Pressure washer choices

O

oberah

Joined
Jul 18, 2010
Messages
60
Location
Southern Missouri
Hi, I am looking to buy a pressure washer. I plan on using it for cleaning my concrete driveway as well as washing my cars. Probably use it 1 to 2 times per month. I have two options. First is a gas powered honda motor, Second is an electric green works. both have great reviews, Gas is 350, electric is 200. Planning on keeping this for at least the next I have plus years. Basic maintenance should not be a problem. Any suggestions?
thank you
 
If you plan to do driveway cleaning, you need to invest in a surface cleaner such as this one:

www.jnequipment.com

Whisper Wash UC6016HC Ultra Clean 16" Surface Cleaner

We offer a wide selection of airless paint sprayers, HVLP sprayers, soft wash sprayers & pressure washers for sale online. Find the equipment & parts you need!
www.jnequipment.com www.jnequipment.com

Even the smallest ones require 3-4gpm in order to work effectively. What is the gpm rating for the pressure washers you are looking at?
 
Gas, and a surface cleaner. Although there are cheaper options available. My $60 Karcher works just fine with my smaller gas unit. If you're doing a big driveway you'll want something else, but since you're asking about a gas or electric it sounds like your needs are more along the lines of 'typical homeowner'.

 
I haven't used my gas pressure washer since buying a Kärcher Cube.

I may need it to do the driveway this fall but I'm not sure.
 
Buy the electric at a place you can return it. Give it a workout and see if it meets your needs. In many cases you do not want a lot of pressure. I was cleaning spider webs around some outdoor lights & siding & garage door. Glad I did not have a super pressure washer.

If you do buy gas, get one with a horizonal shaft engine. The ones with vertical shafts (triaxial) are made cheaply, good for 50 hours on the pump.
 
An Electric will do a fine job if you use the correct cleaners for sidewalks and driveways.
I have used this Stanley 2150 for over 2 years of flawless service for cleaning my car body, engine, suspension, all the chassis and brakes on all me vehicle's and my properties cement area's.
In the picture you can see that my driveway and sidewalk in front of my house is much cleaner then my neighbors. I also invest and several attachment only some of them are pictured.
I also have a Craftsman gas pressure washer and is is a PIA and the clean up and its maintenance is far greater then with the electric and really does not do any better then my electric.
 

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We really need to qualify our posts with a few things:

1) Gas vs Electric are very broad terms. There are some very powerful Electric units that require 20amp circuits or 220v and can surpass the performance of entry-level gas pressure washers.

2) What is the GPM of your pressure washer? PSI becomes meaningless after a certain point, especially for the cleaning applications described above.

3) How often do you plan to use it and how quickly you want to get the job done. For example, cleaning a very dirty driveway without a surface cleaner on a regular basis will be painful.
 
Here in CA and my residential community the gutter water is collected and used to water the greenways. In our HOA we can be fined for using anything that is not biodegradable. And I believe in most places in CA they are restrictive and enforced laws pertaining to what goes into gutters.

My rule of thumb if I see a fish on or next to any gutter in the cement or covering I don't use anything that is not CA classified biodegradable product.
 
I have the Green Works electric pressure washer and am pleased with it so far. I used it with Krud Cutter house and siding cleaner and it did a great job with a painted porch, brickwork and also a stone patio. I use it with a TriNova foam cannon and it blasts out the thick snowy car detergent.
 
wdn said:
I have the Green Works electric pressure washer and am pleased with it so far. I used it with Krud Cutter house and siding cleaner and it did a great job with a painted porch, brickwork and also a stone patio. I use it with a TriNova foam cannon and it blasts out the thick snowy car detergent.
Click to expand...
Had a green works and I knew enough to buy the warranty from Lowes. Started spraying out of the pump head one day. Called the warranty hotline and Lowes didn't even want the pressure washer back. They just sent me a gift card with what I paid for it. I now buy the warranty on most large purchases if the product looks like its going to implode within the warranty period.
 
I purchased this 6.5 H.P. Kohler powered Simpson. (I bought mine at Lowe's). It produces 3,400 PSI at 2.5 gallons per minute. It's been a good, solid unit that has performed well. I had a bunch of rubber tire marks that the landscaper managed to grind into my driveway with his Bobcat. This unit took them right off in a single pass, with a surface cleaner I purchased. The driveway looked like new when I was finished.

I've had it for about 3 years now, and it starts on the first or second pull every time. I only burn Tru-Fuel 4-Stroke Fuel in it because I use it so infrequently. I treat the Tru-Fuel with a healthy dose of Pri-G Fuel Stabilizer, just to keep the fuel from going bad.

With ANY pressure washer you buy, be sure to prime the pump BEFORE you start the engine. Running a dry pump will burn it up in very short order. And NEVER loan it out to anyone because of this.

www.farmandfleet.com

SIMPSON 3400 PSI 2.5 GPM Cold Water Premium Residential Gas Pressure Washer - 61084 | Blain's Farm & Fleet

Get your SIMPSON 3400 PSI 2.5 GPM Cold Water Premium Residential Gas Pressure Washer - 61084 at Blain's Farm & Fleet. Buy online, choose delivery or in-store pickup. Great prices on Gas Pressure Washers.
www.farmandfleet.com
 
edyvw said:
Sometimes I don’t start it for 8 months. Starts on first pull.
Click to expand...
Same here. Mine has sat for a year or longer if we were involved with interior painting projects, but it will still start with a pull or two. My biggest concern would be the pump freezing up, but I always store it full of anti-freeze so it's a non-event.
 
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