Could be worse............................
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I'm terrified to add up what all that cost me. The red and blue bucket dollies I had to import from the USA because no one in Australia stocks them.........other than black. My buckets were from Waxit, they are 15-litre but if/when I do it again, I'll go with 20-litre. I would also stick with the standard grit guard's, or the Bowdens ones. The dirt-lock ones are rubbish.
These are my recommendations, I'll link you to websites so you see what I mean, but quite often Repco/Bunning's ect will have these in generic forms. All of the below were pieced together over a couple of years from various vendors.
Buckets -
15 or 20-litre, I would go with the later. I also like them in white so you can see any contamination left in the bucket and wash the properly before next use.
Depending on how you wash, you will need two or three buckets. One for wheels (which I have in red), one or two for washing (I don't use the two-bucket-method, so I only use one in blue).
https://carcareco.com.au/product/buc...id-included-2/
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Grit Guard -
There are plenty of variations on a theme here. As mentioned earlier, I didn't care for the fancy Dirt-lock versions. The classic Grit Guard or the Bowden's version are the way to go. One for each bucket, colour coded to use.
https://carcareco.com.au/product/gri...d-insert-26cm/
https://www.bowdensown.com.au/the-great-barrier-thingy
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Gamma Seal -
I'll be honest in saying these were originally for looks alone, however having the airtight seal on them keeps the inside of the bucket clean between use. Ideally, you want buckets that will accept the Gamma Seal ring, the above linked buckets do. My buckets were not designed for Gamma Seals, but they do fit. Again, colour coded for use.
https://carcareco.com.au/product/gam...rious-colours/
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Bucket Dollies -
This is essential in my opinion, they make the whole wash process easier and more convenient. No lifting heavy buckets around the car, just roll them. They also permit seated wheel cleaning, you can scoot from wheel to wheel without getting up.
Because I wanted colour matching dollies, I had to order the Grit Guard versions from the USA, don't ask me how much they cost to get here, I don't even want to know myself. Most local vendors only sell the black version with smaller casters. Detailing Shed also sell a few different versions with added storage holders.
https://www.obsessedgarage.com/produ...l&_ss=e&_v=1.0
https://carcareco.com.au/product/pro...et-dolly-copy/
https://autobarn.com.au/ab/Autobarn-...iABEgI8k_D_BwE
https://detailingshed.com.au/product...gn=sag_organic
Non-matching -
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Matching, I felt so much better......................
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Small vs Large casters -
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I also put the OG decals on in matching colours.
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So, yeah, I think you are all good on the overthinking of buckets. Me? Yeah, deranged.
In defense, the buckets form a big part of detailing, so getting them "right" makes perfect sense to me.