The fathers' day thread reminded me that I have been thinking about getting a pressure washer for general use around the house. I am continually disappointed by the caliber of appliance/hardware sold by pretty much all retailer (I got a DeWalt mower from HD last fall and it is a total POS), so I'd love to hear who has one that they are pleased with.
OT- Pressure Washer Recommendations
- Thread starter FrontRangeDawg
- Start date
I have one with a Honda motor and it works well. I buying new, I’d closely look at battery powered
For just washing sidewalks/driveway and the eaves around the house I have this one. It's electric, so one more cord to drag around with it but it's much quieter, no stopping to refill it, and it doesn't vibrate itself halfway across the driveway like a gas powered.
I have one with a Honda motor I got about nine years ago. Still operates as it should every time.
I'm completely sold on EGO for everything outdoors. I have a mower, and then have the multi-head system with pole saw, tiller, and trimmer attachments. I am already looking at getting a blower this weekend with another battery. I'm 99% sure they have a couple power washers which I'll probably look at in a year or two. It's not cheap but well worth the money in my opinion.
ETA: I have never used their pressure washer but my biggest concern would be battery on that one, I know when I'm pressure washing with my electric one it takes a while to get things done.
I've been looking at the same thing. It seems like most gas powered washers are more PSI than what I really need. I would use it to clean sidewalks, driveways, brick, and some wood trim areas around the house. Best I can tell, mid 2,000 PSI is ideal for that. At the same time, I am skeptical of electric. I hate the idea of having to deal with an electric cord, particularly particularly when dealing with water. I have also learned to tinker with small engines. I am not afraid of the challenge of keeping it in working order.
Dang, these look good online. I assume that the material/construction quality is much higher than the retail stuff I'm seeing?
I got years of use from a $99 Ryobi electric one. It fit my use case. I was always around the house, near an outlet. It always "cranked" even when used infrequently. I already had to have a hose tethering me to the house, so having a power cord didn't really add any limitation on use since they come longer than most hoses anyway.
Don’t buy any gas powered pressure washer that doesn’t have a Honda motor on it. Sherwin Williams is one of the largest sellers of pressure washers in the country and a lot of the commercial stores even service them. They often have good sales but they’re rarely advertised to the general public. Go in one and look for a contractors sales flyer. I’ve got a 4000 psi gas washer for big jobs but I also have a Greenworks electric 1800 psi washer that gets used for small jobs. It’s really convenient.
I have that one too. I use it for light purposes around the house. I may use it 5 times a year. It works for that. I’d purchase it again.
I have to echo the sentiments of those who have the gasoline-powered pressure washers with the Honda engines. I bought my first one (a Troy-Bilt) over 20 years ago and it’s still going strong. My stepson “borrowed” it from me about 3 years ago and I have only seen it one time since then-it’s in his garage in Madison lol. I just went ahead and bought myself another one a couple of years ago. The older one is a 2200 psi, and the newer one is a 3000 psi. No, I probably don’t need 3000 psi, but I would rather have too much pressure than not enough. Both have Honda engines on them and both will usually crank on the second or third pull. I also don’t put anything but non-ethanol gasoline in them on the advice of the small engine mechanic who does the service on my lawn mower. Now, if I could buy a pressure washer with a Kawasaki engine on it, I wouldn’t be mad. My zero-turn mowers both have the Kawasaki engines on them, and they have been pretty much bulletproof.
I have a Dewalt from HD and have been very pleased. This model is made by Simpson with a Honda engine and an AAA inline pump. You can find parts fairly easy or just replace the pump with 4 bolts. The motor has a fuel cut off switch and I've never had an issue starting after sitting for several months. There is knob on the pump that you can dial back the pressure if needed.
Dewalt Pressure Washer
Dewalt Pressure Washer
I had a gas powered, (not Honda), that felt like every season I was having to work on to get running. This year I gave up and let a friend that has a small machine shop have it. I got an electric one and am pleased with it. It’s not quite as powerful but does a good job on the fencing and concrete. I recommend either of the two attachments below. I used the sweeper for the first time yesterday and think I prefer the circular one for concrete.
Amazon.com
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a.co
I have a battery powered Dewault and while it works fine, a fully charged battery lasts only 4 to 5 minutes maximum. I have 2 batteries and it took me 3 days just to do my back patio, which is only about 12’x20’. I like Dewault tools but I don’t recommend their pressure washer.
All of my stuff is only about a year old so I don't know about longevity, but I have been very impressed with the quality, especially with the mower. It is 10 times better than any of the old gas mowers I've had. The last two finally died and my battery powered trimmer died at the same time so that's why I went with that system. I talked to a guy at work that's very serious about his yard (State grad) and loves them too.
Read what Pilgrim said below though regarding the battery life of his DeWalt. On something like a pressure washer that would be my biggest fear with battery powered. My mower batter is almost triple the size of the other battery that runs the smaller tools and I never get closed to it running out. While it will fit the smaller tools it would be way off balance because it's way heavier, which might be the case with a battery that comes with the pressure washer too since you aren't carrying the battery around, if that makes sense.
Just call that guy with the youtube channel in the other thread. SB something. He sells hats.**
Simpson. With a Honda motor. You won't have to buy another one for a while.
All Simpson makes is pressure washers.
All Simpson makes is pressure washers.
the secret to small engines cranking when you want them to
Hard agree on the ethanol free gas. My dad had a few gas-powered pieces (blower, weedeater) that sat for a winter after he died, and I got them out last spring and had to de-gum all of them. What a pain in the ace.
I am of the camp of buying the el-cheapo for under $200 and let it crap out after 3-5 years and get the next one. Yes you can get 3-4 for the price of one very good Honda engine based pressure washer.
Everyone recommending electric is a female.
If you're cleaning flat grade-level surfaces, surface cleaners are the greatest invention since the pressure washer itself. Look at them. They have a GPM requirement. Take that and compare to pressure washer specs. Then buy. Honda GX motors and Cat pumps are the best.
If you're cleaning flat grade-level surfaces, surface cleaners are the greatest invention since the pressure washer itself. Look at them. They have a GPM requirement. Take that and compare to pressure washer specs. Then buy. Honda GX motors and Cat pumps are the best.
My battery powered DeWalt 16"chainsaw is off the charts good. I can't even wear it out. So easy to change the chain, oil, and tighten the chain.
I have had a Ryobi electric for 5 years. It does a great job for around the house projects. I probably put 8-10 hours/year on it.
Don’t pressure wash eaves or anything that’s not brick. If questions, PM me. Seriously don’t do it.
I'm not doing any material on my house except for some concrete stucco that's 80 years old; rest of it will be driveway, fence, carwashes, etc.
The electrics have gotten so good now, I have both and the only time I get out the gas is when I'm doing the driveway every couple of years.
Just went and bought an EGO blower on my lunch break, came with battery and charger so now I have 3 chargers. Happy Father's Day!
