Let's talk pressure washers

[Larry Browning]

I have a nice North Star unit I bought from Northern Tool. I went gas with the nicer Honda engine. I've had it about 3 years now and even with me 'forgetting' to run it dry (get all the gas out before winter), it has never failed to fire up by at least the 3rd pull. Once it has been fired in the spring, one pull does it.

Gas is nice because it is a bit more portable than electric. Gas is also cheaper than an equivalent electric. You may need a long length of extension cord pulling 240 V for the electric, too. It all depends on the HP you want and the power you want out of your PW. I spray my house and clean pool decking and driveway and I wanted power to amputate my foot with. I even used my PW to dig out a stubborn tree (boy, that was messy but worked great!)

I also went with a Cat brand triplex pump. These are the best pumps out there.

Get a nice hose with a nice reel and a variety of tips to choose from. Look into a turbo nozzle as well...good ones are in the $40-60 range and worth it. Talk about spraying power!! (insert Tim 'The Toolman' Allen grunts here)

If I remember, I'll update this post later with the exact model I got and what I paid.

+1 to all of this.
I have had about the same experience as Chris.

There are really only 2 components to a pressure washer, the engine and the pump. I think the pump is the more important of the 2. Do not skimp on the pump! Most PWs have a Honda engine that should provide you with good service, the pump OTOH truly makes or breaks the unit. You will need to spend at least $500 on a PW or you are wasting your money. Concentrate your research on the pump.

[Tom M King]

Mine is a Mi-T-M too. It originally came with a B&S 11hp industrial/commercial motor, but after 8 years I couldn't keep head gaskets on it (exact same thing happened to the same motor I had on a blower, and that got replaced with the same Honda). I replaced the motor with a 13hp (although they don't rate hp on Hondas anymore) Honda, and it still works like a charm. I'm sure it's several times your price range now, but mine was new in 1998, and has pressurized untold thousands of gallons of water. It ran for 8 hours a day for a week once removing Old whitewashing from 200 year old stone basement walls. Tall telescoping wands are worth having too, as well as a longer standard one.

[John Huds0n]

Honda GX commercial grade engine with a Cat pump

Worst thing you can do is have it running but not spraying any water - make sure whatever you buy has a thermal overload! Otherwise the pump can overheat and be damaged

I bought mine several years ago from this place. They use a nice aluminum frame so that the pump is in front of the motor versus side by side, so it is pretty narrow and easier to move around. You can basically pick your pump and engine that you want/can afford

http://store.spraymallstore.com/5565hphopowa.html

[ken masoumi]

I have heard a lot of high praises for Hotsy industrial pressure washers,they have two types hot water and cold water pressure washers,I'm not sure if I can post a link here but it is easy to find ,just google Hotsy pressure washers.I don't know about prices ,probably more than $600.

[Jason Roehl]

In the past I have owned 2 pressure washers, one from each of the big box orange or blue stores. Both with Honda engines. Both were a large dissapointment; one motor died after less than a year, and one with poor plumbing components.
I am not looking for a professional tow-behind-my-truck machine, but one in the $400-$600 range that will last and provide years of service for home use.
Any suggestions.

What you're looking for is a crap shoot. That price range will get you a direct drive unit, and as you can see by the testimonies above, either the pump or the engine will probably give up the ghost sooner than expected. Once in a while you'll get a good one, but on a direct drive, the engine vibrates the snot out of the pump. The downside is that a belt drive unit will start at well over $1000.

Whatever you get, there are two important things to keep in mind when running a pressure washer. One is to put a filter on your water inlet, even if you're on city water. Always. It doesn't take much foreign matter to trash a high-pressure water pump. Two, as someone else mentioned, is to have a unit with a thermal overload, and don't let the unit run for more than about a minute without spraying--doing so will either bust the thermal overload (it's designed to do that, it's also like a freeze plug) or the unloader valve (what keeps it from continuing to build pressure when you're not spraying).

We use a 4000 PSI Mi-T-M unit that has been great. It's had weeks on end of use at a time, and despite a few breakdowns (the thermal overload--froze more than once, and may have overheated once, too, plus the unloader valve died once), it's been chugging along since 2006, when it was bought new for ~$1500-2000 or so. But, it's a beast. I will probably get a small electric unit for little tasks around the house. Like Keith, I am loathe to add any more engines to the stable.

[Brian Elfert]

There are different grades of Honda engines. The GX series are the better ones. My pressure washer was like an $800 unit at Home Depot over a decade ago. I got it for about $300 because it was a return and put on clearance. It has a Honda GX series engine.

My pump does have a minor leak because it got real cold much earlier than expected once and it hadn't been winterized yet.

[julian abram]

I have a washer with a Honda gx motor and cat pump I purchased from HD many years ago for about $700 as I recall. It has been an excellent unit. It can sit unused for several months and when I get it out it will start on the first or second pull. If you are not going to use it often, there is something to consider in just renting one, much easier than storing it for long periods and maintaining it. Friends and relatives will want to borrow it also.

