Pressure Washer - What do you like?

[Cookie's Cutter]

I am looking at getting a new pressure washer to clean the boat, atv, driveway, patios etc.

What kind do you have and what do you like about them?

 

[Fox]

Honda. Has never let me down other than the odd carb cleaning. Everyone in my family has a honda (all different sizes) and they all run great.

 

[SpringFever552]

Honda with a general pump

 

[SpringVelocity]

I have a bear cat which has a honda motor, Anything with honda motor you cant go wrong.

 

[wildmanyeah]

honda still the king of small motors? i thought people were saying they went down hill like 10 years ago. they back again leading?

 

[Steve95]

I bought a ryobi from home depot last year to do the driveway and around the house etc. I much prefer gas powered over electric for portability and power. Was around $500, came with adjustable nozzle. Its around 3000psi and has a Honda motor that starts pretty easy and idles down when I let go of the pressure washer nozzle(which was my main reason for choosing it). I had a Campbell Hausfield before with a Briggs and Stratton but it was getting old and never idled down. After a year it doesn't seem like it's as durable as the old unit but pretty minor issues, leaks at the hose fitting and trigger. I think they even have one now with electric start, lol but mine starts pretty easy. Lots of choice out there.

 

[Rain City]

Whatever you do, do NOT buy a Simoniz or anything from Crappy Tire. Go with something proffesional and with only home use it will last you a lifetime.

 

[bigdogeh]

My costco honda pressure washer just keeps on tickin...

 

[bigdogg1]

DO NOT BUY ELECTRIC - stay with gas powered. Honda engines are on top for sure. Echo Bearcats are a great combo in the homeowner market.

 

[SpringVelocity]

DO NOT BUY ELECTRIC - stay with gas powered. Honda engines are on top for sure. Echo Bearcats are a great combo in the homeowner market.

yep have two karcher ones that busted and they are crap. Get what u pay for.

 

[SteelyDan]

DO NOT BUY ELECTRIC - stay with gas powered. Honda engines are on top for sure. Echo Bearcats are a great combo in the homeowner market.

Depends what your doing. I have both and always use the electric on the boat. Driveway no frickin way, get out the Honda.

 

[Wild Bill]

Was at crappy tire about 10 years ago and they had a vertical shaft Briggs and Stratton unit on the clearance table for $75 never had gas or oil in it. Didn't have a wand or hose however the one I wanted to get rid of did, cat triplex pump with a 9 hp. Don't know brand of pump on ct one. Change oil every year or two and premium it's been great!

 

[Steve95]

The Cat triplex pumps are really good industrial pumps. You won't find those on any of the smaller homeowner units. That 9hp unit with that pump will peel paint, lol

 

[Wild Bill]

The Cat triplex pumps are really good industrial pumps. You won't find those on any of the smaller homeowner units. That 9hp unit with that pump will peel paint, lol

Wasn't very portable. I had it mounted on a piece of 8" channel on wheels with a Robin engine, a little over a 100 lbs I think and no belt guard. All stuff I got for free however was originally used as an aircraft deicer system so would do about 1400 psi at about 8 gallons a minute. More of a medium pressure high volume cat pump, could squeak 1600 psi out of it but you could hear it didn't really like t lol.
I prefer the higher pressure and lower water volume and convenience of the lawnmower engine one. And the pump has been good, knock on wood!

 

[Lucky Streak]

When you do buy your pressure washer be sure to buy a "pressure washer surface cleaner" like this on you tube;

I bought one at princess Auto, the brand name was "Whirlaway" and it is yellow in colour. This was by far the best purchase I made next to the pressure washer. Cleans flat surfaces 10X faster than without it and does a fantastic job on building walls or prepping fences for stain.

 

[brutus]

Lol the pressure washer is the pump not the motor,cat pump are by far the best(commercial grade 4000psi)the BE pump that they sell at HD suck,I bought one and it blew up with minimal use,got a cat pump from amazon a few years back couple with a 13hp Honda and that thing is nasty the wife can’t even old it lol,ran it across my gum boots by accident it cut my boots in half lol

 

[Fish Camp]

Moss pretreeted with original course tide(unbleached) and pressure washer was the ticket at my fiberglass ashvault roof.Finding a hose long, flexable, and snag proof ,changeable rubber tips ,non-marking rubber mounts is hard to find, mine now is a brigsnstraton and need to flood the primmer ball to stop it .

 

[lazylump]

I'm happy with the subaru gas pressure washer that I bought at Costco a couple years ago. I bought a new 100' hose straight off though. the one it comes with is crap. I think it was about $400.00

 

[Wild Bill]

If you go electric you need to go on the smaller end as there is no way to get a good enough power supply to them. Like the 14 gauge run to the side of the house is bad enough then you add a 16 gauge or hopefully better cord to your work place. Thermal switches in motors cutting out because of low volts and if bad enough won't even start.

Driveways.. blowing dirt and stuff off volume is nice. Oil stains you need high pressure not volume. Engine and part wash I prefer pressure over volume.

 

[kayladog]

As a small engine mechanic for 30 yrs my take is that the engine is not as important as the pump. Sure Honda is probably best but only the GX (commercial grade) not the GC (consumer grade). As for pumps, the pressure should not be the factor that sways you. Sure a pump may claim 3000 psi but if it only pumps 2.2 gpm it wont have much cleaning power, especially for large surfaces. For a 6HP engine go for at least 2.5 gpm, the higher the better. A good Italian or US triplex pump like Cat, General, Comet, Giant, AR all have parts available can be repaired. The no-name stuff from China that you can't get parts for are disposable. A rotary turbo nozzle will also maximize the cleaning path.