Pressure washer

[kneedeep]

Anyone use a electric pressure washer for cleaning equipment?
I don’t want another motor to maintain for the occasional need to wash tractor, equipment, truck, etc? Nothing heavy to clean, just greasy tractor & equipment parts.

Any recommended brands to purchase or avoid?

 

[thepumpguysc]

I don’t have any specific brand to endorse BUT, if your going to use ANY type of cleaner and use the pw tank to disperse it onto your dirty machine.. U GOTTA FLUSH IT W CLEAN WATER BEFORE STORING..otherwise some sort of “unloader valve” gets stuck and it won’t work correctly anymore.!!

 

[Username Taken]

Anyone use a electric pressure washer for cleaning equipment?
I don’t want another motor to maintain for the occasional need to wash tractor, equipment, truck, etc? Nothing heavy to clean, just greasy tractor & equipment parts.

Any recommended brands to purchase or avoid?

I'm not a believer in pressure washing equipment because the water pressure tends to get past, and into, bearings as well as every other operating system on the piece of equipment.

I imagine that, if the piece really needs it and there's not a lot of options, a pw would be a last resort kind of thing. If you use it with great care and discretion and are careful....... I guess it would be okay.

I think it would also depend on what you're cleaning as much as anything.

As to brands?? I've had several (to maintain pool decks, sidewalks, driveways, etc) and there really isn't much difference. They're all made in Asia anyway.

I call it 'Hair Dryer' equipment. Buy it, use it until it breaks, throw it away and buy another one.

As to gasoline powered pressure washers? They suck.

 

[5030]

I PW ALL my equipment regularly. I just use a nozzle that produces a wide, soft spray and use a detergent that disperses grease, oil and filth. My best purchase was a 'Foam Cannon' that attaches to the end of the PW wand that I can apply various washing and degreasing compounds with. Best 20 bucks I ever spent. Myself, I use a hot water electric powered (220) pressure washer with an American made motor (Marathon) and an American made (CAT) pump, assembled here (Kenosha, Wisconsin) by American workers.

Cheap ones will be imported but a good one will be domestic.

 

[5030]

I don’t have any specific brand to endorse BUT, if your going to use ANY type of cleaner and use the pw tank to disperse it onto your dirty machine.. U GOTTA FLUSH IT W CLEAN WATER BEFORE STORING..otherwise some sort of “unloader valve” gets stuck and it won’t work correctly anymore.!!

I've found it easier to use the 'foam cannon' rather than detergent injection through the pump myself. Like the foam cannon because most injectors ues low pressure whereas the foam cannon is high pressure.

I keep my PW in a heated shop in the winter so no issue with freezing which will destroy any PW. It cracks the ceramic pistons in the pump. Used to run RV antifreeze through it to store it. Don't even do that anymore though I do change the pump oil every year. 30 weight non detergent oil for me.

 

[RalphVa]

Anyone use a electric pressure washer for cleaning equipment?
I don’t want another motor to maintain for the occasional need to wash tractor, equipment, truck, etc? Nothing heavy to clean, just greasy tractor & equipment parts.

Any recommended brands to purchase or avoid?

I use one for concrete, etc but do not recommend one for equipment. Best to wet, spray with liquid soap of some sort or sprinkle dry soap, wash off with garden hose. Pressure washers are too high pressure.

We've something called Black Cat electric one. The solution thing has never worked on it, but otherwise it's a good machine.

 

[DK35vince]

I've been pressure washing equipment (asphalt pavers, road chippers, road tractors and tri axles, trailers, Etc) for decades. Including the engines.
Pressure wash my tractor , zero turns and UTV regularly (including the engines). Never an issue.

 

[dragoneggs]

I've been pressure washing equipment (asphalt pavers, road chippers, road tractors and tri axles, trailers, Etc) for decades. Including the engines.
Pressure wash my tractor , zero turns and UTV regularly (including the engines). Never an issue.

Me either. Have an old Craftsman gas PW still runs great. Pulled the carb and cleaned it a couple of times. Gone through a few hoses. I have three tips from wide (soft) to narrow, and a turbo head. A bit of a pain to get to the work location, etc. Driveway, RV, decks, patios, side of house prior to painting. Doubt I will outlive it.

 

[JohnDeereJoey]

... a hot water ...pressure washer with an American made motor (Marathon) and an American made (CAT) pump, assembled here ...

Cheap ones will be imported but a good one will be domestic.