[Chris Padilla]

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/too...4736_200594736

Here is the one I picked up almost 3 years ago: 2.5 GPM @ 3000 PSI. Plenty powerful...fantastic PW. I paid the same price as listed there: $800. And I added about $400 in accessories.

I'm curious about the water filter and the thermal overload. I see that the hose water inlet on my pump has some kind of a cylindrical metal filter looking thingy...a screen. I haven't a clue if I have a thermal overload on my pump. My pump is the Cat 3DNX25GSI. Is it a separate piece or needs to be built-in on the pump? I'm fairly certain I've run the engine/pump without spraying for longer than a minute. My manual only states that the engine should not be started until pressurized water is flowing through the pump and air purged from the spray gun. Hmmmm....

EDIT: "An integral unloader with built-in by-pass is part of the discharge manifold to provide system pressure regulation and pump protection." I dunno...doesn't sound like this is a thermal overload.

[John Huds0n]

Thermal Relief Valves are about $10 - you just want to make sure you have one. Here is a link to some more info about them and what they look like:
http://www.pressurewashersupplies.co...liefValves.htm

Our repair department has replaced many pumps that got so hot it boiled the oil in the crankcase of the pump and blew out the filler cap or oil lever sight gage

You can see one in the very lower left corner of the manifold on this pump. (This pump is similar to mine):
pump.jpg

[Rick Moyer]

I have a nice North Star unit I bought from Northern Tool. I went gas with the nicer Honda engine. I've had it about 3 years now and even with me 'forgetting' to run it dry (get all the gas out before winter), it has never failed to fire up by at least the 3rd pull. Once it has been fired in the spring, one pull does it.

Gas is nice because it is a bit more portable than electric. Gas is also cheaper than an equivalent electric. You may need a long length of extension cord pulling 240 V for the electric, too. It all depends on the HP you want and the power you want out of your PW. I spray my house and clean pool decking and driveway and I wanted power to amputate my foot with. I even used my PW to dig out a stubborn tree (boy, that was messy but worked great!)

I also went with a Cat brand triplex pump. These are the best pumps out there.

Get a nice hose with a nice reel and a variety of tips to choose from. Look into a turbo nozzle as well...good ones are in the $40-60 range and worth it. Talk about spraying power!! (insert Tim 'The Toolman' Allen grunts here)

If I remember, I'll update this post later with the exact model I got and what I paid.

+1 to all of this.
I have had about the same experience as Chris.

There are really only 2 components to a pressure washer, the engine and the pump. I think the pump is the more important of the 2. Do not skimp on the pump! Most PWs have a Honda engine that should provide you with good service, the pump OTOH truly makes or breaks the unit. You will need to spend at least $500 on a PW or you are wasting your money. Concentrate your research on the pump.

Yep! I'll agree with both. Your price point will limit you here though. I've been using a unit in your price range for many years now but have been considering a new one lately. If I do get a replacement it will be a belt drive with a Cat pump and Honda engine, but that is the hold-up because they're around $1500.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

I have heard a lot of high praises for Hotsy industrial pressure washers,they have two types hot water and cold water pressure washers,I'm not sure if I can post a link here but it is easy to find ,just google Hotsy pressure washers.I don't know about prices ,probably more than $600.

Yes, these are the best out there. Expecting to spend 5-600 on a pressure washer and expecting top tier commercial will cause frustration. My last Hotsy cost $4000 and it was a stationary unit. Mobile cost more yet. You get what you pay for though.

[Ole Anderson]

My neighbor and I bought a 5.5hp Honda powered gas pressure washer probably 15 years ago. Never fails to start. All I have ever done is change the oil and nozzle every couple of years and put Sta-Bil in it at the end of the season and store in in a heated space to prevent the pump from freezing. Added one of those Briggs and Stratton rotating surface cleaners and use it yearly to clean my deck and driveway.

[Chris Padilla]

You can see one in the very lower left corner of the manifold on this pump. (This pump is similar to mine):
pump.jpg

That pretty much looks like the Cat pump I have and I recall seeing that black plastic piece on it so I might be set...will double-check to make sure. Cool.

[Jim Becker]

For what I use one for...occasional cleaning of a vehicle or our Kubota, getting algae and dirt off the patio and seasonal cleaning of horse blankets...a 2500 electric has served me well. What's nice about the current one (I don't recall the brand) is that it uses standard NPT tips. Of course, I pretty much only use one of them...the wide spread tip...because I'm not into drilling holes in things with a stream of water.

[Lee Schierer]

Have you considered renting one when you need it? I need a pressure washer maybe once or twice a year. I go to the local rental place and rent a nice one for the day, get my work done and take it back. I can rent one once or twice a year for more than ten years before I would come up to the cost of owning one.