OT: Electric pressure washer...

[AngryScientist]

Recommendations needed.

i had an old gas pressure washer that is dead. needs a bunch of parts, hose, blow out valve, and the engine barely runs.

i'm transitioning away from gas appliances, and already use a few battery powered yard instruments and they are great, plus i dont need to buy little cans of gas as often.

anyway, i probably use the thing a few times/year. clean the patio, the kids playyard structure, etc. few times a year i use my jet ski, i blast the grime off the bottom of it. i'll do car wheels once in a while too to get rid of the brake dust.

i would like as compact and simple a machine as i can get. i dont need tons of high pressure hose, as it's usually stiff and hard to manage and store.

any recs for a small, simple homeowner grade pressure washer?

[chiasticon]

I've got one of the smaller Ryobi electric units and it's been great so far. enough power for the tasks you've mentioned. I mainly have used it for cleaning mold off the siding, garage concrete floor, deck, etc. I put the antifreeze goop in after every use though, as I only use it a few times a year, like you.

I've also got a Worx Hydroshot that I use frequently and love. battery powered, and pulls water from a bucket. marginally more psi than a garden hose, but great for random around-the-house chores where getting water to the location is tricky, and you don't quite need pressure washer level power. I also use it for cleaning my bikes at CX races and for post-ride cleaning during CX season and winter. if you want battery operated, it's about the best you can get at the moment. there's a similar one by "Sun Joe" that's more psi, but also bigger battery, less run time, costs more, etc...

[Dirtdiggler]

Second year for the Worx battery operated PW.. I used it after a muddy mtb ride and transportable too. I have a rain barrel and last year that is all I used for washing cars and anything outdoors.. almost zero tap water use.

https://www.worx.com/hydroshot-portable-power-cleaner-wg629.html

[Seramount]

just bought this Karcher model...satisfied with it.

https://www.kaercher.com/us/home-garden/electric-pressure-washers/k-4-premium-16033520.html?gclid=Cj0KCQjw7YblBRDFARIsAKkK-dIJEJJKEEXKVkNJBzdPWfN7CX0rDUOTJsz9R3q182jvFpRnYya m36IaAmZhEALw_wcB

[zennmotion]

Recommendations needed.

i had an old gas pressure washer that is dead. needs a bunch of parts, hose, blow out valve, and the engine barely runs.

i'm transitioning away from gas appliances, and already use a few battery powered yard instruments and they are great, plus i dont need to buy little cans of gas as often.

anyway, i probably use the thing a few times/year. clean the patio, the kids playyard structure, etc. few times a year i use my jet ski, i blast the grime off the bottom of it. i'll do car wheels once in a while too to get rid of the brake dust.

i would like as compact and simple a machine as i can get. i dont need tons of high pressure hose, as it's usually stiff and hard to manage and store.

any recs for a small, simple homeowner grade pressure washer?

This is the kind of thing I might consider renting once or twice a year instead of owning as its occasional use doesn't justify the physical and psychic space in my garage/basement. I have an excellent local tool rental place nearby and it's nice to be able to use pro-level tools and machines rather than compromised cheap/mid-level stuff 1-2X/year, and somebody else keeps it in good working condition. A daily rental here (DC area) of a good pressure washer is $40+tax, worth it if I plan a power-wash day to hit everything at once. Plus, like a crusty LBS curmudgeon, the rental guy knows stuff about the tools. Useful stuff. Like choosing the right powerwash tip and pressure to clean in a jiffy but not destroy your deck. And don't do it barefoot if you value your skin, stuff like that. YMMV of course, but tool rental is part of my clutter reduction/world domination strategy.

[Ozz]

I was at Costco over the weekend....they had all the spring home/garden stuff in...they had an electric pressure washer there..$220. I just bought a new gas one a couple years ago, so didn't look too closely at it.
Here is the link: https://www.costco.com/Powerstroke-2200-PSI-Electric-Power-Washer.product.100410992.html

FWIW - My brother manages a commercial equipment rental shop, and when I talked with him about pressure washers, he said that more important than PSI is the GPM numbers.....higher GPM is better (at cleaning). I had an old electric Craftsman pressure washer that was probably less than 1 GPM....took forever (hours) to wash a small driveway.

Be careful using pressure washers on cars and sports equipment....just sayin'

[AngryScientist]

thanks guys.

ordinarily i would agree about renting occasional equipment, but in this case, i do think i would get enough use out of one to justify owning it, and i dont really need a pro grade one.

this is really being driven by the fact that my kids beautiful play yard structure thing, which is wood, needs to be re-sealed and has a little of that white moldish stuff growing on it, so i want to blast all of that off, let it dry out and re-stain it this spring.

i think the big benefit in a case like mine is that with electric, there is no carburetor to foul or fuel filters to plug, spark plugs, etc. all that stuff is great if you use it frequently, but when it sits for months, no good, especially with todays ethanol fuel, which rots fuel systems.

i am 100% on board with electric and battery operated lawn equipment. my honda mower is dead reliable, but if that shows the slightest sign of weakness it gets purged for a battery unit.

[CDollarsign]

I did the math on renting a pressure washer vs buying a cheap electric one and it paid for itself in 3 uses. I got the small ryobi electric pressure washer that doesn't come on a cart. I have used it a bunch for different applications and it works great.

[oldpotatoe]

I've got one of the smaller Ryobi electric units and it's been great so far.

Second this recommendation.

[glepore]

The harbor freight machine is better than the electric Karchers I've had, and can be found right around 100 when on sale, 129 regularly.
If cordless were more reasonable, I'd be all over that.

The key to long life is never letting them freeze.

