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Pressure Washers

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specialkd24_rivals116121

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Jan 13, 2002
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Anybody have good experience/recommendations on pressure washers?

For the first time we have a fence, and it desperately needs cleaning and sealing. I was thinking about buying one to do that, clean the driveway, eaves, etc.

There are a lot of different types, both gas and electric, and brands. There are a lot of sale around the 4th of July too.

Any thoughts/recommendations would be great.
 
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UKGrad93

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Jun 20, 2007
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I have a Troy Bilt. I would not recommend it. I had to replace the pump once. It’s hard to start and burns a lot of gas.
 
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joeyrupption

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Jun 5, 2007
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I have one of those “cheap” Sun Joe deals from Amazon that I bought from Kinja Deals sale. It’s electric but it works fine for occasionally cleaning fences, decks, and concrete. I’ve only used it a couple times so far.
 
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Xception

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Apr 17, 2007
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There really isn’t one that’s the obvious choice. Don’t get tricked with a good Honda motor mounted on a cheap frame and parts. Just research the models you’re interested in and read the negative reviews, if there’s a recurring theme then there’s a chance you might have to deal with that problem. Find the one with the fewest issues or an issue you can deal with.
 
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Bill Withers

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Jun 23, 2019
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How mechanically inclined are you? There's a lot to taking care of one of those. Winterizing it, routine maintenance, etc. If you aren't very mechanical, just rent one. If you are up to owning one, I'd suggest spending a bit more and getting a real one from a dealer. Pretty much everything from regular stores (Lowe's, Home Depot, Wal-Mart etc) are junk.
Some brands I've liked were Simpson and Generac.
 
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DocPT

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catlanta33 said:
Have a Generac PW and generator.

Have the older 2800 psi model of this:
Click to expand...

I would recommend this one. I have it an absolutely love it. If you ever decide to do a drive way or garage floor make sure you get the 15” disc, it’ll make your life much easier.
 
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8titles_rivals270261

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UKGrad93 said:
I have a Troy Bilt. I would not recommend it. I had to replace the pump once. It’s hard to start and burns a lot of gas.
Click to expand...
x2
I have had one for 5 years and maybe used it 10 times. Every year I had to take the carb apart to clean the float and jets just to get it started. I use stabil in my gas but it didn't help. Choke broke off the carb (piss poor design) so I had to replace the carb this year. Wouldn't have another one.
 
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HUBER

HUBER

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Jan 9, 2003
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1. We sell Stihl, MiTM, Vortexx, and Cub Cadet Pressure washers at our dealership. The Stihl units have been the most popular and have been pretty problem free. Always recommend buying from a local dealer so you can get parts and service easily. They should be able to direct you to a unit that fits your needs.
https://ecentralequipment.stihldealer.net/products/pressure-washers/#filters

2. Engine is just as important as the pump. Alot of economy pressure washers have cheap Chinese engines and pumps that are deigned to have a 30 hour pump life. Spend the extra $100 to get something that will last.

3. Do not leave fuel in your pressure washer unless you're using it often. (Like once a week) The ethanol that's in our gasoline is horrible for small air cooled engines and when left in the engine for long periods of time (2 months or more) it can deteriorate fuel lines, clog the jets in the carburetor, eat away at the fuel tank lining, just tons of bad stuff. I always gauge how much gas I have left when getting close to getting a job done and don't fill it up near the end. I also recommend getting some rec fuel for all of your small handheld stuff. Rec fuel is basically the fuel we had back in the day and has no ethanol. Its a little more expensive that normal gas you find today everywhere but will eliminate alot of issues down the road and has a longer shelf life.

4. Don't let the engine (and pump) run too long without using the unit. Most economy pressure washers don't have pressure relief valves so its important to remember that if you aren't shooting water out of the gun to just turn the unit off if you're going to be away from the unit for a few minutes. The pumps can get super hot and eventually lock up if the machine is running but you're not actually using it. It needs that water running through the pump to remain cool.
 
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weused2luvhim2

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Mar 2, 2008
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Bill Withers said:
How mechanically inclined are you? There's a lot to taking care of one of those. Winterizing it, routine maintenance, etc. If you aren't very mechanical, just rent one. If you are up to owning one, I'd suggest spending a bit more and getting a real one from a dealer. Pretty much everything from regular stores (Lowe's, Home Depot, Wal-Mart etc) are junk.
Some brands I've liked were Simpson and Generac.
Click to expand...

