Pressure Washer Advice

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Pressure Washer AdviceI’m going to split the cost of a pressure washer with my folks thus I would like to go big.  It will be used mainly for cleaning their drive way, siding, tractor, disk, plow, and 4 wheeler and DECK WASHING (they have a huge deck made from composite material). It will really be theirs but will save me a ton of time when I visitDave ReberWadsworth Ohio
Reply:For equipment and driveways, I'd skip an electric machine and only look at gas units. The higher pressure will greatly help especially on equipment. Decks, siding and to a limited degree blacktop/concrete, you probably want less pressure, but you can always turn down a higher pressure machine.The down side of gas units is their size and weight, which can often make loading/unloading one in a vehicle a two person job. They are also much noisier to run.I've used about a 1/2 dozen different Karcher electric units as well as one cheap electric unit from HD a friend had, and 3 or 4 different gas units over the years. We used the electric Karchers simply because one guy could load unload on on wash and seal jobs for patios as well as for washing down siding after we poured crete. The plastic cases didn't hold up well to the abuse the laborers put them thru, but the units kept on going and going... at least until they forgot and left them full of water in the truck to freeze. Gas powered units were used primarily at the shop on heavy equipment and on jobs where we needed the extra pressure to abrade the surface, usually overlays or when we needed to remove heavy stains..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Thanks DSWthe search is on.Dave ReberWadsworth Ohio
Reply:I have been pressure washing as a business for about 5 years now and if there is one thing I have found it is that high pressure is far leas important than high flow. 3000 psi may look good in the store, but if it is only coming out at 2 gallons a minute you will waste an entire day cleaning your sidewalks. A flow of 4+ gallons will be adequate to push a rotary surface cleaner which will cut you're time by by 90% over trying to do it with just a gun. A for the equipment and implements, get a variety of tips for your gun from 0°-30°. Avoid any tip narrower than 15° on anything except metal, it WILL gouge and destroy! Be careful buying a machine from a box store, very few of them are more than a mere joke, Northern Tool is a much better option. If you are really serious, don't rule out assembling one that suits you best. Our last machine build was under $2000 with 5 gpm/ 3000 psi pump and 20HP Kohler engine.Last edited by Standup Philosopher; 04-08-2012 at 10:43 PM.MM211Rigid chopsawDelta Drill Press
Reply:We use a steamer, though I'm not sure if that's what you're after. We had an ancient one for years that needed a repair every time we used it, but it was worth the trouble to knock the grease off a chassis. Hell, it would even take decals off of trucks.Two years ago we finally picked up a brand new one from northern. The downside to it is that it runs on 220, the upside to that is it's a good reason to tell people they can't borrow it. It's a great tool for sure.I see pressure washer/steamer units at auctions pretty often.IW Local 580 NY, NY
Reply:standup hit the nail on the head. I spent 8 years as a pro, and loved my 2500 psi, 6gpm more than any other machine. pressure breaks things loose, flow carries it away.Dynasty 200DXPassport plus w/ spoolmate 100victor 315c oxy/(act and prop)Miller digital elitemilwaukee power tools
Reply:I bought the Rigid 3,300 psi 3 GPM Triplex Gas Pressure Washer from HD a couple of years ago. It has yet to let me down. The idle down feature is very nice. First day I bought it I used it all day to power wash the house. Never had a problem with it. I run the unit off a well and I only have max 50psi. The power washer doesn't care.I looked into making one, but it was going to cost more then what I wanted to spend.I can load and unload it from my truck by myself.
Reply:Not trying to hijack guys, but does anyone know what I can use to get mold from a shaded area off of my pressure treated deck. I pressure washed it before winter with some stuff from lowes, but the mold laughed at it. It actually was stringing up the wood grain and board edges before it would get rid of the mold. I was afraid to try bleach, I didnt want to discolor it too bad. Thanks guys!I hate being bi-polar it's awsomeMy Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys
Reply:weldermike-  I would strongly discourage the use of bleach to pressure wash anything, it is a strong oxidizer and will rust metal prematurely. We use a "soap" that is thinned down 7:1 water:soap and applied about 15 minutes before hitting the area with pressure. I do not know for sure what is in it but we believe it is sodium hydroxide (lye) because it smells like oven cleaner. There are a ton of cleaners out they're but again I would not recommend anything containing bleach. Apply your cleaning agent to a dry surface and let it set then wash. Professional power washers also use hot water but high pressure water heaters are a maintenance nightmare and are expensive.MM211Rigid chopsawDelta Drill Press
Reply:i have a honda 13hp 5.5gpm 3000psi that i have used for 15 years doing equipment, trucks and trailers, pools, houses, and a heck of a lot of wet sandblasting with. i have tried lessor units and wasn't happy with them. if you can afford it go with hot to be less dependent on chemicals for decreasing. as for the mold. when i was a youngin riding, building and repairing surf boards we used bleach to try and kill the mold that would attack the resins and cause the glass to separate from the wood substrate, but often had bad luck. an old board guru told me to use straight pure concentrate Lysol undiluted and brush or spray it on the mold affected surface. problem solved and no more comebacks. comes in an 8oz bottle at your local grocery store. i've used it on black mold in homes and motor homes also225NT bobcatAEAD200LEScott 125mm175, mm252 w 30A, PT225mm211, TA 181iHyper Therm 380, cut master 529100X & XX, Digital Elite6 Victor setssmith little torch, meco midget kalamazoo band sawsteel max saw evoulution circular saw
Reply:Originally Posted by jbmprodsi have a honda 13hp 5.5gpm 3000psi that i have used for 15 years doing equipment, trucks and trailers, pools, houses, and a heck of a lot of wet sandblasting with. i have tried lessor units and wasn't happy with them. if you can afford it go with hot to be less dependent on chemicals for decreasing. as for the mold. when i was a youngin riding, building and repairing surf boards we used bleach to try and kill the mold that would attack the resins and cause the glass to separate from the wood substrate, but often had bad luck. an old board guru told me to use straight pure concentrate Lysol undiluted and brush or spray it on the mold affected surface. problem solved and no more comebacks. comes in an 8oz bottle at your local grocery store. i've used it on black mold in homes and motor homes also
Reply:Any issues with the wet sandblasting?  It's om my list of "purchases" before I retire... Originally Posted by jbmprodsi have a honda 13hp 5.5gpm 3000psi that i have used for 15 years doing equipment, trucks and trailers, pools, houses, and a heck of a lot of wet sandblasting with. i have tried lessor units and wasn't happy with them. if you can afford it go with hot to be less dependent on chemicals for decreasing. as for the mold. when i was a youngin riding, building and repairing surf boards we used bleach to try and kill the mold that would attack the resins and cause the glass to separate from the wood substrate, but often had bad luck. an old board guru told me to use straight pure concentrate Lysol undiluted and brush or spray it on the mold affected surface. problem solved and no more comebacks. comes in an 8oz bottle at your local grocery store. i've used it on black mold in homes and motor homes also
Reply:I would only use one with a cat pump.  They take a lot of abuse. I am on my second in 20 years from northern.  I think it is 3500psi, 4gpm.  I use their heavy duty wet blaster with some success. I shortened the feed hose and buy good, dry, screened sand.  # 20, 12 seem to be aggressive and work well. It is messy, but much cleaner than dry blasting.  Sometimes it seems to help to raise the source of the sand to help feed it.
Reply:Originally Posted by dellwasAny issues with the wet sandblasting?  It's om my list of "purchases" before I retire...