pto pressure washer

   / pto pressure washer #1  

ampsucker

Platinum Member
Joined
Dec 6, 2007
Messages
574
Location
Southeast Kansas
Tractor
BX24
been of the mind lately that the fewer engines i have to maintain, the happier i will be. that in mind, i've been pondering the possible joy of a pto pressure washer. i don't use one all that often, so it would be a good candidate for 3-point design.

anybody have a good design or source for pumps?

i found a "cheap" pump at the local hardware store but it is designed for only 1000 psi. it seems like most modern washer pumps have a minimum 2500 psi at 2.5-4 gallons per minute.

i've priced pto pressure washers at northern tool and other places but they all seem to be pretty high - much more than the price of a cheap unit with a honda engine at the big box stores.

just wondering if anybody has done this and has a good, affordable solution that is field tested.

thanks!

amp
 
   / pto pressure washer #2  
I've always wanted an electric one, they have little ones for 50$ now and again, I'd hate to put hours on my tractor just to run a pressure washer.
 
   / pto pressure washer #3  
slowzuki said:
I've always wanted an electric one, they have little ones for 50$ now and again, I'd hate to put hours on my tractor just to run a pressure washer.


I don't get this. Not many of us will ever, EVER put the amount of hours on our tractors necessary to see any significant wear. Why would you rather spend money on yet another power plant -- gas, diesel or electric -- when you have an ideal one already? My 455 uses less fuel than any >3HP gasoline engine I've ever owned. As self-powered implements die on my place, they will all be replaced by PTO units.
 
   / pto pressure washer
  • Thread Starter
#4  
there are lots of pros and cons for and against why some like pto implements and others don't care for them. i'm just at a point where i don't mind the hassle of hooking certain things up if i don't plan to use them that often and in exchange i don't have to winterize and take care of another engine. and no, i'm not worried about the hours on the kubota motor.

going back to the question, i guess i'm looking for a solution that i can just weld and bolt together using standard hoses, wands, etc.

i think my biggest problem may be in the gearing of the motor. with 540 rpm at max speed on the rear pto and 1,000 on the mid mount, that isn't really close to what a small 5 hp motor spins the shaft at on a regular pressure washer. so, a gear box might be involved. i can see that working. i have about 17 pto hp so a 3:1 gear box would get me 3 times the speed, or around 1620 rpms, at 1/3 the power or around 5 hp at the output shaft considering some gearing losses.

then, all i need is a standard pump and valve body assembly with bypass safety circuit and some adaptors.

i would need to adapt the pump shaft to pto or gearbox shaft. i may need to adapt the output nozzle of the pump to the hose i end up with and the input to standard garden hose thread.

most of the pumps i'm finding locally are designed for pumping volumes of water, not pressure - like for livestock feeding or chemical moving, etc. but, i also read that the best pressure washers also deliver more volume, in the range of 4-6 gpm as opposed to the 2.5 -4 that you can find in the mass market washers available at sams, home depot, lowes, etc.

i'll also need to fab up a simple 3-pt bracket to hold everything in place, but i don't see that as much of a problem.

so, anybody know a good source for "affordable" pumps in the right rpm and gpm ranges? i don't want to spend time putting this together only to have it not produce enough pressure or blow up or something ;-)

thanks for any help all you build-it-yourself experts can provide!

amp
 
   / pto pressure washer #5  
Here are a couple places to start:

Pressure Washer Parts and Accessories

I have bought stuff from this outfit a time or two.



Pressure Washers Direct

No pumps separately, but a good selection of hoses, wands, guns, etc.



Hit Google with "pressure washer pumps". Between that and Jack's, once you get a grip on who the players are in pump manufacturers, go to their sites and check out input speed requirements, etc., then start shopping for your gearbox.
 
   / pto pressure washer #6  
Look around your area for a cash wash supply place. Go to some self serve car washes and see if there is a sticker or something on the supplier of the hardware. I'm sure you can also find them on the web and ebay. Only problem with these is they are Cat or the better pumps for commercial use and will be expensive. I googled one real quick and the max speed was 1000rpm, so no problem with a 2:1.

