Cheapo Pressure Washers

[HarryD]

I am thinking about getting a pressure washer for the little cleaning chores you always seem to have for your car and yard.

While my brain says to get a gasoline powered unit with 2300+ psi, my wallet says, for most of my needs, a lower pressure unit (around 1200 psi) would be okay. My use would be things like driveway cleaning, knocking the gunk out of my 911 wheel wells, gutter cleaning, deck washing, 911 engine cleaning, etc. I would also think that the lower pressure would prevent me from blasting holes in places I shouldn't.

I would like to here other board member opinions and experiences.

TIA

[JavaBrewer]

I'll second that request.

[Kevin Taylor]

Coleman makes some small electric ones.

K.T.
1973 911E 2.4 MFI
1965 DEVIN

[JWest]

I've used the $100 ones (1200 psi or so) for the various jobs you mentioned and they work just fine.

[JMPRO]

The lower pressure units generally mean a lower GPM rating of water and a smaller spray pattern. What this means is , do you want to clean your driveway with a toothbrush or a broom. On some small jobs it would be alright but on a small job you might not need the machine in the first place. If you feel you would use it a lot, get the the biggest, most pressure, most GPM you can afford.
Jerry

[VincentVega]

Costco sells a honda powered gas version that's pretty affordable. I'd think a nice one should last a long time and give you all the power you'll ever need. I have an electric model with a broken trigger. It's completely useless now.

[APKhaos]

If you are doing any decent size job - like a deck - then you wil really appreciate a decent unit. Around 2500psi/6-8HP. A good one can be throttled back to do delicate work, but a weak one will always suck when there is a real job to do.

My property is heavily wooded, with no grass [yea!!], but I do a LOT of pressure washing.

[dad911]

I have both gas and electric pressure washes. Use electric 90% of the time. I only break out the gas one if it is a big job, or power is not nearby. Be careful to drain /winterize properly or protect from freezing.

[JonT]

Sorry to take this OT--Speaking of pressure washers, what all can you use them for?

[B D]

I remember when I was younger using a pressure washer and taking the pin stripes off my Dad's friends van, not a fond memory.

[scottb]

Harbor freight has a few in the $100 range:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=47761

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=39033

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=45802

I think the last two are the same unit, with different item numbers.

[RickM]

Ditto on Jerry and Tony Ks comment.

[cowtown]

I've had a Karcher electric for about four years. I use it to spray my driveway/sidewalks, clean wheelwells, and even wash my car. For these uses, it's fine.

However, I lent it to a friend, who used it continuously for hours to clean a whole bunch of walls, and it broke. It can't detect when the trigger's being pulled any more, so the motor runs constantly. It would probably overheat if I left it running with no water flow.

So I'd give the Costco Karcher model an "Okay" rating for light use. Don't expect to be able to clean your roof eaves while standing on the ground. It has a useable range of maybe 2 feet.

I'll never buy a gas washer just because I'm extremely hassle-averse. My lawnmower, edger, etc. etc. are all electric. If I'm dealing with gas and spark plugs, it means I'm under my 911

[targa80]

I have the Harbor Freight 2 hp 1300 PSI 1.7 GPM unit. I bought it on sale for $80.00 several years ago. It has 2 settings a wide fan spray or a direct stream. I mostly use the fan spray. I've used it to power wash the house, back yard fence before painting, driveway and of course the cars/engines. It fits my needs at a price I was willing to pay. Would I want a nice big gas powered job with all the bells and whistles, Sure but can I have it for $80.00?

[caliber60]

Costco or Sears has the best price. Costco is $159.

[RickM]

Its a bad Idea to have any Pressure washer running without water going through the pump. You'll kill the pump seals that way. Even on more expensive models with a bypass.

[JavaBrewer]

Ok here's my situation. I just had a bunch landscape work done - actually 50% complete. My house is covered in dust. I was thinking, instead of paying someone to clean it all up, I would buy a pressure washer for the stucco, windows, deck, and drive/walk ways. Then I could use if for washing wifes Disco too, maybe prep the garage floor for coating (VCT), wash the dog

It sounds like the <$100 units with ~1200 PSI are enough for the job. Spray pattern/size is a concern ("toothbrush vs broom" analogy) of course but hell I don't want to buy power I won't need. Anyone find faults in my logic here? Of course the dog washing is a joke.

[GB83SC]

Here in the mildew capital of the world a pressure cleaner is a must.
Buy a unit that is gas with a minimum rating of 2400 PSI Good for small driveways ,decks, fences or wash the bottom of your car. For big jobs a 3500 to 4000 PSI>you can rent for about 50.00 per day.
With the large units be carefull around your legs it can strip skin right off of you.

[RickM]

2400-2500 would be the smallest I'd go. I have a Harbor Freight 5 HP / 2500 PSI unit (they use all brand name components) for about 6 years now and I love it....so do my buddies, lol....they're always borrowing it for their boats, decks etc.

If you go smaller you'll realize that it would go much faster with a larger unit. As mentioned above cleaning power is not measured in pressure alone but in GPM.

[David E. Clark]

I have a cheapo Sam's Club 5hp 2400psi gas powered unit and love it. If you're going to use it for anything more demanding than engine cleaning I'd recommend 2400psi or greater. The electric one's simply don't have enough power to give a spray pattern that is wide enough for large cleaning jobs. Cleaning your driveway with an electric model, for example, would take at least twice as long.