Educate me on pressure washers

[Speedracer 64]

I am looking to purchase a pressure washer for personal use. The tasks will include cleaning the house, vehicles, and driveway/sidewalks. Not sure whether to go electric or gas? Is there such a thing as overkill? Features? Budget is $300-$400.

 

[finn]

With that budget, you’ll get a pretty good electric or a homeowner grade gasser.

I have had both. The electric is probably adequate for the work you describe, and you don’t have to deal with the storage and maintenance issues infrequently used gas machines have. They’re also lighter to move around, which can be a big advantage.

I broke my Karcher electric through an act of stupidity, but would (or might) buy another as a supplemental machine now that I have had a gas machine for ten years.

On the other hand, even a homeowner gas machine flows more water, and most have a higher pressure capability.

I would recommend that you start with a decent electric, and if you find it to be an indispensable tool, buy into a gas machine at a later date. I’m not really into the buy once -cry once mantra many here ascribe to.

 

[lilredex]

Get a gas powered one and be sure to remove the pump for winter garage storage, if it freezes there. Those cheap electric washers do not last long, on my experience.

 

[thool]

My recommendation: Gas powered, proven engine brand, no idle-down, no fuel injection, piston based pump, 3000 psi, on a wheeled chassis.

I have a Subaru engine with a Cat pump, always winterize and change engine oil every 20 or so hours. If it freezes where you are, buy a can of pump saver and run it through the pump and you very slowly pull the recoil starter.

 

[rust in the eye]

Another vote for gas.
The electric ones I've owned all had an annoying delay when pulling the trigger. The pump shuts off when pressure rises past X point and restarts when the pressure falls(pull the trigger) but with a hesitation. That, combined with the cord makes me prefer gas operated.
Mine is branded Homelite, has a Subaru engine.

 

[sparky 1971]

The best place for an electric pressure washer is the closest dumpster, which is where the one I bought wound up after the third or fourth time I used it. I have a Generac, it's nothing special but gets the job done a lot better than anything electric.

 

[Honest Bob]

I have both, started with an electric and went with a gas powered one after I decided to pressure wash my garage before paint. The electric one is way easier to pull out for short jobs, if I pull the gas one out its to wash the whole house and the vehicles the same day.

The gas one I drain the gas from the tank and fuel bowl and put pump saver in every fall. I store both in my heated basement during the winter.

Also if you read the instructions carefully you'll notice its not recommended to to run the gas pressure washer for more than a minute or two without the trigger pulled (it relies on the water flowing through the pump to cool it).

 

[Jeepster04]

You wont be able to get a great electric pressure washer for $400, but I have an active 2.0 electric pressure washer that is decent. It would be ok for light duty jobs but I wouldn't want to pressure wash a house with it. Its perfect for washing a vehicle or spraying off a small patio(not pressure washer a patio).

I would go with the best gas powered you can find for $400.

 

[pbon]

Electric one is fine for washing cars or small patios or 6-8 feet up on a house, but won’t clean green mold off the 2nd story or do a big patio quickly. Gas is better for anything more than light use.

 

[mikedodge]

I have both and by far use electric more. Its not as powerful but easier to deal with and no maintenance. The one i have has 2 nozzles, a fast one I use the most for cleaning cars and a lot of other things and a turbo one that spins in a circle that's more powerful. It has no problem cleaning rock walls and cement and really dirty patio furniture. It probsbly wouldnt clean second story siding and stuff like that. Gas one is more powerful but the electric one is an easy fill in.

Realistically look at your needs and go from there.

 

[jshillin]

I have both... Electric is great for washing my vehicles, but doesn't cut it for washing sidewalks, driveways or the house. My gas pressure washer has a Honda engine and is about 15 years old.

 

[jobo1004]

If your budget allows, by all means get a honda motor and a cat pump. I doubt that it does, in which case having a pressure washer is better than not having a pressure washer. I bought this unit a year and a half ago from northern tool on sale for $300 and have been happy with it thus far. https://www.northerntool.com/produc...water-pressure-washer-3400-psi-2-7-gpm-115176

 

[Rinspeed]

I have the Simpson 3300 psi with Honda and it has worked great the last four or five years.

 

[Notgrownup]

My next one is going to be a Simpson with a Honda motor.

 

[rmack898]

I'm also in the both camp.
I have a 4000* Honda/Cat and last year I bought an electric Stihl (made in China)
They both have their place. Before getting the electric, I used to use the gasser on idle for more delicate jobs but now that I have the electric I find myself using it more than if I had to drag out the gasser.

 

[Mytoolsupply]

Yes there is such a thing as overkill when it comes to power washers but your budget won’t allow it. If I was to buy another one gas or electric I would look for one with the highest flow rate I could afford.

 

[FTWingRiders]

I had a gas, never used it. Bought a ryobi electric, 2900-3000 psi and haven’t looked back. Washes all the vehicles, 5th wheel camper, tractors and atvs just fine. I power wash the fence, decks and porches every other year with it.. does what I need.