As far as the why do this, I guess I'm in the why do PTO crowd. The other PTO thing discussed is a PTO generator. To me if it's PTO then it only limited to my tractor or another tractor and where my tractor can go (liited by a 50' hose or extension cord). Also if it's self powered then I can take it with me, put it in someone elses truck, loan it to someone, etc

Yesterday I saw some Honda powered 2900psi with the cart and all at Sams for $299. Hard to beat that deal. Go as low as $199 for a gas powered at Walmart.

JMHO...Rob
 
   / pto pressure washer #7  
RobJ said:
...
As far as the why do this, I guess I'm in the why do PTO crowd. The other PTO thing discussed is a PTO generator. To me if it's PTO then it only limited to my tractor or another tractor and where my tractor can go (liited by a 50' hose or extension cord). Also if it's self powered then I can take it with me, put it in someone elses truck, loan it to someone, etc

Yesterday I saw some Honda powered 2900psi with the cart and all at Sams for $299. Hard to beat that deal. Go as low as $199 for a gas powered at Walmart.

JMHO...Rob

That Honda powered model has to be maintained, and even the very best small engines will fail more from sitting unused than they will from being used hard. Items like generators and power washers sit more than they work, for the most part. Since the tractors get used for everything, they're always maintained and ready to go.

Oh, and don't ask to borrow anything from me. You'll get a polite "No" and directions to the local rental center. Nothing I've ever loaned out came back working the way it did when it left. On the other hand, if you want me to come and help, I'll bring whatever I've got.
 
   / pto pressure washer #8  
I was also looking for a pressure washer. Bought a 6hp honda motor and a 2700# comet pump from northern tool and constructed my own steel cart. Those cheap sams or wallmart versions don't seem to have the quality I like to invest in. Was considering a pto water pump til I saw the prices. Ended up with a 5.5 honda pump unit. I know they will last me a long while without alot of repairs.
 
   / pto pressure washer #9  
jeffinsgf said:
That Honda powered model has to be maintained, and even the very best small engines will fail more from sitting unused than they will from being used hard. Items like generators and power washers sit more than they work, for the most part. Since the tractors get used for everything, they're always maintained and ready to go.

Oh, and don't ask to borrow anything from me. You'll get a polite "No" and directions to the local rental center. Nothing I've ever loaned out came back working the way it did when it left. On the other hand, if you want me to come and help, I'll bring whatever I've got.

Just the engine is not a big deal at all. Change the oil every few years, start it and let it run for a few minutes a few times a year. I have a Robin powered generator that is now 28 years old. I crank it twice a year, run it for about 10 minutes then turn off the gas and run it dry. Then drain the rest of the fuel. Not a problem. Something like a pressure washer will probably get more use than a generator. At least down south.

So if my Dad wants to borrow it I'm going to tell him to go rent something? :) I do see your point and I have said no to certain people. The ones I say yes to I don't worry about. Last year I loaned a cheap Pouland chainsaw to my neighbor across the street. It was about a year old and I hadn't used it much, one of the yellow ones, 18". They were going up to their parents place in the woods for the weekend. Sunday Keith walks over with a new chainsaw in the box. WTH I said. A limb fell on it cracked the little clutch guard, it still worked fine. He said he wanted a chainsaw anyway. Nothing wrong with friends like that...cuz I'd do the same if I were him.

And if you knew me well you'd loan me any and everything you had. Especially the broken stuff. :D People know I'll fix it, use it, then give it back!!
 
   / pto pressure washer #10  
In general, the PSI rating (while important) is not everything. If you want to get some work done ( and I mean "today") then GPM is what is important!

That said, instead of a gear box would a large double shive belt pully direct driven by your PTO ( mounted on a jack shaft) driving a smaller pully on the pressure pump be simpler/less expensive install?
 
 
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