Pressure Washers

[mustangcy]

Looking to get a pressure washer for vehicle, house siding and general garage/driveway cleaning. Question is I like the idea of electric and I've heard that they are getting better but what should I get? Looking to spend in the 2-300 range but could go lower if its a solid washer.

So electric or gas???

Help me out CF!

 

[C.A.H.]

I have both. At least for me gas is more powerful but more maintenance. Electric works great for everything but the most powerful washing jobs - like lots of oil and dirt on concrete. Be careful with too much pressure on siding and such as the water can gouge the surface. Hope this helps.

 

[RotatingColumn]

Pine sol and a mob should be suffice for disinfecting coronavirus.

 

[jdcyclone19]

Gas.

For most home things 2300-3100 psi and 2.3-3.0 gallons is sufficient.

Walmart has some on clearance right now for $150 when I was there last. 2.8 gallon, 3100 psi IIRC. Most of the cheaper ones in this range are made by the same company, just different name on it. Don't fall for paying extra for the name unless it has a CAT pump but then you're spending wayyy more than your budget.

 

[twojman]

Pressure Warsher

 

[spierceisu]

Go with gas. The electric ones don't have enough pressure to clean tough areas. You can change the nozzle and adjust cleaning distance for sensitive areas like wood and siding. I would rather have too much pressure than not enough. Just be sure to winterize it with a "pump saver" so the pump doesn't freeze in the winter. The pump is very expensive to replace.

 

[Acylum]

I’ve bought two of the mid priced electrics and switched back to gas after each.

 

[jdcyclone19]

Pine sol and a mob should be suffice for disinfecting coronavirus.

How big of mob are we talking?

 

[cytech]

You should be fine with either. Pressure is not what is most important, it is the detergents that you use to clean with. Most home owners just blast the grime off their house so they think pressure is what makes it work the best.

But it is possible to clean your home with less than 1000 PSI and do a better job at the same time.

Pool chlorine, Sodium Hypocrite is the secret. You can use this to make your own bleach solution that will break down the organic materials on your home. If you use the proper detergents you can do a more complete job cleaning, because that cleaner can get in ever nook and cranny, You will spend less time doing the work. And it will be safer for whatever the material you are using by not blasting water behind the siding or in the sofits.

 

[jdcyclone19]

You should be fine with either. Pressure is not what is most important, it is the detergents that you use to clean with. Most home owners just blast the grime off their house so they think pressure is what makes it work the best.

But it is possible to clean your home with less than 1000 PSI and do a better job at the same time.

Pool chlorine, Sodium Hypocrite is the secret. You can use this to make your own bleach solution that will break down the organic materials on your home. If you use the proper detergents you can do a more complete job cleaning, because that cleaner can get in ever nook and cranny, You will spend less time doing the work. And it will be safer for whatever the material you are using by not blasting water behind the siding or in the sofits.

Flow is also more important than PSI. At the same time, higher pressure and higher flow, can reduce or eliminate the need for using a cleaner if a person doesn't want to use a chemical. You need to be careful when mixing your own cleaning solutions that are chlorine based.