Let me know about pressure washers

[ryanp77]

Looking for a pressure washer, looking at what I would need or if it’s available to be able to pressure wash my 2 story house, the fence around my property, the patio possibly my truck. I have looked at some and on the boxes and they say what they work for is there a size I should get to be able to do everything? A good brand? Nozzle size?

 

[Sumboodie]

Around 2.5gpm, 3000psi should handle most home jobber needs.

You'll need an extended wand for house cleaning. Though, you shouldn't pressure wash a house unless it really needs it, usually from lack of upkeep.
A car wash brush, house wash soap, and hose will be much better on the siding.

 

[tez929rr]

Having owned two at home and two at the firehouse, get one that drops to idle when you shut off the wand. Also nice: wand with adjustable nozzle (separate nozzle inserts seem to get lost easily), one where the hose attachment is up someplace convenient (not underneath in the back) and get a surface cleaner. They are like magic.

 

[vavet]

I owned one for about 15 years. I had the telescoping wand so I could get the side of my house...but it was miserable to use. An 18 foot wand with a high pressure stream of water is difficult to control.

I sold the pw to a coworker and hired the job to a local company. I ended up buying a small electric pw last year to handle ground based cleaning jobs, like the lawn mower deck.

 

[ryanp77]

I owned one for about 15 years. I had the telescoping wand so I could get the side of my house...but it was miserable to use. An 18 foot wand with a high pressure stream of water is difficult to control.

I sold the pw to a coworker and hired the job to a local company. I ended up buying a small electric pw last year to handle ground based cleaning jobs, like the lawn mower deck.

I have kicked that idea around as well, cuz I figured trying to hold that wand at 18’-20’ up in the air would ****

 

[joe_pinehill1]

I was lucky and found an almost new Troy Bilt 2700 psi on Craigslist for $100. It does everything I need a washer to do. I purchased the quick disconnect kit from Lowes, which adapts inlet, outlet, garden hose, handle/wand to a QD.

I think most gas powered washers come with 4 tips of various size difference, the color coding is standard across brands.

I have a two story house, so when I wash the second story once a year or every other year, I rent an 18 foot extension from our local rental shop, $20 for the weekend, and its one less thing I have to store. I'm over 50 and would not want to hold the 18 foot extension for a living, but once a year isn't bad.

I had an electric I purchased in Home Depot about 10 years ago. It always seemed like more work to get out of the case, hook up cords and hose, and the pressure could not wash a house. It was like folding a map to it back in the case. With the gas powered, its so easy to start spraying, I don't think twice if I need to wash something. Just my two cents.

The little I know, washers are pumps with a gas engine. The pumps seem generic. The price difference is for the engine, Briggs, Predator, or a premium for a Honda.

If you are not in a hurry, they seem to come up often on Craigslist, people just get tired of washing the house themselves and don't have another use for it.

 

[Sumboodie]

Having owned two at home and two at the firehouse, get one that drops to idle when you shut off the wand.

I've never seen a pressure washer with that feature, must not be overly common.

 

[tez929rr]

I've never seen a pressure washer with that feature, must not be overly common.

.

It’s a Ryobi from Home Depot. Moderate price - around 275, I think. I bought one for me when my 20 year old one bit the dust. I liked it so much we replaced the old one at our firehouse. Only downside is the hose hookup faces to the rear under the engine. That is literally the only thing I dislike about it.

 

[Kscardsfan]

Get a bumble bee tip for it and you’ll probably leave it on the end all the time. And I’ll second what tez929rr said about getting one that drops to idly when you let off the gun. Just the noise reduction alone is worth it to me.