Best pressure washer for the money?

[Soundguy]

The little electric ones are useless, not even worth dragging them out. I've got a commercial electric NorthStar, its 1700PSI and its nearly useless. Just wont throw enough water or PSI to get the job done.

Often times you are better off raising your pressure for your water system. I have 90psi at my shop and its better for removing heavy mud and grime.

you are forgetting the subjective nature of 'the job'

if you are trying to strip paint from a sidewalk i'd go with the big one.

if my 'job' was to blow grass clippings off my mower deck.. then the 1200-1900 psi models are MORE than enough.

I've used large pressure washers. and they surely can take paint off!

in the wrong situation.. more is not better.

just rigth is best.

just right is based on the job.

Not everone has the same job.

ranges from cleaning off garden tools and a push mower deck, to cleaning heavy construction equipment

different jobs.. different machines.

can't lump them all together.

when you work on eye glasses you need teensy jewlers screwdrivers.. when you are breaking up side walks you use jack hammers.

different jobs.. different tools.

would you use a jackhammer on a pair of eyeglasses?

 

[Illini22]

We have a small electric PW. It takes a long time to cut thru the algae on the pontoons. I was hopeing that one of the 3000 psi ones from amazon, Home Depot or lowes would be sufficent. Amazon has a Simpson with a honda motor. Home Depot used to have a dewalt.

 

[muddstopper]

I have a 2700psi from homedepot. It does everything i need it to do. I have used it to clean the grease off dozers. I just donated a new 2600psi troybuilt to a charity. New they are about $300 from lowes and has a 6hp honda engine. I hooked it up and tried it out before the charity auction and have to say it was more than capable for washing the mildew off my concrete walkway.

 

[QRTRHRS]

Overall, I would agree that the little electric ones are useless but I find them to be the way to go for cleaning the siding and windows under my wrap around porch. I have a pretty heavy insect "load" and a yearly cleaning is in order. Scrub a bit, rinse a bit. Minimal pressure that rinses the debris and soap yet does not damage the house.

The issue with the cheapo small electrics are hoses that do not quick disconnect and cheap spray nozzles.

Re: gas washers. Perhaps ten years back give or take I was in Home Depot and they had this Ryobi branded sprayer with a Suburu engine listed at 600. I bought one along with some additional items. Paying with my CC, I did not really take notice until later that they only charged me 500 for the sprayer. I had to replaced the AR Annovi Reverberi with another that I found on Ebay not to long ago. If I can get another ten years out of it then fine.

 

[Soundguy]

easy to add regular wands to the electric ones if you wanted to looking at the threaded connections.

 

[forgeblast]

I bought a "broken" honda pressure washer off a guy on ebay. The guy was a contractor and ripped the wheels off it and had to tote it around in a little wagon. He ended up putting it on ebay (pickup only) and it was two hours away. I won it for 90 bucks. Went to harbor freight and bought the wheels and its as good as new.

 

[grandall4]

Start here. Pressure Washers Direct | Power Washer Superstore

 

[boggen]

a cheap electrical pressure washer hear. it takes extra time to clean off a wooden patio deck on house, it could strip paint, but more likely put a scratch in the paint. vs actually removing a 1" or wider strip of paint.

dealing with hose for the wand, electrical cable, and garden hose is a pain, but... dealing with steps, tight corners etc... and moving as you go. *shrugs*

a leaf blower (air) can be more advantage to cleaning stuff off (mowers, tractors, etc..) and then just using a regular garden hose. as soon as you step up to a pressure washer, even small cheap electrical pressure washers, can destroy gaskets, push or rather splatter water up into areas you don't want on tractors (electrical areas) and into engine areas.

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one thing to note, having a more powerful PSI, can allow you a wider spray pattern, and hold the nozzle further away from a given area. in that respect having a more powerful unit is nice.

BUT, if you are on a well. and your system is say 40 to 50 PSI of were well pump shuts off, and your house plumbing is using smaller pipes. you can run into situations, were to large of a pressure washer, will cause the pressure washer to "pulsate" on/off. due to not enough water (there simply to much restriction in things / not enough pressure form well) for folks in town, it would be like stepping on the garden hose or kinking the garden hose. and not getting the power wanted. and having a useless pressure washer.

 

[boggen]

a cheap electrical pressure washer hear. it takes extra time to clean off a wooden patio deck on house, it could strip paint, but more likely put a scratch in the paint. vs actually removing a 1" or wider strip of paint.

dealing with hose for the wand, electrical cable, and garden hose is a pain, but... dealing with steps, tight corners etc... and moving as you go. *shrugs*

a leaf blower (air) can be more advantage to cleaning stuff off (mowers, tractors, etc..) and then just using a regular garden hose. as soon as you step up to a pressure washer, even small cheap electrical pressure washers, can destroy gaskets, push or rather splatter water up into areas you don't want on tractors (electrical areas) and into engine areas.

==========
one thing to note, having a more powerful PSI, can allow you a wider spray pattern, and hold the nozzle further away from a given area. in that respect having a more powerful unit is nice.

BUT, if you are on a well. and your system is say 40 to 50 PSI of were well pump shuts off, and your house plumbing is using smaller pipes. you can run into situations, were to large of a pressure washer, will cause the pressure washer to "pulsate" on/off. due to not enough water (there simply to much restriction in things / not enough pressure form well) for folks in town, it would be like stepping on the garden hose or kinking the garden hose. and not getting the power wanted. and having a useless pressure washer.

that last paragraph, i should restart it, that a well may not provide enough GPM, to keep up with a more demanding GPM pressure washer. and in that going bigger is not always better.

 

[Soundguy]

yup.. a standard homeowner well and a 1/2" hose should move enough water for a electric job.

one good thing about electric is not having to deal with a carb every year at startup.