the gun) and 50 brass connectors that fit into the Karcher lance- guess what the 50 brass connectors were exactly the same size 8.5mm in diameter,, 1 karcher gun was 8mm and the other one was 8.3mm.. Mmmm?

So that makes the brass connectors slightly bigger than the Karcher lance,which the brass connectors would be easier to fit wounld'nt they?


----------



## [email protected]

Rundie said:


> LOL, wouldn't buy a BMW then
> 
> Sorry mate, are you saying that the brass bayonet fittings used on foam lances are made in Germany or that Karchers are?
> It's the aftermarket brass fitting we are on about.


sorry the brass bayonet fitting s 
:thumb:


----------



## [email protected]

autobrite-direct said:


> We are not blaming Karcher!!!! OK.. As we said it looks like the plastic peg looks like it is the problem..Today i measured the hole diameter from 2 of our Karcher guns (the end vario lance that fits into the gun) and 50 brass connectors that fit into the Karcher lance- guess what the 50 brass connectors were exactly the same size 8.5mm in diameter,, 1 karcher gun was 8mm and the other one was 8.3mm.. Mmmm?
> 
> So that makes the brass connectors slightly bigger than the Karcher lance,which the brass connectors would be easier to fit wounld'nt they?


The point is it is not karchers responsibility to make sure the aftermarket product fits there original equipment is it? I do feel for you that you are trying to suply a useful tool but think bit more research and development is needed by the manufacturer.:thumb:


----------



## [email protected]

YEVAD said:


> The point is it is not karchers responsibility to make sure the aftermarket product fits there original equipment is it? I do feel for you that you are trying to suply a useful tool but think bit more research and development is needed by the manufacturer.:thumb:


Mmm it is strange that the difference between the 2 karcher guns were different in there sizes (hole sizes)..Ive just measured 1 more karcher lance and that was are different too..Strange 

however im going back to the manufacturer tomorrow and see if they can put any more light on this,,as said before 95% of the lances fit straight in..


----------



## Deanoecosse

I'll say it again as nobody seems to have picked up on my earlier post, the problem is THE PEG IN THE KARCHER GUN, NOT the HD lance fitting. I had a BRAND NEW Karcher gun and a new HD lance. The 1st time I fitted the HD lance to the gun it slipped on and off with no problem whatsoever, just as easily as my Karcher brand attachments. After the 1st time I used the lance it was slightly tighter to get off and subsequent fitting/removal of the HD lance proved to be a bit of a struggle. The ONLY explanation I can come up with is that the plastic peg in the Karcher gun has expanded slightly after the first use and is causing the tight fit, the HD lance fitting being brass couldn't possibly have contracted in size and caused the issue. A quick rub of the peg with a bit sandpaper & a smear of coppaslip on the Karcher peg and it'll slip into the hole easier than a cheap hooker!


----------



## bullit

being an aftermarket product it should fit, end of but i struggle to get my normal fitments on and off so over time somethings expanded or whatnot. its this problem has gone on for ages so couldnt something be used to connect that had more tolerences. its does need sorting out though for everyones sake


----------



## Cozzer

Ive ordered a new karcher gun off ebay, cost me just over 10 quid off a buyer called karcherpower. 

I personally think karcher attachments have a bigger diameter and fatter o-ring to make the seal tight. The o-ring on my foam lance is hardly noticeable when i look down the barrel of the brass connector. Hopefully this new gun will sort everything and i can have fun with foam.


----------



## Deanoecosse

Cozzer it will be interesting to hear how you get on with the new Karcher gun. I got my new Karcher lance from the same guy, great price and quick delivery. As I said, my HD lance fitted perfectly the 1st time I fitted it to the new gun but subsequent times proved pretty tight proving that the peg in the Karcher lance had expanded slightly with use. Let us know how you get on.


----------



## WHIZZER

Chaps these guns are supplied by lots of traders not just Autobrite ... 

Now i have a AB lance , all it needed was a bit of white grease and it slotted straight in , yes it was bit tight but once the grease was on it was fine.


----------



## twhincup

I bought a cheapish karcher from argos just so i could use a lance. the first two times it slipped on like a glove, they it wouldnt go on or off with re-enacting a john cleese scene in the front garden. i took a small fall to the end and now i've no problems at all (just be carefull of the rubber seal if u have one)


----------



## cheezemonkhai

autobrite-direct said:


> Mmm it is strange that the difference between the 2 karcher guns were different in there sizes (hole sizes)..Ive just measured 1 more karcher lance and that was are different too..Strange
> 
> however im going back to the manufacturer tomorrow and see if they can put any more light on this,,as said before 95% of the lances fit straight in..


The karcher guns are slightly different because they have a tolerance and hence the differ.

The after market brass fitments do not comply with this. As I've said having an old and a new karcher the tools freely interchange between two very different looking lance, therefore it can not be the karcher that has the problem.

Two options are get the tolerance right or get two connector types and supply both along with some thread lock compound.

The people saying it is the peg that is the problem are missing the point. Karcher make the guns, so Karcher define the size and the tollerance, they CAN NOT be wrong as IT IS THEIR SPECIFICATION!

The pegs can differ by 2mm between guns for all I care, but they must be within the Karcher tolerance as all their tools fit just fine. So whoever is contract manufacturing this adapter needs to investigate their tolerances and get them right.

If that means a 9mm hole and a bigger, softer washer then that is the answer. This issue obviously isn't just for AB but regardless it needs fixing.


----------



## Epoch

^^^This is true

If an aftermarket bodykit didn't fit i'm sure you wouldn't be phoning to complain to the car maker.


----------



## nick the fish

Autobrite said on the connector he measured the 'hole' was 8.5mm

how come others have had to drill out the hole to 8.5mm?

admittedly mine was not from Autobrite (same thing from another supplier)

and i had to drill mine out to 8.5mm

i suggest that at least forum sellers withdraw this product until the matter is resolved

TALK TO KARCHER!!!

btw - did Karcher provide the manufacturer of the connectors with dimensions/tolerances of their lances or did somebody just measure a Karcher lance?


----------



## cheezemonkhai

To the people measuring lances, a sample of 2 or 3 or 10 isn't significant. A sample of say 1000 guns would give a mean size and a good estimate at tolerance.

Better than measuring a karcher gun would be measuring a karcher foam lance etc as these will take into account the worse case on the gun.


----------



## [email protected]

Ok Guys i have spoke to our Main supplier and they are looking into this and reading this thread on DW and we are going to try and come up with something else..I will keep you informed on the progress.

Regards Mark


----------



## cheezemonkhai

autobrite-direct said:


> Ok Guys i have spoke to our Main supplier and they are looking into this and reading this thread on DW and we are going to try and come up with something else..I will keep you informed on the progress.
> 
> Regards Mark


Nice one 

Will your offer on the lances be extended at all as I would very much like one, but as said I can't take a chance on £50 with this issue hanging over the item.


