pressure washer recommendations

clinehall · **Posted:** Tue May 17, 2011 7:46 am

I don't think I need the Tim Taylor More Power version. Just want to clean off some sidewalks etc. I keep saying I'm going to rent one but that takes too much planning.

Patrice Bousquet · **Posted:** Tue May 17, 2011 9:48 am

Cline

I have a Karcher Electric Pressure Washer and it does what it need to do well.
Mine is a few years old, that's probably the current equivalent.

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/ ... _200467693

MikeWhitney · **Joined:** Wed Aug 20, 2003 9:15 pm **Posts:** 4724

Once you use a really powerful one, nothing else is sufficient. The more power you get the faster the job goes. I have used the electric ones, and it would take all day to do a decent sized porch or sidewalk.

My current power washer is a 390cc, 12 HP Honda engined pro unit I dragged out of the dump and refurbed. It's awesome. I did my whole 40' long porch and ridiculously large front steps in about 1 hour.

My advice is go to Northern. Find the row of biggest to smallest. Walk to the middle of the line and buy that one.

Michael Westerfield · **Posted:** Tue May 17, 2011 11:37 am

MikeWhitney wrote:

My current power washer is a 390cc, 12 HP Honda engined pro unit I dragged out of the dump and refurbed. It's awesome. I did my whole 40' long porch and ridiculously large front steps in about 1 hour.

Mike, did you find a good place for parts? I've got a Delta that the FIL gave me that is almost new, but the pump died. I've been looking to fix it, but never seem to find the time.

clinehall · **Posted:** Tue May 17, 2011 1:56 pm

MikeWhitney wrote:

My current power washer is a 390cc, 12 HP Honda engined pro unit I dragged out of the dump and refurbed.

I almost put in the post " something less than what ever nuclear powered unit Mike has built"

Vincent Keene · **Posted:** Tue May 17, 2011 2:05 pm

Cline, you need to find a German-built/design/engineered/BMW-esque power washer. Ask Steve or Bret as I'm sure they can hook you up with one. They may even make one with check engine light.

clinehall · **Posted:** Tue May 17, 2011 2:30 pm

Vincent Keene wrote:

Cline, you need to find a German-built/design/engineered/BMW-esque power washer. Ask Steve or Bret as I'm sure they can hook you up with one. They may even make one with check engine light.

Good idea! lets build one, we have a few engines laying around, can you weld a cart for us? Just make sure you don't use Chevrolet Wheels (and associated bearings)

Patrice Bousquet · **Posted:** Tue May 17, 2011 2:38 pm

Cline

Karcher is German. Why do you thing i bought that brand?

http://www.karcherresidential.com/en/history.php

Vincent Keene · **Posted:** Tue May 17, 2011 3:04 pm

Patrice Bousquet wrote:

Cline

Karcher is German. Why do you thing i bought that brand?

http://www.karcherresidential.com/en/history.php

Even they have enough sense to use a Honda engine!

steve remchak · **Posted:** Tue May 17, 2011 5:47 pm

Northern Tool. they are among the best out there. but for your lifestyle i would suggest you rent one. otherwise Walter will be trying to buy yours in about a year from now.

i have this one. it rocks.
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/ ... _200350617

RichardNuss · **Posted:** Wed May 18, 2011 6:26 am

I used to borrow Marek's Karcher electric power washer all the time. It worked great to clean the car after RallyX, and I did my front and rear decks with it before coating them, which was slow, but worked. But it did not have enough power to do much with on oil stains on concrete.

My parents stopped using a Honda-powered gas one, so I inherited it from them. Night and day difference from the electric one. The gas one has much more power.

I liked the electric for cost (less than $100?), size (smaller/lighter than gas), noise (electric is still loud, but is quieter than gas), and convenience - you don't have to worry about whether it will start, can easily put it in the trunk to transport, etc. So if you are mostly doing small/light stuff, and won't use it frequently, then I'd buy an electric and rent a gas one when you find a job the electric won't handle.

clinehall · **Posted:** Wed May 18, 2011 10:58 am

steve remchak wrote:

Northern Tool. they are among the best out there. but for your lifestyle i would suggest you rent one. otherwise Walter will be trying to buy yours in about a year from now.

i have this one. it rocks.
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/ ... _200350617

My life style? Your really pissed I have roomed with Walter lately aren't you!

jimpastorius · **Posted:** Thu May 19, 2011 9:28 am

After discovering that replacing my broken underpressure valve and wand would be close to the cost of a new pressure washer, I picked one up at Home Depot last weekend. It is the Homelite $250 version. Not too bad and got good reviews. I took me about 3 hours Sunday to clean the entire driveway.

It depends how much you want to spend. But don't worry too much about PSI, look at GPM. I liked the my old one because it was 3.0 GPM over this one that is 2.3 GPM.

Never have the pressure washer in the back of the truck when you decide to go through an automated car wash. The wand could get wrapped up in the brushes, bringing the whole thing to a stop. But you can get your money back from the wash after untangling the wand then going back in and telling them their stupid car wash stopped working. Luckily, there are no cameras in the wash. Not saying this happened to me a few years ago :shock:

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