I have a smaller AR pump on a 6.5hp Honda GX engine. That's a lot of power to handle for more than an hour or two. I don't think I'd be able to last more than an hour, if that, with a 13hp washer. The reaction force on the wand with my setup is 8-9 lb. Holding and directing a wand with that force on it can get tiring. The force with a 13hp engine will be twice that. Yipes.quote:
Originally posted by mtgrs737:
As soon as I put together a incoming water filter I will be firing up my Power Wave with a 13 hp Honda for the first time. ... This unit has the AR pump that is made in Italy it is a 3600 psi with 3.5 gpm unit, has anyone had any experiance with this pump?
You will also have a greatly increased probability of damage to what you're washing. Your washer will take the finish off smooth poured concrete in a matter of seconds. That kind of power can easily cut wood.
I'm normally of the persuasion "you can't have too much power", but when it comes to pressure washers... well....
To answer your question about the pump: there's not much to deal with there, just follow the directions in the manual. One thing I should emphasize is *NEVER* run the engine without a pressurized clean water supply to the pump.
I don't know where you live, but if there's any chance of freezing the pump, you should either fill it with windshield washer blue stuff or purge the water from the cylinders. I purge them prior to winter by removing the spark plug, squirting a bit of engine oil into the cylinder, and then pulling through the starter rope until the water stops coming out of the pump.
By the way, I've found the pressure washer an amazingly useful piece of equipment. It can clean things that I thought were unredeemable. It makes paint prep go 10X faster, it cleans moldy green stuff off walls as fast as you can move the wand, etc. etc.
My pump probably has 50-60 hours on it. No problems at all with it or the GX engine. I tend to change the engine oil frequently as this is one of those applications where the engine runs at full power for extended periods of time. I changed it initially after about 4 hours (and it was ready to be changed), and afterward at somewhere around 15, not so much for oil wearout, but to remove contaminates and wear particles before they build up. I estimate the hour usage, but it's close enough for jazz. I've been using M1 10W-30 in it.