----------



## nick the fish

autobrite-direct said:


> Ok Guys i have spoke to our Main supplier and they are looking into this and reading this thread on DW and we are going to try and come up with something else..I will keep you informed on the progress.
> 
> Regards Mark


thanks

are they going to talk to Karcher?


----------



## Fourbears

Just picked up a Karcher K2.99 at Halfrauds (for £50!)and guess what? My AB lance fits perfectly. Like Mark says, it appears to be the Karcher lances as my other one doesn't! Must be down to the manufacturing tolerances for the plastic pegs.


----------



## bullit

my plan is to get another gun and leave it on and then swap guns instead of attachments. i think someone should make one lol


----------



## cheezemonkhai

Fourbears said:


> Just picked up a Karcher K2.99 at Halfrauds (for £50!)and guess what? My AB lance fits perfectly. Like Mark says, it appears to be the Karcher lances as my other one doesn't! Must be down to the manufacturing tolerances for the plastic pegs.


Or maybe the brass connector doesn't allow for the tolerances specified by Karcher on their connector. As I've already said, Karcher can't be wrong with their own connector as they wrote the spec for it.

Now Mark (AB) has said they are going to speak to their manufacturer, so I guess we have to wait and see what they say before going any further.

I know full well that if he gets a nothing wrong guv, then I won't be buying.


----------



## dantheman

somebody needs to measure both fitments on the original karcher pieces
not just the pin
then you will be able to tell if the ab fitment is within these tolerances
everybodys just measuring the plastic part that fits onto the ab lance , its the other part of the karcher fitment that will give a manufacturer tolerance
the ab lance should have equal tolerances to this part not the part getting sanded down to fit
as for it fitting ok then getting tighter, this could be caused if the tolerances are to tight, any grit, scratch or abrasion caused by tolerances being to tight will make the plastic bigger hence locking the two bits together

it seems that if the ab part is drilled out to 8.5 it fits, it the corresponding karcher fitment is 8.5 (not the peg that everybodys sanding) this is the correct tolerance
somebody really needs to measure the "female" karcher fitment not the peg fitment


----------



## dantheman

just a suggestion to sort this out
maybe mark at ab could get a small batch drilled out to 8.5 as this seems to sort it out
then those 5% who do have a problem with a tight fit could just send original part back for a swop out to the modified one
everybodys happy and the ab lance will be 100% compatible again


----------



## [email protected]

dantheman said:


> just a suggestion to sort this out
> maybe mark at ab could get a small batch drilled out to 8.5 as this seems to sort it out
> then those 5% who do have a problem with a tight fit could just send original part back for a swop out to the modified one
> everybodys happy and the ab lance will be 100% compatible again


We are trying to sort somethin out mate so i will keep you posted.Thanks for your comments..


----------



## cheezemonkhai

dantheman said:


> just a suggestion to sort this out
> maybe mark at ab could get a small batch drilled out to 8.5 as this seems to sort it out
> then those 5% who do have a problem with a tight fit could just send original part back for a swop out to the modified one
> everybodys happy and the ab lance will be 100% compatible again


Shouldn't have to do this as what happens if it fits then stops fitting or a year down the line you change your lance.

Once connector should fit all, but hopefully the contract manufacturer will get this sorted.


----------



## Cozzer

I got a new gun today, The peg is slightly different in shape at the end than the old on. The old peg has a round hole at the end, the new looks like it has a upper and lower lip. Imagine the shape of a snake with its mouth open, whereas the old one is just a tapered tube.

The hd lance fits slightly easier than the old lance, bit of copper grease and it went on much easier, and alot better than wd40. 

Also the new gun fixed my karcher when using the normal karcher lance, turn the power on and it compresses straight away, like it did when it was new. The HD lance still doesnt seem to work, the machine turned on for a few seconds, foam came out, i released the trigger and the machine wouldnt turn on again. Il try again in tomorrow.

But there is a slight difference compared to my 4 year old gun.


----------



## M4D YN

had the same problem with brand new ab hd foam lance and its tite aswell,but its better tite than slack as they say ,so iv had the same very recent dealings with the ab guys and they couldnt be any nicer:thumb: ,and i would agree wit them in saying,that its just down to the prob of being 2 diff companies that make th pw and lance and you will find it hard to get a good fit with aftermarket parts


----------



## cheezemonkhai

scott. said:


> had the same problem with brand new ab hd foam lance and its tite aswell,but its better tite than slack as they say ,so iv had the same very recent dealings with the ab guys and they couldnt be any nicer:thumb: ,and i would agree wit them in saying,that its just down to the prob of being 2 diff companies that make th pw and lance and you will find it hard to get a good fit with aftermarket parts


It's amazing how when we follow specs where I work each with different tolerances we can make a product that is built at various factories on different continents around the world and then assemble it all in another place and it all fits together just fine.

On the odd chance something doesn't that bit is redesigned as regardless of who made it, the customer is our customer and if they are not happy then they won't buy from us again.

I really wish people would stop with the you can't make a good aftermarket fit, because quite frankly that is just cr*p and you can find lots of aftermarket parts.

I mean if this was the case how would aftermarket pistons, or wheels or tyres or anything else on a car work.

I await an answer from AB's supplier, but if it is anything short of a redesign or admission of a quality issue I can't see it solving the problem IMHO.


----------



## jimjon

Cozzer said:


> I got a new gun today, The peg is slightly different in shape at the end than the old on. The old peg has a round hole at the end, the new looks like it has a upper and lower lip. Imagine the shape of a snake with its mouth open, whereas the old one is just a tapered tube.
> 
> The hd lance fits slightly easier than the old lance, bit of copper grease and it went on much easier, and alot better than wd40.
> 
> Also the new gun fixed my karcher when using the normal karcher lance, turn the power on and it compresses straight away, like it did when it was new. The HD lance still doesnt seem to work, the machine turned on for a few seconds, foam came out, i released the trigger and the machine wouldnt turn on again. Il try again in tomorrow.
> 
> But there is a slight difference compared to my 4 year old gun.


like this?










they are definatley whats causing the problem, the one on the right, my karcher lance doesn't go into to????? neither does the AB lance.....

but the one on the right, they both fit perfectly....


----------



## jimjon

looks how badly made the karcher things are :! :lol:


----------



## cheezemonkhai

jimjon said:


> ....
> 
> they are definatley whats causing the problem, the one on the right, my karcher lance doesn't go into to????? neither does the AB lance.....
> 
> but the one on the right, they both fit perfectly....


So the autobright (and other peoples) brass lance connector isn't right for current Karchers then.