Yeah ok mr expert. I have a Subaru from Lowe’s. Never done anything to but add gas. Start right up every year.
 
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Atrain7732

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Dec 11, 2009
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I sell them thru my paint stores and we have settled in with the BE brand. They use mostly Honda motors and the EZ 4040 pumps. Both motor and pump are important as previously mentioned.

We mostly sell them to painters and professional contractors tho, so a homeowner model doesn’t require that much investment. We also have a guy who repairs airless equipment and he’s always been fairly adamant that it is something that is worth paying a little more to get a piece of equipment that will prolly last twice as long. Any make as long as it has the Honda motor and EZ pump should hold up very well.
 
BlueVelvetFog

BlueVelvetFog

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LineSkiCat14

LineSkiCat14

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Aug 5, 2015
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Used a few before. Borrowed the in-laws Green Works electric power washer and was pretty pleased with it. Probably got to 75-85% of where a regular gas power washer can get to.. and that's probably good enough for most projects.

Worked on siding and my deck.
 
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justa

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Feb 23, 2003
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Generac as well. Zero issues, starts up on first pull every time no matter if it’s been sitting an hour or all winter.

I use 100% gasoline with Sta-Bill in all my small engines including mower. Since switching to 100% I rarely have any engine related issues.
 
Deeeefense

Deeeefense

Heisman
Staff member
Aug 22, 2001
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It depends on what you are cleaning. For a fence either wood or metal an electric powered unit is the way to go IMO. They are light weight and simple to operate and provide about 1800 PSI which is all you need. However if you want something that will clean more stubborn surfaces like concert you'll need a gasoline unit that can produce at least 2800 PSI

As far as gas units go I have a Troy Built and it works great and starts on the first or second pull. My only bad experience was with a Northern Tool unit powered by a Honda engine. I had trouble with it starting and running improperly and it would frequently just shut down. After 3 trips to their "service department" without results I gave up and scrapped it. The Troy Built has a Briggs and it runs like a top. I was told by a small engine repair guy that the carbs on the Hondas get fouled up rather easily and are hard to keep clean.

If you get a gas unit I recommend adding a little bit of fuel stabilizer to the gas especially if it will sit for long periods unused.
 
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BlueRaider22

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Sep 24, 2003
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Bill Withers said:
You might want to listen, kid. I do know what I'm talking about.
So, all you do is add gas, huh? No maintenance at all? Never?
Click to expand...


Mine is electric.....so no gas for me. I bought mine from Lowe's.......for like $130 on a sale of some sort......has nearly 1,000 reviews on line with 4.5 stars. Bought it >5 yrs ago. I've done lots of general home activities with it. Never had a single issue......and if I did have a significant issue, I've gotten way more than my money's worth out of it........I'd just fix it or buy another.



That being said, I don't work construction anymore. I have no idea how it would hold up to a job site.
 
rick64

rick64

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Jan 25, 2007
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We’ve been happy with the Simpson Megashot 2800psi we got at Sam’s. $249 IIRC.
 
55wildcat

55wildcat

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Jan 4, 2006
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Mine is a 4000 psi 4.0 gpm ..Honda motor, annovi reverberi pump. I've had it about 10 years. Never had any issues, starts the first pull every time. Only maintenance done is oil change and tune-up..You do not need anything near this big to clean a fence. Most homeowners ,an electric unit would be just fine, its just really a choice of what you want to use it for..Below are some pics of my driveway I washed.. I don't use mine that often. I do have an adjustable car wash gun that's great for cleaning wheels and rinsing soap..





 
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KyCatFan_rivals45723

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May 6, 2002
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I believe my mom bought an electric one by a brand called Greenworks at Lowes. She cleaned her privacy fence, part of her house, driveway, and her 2 story deck and had no issues. I even washed my car at her house one day with it with the adapter to use soap in it. No problems at all. Only thing I don't like is dragging the cord around. She had a gas powered one of a bigger brand that cost like 3 times as much and barely used it before it started having problems.
 
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specialkd24_rivals116121

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Jan 13, 2002
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Thanks for all the input.

To answer a few questions ... I am NOT mechanically inclined at all. I want simple and easy, and as I mentioned in the first post, I want to do my fence, my driveway at some point, the concrete areas around our pool, etc. Nothing major, and nothing super stained.

With that being said, it seems like an electric one may be less maintenance work since I'm not using it a lot.
 
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