Power Washer - buy or rent?

[Razl]

I have a big house and big driveway where a power washer would come in handy a few times a year. I'm sure after owning one I could come up with all kinds of things to clean (car, patio furniture and porch/deck, paint stripping, etc.).

I the only thing holding me back is everyone I know that has one starts to leaks over a short period of time and ends up in a service shop for repairs/replacement. I don't know if it's the fact that their's is a cheap model or if this is an inherent trait with PW.

I want a gas powered model with roughly 2000 to 27000 psi working pressure.

 

[GROUCHO MARX]

I'm sure your neighbors will want to borrow it.

 

[Steve S]

Rent a real pressure washer to try one out . At any given pressure more gallons per minute will clean better. I have found out that the smaller pressure washers don't cut it for the big jobs. Also adjustable pressure is a nice feature.

 

[JHZR2]

I have a white house, a big deck, so I have plenty of power washing to do. I bought the $699 dewalt unit at home depot with a 10% off coupon. It has a cat pump and Honda GX engine - so its about as good as one can get. Will it develop leaks? I hope not, we shall see...

Im really happy with it so far.

JMH

 

[michaelc80]

I have a Karcher with a Robin (Subaru) engine on it. I use it at least twice a month on various projects during spring, summer and fall.

I've found that I really like the Robin engine. It's quiet and at idle you can hold a conversation standing over the pump in a normal tone of voice. Highly recommended.

 

[JHZR2]

Robin engines are top notch - I just got the honda because of the cat pump, and its availability at HD with the 10% coupon... The gx engine is great, but I do prefer robin engines.

JMH

 

[kkreit01]

If you're not sure you want/need one, why not try a 100-$150 electric unit first? That will serve the modest user's needs. That way the PSI isn't too powerfull for the car washing, and smaller jobs. When I was trying to strip the paint off my deck, I found that anything at or above 2000 PSI would mar the wood. That was using an electric power washer with turbo nozzle (up to 2200 PSI).

 

[Razl]

I tired an electric model from Lowes last summer and didn't like it at all. I think it was around 1600psi, which was strong up close but wan't great for tackling the second story gutters.

The Dewaly looks sweet but I wish they had one below the $699 model. The Husky 2200 PSI Ultra Compact Pressure Washer at $269 looks like a good value. I'll have to check out Lowes' Troy-Bilts too.

 

[Schmoe]

I got one as a "gift" from my wife. If you can't use it more than 4 times a year, rent. If you think your going to hook it up everytime you want to wash your car, forget it. PITA. You got the washer hose to unravel everytime you use it, got to hook up the water hose, crank it up, then turn on the water, then the clean up..... Anyway, she saw it "on sale" at the clearance isle and thought we really needed it. Could have saved 600 bucks.

[ June 21, 2006, 01:59 PM: Message edited by: Schmoe ]

 

[TheTanSedan]

If you can't use it more than 4 times a year, rent

 

[JHZR2]

Id venture to guess hat renting for a day is close to $100. Id venture to guess that a *** one will last 5-10 years minimum. Over that time, its much more beneficial to buy, IMO, if you can get a good one.

Having a white house scares me. The PO didnt clean the siding regularly. I'm hoping to powerwash it with water a few times a year, and keep the deck nice and clean too... Hopefully itll payoff!

JMH

 

[GROUCHO MARX]

Okay then, borrow the neighbor's.

 

[JHZR2]

Stepping back a bit - when I made my purchase, I was doing a lot of research. What I learned was that the engine was almost irrelevant, and that you want the best pump you can get. It doesnt matter if its electric, or the cheapest B&S or the most expensive Honda or Robin.

So, all in all, Id suggest to get the best pump you can. Global, AR or CAT, with cat supposedly being the best.

A quick lookover at the flooruits at HD or lowes may be able to find you a cheap one with a good brand pump.

JMH

 

[TheTanSedan]

"I'd venture to guess that renting for a day is close to $100".

Nope, paid about fifty or so last year from H-D.

And a better machine than I'd have ever considered. Made short work of over a thousand s/f of pool decking.

 

[Gary Allan]

JMH is right. I've used these at various times in my employment (cleaning out heat exchangers and whatnot) ..the failure/degradation is always in the pump. The engines usually outlast the pump mechanism at least in term of being problem free. The last one that I got to use a good bit was a 5000psi unit. After so many hours of use ...you could tell the difference in the pressure delivery.

The thing that I'd look for in any of them is the avaiability of parts to refresh the pump. They're not all that complicated unless you buy a consumer grade unit that will probably be some lame proprietary piece of junk.

If you can afford it ..get one identical to a smaller RENTAL unit. It should last through anything that you throw at it for a very long time.

 

[Schmoe]

quote:

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Originally posted by TheTanSedan:
"I'd venture to guess that renting for a day is close to $100".

Nope, paid about fifty or so last year from H-D.

And a better machine than I'd have ever considered. Made short work of over a thousand s/f of pool decking.

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That's exactly where I was coming from.

 

[ekpolk]

I bought a 2700 psi unit at Lowe's about two years ago. If it hasn't paid for itself (as compared to repeat rental charges) yet, it will soon. Down here, with the heat and humidity, mold formation on house, concrete, etc is an issue. This thing eliminates it easily. It's also great fun

. Seriously, I do use it with care -- my airline pilot neighbor, an otherwise smart guy, "autoinjected" a bunch of water into his foot using the "pinpoint" head on a similar model. Ouch! But I digress. If you're going to have any sort of regular need, just buy a model that meets your needs. Caveats: don't bother if a rental place is within a block or so or if you're critically short on storage space.

 

[ekpolk]

I agree. It's just like electricity. A million volts sounds impressive to the unknowing person, but if it's a current of a millionth of an amp, well then it's nothing more than a snap of static as when you touch someone who's built up a charge (or when you've done so). Like current (amps) and potential (volts) in electricity, pressure (psi)and flow (gpm) of water, together, determine the utility of the pressure washer.

BTW, I'm very pleased with mine. It removes stubborn mold with ease (fan flow attachment) and will quickly dig holes in hard concrete (with pinpoint flow head), so I believe I've got a good pressure/flow combo

 

[Razl]

OK, I think I'm going with a compromise. I'll rent the "low-end" model and see how I like it. I'll use the psi & flow rate as my benchmark in shopping for a personal one to buy.

The part about the engine be the least important factor was my hunch. I just didn't know who made good [serviceable] pumps. Good to know. Thanks.

 

[XS650]

quote:

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Originally posted by ekpolk:
I agree. It's just like electricity. A million volts sounds impressive to the unknowing person, but if it's a current of a millionth of an amp, well then it's nothing more than a snap of static as when you touch someone who's built up a charge (or when you've done so). Like current (amps) and potential (volts) in electricity, pressure (psi)and flow (gpm) of water, together, determine the utility of the pressure washer.

BTW, I'm very pleased with mine. It removes stubborn mold with ease (fan flow attachment) and will quickly dig holes in hard concrete (with pinpoint flow head), so I believe I've got a good pressure/flow combo

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Keep it away from your feet

This site has some useful info for PW shoppers.
http://www.pressurewashersdirect.com/catalog/howtoselect.php