That means AB's manufacturers need to either redesign or make two connectors. If a Karcher tool doesn't fir then I'd be on the phone to Karcher asking for a replacement.

As I have said time and time again, if something is karcher compatible, since Karcher wrote the spec for their own gun; KARCHER by definition CAN NOT be wrong.


----------



## jimjon

i spoke to karcher about my lance from them, the guy was useless really, couldn't explain it and just said to grease it. I gave up, got a new handle and new AB lance, they fitted perfectly. (the original plan was to get another handle, fit lance into it once, and just swap the hose over instead of the lance)

i don't know why the handles are different, the only thing i could think of is:

A) they updated them at some point, my old handle is 5yrs+ old
B) the guns are different due to the different flow rating

I really think karcher changed something and won't admit it, am going to send them the above photo


----------



## cheezemonkhai

Even if karcher totally changed the design so it now inclded a 90 degree bend for no reason in the last 5 years, if the AB (and other) brass connector doesn't take this into account, then it doesn't fit. If it doesn't fit they can't sell it as Karcher compatible!

As I just said, BY DEFINITION KARCHER CAN NOT BE WRONG!

Mark, any news from your manufacturers yet?


----------



## jimjon

thats what i'm saying, i bought a KARCHER FOAM LANCE

it didn't fit my KARCHER PRESSURE WASHER

I complained to karcher, who still have no reason/exuse why this is, they told me to grease it???

so i bought an AB FOAM LANCE and a new KARCHER HANDLE

Everything fits and works fine now.

so obviously AB's connector is designed to suit one handle, which it does. If Karcher don't even know that their handles are different, then how can you expect AB to know?

Its as KARCHER COMPATIBLE as a KARCHER FOAM LANCE, (which conicedently don't fit every single KARCHER pressure washer)


----------



## nick the fish

jimjon said:


> thats what i'm saying, i bought a KARCHER FOAM LANCE
> 
> it didn't fit my KARCHER PRESSURE WASHER
> 
> I complained to karcher, who still have no reason/exuse why this is, they told me to grease it???
> 
> so i bought an AB FOAM LANCE and a new KARCHER HANDLE
> 
> Everything fits and works fine now.
> 
> so obviously AB's connector is designed to suit one handle, which it does. If Karcher don't even know that their handles are different, then how can you expect AB to know?
> 
> Its as KARCHER COMPATIBLE as a KARCHER FOAM LANCE, (which conicedently don't fit every single KARCHER pressure washer)


well i've got numerous Karcher bits going back years before detailing existed!!

and they ALL fit my new and old Karcher guns


----------



## jimjon

i don't know what to add anymore really?

all my stuff now works and i can foam away problem free.

in my eyes i can see what caused my problem, i fixed it, the end :lol:


----------



## Cozzer

Hi Jimjon,

That is exactly like mine, although mine is still a little tight, copper greased allowed me to fit it properly, as you press the lance in when you're fitting it, it doesnt pop back out unless you pull it. 

Also, from your picture, be very careful not to wear down the little notch which stops the lance from twisting out. If it does wear out, like my old gun, the lance can go flying out if its under high pressure, quite dangerous if it goes flying at your car. 

One question i do need to ask is, does the power of the pressure washer matter with these foam lances? My pw is on the blink and was thinking of buying a 50 quid karcher just to use the foam lance.

:newbie:


----------



## chr15barn3s

jimjon said:


> like this?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> they are definatley whats causing the problem, the one on the right, my karcher lance doesn't go into to????? neither does the AB lance.....
> 
> but the one on the right, they both fit perfectly....


Mine has the fitting on the left. Ive used my lance 5 times now since ive had it and its still going on and coming off fine.


----------



## taffyracer

Was about to buy one of these until I saw this, is there an alternative to the AB one that works well, can't be arsed with drilling and all that?


----------



## plac

had my karcher almost 4 years an my AB foam lance fits no probs but a couple of weeks ago i tried it on my dads karcher.his is about 12 months old an i couldnt get it on even with moderate force. karcher have definately changed something somewhere along the line!!


----------



## taffyracer

Do Autbobrite sell the Karcher as well, would be interested in a complete package as long as there were no issues


----------



## cheezemonkhai

:wall: :wall: :wall: 

OK, the AB is an aftermarket product that is trying to fit the Karcher spec.

I really don't know how many times I have to say this, but by definition the Karcher spec can't be wrong as they definate the spec for their products.

If something changed that means AB lance doesn't fit it is down to AB to provide multiple connectors or produce a single connector that fits all.

If something is `karcher compatible` there is 100% no way you can blame karcher for it not fitting even if they were to completely change their design.

So you either need multiple connectors, a new connectors or the supplier needs to specify which karchers it will work with.

:wall: :wall: :wall:


----------



## shane_ctr

i have to agree its the same when modding a car or an thing aftermarket bits are never perfect


----------



## [email protected]

taffyracer said:


> Was about to buy one of these until I saw this, is there an alternative to the AB one that works well, can't be arsed with drilling and all that?


Hi mate dont be put off if you want one it is not AB's fault there are other people that sell the lance and you might get the the issue of it being tight.
Have you got a karcher?
Where in Cardiff are you?
If you you are close you are welcome to check mine out for your self if you want.
Davey


----------



## bullit

cheezemonkhai said:


> :wall: :wall: :wall:
> 
> OK, the AB is an aftermarket product that is trying to fit the Karcher spec.
> 
> I really don't know how many times I have to say this, but by definition the Karcher spec can't be wrong as they definate the spec for their products.
> 
> If something changed that means AB lance doesn't fit it is down to AB to provide multiple connectors or produce a single connector that fits all.
> 
> If something is `karcher compatible` there is 100% no way you can blame karcher for it not fitting even if they were to completely change their design.
> 
> So you either need multiple connectors, a new connectors or the supplier needs to specify which karchers it will work with.
> 
> :wall: :wall: :wall:


lol.... we get you


----------



## cheezemonkhai

bullit said:


> lol.... we get you


I think I'm preaching to the converted, it just gets a little bit  when you keep seeing people blaming karcher.


----------



## nick the fish

cheezemonkhai said:


> I think I'm preaching to the converted, it just gets a little bit  when you keep seeing people blaming karcher.


you and me both

IF and its a BIG IF - Karcher have changed anything - then why do my old Karcher attachments fit my new AND old Karcher lances?


----------



## jimjon

WHO KNOWS???

but why doens't my karcher attachment fit all my karcher guns, i have access to 3 different pressure washers and 5 different guns, and they aren't all the same

its easy to see what has happened here, karcher can be wrong as they are wrong :lol: i have the same tight fit situation with a karcher attachment.


