What to look for with buying a powerwasher?

[JB @ C and L Machine]

Am in the market for a powerwasher but have no idea what to look for... Its gonna be used for my house... . what the best make??? Is there a certain psi and horsepower minium to look for... TIA... JB

 

[Patriot Diesel]

Hey John,



I have a commercial grade 2700 PSI Honda PW that I got at Home Depot. I think it sells for around $700-800. It has plenty enough pressure to blow the stain off my deck. The pressure is infinately adjustable. It came with 4 differnent angled tips for the wand. It is a very well made unit. I would buy it again !



Good Luck !!

 

[MOWPAR]

pressure washer

Stay away from the ones with a vertical shaft engine (lawn mower style). Try to find one with a Honda engine and a Cat pump.

Jim

 

[Champane Flight]

Depends

It depends on what you use it for. If you are only going to use it for washing the siding on your house or a deck,anything over 1500 psi should do. If you have grease,oil or concrete to clean. It would be cheaper to rent a hot water type 2000 to 3500psi unit.



We run a Hotsy capable of steam and 3800psi. It definitly does the job on grease and oil. You have to be careful with it however,it will strip paint. It will also clean decks very well,however do not forget to route pressure hose on concrete and not across the lawn. (the later I did and could not figure out why I had a dead strip across lawn)... ...



Things to stay away from are vertical pumps,comercial grade soaps,Non-biodegradable,and sprayers you hook to your garden hose claiming to clean anything...

 

[otis]

I use Honda powerwashers in my business, they run forever! I like the

Little General pumps the best but haven't heard any thing negative about

comet pumps either.

 

[Papa Joe]

The neighbors laugh at me, so does my wife. But I went to Home Depot (and since it was on sale), I bought the 13hp Honda, 4gpm at 3500 psi.

I have the cleanest driveway, truck, lawn mower, bicycles, weed eater, dirt bikes, deck, street, neighborhood, town, telephone poles, and County in the world !! There are four nozzles and with the stream nozzle it will etch concrete (no, I'm not kidding).

Yep, I'd buy it again. Stay with Honda, regardless of the size you get.

Joe

 

[illflem]

If you're just going to use it around the house I'd go for an electric one. I had a $1200 Landa with 8 hp Honda engine that I left at my orchard when I leased it. At my new job we have no-name that I can remember electric one not much bigger than a lunch box, heard it cost $200. Tell you the truth the only difference I can see is that electric one is quieter and much easier to move around. This little electric has probably been used more in the last 6 months than the average homeowner does in a life time. When blasting loose paint off buildings before painting this summer it ran for 8 hrs a day for most of a week. When I go back to work I'll get the name for you.

 

[CUMINNTSTRKN]

i bought the same unit as joe at sam's club for $999. when i first got it i put the 0 degree nozzle on it and cut 3" groves in the asphalt. needles to say now i use the 40 degree with no problems.



jim

 

[JB @ C and L Machine]

thanks again !!!

 

[Bigsaint]

I have an old Coleman electric 1310 (1300 psi's ?). Does the job for cleaning the house,deck, truck, etc. I think it cost around $175. 00 back in '92. Karcher also makes some good stuff. The DPW shop at work has a diesel fired (heats the water) washer that we used to use to wash the cars before a car wash was built in town. Pretty neat item, sounded like a oil burner firing up and you could adjust the temp. of the water. We purchased a Karcher electric power washer for my father in law a few years back, about the same as the Coleman, except a bit nicer. Around $175. 00 if I recall correctly.



Scott W.

 

[Bob Wagner]

FWIW

I love my Karcher ______ but it is electric



Damn nice unit for les than 2 bills



I've have it for a good 6 years with 0 problems

 

[Bill Stockard]

I bought one of those Campbell Hausfeld electric units advertised for less than $100. It was a "reconditioned" one. It caught on fire while cleaning my deck. Yep, that's right flames coming out of the case. Still have the buned plastic stain on the concrete patio.



I called Campbell Hausfeld and they sent me another one to use. It didn't catch fire, but the overlaod switch trips if you release the trigger on the wand. I am going to leave it out for the trash pickup. I just wasted $100 and got lots of frustration. An another example of you get what you pay!!! Shoulda' known better!!!



I still want an electric power washer because of the convience, won't use it often, and don't want the hassle of upkeep on a gasoline engine.



Bill

 

[Papa Joe]

Hondas are bulletproof, period.

 

[The patriot]

I got a Craftsman on clearence. It was just over $200. 00, and it was brand new. It has the 5hp Honda engine, and it's 2000 psi. Regular price was almost $400. 00. It's a little hard to start, but fine after the 1st time of the day. It's only 1 year old, and the unloader valve dont work already. I'm still happy with it.



My last washer was a 2000 psi Hotsy. Excellent machine (hot water, cold water, steam etc,etc) but it was too heavy to move very far, and it used 110 voltage @ 20 amps. If you didnt hook up to a line with a big breaker, you'd be throwing breakers all day. I just about gave it away just to get room in my shed. That was a sad day.

Eric