I'm thinking of buying a pressure washer, whats everyones opinions? Should I buy gas or electric, or is all that counts is PSI?

 

Buy a gas one. You'll have more power and it's more portable. I bought an Excell XR2500 for about 400.00 at Home Depot. Well worth the money.
http://www.homedepot.com/prel80/HDUS...prod_id=162367
:cheers:


[Modified by bertmeister, 5:51 PM 12/15/2003]

 

I got mine at Sears ... the smallest gas powered one they have - called
wash 'n' carry or something like that. Two nozzles (turbo) 2000 PSI.
It does a decent job, but it's not on wheels.
I paid something like $230 with my Craftsman card during a sale.

Look at sears.com. They have a nice 6HP model on sale at $299.

This clean 'n' carry is regularly priced at $279.

 

I mainly just going to be using it to clean road grime off the vette and mud of my Jeep. I have found several electric washers for around $120 that are rated at 1400 psi, but then again I hate to spend that much and be better off with just my hose

 

For washing a car the 1400 psi will work fine. If you want to clean the deck and house I would go with a 2500psi unit. Craig

 

Mine is a 1500 PSI @ 2.1 GPM, 2 HP / 120V (1 ph), direct drive sea horse brand that burns kerosene or diesel to heat the water up to 180 degrees. I couldn't live without it now that I have had if for awhile. The hot water feature is absolutely necessary IMO. Works great for cleaning grease and grime off of car parts. Cooks that gunk right off. :D


-Justin

 

I've got this one
It cleans like a ****, it will etch concrete!! It was on sale for $279.00, there was a 10% off all in store purchases one Saturday morning before 11am, and I had a $75.00 gift card that I'd had for about 3 months.
It was the right price at the right time.

 

I thought thats why everyone was always drinking so much of the brew... to help build up the pressure...

Best degreaser Poll --> Urine???

 

I bought $100.00 one at Walmart, it's has pleanty of pressure to wash a car.

 

There are objective issues that you can use when coming to a determination of what pressure washer makes the best choice for you. What I use may not be the one for you. Here are some of the issues:

Electric pro: electric motor is quiet and requires zero maintenance. It either comes on, or it doesn’t. There is no “over the winter” storage prep

Electric con: Not quite as portable since it requires access to household current. The heavier-duty models may need a 20 amp breaker and many outside outlets are wired for only 15 amp so you better know before you buy.

Gas powered pro: completely portable as long as you have access to water.

Gas powered con: Another engine that needs to be maintained and is noisy.

Overall:
- Understand the pressure ratings and gpm. High pressure and gpm below 2 may not be of much use for big jobs that are going to take a lot of water, like blowing mud off a dirt bike. There is a difference between constant pressure and instant pressure. Those small, instant on pressure washers, depending on how they’re advertised, may not deliver the rated pressure past the initial trigger pull.
- Does chemical injection occur at high or low pressure? Most detergents need time to emulsify the dirt, oils, and grease so having it injected at high pressure means that you’re flushing it off the part you’re trying to clean before it does any good.
- Utility makes a difference. Does the washer have a pressure adjustment valve that will allow you to adjust nozzle pressure? Once you get to the 1,500 psi nozzle pressure, you can really do some serious damage. Nothing like blowing the paint off your car. And yes, with a zero-degree nozzle, you can cut a hole in concrete and tear up wood. You can spend a lot of bucks on things like hoses, gun handles and attachments, and nozzles. The Turbo Nozzle is one of the best inventions for the pressure washer for driveway and house cleaning. But you’ll also want to look at an adjustable nozzle as well as fixed-pattern nozzles. You’ll probably find that the 15-degree fixed is the most useful size if you can’t get all the other bells and whistles. Quick connects for the hoses and nozzles will make a big difference in how convenient your washer is to use. And don’t cheap out on the pressure hose. Most come with cheap, short hoses. A heavier duty longer hose will add a lot of utility since you won’t have to pull the washer around all the time.

There are a lot of great deals out there on pressure washers but you get what you pay for.

And this is just me, but I do not use my washer for washing the car. Hand washing does such a much better job.

 

i'm with gerry72 .. i worked on constrution equipment for 5 yrs look at gpm.
pressure can be vary dangerous (had some set over 3000 psi) if 1500psi
don't get it of scrape it :lolg:

 

How does this one sound its $119

High pressure cleaning power. Adjustable spray wand lets you cover wide areas or do fine detail cleaning. Turbo nozzle boosts cleaning performance. 27-5/8'' long-reach brush attachment
Built-in detergent tank
19 ft. high pressure hose, 31 ft. power cord
Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter prevents short-circuiting
UL listed

1800 PSI; 2.1 GPM flow rate; 120V, 13 amps, 60 Hz; Weight: 36 lbs.

Link: http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...temnumber=2433

 

I have an electric 1200 psi model which works fine for me. The 2500 psi and above models see a little much. I can damage wood with this one and am wary of using it on the car. I use it on the wheels and to spray soap on the car and to clean the undercarriage on my truck in the spring.