Pressure Washer - looking for advice

[Pete Dorr]

I'm looking to possibly buy a pressure washer.

Main use would be washing deck prior to staining.

Would also use to clean bottom of my FG motorboat which never gets too dirty.

This tool would be used several times per year. Not like it would be used on a weekly basis.

Any advice on minimum PSI requirements or brand or horsepower or anything.

Thanks
Pete

[Rob Stokes, N. Vancouver]

Stay away from the little electric's (Karcher etc.) and I'd stay away from the 4hp or less (2500 psi versions). Both of these have enough pressure, but because of the low flow, you need the nozzle up close to the surface being cleaned. This means you get a cleaning swath that's 1n inch wide (electric models) to maybe 2" wide (4HP gas versions). This not only leads to a slow process, it also leads to a very uneven application of pressure to the surface which leaves stripes behind.

At a minimum I'd look for a Honda 5 or 6 HP engine, 3000 psi and 3GPM. A washer of this size borders commercial but the high pressure hose will be 3/8" diameter and the wand will typically support interchangeable nozzles. you'll also want a minimm of 50' of hose - any less and you'll be moving the PW all the time.

I've got an 11HP Honda, 3000 psi and 4gpm (100' 3/8" SS braided hose) and I find myself wishing for more at times.

Rob

[Tylerdurden]

Get what you can afford with the ability to change sprayheads and back down pressure. I do warranty service on Sage systems and being able to get over #1500 psi is a good thing but not on wood.
You can change that with your pattern too but I wood figure no more than 800 psi on wood and even that is high without a wide sprayhead.
Stay away from the cheapo portables they won't last. A decent small commercial unit will work well. As a side note always run some RV antifreeze through it before storage, I see a lot damaged in the spring because of freezing.

[capt jake]

I have a 1750psi unit, 5hp, that I bought many years ago for $100. Works great for my needs here at home, cleaning decks, driveways, house prior to painting, boats, etc. I bought a turbo nozzle for it that has improved it's versatility.

Sometimes I wish for more, but not often.

[Donn]

I have a Karcher 2400(PSI) with a 5HP Honda. It puts out 2.5GPM. Costco has run specials on it for the past few years. It's small, well mounted on a wheeled carriage, and has done everything I need so far.

[Rick Starr]

I recently bought a troybuilt with honda 5.5 and 2600psi or so. I use it for the same purpose you state.

If I had to do it over I would buy a considerably larger one. It will do the jobs I have for it, but not quickly. I'd use less water overall and be done quicker with a 9hp unit such as I used to rent for these jobs.

[Tylerdurden]

Wow, thats some serious pressure all you are running.

My question is do you run that on wood decks on a boat, or even the deck of a house?
I can pop gelcoat with that pressure.

[Rick Starr]

Wow, thats some serious pressure all you are running.

My question is do you run that on wood decks on a boat, or even the deck of a house?
I can pop gelcoat with that pressure.

Well, if the machine is actually delivering the advertised pressure....

Sure you could bore a hole through a sheet of plywood in about 30 seconds with the straight head at close range, but with the narrow fan attachment it takes some serious work to clean the deck with mine. The standard deck cleaner or paint prep machine for professional use is 3500 psi/13 hp.

[Rob Stokes, N. Vancouver]

I do warranty service on Sage systems and being able to get over #1500 psi is a good thing but not on wood.
You can change that with your pattern too but I wood figure no more than 800 psi on wood and even that is high without a wide sprayhead.


I agree with you that you don't want to use too much pressure on wood, but please don't buy a unit that produces 800 - 1500 psi - you'll never be happy with it. A unit that produces more pressure (3000 psi) is simply held further away from the wood to ensure you don't dig out the pith by mistake. Doing this also has the advantage of increasing the fan width making the job go quicker, spray-pattern overlap easier and less chance for streaks/paths to show up after.

It's always better to start with the spray pattern a ways away from the surface (18" or so) and come in on it than to start too closely . And unlike spray-painting where you want to keep the gun an even distance away from the surface at all times, with pressure washing ('specially wood) it's often a lot easier to spray in a bit of an arc and ensure a lot of overlap between passes. This helps to assure even cleaning and prevents you from having to continually depress and release the trigger.

It's also a good idea to do one set of passes in one direction and another set perpendicular to assure the elimination if any incidental path marks. the requirement to do this will lessen as you get to know your pressure washer and the surface you're cleaning.