 

[Sumboodie]

Get a gas powered one and be sure to remove the pump for winter garage storage, if it freezes there. Those cheap electric washers do not last long, on my experience.

Just blow it out.

 

[Sumboodie]

I have a Landa I bought at auction for ~$300.

Works awesome. Heats up to something crazy... 260* I think.

 

[AC-WC]

Gas, in my eyes water and electric don't mix. Much better pressure with gas powered washers anyhow. Tried to use a friends electric once and it never started. He did say it was a cheap one and not to worry about it.

 

[Sumboodie]

Gas, in my eyes water and electric don't mix. Much better pressure with gas powered washers anyhow. Tried to use a friends electric once and it never started. He did say it was a cheap one and not to worry about it.

Depends on the model. The belt drive with a good pump will about blow chrome off a bumper just as well as a good gas engine model.
The one summer use Harry Homeowner $79.99 KMART blue light special obviously is no comparison.

 

[Ing3018]

I have a gas 4 GPM one. It is overkill for most things except cleaning the house exterior. For most other cleaning tasks, I think an electric one hard mounted on the wall that is ready to go would be really convenient.
I purchased a few larger spray tips last year to use as a way to lower the water pressure but still maintain a high flow rate when cleaning surfaces I didn’t want to risk damaging. This is faster a less back and forth than fiddling with the pressure regulator.

 

[DemoFly]

Gas pressure washers should go no where near a car. There's no orifice size that will lower the pressure enough to wash a car properly unless you're standing 6 feet away.

The paint, masonry, caulking, siding, etc on a house is even more delicate than a car. I never understand why people say you need gas to clean a house. A rosebud tip on an electric pressure washer will still absolutely obliterate fencing and decking if you are not careful.

But for concrete you definitely want gas pressure washer and a surface cleaner. An electric will do it, just take 3 times longer.

I recommend the active 2.0.

 

[wolfinator]

I'll go against the grain and say I would get a high performance electric pressure washer. For $400-500 you could get a ~3000psi ~2gpm pressure washer. That will provide pretty good performance for most homeowner tasks, and you don't need to deal with maintaining yet another gas engine.

I have a smaller (1.2 gpm) electric pressure washer and I use it all the time during the warm seasons here. It's not the $100 specials at the cheap end, it's supposedly "pro-grade", which probably just means the parts aren't ****. I've used it heavily for 3 years.

It IS too weak for heavy paint prep (if you have really old, peeling paint you wanted to rip off, it wouldn't cut it. But I have used it for prepping paint that was in good condition, albeit slowly).

That aside I find the convenience outweighs it's weaknesses for 90% of what I use a pressure washer for around my house. No gas to deal with, no fussing with the engine, no hearing protection needed, I just plug it in and go when I want to clean stuff.

 

[Hobby_Man22]

My recommendation: Gas powered, proven engine brand, no idle-down, no fuel injection, piston based pump, 3000 psi, on a wheeled chassis.

I have a Subaru engine with a Cat pump, always winterize and change engine oil every 20 or so hours. If it freezes where you are, buy a can of pump saver and run it through the pump and you very slowly pull the recoil starter.

Yes always buy a triplex pump like cat if you can. Theyre good for 1500-2000hrs The home owner grade type pumps will be worn out after 200hrs or so.

 

[ZX3ST]

Gas pressure washers should go no where near a car. There's no orifice size that will lower the pressure enough to wash a car properly unless you're standing 6 feet away.

Are you sure you're not mixing up orifice size with fan angle? You can absolutely size-up the orifices on commonly available gas pressure washers to get down to the 1000-1500psi you want for washing cars.

Flow is king. And anything that plugs into a 15a 120v receptacle ain't got it.

 

[DemoFly]

Are you sure you're not mixing up orifice size with fan angle? You can absolutely size-up the orifices on commonly available gas pressure washers to get down to the 1000-1500psi you want for washing cars.

Flow is king. And anything that plugs into a 15a 120v receptacle ain't got it.

No I'm not confusing them.

The ideal pressure for washing a car is 600-1000psi. The idea of spending commercial money on a pump with an adjustable unloader for a homeowner is pretty insane. The only other option is to run an orifice 10 or larger in the gun to get the pressure below 1000PSI and flow over 4GPM and outrun the feed on your garden hose. It also begs the question, are you going to keep the engine running with no load and have the pump in bypass while you're washing the car? Or are you going to constantly stop and restart the gas pressure washer every time you need to rinse something?

Theres 15A pressure washers that flow 2GPM @ 1000psi, and 20A pressure washers that flow 2.3GPM @ 1000psi. I've been a homeowner for awhile now and I owned a DeWalt gas with an axial, and it was excellent for concrete. That's it.

I'm not advocating for the okie-doke box store 1.1 and 1.2 GPM electric pressure washers, which are only useful for washing cars. I specifically recommended the Active 2.0. It's a disrupter in that it can finally do it all for most homeowners and doesn't cost $700-1500. It also runs on 15A, whereas everything else this powerful runs on 20A.