Hot water works well on grease. Gas unit if you want a lot of pressure and flow. Diesel or propane heater for high flow hot water, Quality electric or gas motors...Honda very popular if you go with gas. Electric more convenient than gas. CAT pumps are excellent.

I had a 2 gpm 1500 psi electric. A bit of a toy. Now have gas 2.5 gpm 3000 psi....a good unit. Want 4 gpm 4000 psi...heated!

BTW...pressure washers are great for removing heavy dirt... If you want concours clean, break out the wash mitt...there is no substitute for some gentle agitation with a quality mitt and a balanced ph. shampoo.

 

[5030]

I have a 3500 psi hot water unit with a 5 horsepower Marathon single phase 220 motor. You can get high pressure units with electric motors versus gas. Mine is an MTM btw. 5 horse electric is equal to a 10 horse gas. Mine does hot water or wet steam. Pressure and power is totally dependent on the capacity of your wallet.

 

[John0829]

I have an old electric Kracher 1800 psi big box store washer that I still like to use on thing not needing the high pressure of the 4000 psi gas powered one. I use Purple Power in a pump garden sprayer, a quick soak and then hit it with the washer. Removes the grease and oil quickly, just do not let it soak for a long time or it will begin to work on the paint. So far anything 5 minutes or less has proven to be safe and still cut the crud.

Hot water or steam is the best way to go without a doubt.

 

[5030]

Only issue with purple power is it leaves a white film on my stuff. I use ZEP instead in my foam cannon as a pre treat. In my view, the foam cannon was the best investment I ever made far as wand end accessories and for a nice spray wax job on the vehicles, I use Chemical Guys concentrated wax / clean formula.

One thing I learned a long while ago is, a belt drive PW pump lasts longer than a direct drive. Why mine is belt drive and inline pumps are much better than axial pumps, but they all run longer with regular oil changes. Axial pumps only come on cheaper PW's and they are cheap to replace whereas an inline isn't but the inline's are most all rebuildable

I run straight 30 weight non detergent in my pump(s). Just as good as the high buck CAT pump oil.

 

[JohnDeereJoey]

...Pressure and power is totally dependent on the capacity of your wallet.

That's a fact!

What model MiTM do you have? I need to consider a new unit.

 

[DK35vince]

What model MiTM do you have? I need to consider a new unit.

We have a MiTM at work for the past 17-18 years or so (don't know the model)
Its been a very good unit, very few issues and many, many hours of use.

 

[5030]

Don't believe the one I have any more, least it's not on their website.

 

[John0829]

Only issue with purple power is it leaves a white film on my stuff. I use ZEP instead in my foam cannon as a pre treat. In my view, the foam cannon was the best investment I ever made far as wand end accessories and for a nice spray wax job on the vehicles, I use Chemical Guys concentrated wax / clean formula.

I have not had any issue with it leaving a film, SO FAR... I do agree the use of a foam cannon is a nice addition to cleaning.

 

[Wagtail]

I have a Karcher electric PW that I bought from a Karcher shop (not a 'big box store') and it works great (8 years of infrequent use). It's not a 'heated/hot water' unit.

The reason that I went with this Brand is that the RAAF uses Karcher to wash-down their aircraft. I'm unsure if the RAN and/or Army use them too, but the government tends to purchase 'standard'. The internal workings of Karcher are brass.

 

[Menagerie-Manor]

Karcher is very popular among HVAC service tech's.

 

[5030]

Karcher is very popular among HVAC service tech's.

Never seen one with the cajoines I need.

 

[Helogabals]

Karcher is very popular here in EU. They have 2 product lines - yellow is meant for domestic use while greys are "industrial" or "professional"

Friend of mine actually is Karcher sales rep, and he is very deep into that.
He uses to say that every washing have 3 equally important components:
1. Water temperature
2. mechanical action (in this case - water flow)
3. detergent
If you lack one of those, you can recover by increasing remaining 2. But withing certain limits.

I have yellow k7, which is biggest in their "domestic" line. Pressure up to 180 bar; 600 l/h; 3 kW motor (1f @ 220 V) and max 60 C water. It doesnt heat up, but can work with so hot water. For this reason I have made hot water outlet and I know from my own experience - this is really important point to consider.

Other than that - I have PW all my cars, motorcycles, now tractor without any problems. Use common sense and everything will be fine.

P.S. Just take care of aluminum and inox parts. Keep them in mind when you buy detergent. Especially - aluminum. Aggressive soap will leave "patina". That's not so important for tractors, as most of their parts are just painted, but for motorcycle owners that is a little struggle

P.P.S. yeah, foam gun is a thing