Okay, let's talk about this power washer short gun thing. I got fed up with the long wand that came with my pressure washer. You know the one, it's like trying to paint a fence while holding the brush at the very end of a broomstick. Especially washing the car, it was just awkward, always bumping into stuff, hard to get into tight spots like wheel wells or under the rocker panels.

Getting Started with the Switch

So, I went looking for a better way. Found these short guns people were using. Looked much more manageable. I ordered one, didn't really care about the brand, just made sure the fittings looked right for my setup. It showed up a few days later. Pulled it out of the box, felt pretty decent in the hand. Seemed sturdy enough, metal fittings, plastic body, the usual.

First thing was figuring out the connections. My pressure washer hose already had a quick connect fitting, the standard kind. And the gun I bought also used quick connects. Good, no messing around with adapters needed right away.

Hooking It Up

Went out to the garage. Unhooked the old long lance from the pressure washer hose. Just pulled back the collar on the quick connect and it popped right off. Then, I took the new short gun, lined it up with the hose fitting, and pushed it on. Heard a solid click. Gave it a tug, seemed secure.

Next were the nozzles. The short gun didn't come with its own set, but it had the standard quick connect socket at the end, just like the old wand. So I just used the nozzles I already had. Grabbed the white one, the 40-degree nozzle, 'cause I was planning to wash the truck first. Pushed that into the end of the short gun. Click.

The First Use - Big Difference

Alright, time to see if this was actually better. Hooked up the water, turned on the power washer. Grabbed the short gun. First impression? Much lighter. Way less leverage working against me. Pulled the trigger.

• The control was immediately noticeable.
• Felt like I was actually pointing where I wanted the water to go, not just waving a long pole in the general direction.
• Washing the truck was suddenly way easier.
• Getting down low for the wheels and undercarriage didn't require weird bending or risking scratching the paint with the end of a long wand.
• Could easily maneuver it inside the wheel wells to blast out the mud.
• Rinsing the roof was simple, didn't feel like I was wrestling an alligator.

More Than Just Cars

I didn't stop there. Tried it cleaning some patio furniture that was tucked away. Again, the short size made it easy to get into the nooks and crannies without spraying water absolutely everywhere else. Same story cleaning the lawnmower deck. Way less hassle than using the long wand.

Honestly, it's a simple change but made a huge difference. Less fatigue on my arms and back because I wasn't holding that long thing out all the time. Felt like I had more precision. Washing things got done quicker just because it wasn't such a fight.

So yeah, that's my experience switching to a power washer short gun. Pretty straightforward process. Took the old one off, clicked the new one on. The biggest part was just realizing how much easier it made the whole job. Definitely keeping this setup.