----------



## nick the fish

jimjon said:


> WHO KNOWS???
> 
> but why doens't my karcher attachment fit all my karcher guns, i have access to 3 different pressure washers and 5 different guns, and they aren't all the same
> 
> its easy to see what has happened here, karcher can be wrong as they are wrong :lol: i have the same tight fit situation with a karcher attachment.


i'm confused as to what your saying exactly


----------



## jimjon

when i was using a karcher foam lance i had the same problem people are having with their AB lance.


----------



## cheezemonkhai

jimjon said:


> when i was using a karcher foam lance i had the same problem people are having with their AB lance.


All of my attachments and my relatives fit just fine to all the washers we have. There was a thread somewhere mentioning a tight for for a lavour attachment too. Coincidence perhaps, or are lavour wrong too?

So lets say you design a pressure washer, and then you design a connector with a given tolerance.

I make an after market gun that fits fine for the first 1000 made but doesn't fit the ones after this as you decided to get it mass produced. Your guns are still within your spec and tolerance, but they have changed marginally.

So whose fault is it that my gun doesn't fit any more, yours?

*To Mark @ AB*

If I buy a HD foamer in January, will you give a public assurance that should there be problems with the connector you will rectify it in a reasonable time (1 month) or if this is not possible take the item back for a refund?

I'd like to buy one, but I'm not paying out £50 and then another £30 for a new karcher lance. I'm also not willing to go taking my existing lance to pieces to alter it.

Thanks in advance.


----------



## Guest

I too am looking into buying a foam lance (for a karcher) and would like an assurance that if it dosnt fit I can send back with no problems, rather than trying to fix it myself.

How long is a foam lance expected to work for?

12 weeks?

12 months?

Not having a go at AB but would just like to know where I stand if I buy one from them and it goes a bit wrong in 8 months time.


----------



## f13ldy

plac said:


> had my karcher almost 4 years an my AB foam lance fits no probs but a couple of weeks ago i tried it on my dads karcher.his is about 12 months old an i couldnt get it on even with moderate force. karcher have definately changed something somewhere along the line!!


They have changed something but my experience is opposite to yours.

I had an old model probably equal to a 299 of todays standards. This died but I kept the hose and handle. Bought a brand new 235db and then an AB lance.

The lance fits the new handle like a glove but doesn't fit the old handle.

Confused? I am.


----------



## jimjon

thats the mystery apparantely, AB lance wouldn't fit my really old karcher handle

buy a brand new handle it fits perfectly.

but according to folk here karcher haven't changed anything????


----------



## Ruthless

my karcher foam bottle doesnt fit my karcher, both karcher branded so in my instance karcher is at fault as there own attachments dont fit.

i can get to twist on sometimes, but the majority of the time i need to hold it on so i can foam my car.

take that as you will, i feel karcher has quality control issues and use a bin of stuff, and whatever comes out they use.


----------



## cheezemonkhai

Ruthless said:


> my karcher foam bottle doesnt fit my karcher, both karcher branded so in my instance karcher is at fault as there own attachments dont fit.
> 
> i can get to twist on sometimes, but the majority of the time i need to hold it on so i can foam my car.
> 
> take that as you will, i feel karcher has quality control issues and use a bin of stuff, and whatever comes out they use.


Hold it on... You can hold a piece of plastic against 100BAR+ 

My my, you must have strong hands:lol:


----------



## Ruthless

it sort of jams in but wont twist and lock if you know what i mean. i have popeye arms


----------



## cheezemonkhai

Ruthless said:


> it sort of jams in but wont twist and lock if you know what i mean. i have popeye arms


I found that was just me not pushing hard enough against the spring  :thumb:

Push it in a bit harder when I put it on and had no problems.


----------



## Ruthless

i push it directly into the ground, any more weight on it i would be doing a handstand lol


----------



## cheezemonkhai

Eek,

ok i just hole one in each hand, push and twist


----------



## ianFRST

well, ill say it again, i have 3 karcher lances, and my AB lance fits into only one of them perfectly. prefectly in, prefectly out, the other 2 are tight as anything.

figure of that what you will, but thats proof that not all lances are the same


----------



## TrickyT

Mine fits onto my Karcher 2.35 ok, just needs a bit of a push. Leant it to my dad who also has a 2.35 and it won't go on for love nor money.

Trevor


----------



## [email protected]

cheezemonkhai said:


> All of my attachments and my relatives fit just fine to all the washers we have. There was a thread somewhere mentioning a tight for for a lavour attachment too. Coincidence perhaps, or are lavour wrong too?
> 
> So lets say you design a pressure washer, and then you design a connector with a given tolerance.
> 
> I make an after market gun that fits fine for the first 1000 made but doesn't fit the ones after this as you decided to get it mass produced. Your guns are still within your spec and tolerance, but they have changed marginally.
> 
> So whose fault is it that my gun doesn't fit any more, yours?
> 
> *To Mark @ AB*
> 
> If I buy a HD foamer in January, will you give a public assurance that should there be problems with the connector you will rectify it in a reasonable time (1 month) or if this is not possible take the item back for a refund?
> 
> I'd like to buy one, but I'm not paying out £50 and then another £30 for a new karcher lance. I'm also not willing to go taking my existing lance to pieces to alter it.
> 
> Thanks in advance.


At the moment we are awaiting a response from our suppliers in germany,at the moment there are talks about making the hole in the brass connector slightly bigger than it already is?? Approx 8.5mm..I will let you know..Hopefully it wont be too long now..


----------



## bullit

the connector bigger and the rubber bit inside bigger i think. 

then you can sell cheese one


----------



## Cozzer

Ruthless said:


> i push it directly into the ground, any more weight on it i would be doing a handstand lol


I had to do this on my old lance, but because it was such a tight fit, when you push the lance in, twist it, its meant to pop back out a bit and lock into the bayonet. But because its a tight fit, it doesnt pop back out and lock.

In the end, i broke my old lance because it was jammed. Bought a new one from ebay for 10 pounds, fits slightly better but its still tight, copper grease helps!


----------



## cheezemonkhai

autobrite-direct said:


> At the moment we are awaiting a response from our suppliers in germany,at the moment there are talks about making the hole in the brass connector slightly bigger than it already is?? Approx 8.5mm..I will let you know..Hopefully it wont be too long now..


:thumb: Excellent news.

Will it still be possible to take advantage of the HD lance offer you have going or will that be expiring in the next two days.


----------



## trueno86

mine fitted absolutly brilliant the first few times as well, Now its the tightest thing ever, doe sthat mean the plastic peg has expanded a wee bit? should i sand that or should i drill the brass bit, i don't understand how the plastic bit can expland. someone please help me


----------



## [email protected]

trueno86 said:


> mine fitted absolutly brilliant the first few times as well, Now its the tightest thing ever, doe sthat mean the plastic peg has expanded a wee bit? should i sand that or should i drill the brass bit, i don't understand how the plastic bit can expland. someone please help me


Try to sand lightly the plastic peg mate, i dont think the peg will expand in water..