 

[Dig Doug]

I have gas and electric
electric is easier !
I did have an issue with the GFI on one so I cut the GFI end off and plug it into a a safer outlet inside the garage

I use it for washing cars boats and off road vehicles and windows screens all with DI water


works great been 5 years, I have 2 of the same model…

I would probably do this one but look for a sale. Spring is right around the corner and that means Spring Cleaning

 

[Dig Doug]

I have a gas powered Karcher, have to use ethanol free fuel - $20 gallon!

always has a messed up/ gummed / dirty carb takes longer to get it running consistently than the job takes to get done

its loud and takes to much time!


if your a regular home owner spend the extra cash for a DI system ( spot free rinse ) for your cars and windows then blow off the water w/ a leaf blower

 

[southalabama]

I’ve got a gas powered with a Honda engine. If I’ve got a lot to do I break it out but most of the time the Dewalt electric is adequate and more convenient.

 

[Stelzer]

Gas pressure washers should go no where near a car. There's no orifice size that will lower the pressure enough to wash a car properly unless you're standing 6 feet away.

The paint, masonry, caulking, siding, etc on a house is even more delicate than a car. I never understand why people say you need gas to clean a house. A rosebud tip on an electric pressure washer will still absolutely obliterate fencing and decking if you are not careful.

But for concrete you definitely want gas pressure washer and a surface cleaner. An electric will do it, just take 3 times longer.

I recommend the active 2.0.

Check nozzle charts. There's always a nozzle to achieve a set psi at a given GPM. I have 8 pressure washers, 2 pressure washing trailers, and although I could strip concrete with my bigger rigs, they're safe enough to wash plants when paired with the proper nozzle.

 

[mike93lx]

I love my sunjoe electric. It's worked great for years, as long as you know and accept the limitations. It's quiet, light and has plenty of power to clean up small jobs. I don't need a bigger one enough to justify owning, so rentals fill that gap.

I do think about getting a larger electric, something 3-5hp, but it will kill a lot of the benefits I enjoy about the 120v unit.

If I had to buy a new one right now, it would likely be one of these and it definitely wouldn't be gas

https://www.northerntool.com/products/powerhorse-electric-pressure-washer-2500-psi-2-1-gpm-113881

https://www.northerntool.com/products/northstar-electric-cold-water-total-start-stop-pressure-washer-2000-psi-1-5-gpm-120-volts-1571102

 

[thool]

I have a gas powered Karcher, have to use ethanol free fuel - $20 gallon!

always has a messed up/ gummed / dirty carb takes longer to get it running consistently than the job takes to get done

its loud and takes to much time!


if your a regular home owner spend the extra cash for a DI system ( spot free rinse ) for your cars and windows then blow off the water w/ a leaf blower

Where do you live where E0 fuel is $20/gal? Our E0 is 93 octane and around $3.40/gal IIRC. Even without ethanol, it makes sense to add stabilizer and not allow the fuel to sit in an unsealed jug or tank for more than a couple months.

 

[PCustoms]

Where do you live where E0 fuel is $20/gal? Our E0 is 93 octane and around $3.40/gal IIRC.

Was going to ask the same. When I gas up Friday ethanol free was $1 more then normal gas.



I have a Simpson gas washer, high end of "homeowner grade". Had it for 3yrs, works great to wash tractors, trucks and siding. Swap the tip and I've stripped paint from concrete, and it's just enough to wet blast with sand.

 

[mike93lx]

Where do you live where E0 fuel is $20/gal? Our E0 is 93 octane and around $3.40/gal IIRC. Even without ethanol, it makes sense to add stabilizer and not allow the fuel to sit in an unsealed jug or tank for more than a couple months.

Guessing it is the canned stuff sold in stores

 

[PCustoms]

Guessing it is the canned stuff sold in stores

Seems cheap if that's the case?

 

[mike93lx]

Seems cheap if that's the case?

$24 for 110oz near me. Scales to $28 a gallon.

Can't imagine gas coating $20/gal at the pump even in northern AK

 

[Indyducati]

According to my hero @sakurama , the Kranzle is the king of pressure washers.
I've no knowledge, but will trust Gregor's opinion.

Kranzle USA : German made pressure washers | Electric Hot Cold

Pressure Washer perfection costs less than inferior engineering. Discover pressure washer perfection and schedule an in-store demo at your local dealer. 800-544-1188

www.kranzleusa.com

 

[PCustoms]

$24 for 110oz near me. Scales to $28 a gallon.

Can't imagine gas coating $20/gal at the pump even in northern AK

Math checks out. I've only bought canned twice, to get the extended warranty and once because I didn't want to travel with my gallon can.

 

[lilredex]

Just blow it out.

Fine if you're sure you got all the water out. I lost a Hypro pump when I thought it was OK. Take them all off now, just to be safe.....only four bolts on most.