Foam Startup Equipment List
What equipment do I need to start up my foam business? What are some of the reasons to pick certain equipment over others? Here I’ve made an extremely comprehensive list of every piece of equipment we use, why we use it, and anything I think you may want to know.
You can jump to a consolidated shopping list here, which includes a “buy everything” link for your convenience.
Cannon
Foam Daddy Stacker HD
The large cannon by Foam Daddy does not have the “presence” of the Stacker. The Stacker just LOOKS cool. That matters when your selling a service that can be replicated by anyone with a fan, a sock, and some foam solution. The LOOK and polish of your setup is important. That’s why we chose the Stacker!
It’s “expensive,” but understand that after a few parties, the cost is negligible.
We chose Foam Daddy because the support is second to none. USE THE SUPPORT. The Facebook group is worth it’s weight in gold and if you call Foam Daddy about anything, expect it to be handled quickly.
Solution
We use Foam Daddy solution because we know that it has been very thoroughly tested, Foam Daddy has product liability insurance in case of any major issues directly related to the use of their foam solution. If you make your own, or buy from a random company, you’re probably on the hook for any issues directly related to the foam solution.
Each gallon of GEL that they sell will run your cannon for about 4-6 hours. About 1.5x longer if you use the “new pump” that I will discuss in the pump section. The total cost of solution also becomes negligible after you begin making money. However, expect it to cost about $10-15/hr for solution.
Tent and Barricades
The go to source of these is going to be DRC printing. They have everything you need without having to re-invent the wheel.
Get the barricades and a wrap for your cannon at a bare minimum. You need the barricades to keep foam away from your equipment, and the branding on the cannon really makes it “yours”
We also have a custom 5×5 tent as it creates a bigger brand presence, it offers some shade in the hot summer sun, and it adds to the look and feel which is incredibly important to marketing something like this.
Speakers
Two Options
ION Glow 300 – $89 renewed
We take two of these to a gig. If one fails/breaks/dies, the other will work by itself and if the crowd is big or the environment is loud, we have a little extra ability to get loud :).
They are battery powered so they’re easy to setup and move. They are fairly lightweight. They are cheap and easy to replace should you need to. Buying 2 is still cheaper than most other options and gives you a built in layer of security at a gig.
They sound good to lay people. If you’re a DJ or audio snob, you’ll notice they’re $89 speakers. Otherwise, they punch way above their weight for sound quality and loudness.
They have an SD card slot which you can load with mp3s in case your phone/internet doesn’t work.
They even come with a (admittedly mostly useless) microphone.
Speaker cases that fit these
Fits the speaker very comfortably and keeps them nice looking. If you skip these, your speakers will get beat up badly very quickly during transport. Put a power cable in these outside pocket so you can run without battery power if someone forgets to charge or some other thing happens. Good place to store other tools too.
Speaker stands (optional)
We usually use these to get them off the ground. As a bonus, the stand bag that comes with the foam daddy stacker has a unused compartment and both of these will fit in that compartment. Finally, in a pinch, one of these COULD be used to mount your stacker if your main stand breaks or you forget it.
Soundboks Go – $699
The Soundboks sounds awesome. It packs well. It’s battery powered. You only NEED one for most parties. The downside is it’s expensive for just one, and, I’m not a big fan of “just one” anything. If the ONE you have with you is not working, you’re in trouble. It’s a very reliable piece of equipment though, so if space is at a premium in your vehicle/life, if you’re only going to have one – this is the one.
27 Gallon Tote
14 Gallon Tote