As for the January off i will be extending the offer for you DW guys just for you..

I will let you know as soon as i here something guys..:thumb:


----------



## [email protected]

Guys can you help??

I need a Karcher gun that is a tight fit with our brass connector?? Any body got one i can borrow to send off to my suppliers???

Of course i willl refund you the postage costs,,this would help us a lot and especially if your not using it???

Thanks Lads

Mark:thumb: :thumb:


----------



## nick the fish

autobrite-direct said:


> At the moment we are awaiting a response from our suppliers in germany,at the moment there are talks about making the hole in the brass connector slightly bigger than it already is?? Approx 8.5mm..I will let you know..Hopefully it wont be too long now..


hang on a minute please

correct me if i'm wrong but in an earlier post you said you measured 50+ connectors and the 'hole' was 8.5mm?

your post no 184!!


----------



## [email protected]

nick the fish said:


> hang on a minute please
> 
> correct me if i'm wrong but in an earlier post you said you measured 50+ connectors and the 'hole' was 8.5mm?
> 
> your post no 184!!


My word you are on the ball arnt you?? I meant approx 8.5mm - 9mm if you want to be precise.


----------



## Epoch

autobrite-direct said:


> approx 8.5mm - 9mm if you want to be precise.


:lol: love that:lol:

Ever thought of going into politics Mark

On a side note I appreciate your help in sorting this


----------



## maersk

And an extended offer............

Thanks for that.:driver:


----------



## cheezemonkhai

Could i suggest a sample of old and new guns that are tight fitting.

Thanks for the offer extension and actually getting them to look into this problem. :thumb:


----------



## [email protected]

cheezemonkhai said:


> Could i suggest a sample of old and new guns that are tight fitting.
> 
> Thanks for the offer extension and actually getting them to look into this problem. :thumb:


If we could just borrow a Karcher gun that is tight we can try the new connector on it,,when we have them..


----------



## smart valeting

Mark mine as had a bit of trouble going on lol ive had it about 5 weeks and now its fits like a new one lol you could copy my conection so their all the same ????


----------



## p1tse

Hello to all, as the original poster, i'm kind of glad that discussions have gone on about this product. This is one reason for an open forum. 

I had excellent service from AB when i initially brought the lance and some snow foam. At the same time i brought myself a PW from Robert Dyas. 

The first few times it went on and off as easy as anything else. the two times after it got stiffer. Then came half a dozen of time use, it was a right pain and I was annoyed. After I read some posts regarding tightness, I decided to drill with a 8mm drill bit I recall. I went straight through.

I slipped it back on the lance etc. but it stopped foaming. 

Good service from AB again, as agreed to exchange the item. The exchange item for me, was even worse and I doubt it would even fit if it was hammered on. This time I thought I'll ask my uncle if he could get the o ring out and drill the brass, hoping it doesn't get damage, will fit and foam (which i'm still waiting to get back).

In the meantime i saw karcker foam lance in halfords for £15. Albeit being alot smaller bottle, doesn't foam as much, i'm happy to use this going forward. 

If and when I get the AB lance back from my uncle, if it fits and work great, if it doesn't I'll have to swallow the £50 waisted and not to buy another product like this. With all aftermarket items, there will be a percentage rate of issues, but this is too high for my liking. If it was sold as "modifications may be required" with reading the forum I would give it a miss. 

I'm glad that things have moved on and changes hope to be made, as i'm sold by people opinions and it's suppose to be good and plug and play.

I just wished Karcher produced something similar with a bigger bottle and something which foamed a bit more, but the little yellow bottle at £15 is a joy at all times at the moment. 

Look forward to the updates


----------



## nick the fish

one thing if you drill out to say 8.5mm

don't use your handheld drill

get access the a bench drill press and use with a proper drill bit (engineering/tooling quality) and cutting fluid - you will get far better end results

i've got all the gear in my workshop and will happily do the work for anybody who sends me their lance - i'll also remove the crap PTFE tape and use pro Locktite to align the lance properly with the 'handle'

i'll also remove all the rough casting blemishes from the attachment with a grinder

i'll do this for FREE -- but cannot accept any responsibility apart from the fact that when it leaves me it will fit my Karcher handset etc - also it will no doubt void your warranty with AB and any other supplier


----------



## jimjon

just to update people

used my foam lance about 5-6 times now and today it was a little hard to pull out of handle.

so i applied a tiny amount of grease to the inside of the brass connector and its back to new again


----------



## Transit

Used my lance yesterday and guess what? That's right, it was a complete b4stard to get on and off. So I thought well the brass connector can't have changed it must be the plastic bit in the Karcher handle. So took it to pieces and sanded the end of it lightly. It fits perfectly now.


----------



## ianFRST

ill take pics my karcher lance in the week, as its nothing like that :wall: :wall:


----------



## Transit

ianFRST said:


> ill take pics my karcher lance in the week, as its nothing like that :wall: :wall:


That's from a K4.99M.


----------



## bullit

ive just ordered a new gun, fingers crossed


----------



## bullit

bullit said:


> ive just ordered a new gun, fingers crossed


and she fits. will be blasting snowfoam in no time


----------



## chris197sport

Transit said:


> Used my lance yesterday and guess what? That's right, it was a complete b4stard to get on and off. So I thought well the brass connector can't have changed it must be the plastic bit in the Karcher handle. So took it to pieces and sanded the end of it lightly. It fits perfectly now.


How did you get it in two pieces? I have removed the two screws at the end of the lance but the rest of it seems to be rivited! Am i right?


----------



## Transit

It had (about) 7 torx screws holding it together. No rivets.


----------



## [email protected]

Right!

Ok guys AB here! We have been in talks with our manufacturer about the Karcher bayonet connector..It seems as though the seal may be the problem on a few that have been tight.If you look into the brass connector there is a rubber seal half way down,it seems as though when the black plastic peg (in your Karcher lance) is pushed into the brass connector it has to go in and it pushes past the seal to seal it and to stop any water escaping.The tightness may be caused by a dry seal/over sized seal or a dislodged seal,and this would cause the stiffness/tightness on the black plastic peg and it would be very tight indeed .

So we have been instructed to replace all the brass connectors that are tight and send them back to us for a close inspection,it seems that the hole in the brass connector is fine and are to Karcher sizes.So if you would like to call me on 01782 744115 you can send this back to me and we will replace F.O.C and refund your postage and hopefully this will sort it out..

We have had a meeting with our supplier over a hour today and this is the conclusion we have come to,the rubber seal would cause tightness if there was a problem with the seal,,hence thats why it gets easier when WD40 is sprayed into it..

Let me know please??? Call me..

