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Pressure washers... need a recommendation

Hemirunner

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The North side of the house and shop are green and it looks as though I’ll be washing both this spring. I also need to clean the stairs for a repaint. What do you like for pressure washers and why? Gas? Electric? Brand? Features?
 
The North side of the house and shop are green and it looks as though I’ll be washing both this spring. I also need to clean the stairs for a repaint. What do you like for pressure washers and why? Gas? Electric? Brand? Features?
I borrowed an electric off a buddy of mine last season to do front steps/walkway. Was really surprised at how easy it was. 2000psi, can't recall the brand (SunJoe?). What I can tell you is that it was small and very portable. The only issue I found was, because it was corded, between that and the hose the tangling can be pretty frustrating at first. After you get a bit used to moving it around to where you're going to be, your frustrations will subside.
Overall happy with the results is what really matters.
 
Gas w/Honda engine. Also find an Industrial supply place that will sell you 12% bleach. Wear eye protection and gloves. Also wear clothes you never care to see again. The cleaning is more about the chemical than the PSI.
 
Most any will work well with 2000 psi. Pretreat the surface with a detergent for best results. 440'
 
Depends on how large an area and what your cleaning. More gallons ger minute faster the cleaning. Vinyl siding you don't need a killer 4 gpm stairs to remove loose paint 3 gpm should do it. Rent one and see how it works. I rented for 2 years but doing my 1100 sqft deck in a day and half to much. Hand went numb for 3 months, couldn't button my shirt right handed. Bought a 13 hp 4 gpm 3500 lb washer. Make sure you can fill a 5 gal pale in 1 minute if you buy a 4 gpm washer. Clean foreground grey beyond.
deck1.jpg
 
After owning several of both over the years I would purchase one of the lower priced electric ones with the ability to apply detergent/Clorox. they work great. Gas is great also if you need higher pressure and or do not have electricity.
 
I had a cheap electric washer that I think put out 1000 psi. Didn't do a good job and didn't last very long. I bought a "Brute" from Menards (gas) with a Honda engine (2700 psi). Works great.
 
I also prefer the Honda-powered gas unit. It's worked great for 10+ years through many types of jobs.
 
bleach and water is all you need for a pressure washer.I use a gas one with a honda motor. I do about 6 houses a year. Get a commercial grade one not Harvey the home owner one.
 
I like my gas unit. 3000 psi. Can use it anywhere. Long driveway and sidewalks, house, car’s, truck and for jetting yard drain lines.
 
Gas Honda 2700 psi.. The pump is as important as the engine. Get one with a name brand pump or parts may not be available if you ever need them.
 
I’ve been considering the harbor freight electric for $80. Can’t beat that I don’t plan on using it much, gotta clean the deck and the siding on the house every other year or so.
 
I have both. A North Star 3,000/3 GPM gas (15 years) and a Craftsman electric 1.6/ (forget the PSI) almost a year old ($85) at Menards. Both work well.
Mike
 
There is a very noticeable difference between those cheap ones around 1200-1500 psi and those approaching 2000.
 
Depends on how large an area and what your cleaning. More gallons ger minute faster the cleaning. Vinyl siding you don't need a killer 4 gpm stairs to remove loose paint 3 gpm should do it. Rent one and see how it works. I rented for 2 years but doing my 1100 sqft deck in a day and half to much. Hand went numb for 3 months, couldn't button my shirt right handed. Bought a 13 hp 4 gpm 3500 lb washer. Make sure you can fill a 5 gal pale in 1 minute if you buy a 4 gpm washer. Clean foreground grey beyond.View attachment 931802
That’s a heavy duty power washer. Most gas versions I see seem to be in the 2-3 gpm range with smaller engines.
 
BE unit with the honda is pretty bullit proof. I do a lot of boat hull cleaning in the fall and my machine has over 200hrs. if you have a bigger budget,I just got my hands on a yamaha with the cat pump,rotating adjustable pattern selector and automatic idle down when trigger released it's a dream machine,but I don't know about longevity yet!
for siding I use dep vinyl siding cleaner and a brush on a pool skimmer handle to get the reach for 2 story. take the nozzle out of washer for extended rinse!
there is a power head for scrubbing decks which produces amazing results with very little effort or damage to wood from high pressure.
 
I’ve got a Ryobi electric 2300 psi that works well. Seems built fine, I have a rotary attachment that I use to clean the metal roof and the concrete. Way better than the Karcher 1600 psi pos that I had.
 
That Yamaha looks really nice but I don’t think I can justify the expense for something I’ll probably use once or twice a year. I’m wondering if electric would be a better option for that kind of frequency of use. It would also be easier to store. Decisions, decisions!
 
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