One final tip - always pre-wet the surface you're cleaning and keep it wet ahead of you. This will hydrate any algae etc. and help to lift it as you hit it with the pressure.

Rob

[George Ray]

I have had a little baby electric Karcher for almost 10 years and it keeps hanging on. Many times it would have been nice to have more pressure and flow but it has gotten by. Started 10 years ago cleaning loose paint off a small barn and washing out an old chicken shed. 20 minutes ago we washed down the 19' whaler, cleaned up the bottom slime and stripped the dark greyness off the teak gunwales back to golden honey brown.

[Dan McCosh]

I've had three small electric washers that deliver about 800 psi. The low pressure is great for cleaning wood decks, general cleanup, and washing the bilge. The low pressure prevents grain erosion and damage. I've had some damage on the hull when the yard uses high pressure. For general cleaning use, I prefer the small units.

[Donn]

A little known use for these things is watering gardens and lawns. When the wind is blowing from the SW ( common here) I can sit on the south end of the boardwalk and water the entire back yard in pretty short order.

It also cools the hot night air and drives skeeters away.

It also knocks Aphids off hard to reach tree limbs and leaves, and makes short work of wasp and mud-dauber nests.

It also does a dandy job of clearing weeds out of driveway cracks.

[Tylerdurden]

I've had three small electric washers that deliver about 800 psi. The low pressure is great for cleaning wood decks, general cleanup, and washing the bilge. The low pressure prevents grain erosion and damage. I've had some damage on the hull when the yard uses high pressure. For general cleaning use, I prefer the small units.

Thank you, More is not better, just better for a different application.
Servicing these units I find cups and o rings bad before their time.
Running standard home type hoses to feed a monster does it no good at all. I see people by the biggest units and feed them with 1/2" garden hose. Sometimes the smaller units do the same job with less damage in the same amount of time.

[few3]

Ditto on what Rob Stokes suggested. 3GPM (Gal. per. min.) will make you happy, PSI is less important. If you can afford it (Cheapo and Blowes probably has one) get one that has a CAT pump. Far better delivery system.

For what it's worth, Pressure Washers dont clean. Detergents clean, Pressure Washers loosen dirt and rinse the surface. They will however, etch any piece of wood if your not carefull, and they can give you a deadly injection wound if they hit flesh. 500 bucks should suffice if you can swing it.

[rbgarr]

... we washed down the 19' whaler, cleaned up the bottom slime and stripped the dark greyness off the teak gunwales back to golden honey brown.

In years past I've trailered the motorboat over to the car wash and hustled around with the spray wand, dropping quarters in like mad and getting completely soaking doing the above.

No more.

My neighbor and I went in on a pressure washer together and it's great. The 100' hose is a godsend when cleaning the algae and winter road dust off the houses (we live on a much-sanded, curved, hillside state road) and driveways. I used it to clean (before sealing) the asphalt drive over the past few days. Wife loves it.

[jzeigler]

I have a very old, (and it was very expensive) 750psi unit. Plenty of pressure and does the jobs whether a deck or truck engine. there is a risk while doing wood, of lifting the grain and leaving a surface that needs to be sanded. Don't get too close to the wood you're workng.

[Donn]

Wife loves it.

Really? Do you spray her with it, or what?:D

[capt jake]

Really? Do you spray her with it, or what?:D
LOL :D:D

[gary porter]

Well, here is my little tidbit of advice. If you ever decide to clean the radiator in you car or truck.,,,,DON'T.
Trust me, I know of what I speak.
Education is expensive.
Gary

[rbgarr]

Really? Do you spray her with it, or what?:D

Yes.

She's a dirty, dirty girl, it turns out. I thought her olive colored skin was natural, but now she's a lovely (albeit parboiled) alabaster. :D

[Donn]

You must be careful when spraying the little woman. Otherwise, you'll raise the grain, and you'll be forced to sand her.

[Keith Wilson]

I've got one of the little electric Karcher units - cost about $75 on sale. It works fine for cleaning the deck or the boat in the spring, although neither are very big. The usable width of the spray is about 1-1/2", so it doesn't go quickly, and for larger jobs I'd want something larger. OTOH, the cost-benefit ratio was very good.

[rbgarr]

She doesn't object to the scrub brush?? ;)