Thanks mark:thumb:


----------



## Dougster

#91

"Autobrite informed me that I had no ring for the Karcher fitting and it was my lance that was the problem. How come others with a Karcher have 'o' rings then??"

So if I don't have an 'o' ring (lost in transit or by me or was never there in the first place) why did mine not fit until I drilled it?

If I now _*do*_ require an 'o' ring can you send me one then please Mark.


----------



## [email protected]

Dougster said:


> #91
> 
> "Autobrite informed me that I had no ring for the Karcher fitting and it was my lance that was the problem. How come others with a Karcher have 'o' rings then??"
> 
> So if I don't have an 'o' ring (lost in transit or by me or was never there in the first place) why did mine not fit until I drilled it?
> 
> If I now _*do*_ require an 'o' ring can you send me one then please Mark.


Right ok send it back then


----------



## russgt

Mine _was_ tight as hell on my Karcher K6.85 :wall: ...... until I drilled out the brass connector to 8.5mm, of course I had to remove the 'O' Ring first with a needle & refit after drilling which was fairly easy :thumb: 
Works fine now 

TBH I don't think the 'O' ring is the problem here cause mine was still tight after removing it. Once I had drilled the brass out to 8.5mm it was perfect.

I don't like the way the adjustable nozzle seems to pull off far too easily then having to root around on the floor on hands & knees searching for the flippin brass PINS!!  AARRGGG!!


----------



## Dibbuz

My thight as well, my father drilled it out a bit with a Dremel and a bit of grease and it goes on and off perfectly!

I love the look on the faces of the neighboors when they see my car wrapped in foam


----------



## cheezemonkhai

Did this get any further?


----------



## Ducky

Mine was fine for the first few goes, but as the weather got colder it tightened up - super fine tolerances perhaps? I drilled out the brass bit to 8.5mm and it's fine now. Hoping it will be ok in the warmer weather too. :thumb:


----------



## glyn waxmaster

i have to say i have had a dozen of these off mark for clients and not one has been a problem. Many thanks Mark

will call you tommorow as i need another 3


----------



## cheezemonkhai

So is AB now selling modified connectors with the lance, what was the final solution? Anybody at AB care to say where we are at with these?


----------



## [email protected]

Ok we are still awaiting for a batch of connectors to arrive to us,they have properly re drilled and fit like a dream..As soon as i get them,,i will post details up..

Thanks


----------



## jimjon

just to follow up on my experiences, i know i sounded like i'd got mine all sorted, but after using the lance about 6 times it is now a pain in the **** to get in and out of handle, had been trying grease but that stopped working.

i could only work out that the plastic peg in handle is expanding over time with the water pressure going through it, i can't see the brass changing, it has to be the handle.

so i sanded the plastic peg down and all is fine again. No need to take handle apart i just rolled some sandpaper up, rough side in, and taped it to a little drill.......like so


















did the job in about 2mins


----------



## evobaz

autobrite-direct said:


> Ok we are still awaiting for a batch of connectors to arrive to us,they have properly re drilled and fit like a dream..As soon as i get them,,i will post details up..
> 
> Thanks


So are you acknowledging that the problem with the tight fitting is due to the brass connectors then?


----------



## nick the fish

evobaz said:


> So are you acknowledging that the problem with the tight fitting is due to the brass connectors then?


so when we were drilling out the brass connector we were right?

so is 8.5mm the correct size?


----------



## Dougster

"Right ok send it back then"

You have been in denial from the start. I have drilled it and reset the nozzle using Loctite.

Why should I send it back when I have it working the way it should have in the first place.

Is there ANY apology for the problems caused..................


----------



## jimjon

i still think its the plastic parts, karcher use plastic on plastic fitting, brass and plastic doesn't expand etc at the same rate


----------



## cheezemonkhai

jimjon said:


> i still think its the plastic parts, karcher use plastic on plastic fitting, brass and plastic doesn't expand etc at the same rate


Metals are effected by temperature expansion far more than plastics :thumb:


----------



## Dougster




----------



## nick the fish

Dougster said:


>


fecking brilliant mate!!!

or is this the new AB 'head in the sand fitting'?


----------



## [email protected]

nick the fish said:


> fecking brilliant mate!!!
> 
> or is this the new AB 'head in the sand fitting'?


Not funny!

Anyway as explained to our customers we will be soon having in the new connectors for the tight fit lances.They are arriving soon and we will be replacing the tight fit connector but we will need the old one back..

We will keep you posted


----------



## trueno86

ahh. So once you get it. We will just send u the old ones back. and u will send us the new connectors. i was about to sand the plastic bit. but i would rather wait for the new connectors


----------



## mathmos

I've just gone down the opening of the karcher gun route and filing down the black peg a bit. My lance now fits perfectly and comes on and off just like the other karcher attachments :thumb: 

A word of caution to others who go down this route make sure you pay close attention when you dismantle the gun or else you too might not notice a small spring drop out without which the trigger machanism is useless upon putting back together DOH! :wall: 

Took me ages to suss that out


----------



## jimjon

see my post a page or so back, no need to take gun apart, just think a bit more clevery


----------



## Epoch

I saw a new Karcher Mark VI gun the other day with a metal centre pin


----------



## Waz

Good to hear that replacments are going to be made available, only had mine 3 weeks but it is a pain to put on and remove so I can'y be bothered using it.


----------



## jpmcc

When will the new fitment be available to purchase with the AB Foam Lance, I have been waiting patiently for a while now to place my order but want to wait until I'll get the new fitment.


----------



## mattykhz

I need my tight fitting lance sorting. Please let me know when these new connectors are in. I have only used it once and have been put off by the fixing/removal of it.


----------



## cheezemonkhai

Might actually buy one of these if the offer price is still running when the new connectors are in.


----------



## nick the fish

been chatting to a friend who's business is engineering - he's apalled at the stuff he's read on here

to quote him - 'if i supplied crap like that i'd soon be out of business'!!

if there is sufficient interest he MAY be prepared to make the connectors by special order - they would be cnc machined from bar stock - not rough cast as currently available


----------



## Waz

no progress on replacments yet?


----------



## nick the fish

Waz said:


> no progress on replacments yet?


Christmas will come sooner


----------



## MarcC

Is there any update on these new connectors?

Thanks
Marc.


----------



## ianFRST

my lance fitted perfect a few weeks back! its not getting a paint to remove again. why the fook does this happen?? 

will be stripping the gun and sanding the peg i think


----------



## [email protected]

Guys as soon as we have news we will let you all know..
As for the standard and quality of these connectors they are supplied all over the world to many of pressure washer supply stores and are of only 1 supplier,so you can appreciate the trouble im having in correcting them? The main supplier are unaware of any trouble with these connectors at all.As explained we have had various Karcher lances and out of 10 guns we have found that 5 were different sizes? I dont know if Karcher have had trouble with some of the guns/sizes?? Anyway i will try my very best for you guys and i will let you know as soon as i know something..

