The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Pressure Washing

I originally posted this in the Tool Chest but received only two responses (thanks to those two guys). I know there are more opinions and advice out there. Can anybody give me a good idea of what to look for in a pressure washer? It won't be for anything in particular, cleaning engines and various car parts and washing the everyday rides. I need opinions on pressures, HP and what not to waste my time on. Do I need the little tanks for other cleaning juices? :confused:

Mine is a 13hp Honda and a 3500 PSI 4 GPM pump works great. I use it for washing dump trucks and equipment so it's well used. Make sure that you get a good flexible non marking hose. It's also nice to have a hose real on the unit. Oh and don't fixate on PSI the GPM is as important as PSI. As far as soap injection make sure soaps are added after the pump and don't run through it they are hard on the pumps.

One thing I learned is that if you hit a surface with just the right angle, the stuff will hit you right in the face!

I would make sure you buy a gas powered one. I had an electric one and prefer the gas one for easier mobility. Be careful when getting used to it, the pressure can do some damage to paint, plastics, etc.
Joe

I have a 2750 psi with a gas Honda 4hp engine. I think it works great. It seems that any bigger HP and PSI starts getting quite a bit more expensive.

Had an electric one -burned up the motor. Bought a gas one -much much better. I don't remember how many horsepower it is but it sure works good. It's not an industrial one or anything like that.

Now that's what I'm talkin' about! Thanks for the input, I knew there were some good opinions out there.

I use a gas powered Briggs and Stratton 2800 psi but only 2.5 gal gpm but it does a job and came with the 'contractor" tips etc.....all depends on what you want it to do or how deep your pockets are.

Be careful when you use it. It can do more damage than a sandblaster to your body. It's not just water. Think of it as a high powered rifle.

As Big Chevy Said above" Be careful when you use it. It can do more damage than a sandblaster to your body. It's not just water. Think of it as a high powered rifle." if there are any cracks in the paint you will find them and then be able to peel any loose paint right off the truck.
:hammering:

I have a gas unit run by a 4.5 hp Honda 4 stroke. It requires a minimum 2.0 gal/hr water source. it adjusts from 100 p.s.i. to 2200 p.s.i. and has a seperate tank for solvent delivery. I have found it very good for typical cleaning issues around the home/shop, but for real thick/old grime and grunge, nothing beats steam heat. I suggest when chosing a solvent, go with one that is biodegradeable and safe for pets. Simple green works quite well, although it's a little pricey. It also comes in different formulas for different needs. Other solvents I have used are made by M30, and Greased Lightning. Something to watch for in chosing is verticla pump shaft or horizontal. Horizontal is generally a higher quality more commercial grade, and therefore usually more $. There are alot of junk ones out there, it would be smart to inquire about service parts availability for when tips gp bad or you need seals or pump parts. Good luck.

I have a Hotsy. The pump is electric and the heater runs on diesel or kerosene. With the right nozzle and the heat cranked up, you can peel the paint or grease off of anything. It works great on concrete floors, greasy motors and wood decks. You definitely have to be careful and start out at lower prressure and heat and increase slowly until you get the results you want. Also, if you are using the heater, you don't want to wear short pants. Yikes!

Here's 17 pages of pressure washers & accessories. Northern Tool & Equipment has been in the business for a long time, and they have a wide selection of models, capacities, and prices to choose from. They also carry repair parts for most brands of pressure washers, etc.

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/category2_6970_32

Jerry

I bought a Sears electric some years ago. I like it and loan it out to family and friends for their use. I have used it on both my trucks, the deck, and general cleaning. It would be nice to have a heater but I always thought that I could use the drain on the garage hot water heater if needed. Parts and o-ring kits are readily available. It works fine for all these uses and was cheap. I have (up until today) always used it in the vacinity of home so there is no need to have an alternative source of power like a generator.

I bought an electric one at an auction about two years back for $8.

It looks like a box on wheels.. about 4 feet high, and about 16" wide and deep.

The way it works is you can fill it up with water and soap, or just water, or hook up a garden hose and have the fresh garden hose supply mixed with whatever is in the tank.

I don't know what the GPM or PSI on the thing is.. but it works great, and no gas to buy.

Of course there is the portability issue, but let's face it.. you still pretty much have to have a garden hose hooked up to the thing, and just about anywhere you can stretch a garden hose to, you can get an extension cord to.. so no big deal.

My mother in law has a gas powered pressure washer she bought from Home Depot a year ago.. it seemed like a pain in the *** and weighed 4 times as much, and seemed like you could spray for about 5 minutes, then have to wait for it to build pressure back up.

But i'm sure she just bought some cheapo deal.. for something with a gas powered engine slapped on it, I was quite unimpressed.

I've tried several pressure washers over the years, some were expensive models and some low-end models. The heart of an effective pressure washer is it's pump, so do your research there. If you can, try several models before choosing one to buy. I bought a GENERAC pressure washer 8 years ago and use it regularly for washing everything. Cars, tractors, houses, driveway, decks, you name it. It has a 5.5 hp Briggs Vanguard engine and a Comet 2.9 gpm 2000psi pump. Yes, be careful with the high pressure!

I can't believe all you bolters with Honda powered wahsers. Blasphemy!

It better have a Briggs or nothing at all!

I use mine all the time. I loaned it to my dad last summer and before he used it I had reposessed it from him to clean the 235 I picked up at the swap meet.

the one thing i've learned about power washing is to watch your spray, it does and will rip the decals right off the side of your atv- but leaves it shining

The last business my Dad was in for 20+ years was supplying equipment to self service car washes. The two pumps he liked best were CAT and Giant pumps. His criteria was service and maintainability. Here are a couple of links. The first is a chart at CAT showing item to clean and recommended pressure. The is to Giant car wash pumps.

http://www.catpumps.com/pdfs/appsheets/PSIChart.pdf

http://www.giantpumps.com/carwashpump.htm

Larry