[Seramount]

This is the kind of thing I might consider renting once or twice a year instead of owning...

yeah, there's a certain practicality to just renting, but as a confirmed cheap bastid, just using my PW less than 4 times paid for itself. plus, it eliminates driving to the shop, and loading/unloading the rental unit two different times.

there's no way I could stand to PW for entire day...it's fun for about 2 minutes, then it becomes tedium. by owning, I can set up the unit, put in an hour's worth of washing and come back to it when I feel like it. so, no worrying about getting it back to avoid another day's charge.

after I got mine, I did the patio, front walkway, and driveway...spread out over a week, it wasn't too mind-numbing.

as a favor to my next-door nabe, I offered to do her walkway. as a rental house, it hadn't been cleaned in over 25 years. the entire surface was solid black and looked nasty. the change was pretty remarkable...actually enjoyed doing that one.

[sitzmark]

Have a Kircher K3 Series (model M96) that I purchased at Costco many years ago. Very compact and self contained with interior cord/hose/gun/attachment storage and cleaner feed. Most of my family laughed at my "toy" washer. Worked well for a couple of years and then lost a significant amount of pressure (25-30%).
http://www.ppe-pressure-washer-parts.com/files/1961581/uploaded/k3.96.jpg
Still works, but has been very rarely used over the past 6-7 years. Could probably rebuild the pump/seals or replace the pump, but not motivated enough to get around to it. Doubt I would purchase another one, but might fix it some day.

[buddybikes]

Are they adjustable in output? Want to clean cars/kayak but also clean some mold off deck and vinyl siding.

thx

[Ozz]

Are they adjustable in output? Want to clean cars/kayak but also clean some mold off deck and vinyl siding.

thx

You can usually swap out heads on the wand for a wider (lower pressue) spray....the Costco ones have about 4 heads (pinpoint stream (for cutting metal I think;)) to a wide, low pressure for using soap).

Here is the one I have, except mine has a Subaru engine: https://www.costco.com/Powerstroke-3100PSI-Yamaha-Gas-Pressure-Washer-with-14%e2%80%9d-Surface-Cleaner-and-Turbo-Nozzle.product.100485851.html

[Veloo]

I had a local store brand one as my firs. It was HEAVY. I replaced it with a compact Karcher. Much lighter and small enough to not take up too much space. I use it for similar things that you mentioned. It was just over $100 so well worth the money for me. Came with some car washing attachments on top of the usual nozzles.

[mt2u77]

A small electric pressure washer may be just fine for homeowner tasks, but I gotta say, operating a 5 gpm pressure washer is kind of a thrill. I only use mine 4-5 times a year, but I always look forward to it. It’s total overkill for a homeowner. It’s like a cheap substitute for a muscle car.

I picked up a sand blasting attachment for it this spring— can’t wait to try it out on a bike.


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[alancw3]

I bought a Sun Joe SPX 3000 a couple of years ago after several friends recommended. I couldn't be happier with it. use it once a year to pressure wash house and also to wash the wheels on my car. it is corded but the cord that comes with it is fairly long. for the price (about $150) it is a buy imho. after I bought mine on eBay I fought out you can also buy directly from Joe sun for like $7 more which I would have done if I had known. comes with various nozzles and two year warranty if remember correctly:

https://www.snowjoe.com/products/sun-joe-2030-psi-1-76-gpm-14-5-amp-electric-pressure-washer

[Vientomas]

I bought a Sun Joe SPX 3000 a couple of years ago after several friends recommended. I couldn't be happier with it. use it once a year to pressure wash house and also to wash the wheels on my car. it is corded but the cord that comes with it is fairly long. for the price (about $150) it is a buy imho. after I bought mine on eBay I fought out you can also buy directly from Joe sun for like $7 more which I would have done if I had known. comes with various nozzles and two year warranty if remember correctly:

https://www.snowjoe.com/products/sun-joe-2030-psi-1-76-gpm-14-5-amp-electric-pressure-washer

I have the same product and have been very happy with it.

[zmudshark]

Home Depot’s deal of the day for April 2 includes pressure washers.

[ftf]

Costco has an electric one on their website for 200.

[zennmotion]

A small electric pressure washer may be just fine for homeowner tasks, but I gotta say, operating a 5 gpm pressure washer is kind of a thrill. I only use mine 4-5 times a year, but I always look forward to it. It’s total overkill for a homeowner. It’s like a cheap substitute for a muscle car.

I picked up a sand blasting attachment for it this spring— can’t wait to try it out on a bike.


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Do a little research first, sand blasting and thin tubing are not on friendly terms. IIRC, there are alternative media that are safer such as crushed walnut shells. Hate to see a nice steel frame ruined!

[m_moses]

I bought this Stanley (model 2050?) unit from Amazon last year for around $150. They’re about $25 more this year.

I’ve been very happy with it.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190402/55bfee56bec87a2c7186eb7dbb25dfe7.jpg


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[AngryScientist]

I bought a Sun Joe SPX 3000 a couple of years ago after several friends recommended. I couldn't be happier with it. use it once a year to pressure wash house and also to wash the wheels on my car. it is corded but the cord that comes with it is fairly long. for the price (about $150) it is a buy imho. after I bought mine on eBay I fought out you can also buy directly from Joe sun for like $7 more which I would have done if I had known. comes with various nozzles and two year warranty if remember correctly:

https://www.snowjoe.com/products/sun-joe-2030-psi-1-76-gpm-14-5-amp-electric-pressure-washer

wanted to thank everyone for the suggestions. today is a big home depot sale and this model was on sale for 109 with free delivery, so i went ahead and ordered it. thanks again folks.