Cheers


----------



## Dougster

Don't sand the peg, drill the connector!!


----------



## Transit

Don't drill the connector, sand the peg!!


----------



## Dougster

Sand the connector, drill the peg..............


----------



## Transit

Lol


----------



## Car Key

Is this a problem exclusive to the Karcher fitment? How likely am I to avoid the problem if I have a Lavor?


----------



## jimjon

seems to be the case ^^^^

i still think its the plastic peg in the karcher handle causing the problem, they expand after a few uses due to the pressure going through them


----------



## nick the fish

jimjon said:


> seems to be the case ^^^^
> 
> i still think its the plastic peg in the karcher handle causing the problem, they expand after a few uses due to the pressure going through them


how can that be when you can use Karcher attachments 1000's of time and never have a problem?

in fairness to AB if they are getting the fittings modified its hardly a Karcher problem?


----------



## [email protected]

nick the fish said:


> how can that be when you can use Karcher attachments 1000's of time and never have a problem?
> 
> in fairness to AB if they are getting the fittings modified its hardly a Karcher problem?


We are trying to get the connectors sorted because of the different sizes of karcher guns we have recently found that have been of different sizes!We have recently had 10 different guns-some new some old,,and guess what they were all different! If Karcher were so close on there tolerances surely they would all have fitted? We had a customer from DW come down to our shop today and he had a used karcher gun and a new karcher gun and the old gun was tight- the new one was fine! They looked the same,we used the same brass connector too! the new gun fitted like a dream! The old one was tight,and the plastic peg did look the same but it was somewhat tapered differently.And yet we have old karcher guns that the same brass connector fitted snugly too!! The reason the Karcher accessories proberly fit the karcher gun is that there may be a plastic/rubber yellow ring around the hole/bore of the acessories that may be bigger of more forgiving than the brass connectors???? As we said from the start of this thread guys it may be the different sizes of the plastic peg in the karcher guns?? These brass connectors are used all over the world and they are the same size of Karcher?????

But................. We will try our upmost to sort this out..

Regards


----------



## jimjon

nick the fish said:


> how can that be when you can use Karcher attachments 1000's of time and never have a problem?
> 
> in fairness to AB if they are getting the fittings modified its hardly a Karcher problem?


about 3months ago i found this thread because i had the tight fit problem with a karcher foam lance, bought the AB lance, had same problem, bought new handle, both lances fit fine, few go's later and they both a tight fit again, sanded the peg, both fine

thats all i'm going to say now, fixed mine, i believe i can see the problem, it all makes sense in my mind and i don't have the problem anymore


----------



## evobaz

When sanding the peg down did you strip the Karcher gun?

I' was going to try sanding mine down tonight but can't get a allen key to fit the allen screws on the gun? There are 4 torx head screws and I can get them out fine but can't get an allen key to fit the rest?

Anyone know what size I need? I've tried loads and had noy joy.


----------



## jimjon

i didn't take the gun apart, no need to, they are plastic rivets

i just rolled the sandpaper up, sandy side in, and taped it to a drill, then push it over peg and turned drill on

i even took a pic because i'm useful like that


----------



## ianFRST

hahahahahaha!!!!

i also spotted the plastic rivets on the gun! doh!


----------



## Captain Morgan

Thats Bearly believable......

:tumbleweed: 


I'll be getting me coat then


----------



## evobaz

jimjon said:


> i didn't take the gun apart, no need to, they are plastic rivets
> 
> i just rolled the sandpaper up, sandy side in, and taped it to a drill, then push it over peg and turned drill on
> 
> i even took a pic because i'm useful like that
> QUOTE]
> 
> I don't even want yo know what you've been sanding in that last picture.
> 
> Cheers for the info. I didn't realsie they were rivets - guess I need my eyes tested:lol:


----------



## evobaz

I've just sanded down the peg on my Karcher lance and it now fits like a dream. 

In a similar style to Jimjon, i rolled up a bit emery paper and taped it onto the end of a pen (i'm at work and don't have a drill). I sat for 5 or 10 mins sanding the peg and just kept trying it to see how it fitted and now its perfect 

Anyone else who's got the tight fitting problem, why bother waiting on the new drilled out adapter when you can do this in a few minutes.


----------



## jimjon

exactly, works a dream


----------



## jimjon

its not me in the last pic btw, thats a friend


----------



## cheezemonkhai

@nick the fish - How much would your mate want for a milled connector?

If the price is reasonable I might be tempted to buy one off you and swap it onto the lance.

FWIW there have been posts about the lavour ones being tight fitting on the forum too, so I'm not sure it is just a karcher connector issue.

I still don't see how it can be karchers problem but as long as things get fixed etc etc.


----------



## maersk

Just drill it. Dead easy 30 seconds, replace o ring and Robert is your father's brother!


----------



## Transit

Just a quick update. I sanded the peg in my Karcher handle a while back and it's fitted fine since. However, today when I fitted the foam lance it was a little tight and even tighter when removing it. A little more sanding and it's fine again. This can only lead me to believe that the peg is swelling with use. The brass connector cannot have changed. Why does the Karcher lance fit without any problems? I guess because it's plastic and can give a little?


----------



## cheezemonkhai

Brass can change size with temperature


----------



## Transit

That had crossed my mind many weeks ago, I've tried warming and cooling it, no change.


----------



## Pinky

Hi 
I have just received my Alto lance but it doesnt fit the washer as the washer has a click and clean set up ,do you do an adaptor to make the lance fit or do I need to send it back and get another one .


----------



## cheezemonkhai

Well IIRC AB are waiting on modified parts for the Karcher so I guess we will have to wait and see.


----------



## B17NNS

Bugger. Wish I'd read this thread a few days ago.

Mine arrived today from elite http://www.elitecarcare.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=302

Managed to get it on but it was a really tight fit. Foamed the car up but then I couldnt get it off.

Had to take the handle apart to get it off by which time the foam had all gone.

Got me bucket and sponge out after that in disgust.


----------



## MarcC

Is there any progress on this yet?


----------



## cheezemonkhai

I've heard nothing, but am making do with the karcher lance I have until I hear this is fixed.


----------



## cheezemonkhai

Over a month on from the previous comment from AB, what exactly is happening?

It's hardly the quality of service I'd accept from a cheap supplier, never mind from a company that is supposed to care about the people on this site and provide a premium service to them.

Is there a new item out, if not can you at least just let us know this??


----------



## evobaz

cheezemonkhai said:


> Over a month on from the previous comment from AB, what exactly is happening?
> 
> It's hardly the quality of service I'd accept from a cheap supplier, never mind from a company that is supposed to care about the people on this site and provide a premium service to them.
> 
> Is there a new item out, if not can you at least just let us know this??


Sand the peg down and forget about AB


----------



## ianFRST

i cant sand the peg in mine 

the gun is riveted together, and i cant get anything inside to sand it.

looks like im drilling it


----------



## cheezemonkhai

evobaz said:


> Sand the peg down and forget about AB


Hmm,

I'm waiting to buy a new foam gun, so if AB don't do something I don't buy a gun and stick with the karcher one.

I've said it before, but I shouldn't' be sanding the original equipment to make the after market one fit.


----------



## Deanoecosse

ianFRST said:


> i cant sand the peg in mine
> 
> the gun is riveted together, and i cant get anything inside to sand it.
> 
> looks like im drilling it


Ian, DONT DRILL THE LANCE-its too easy to f**k it, -ask me how I know!
Its a simple fix, I did it to my new HD lance and you DONT NEED to take the gun apart. Simply get yourself a drill bit the same size as the peg and sellotape a tube of sandpaper onto the end of it (rough side in). Make sure the sandpaper tube is about the length of the plastic peg in the gun.
Then push the sandpaper tube down onto the peg and switch the drill on for a few seconds and voila-one sanded peg and no longer will your lance be tighter than a nuns chuff. 5 minute job maximum.:thumb:


----------



## evobaz

ianFRST said:


> i cant sand the peg in mine
> 
> the gun is riveted together, and i cant get anything inside to sand it.
> 
> looks like im drilling it


As Deano has said - roll up some sandpaper with the rough side in the way. Tape this "tube" of sandpaper onto the end of a pen/pencil/drill bit etc and away you go. It only take a few minutes to sand it. Oh happy days....no more $hitty fitting foam lance:thumb:


----------



## CupraRcleanR

Deanoecosse said:


> Ian, DONT DRILL THE LANCE-its too easy to f**k it, -ask me how I know!
> Its a simple fix, I did it to my new HD lance and you DONT NEED to take the gun apart. Simply get yourself a drill bit the same size as the peg and sellotape a tube of sandpaper onto the end of it (rough side in). Make sure the sandpaper tube is about the length of the plastic peg in the gun.
> Then push the sandpaper tube down onto the peg and switch the drill on for a few seconds and voila-one sanded peg and no longer will your lance be tighter than a nuns chuff. 5 minute job maximum.:thumb:


excellent tip:thumb:


----------



## pugoman

evobaz said:


> Sand the peg down and forget about AB


My thoughts precisely.

I got a Karcher HD lance a couple of weeks ago (not from AB), it wouldn't fit onto my Karcher handle, so I just sanded the peg - didn't even have to take apart the handle, just used the "wrap some sand paper around a drill bit" technique and the lance now fits a dream. With the added bonus that my Karcher Vario-lance now goes on and off easier too. Took me no more than 5 minutes from start to finish.


----------



## blr123

Well I have refrained from getting involved in this BUT now that a *THIRD* Karcher trigger gun has given up the ghost as a result of these flaming foam lances I think I'm entitled to ask.........when we pay £60 for something why oh why should we have to start drilling it out 

And my latest foam lance will be going back and I will *NEVER* buy one of these things ever again unless they come looking like something that hasn't just been knocked up in someone's shed 

Further more I had a chat with another supplier the other day and I was told the problem is NOT with the foam lance but with the Karchers' as Karcher keep changing the size of their nozzles but Karcher are looking into it with a view to sorting the problem.......I take this means Karcher have agreed to re-design *ALL* of their equipment because someone says he's having problems with a foam lance he is marketing........that's not with standing the fact that it still looks like it has been knocked up in a shed 

Guys I recon it's about time we told *ALL* suppliers exactly what we think of these and en-mass *STOP* buying these things until they have doen sifficient R&D that will enable them to rpoduce a *QUALITY* product which couldn't be further from the truth at this time.......and if any suppliers are going say "well we haven't had many problems" frankly I don't beleive it........just do a search everyone will be able to see that 

Bryan


----------



## S63

I'm tempted to ask the question, having ordered a piece of equipment that you thought for £60 would have been machined to perfection but arrives looking like "it's been knocked up in a shed", why didn't you simply return it immediately and ask for a refund before even attempting to use it.

Don't get me wrong I had a problem too with an AB lance but two minutes with a dremel sorted it out and it has been a perfect servant since.


----------



## Pinky

I ordered a Foam Lance for an Alto washer and eventually it was delivered but didnt fit as the connector was different , but it would fit a Karcher washer , So I have taken the plunge and bought a Karcher washer and have had no problem with the lance YET ! ! 
and am still waiting to find out why I was sent a lance for Alto with a Karcher connector .


----------



## Jim W

Pictures... Can someone please post pictures here that show the brass connector, the 'peg', the sanding technique etc? I'd find it most helpful.. When time allows, I'll have to fix mine.

tssk..


----------



## NeoPanther

Are these issues just for Karcher fitments and/or the AB lance? I've got a Auto Rae Chem lance with Lavor fitment for my Halfrauds PW and it's been fine. The bottle is 90 degrees to how people usually have it, but I don't have an issue with it!

Doesn't the Karcher push in and twist like the Lavor fitment?


----------



## Jim W

NeoPanther said:


> Doesn't the Karcher push in and twist like the Lavor fitment?


Yeah, something like that. Bit of a push and twist along with blood sweat and swearing.


----------



## SiGainey

Here's a picture of the lance I've received from AutoRaeChem today - anyone want to use it to highlight which bits need sanding down?


----------



## NeoPanther

I thought it was only the Autobrite foam lances that people had issues with (hence the thread). I think you'll be alright with the Auto Rae Chem. :thumb: I'm sure someone will be along to correct me if I'm wrong.


----------



## AndyC

SiGainey said:


> Here's a picture of the lance I've received from AutoRaeChem today - anyone want to use it to highlight which bits need sanding down?


The brass fitment on the end of the silver pipe (left of your pic and I'm crap at editing pics!). Needs to be drilled to fit your Karcher.

Personally if it doesn't fit then I'd leave alone and return it as not fit for purpise so as not to anvalidate any guarantee/warranty in the event that it fails - but it's up to you.


----------



## Deanoecosse

Dont drill the lance, just lightly sand the Karcher peg, its much easier, much quicker and less change you'll cause damage


----------



## cheezemonkhai

As said if it doesn't fit send it back.

Since AB is around the site, could he possibly tell us what is going on here or has it got to the head in the sand and pretend there isn't a problem stage?

I'm willing to listen if you have new connectors but silence is not good.


----------



## Chris424

is there any update on this from AB?


----------



## [email protected]

PLease go to this thread guys

http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=69157&page=14


----------

