Stihl Pressure Washers

[4Kings]

Stopped at my Kubota dealer last night for some parts and noticed that they had a couple different Stihl pressure washers on the floor. They were closing so I didn't have a chance to check them out. Nothing turning up of the Stihl website but I did find this article. No much for details though.

http://www.forconstructionpros.com/product/12295882/stihl-inc-new-stihl-rb-200-and-rb-400-dirt-boss-pressure-washers

Just thought I'd throw this out there if anyone is looking for a pressure washer.

 

[fatfillup]

Homeowner quality, very light duty, not really repairable.

Would not let you unload one off your truck for me to repair.

 

[LawnBoy-5247]

I work at a dealership and will add that the rb200 and rb400 shown on that page are the homeowner models. They also have a rb600 and a rb800 that are oriented toward commercial users that have better quality pumps. All the units have what I believe are Kohler engines, while the smaller ones are not that great the larger models are decent quality.

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[snapmom]

what washer would you recommend for home use?

 

[LawnBoy-5247]

I would look at the 200 or 400 depending on the amount of use the unit will see and, how dirty the things you clean are. If you really do a lot of power washing you may consider the 600 but most people do not use them enough to justify a 600.

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[Todd.Brock]

Homeowner quality, very light duty, not really repairable.

Would not let you unload one off your truck for me to repair.

Do you work for a Stihl dealership ? I assume a dealer would be able to support similar to their saws, etc. I would not be paying a Stihl premium if they just slapped their name on the same $300 unit powered by a 5hp Honda at Sams. I understand thst pump is more or less a throw away, I hope Stihl would do one ( or two) better than that with repairable units that has over-the-counter support and parts availability.

For the record, I am a Stihl fan and have that $300 pw from sams that works great around the house.

 

[LawnBoy-5247]

I just checked the IPL's and even for the Rb200 there are full parts breakdowns for the pump so it is serviceable. Even though it may look the same as a cheapo from Home Depot it is not as parts and service are easily obtained from dealers, you also get things like a clear useable owners manual and local warranty service.

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[Farmall 1066]

I'm betting that pump won't be so rebuildable if labor is factored in!

 

[LawnBoy-5247]

I have to agree with you farmall but at least they have parts available in case something simple needs replaced instead of your standard el cheapo unit that has no parts availability besides a complete pump assembly.

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[Motorman55]

Funny, I work p/t for a Stihl Dealer and I just assembled the all new 200, 400, 600 and 800 p/w's for the display floor this past Wednesday. The first two have round pump bodies and the larger two have the square pump bodies. We service all Stihl equipment and these will be no exception. Time will tell how good they are.

 

[bushmechanic]

I'll keep my Yamaha.

 

[fatfillup]

Do you work for a Stihl dealership ?

No, I own a industrial pressure washer sales and service business. Have been in the industry since 1983 and up until I started selling used tools as a hobby 10 years ago, it is how I made 100% of my living.

Truth be told, I really have little use for anything less then full commercial or better washers just because of the nightmares I have seen with lesser quality of units and the poor luck I have had repairing them. Also, they tend to be very intolerant of poor use habits typically practiced by homeowners. Not to mention the pure junk that has been sold in the past.

Can't say for sure but I would be shocked if Stihl makes the pump. Not surprised there is a parts breakdown or that parts would be available, just getting them to stay fixed is the problem. Yes, this is sour grapes on my part but it is based on years of experience.. And as someone stated, once you factor labor in, they are not repairable at a reasonable price.


Snapmom, here is a cold water unit that I have had excellent luck with, is repairable and is commercial quality.

https://www.toolbarn.com/arblueclea..._campaign=CPCS+-+Shopping&utm_medium=cpc&utm_

 

[Steven C]

Have a new RB 800. Very happy with the performance.
Only problem is that the injector flow is very weak. I am using 100' of hose, which could be a problem. ..but, the suction is very strong if the inlet hose is in open air.
Soap flows rapidly up the tube then slows to a trickle as soon as it reaches injector nozzle.
Any suggestions?

 

[Nutty 5.0]

Bumping this back up. For those that have one, how have they held up? Particularity the RB600?

 

[Chromdome35]

what washer would you recommend for home use?

This being Garage Journal and all...this is the minimum size you should consider for light residential usage.

 

[rlitman]

This being Garage Journal and all...this is the minimum size you should consider for light residential usage.

Forget it. You need one that's heated too.

edit: Oh wait, that one IS heated. Yep, you found the right one.

 

[Cf mtn]

Have a new RB 800. Very happy with the performance.
Only problem is that the injector flow is very weak. I am using 100' of hose, which could be a problem. ..but, the suction is very strong if the inlet hose is in open air.
Soap flows rapidly up the tube then slows to a trickle as soon as it reaches injector nozzle.
Any suggestions?

are you using the right tip on the wand? usually they're black.

 

[jonshonda]

I would replace those tires immediately, I have a friend who had a friend that repaired a guys flat tire once. He said he has seen flat tires before.

And you better take your wheels of right meow, or someone is bound to steal that trailer.

 

[LawnBoy-5247]

The dealership I work for has sold a few, so far I have heard no complaints from customers.

 

[Nutty 5.0]

LOL at the heated trailer! That would be great!

Thanks LawnBoy. Good to hear. I hope to give some opinions over the summer and beyond.

 

[Nutty 5.0]

Not much of a review, but got to give a good 2-3 hours of use cleaning sidewalks and using it to test out a foam canon. I don't have much to compare it to, but it works well as it should being new. Hoping to use it more as the weather warms up (grrrr!)

 

[B T C]

What kind of prices are people paying for the Stihl pressure washers? Can they be had for less than the DSRP/MSRP? I just started looking at the RB400 & RB600. I've called around for pricing and the quotes have been the MSRP listed on Stihl's site. Just wondering if they can be purchased for less.

 

[B T C]

Anyone have additional input on pricing, performance, value etc. for these washers?

 

[rshadd]

It's hard to beat the Honda GX engine with a CAT pump.

 

[Nutty 5.0]

I paid less than MSRP. Want to say I paid $800 for the RB600 but did pay cash. They retail for 900. I haven't been able to give it a hard use yet this season but have a lot of work for it to do. It's been working well for the little I've done though.

 

[B T C]

Some of the things that appeal to me in terms of the Stihl washers in general, and more specifically the RB600, are the Stihl dealer network, the attachments that are available, and the apparent ability to adjust/regulate pressure on the RB600.

The 600 is probably huge overkill for my needs, but I would rather buy once & cry once, or whatever the saying is.

 

[B T C]

Anyone with additional thoughts on these washers?

 

[6PTsocket]

Do you work for a Stihl dealership ? I assume a dealer would be able to support similar to their saws, etc. I would not be paying a Stihl premium if they just slapped their name on the same $300 unit powered by a 5hp Honda at Sams. I understand thst pump is more or less a throw away, I hope Stihl would do one ( or two) better than that with repairable units that has over-the-counter support and parts availability.

For the record, I am a Stihl fan and have that $300 pw from sams that works great around the house.

When you talk about Honda engines at Sams or anywhere else, you have to be more specific. The GX series is their commercial line and is often used in the best commercial equipment. The GC series is home owner quality. Finding GX powered tools in big box stores is not uncommon. It may be the gold standard for small engines.

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[Cf mtn]

i don't know a lot about the kohler engine and not sure who might of made the pump? for the price i would go with a honda GX washer.

 

[B T C]

I went to a local Stihl dealer yesterday to try to check out the RB600, but they only had the 200 & 400 in stock. They're supposedly getting more of the 600s this week. They weren't really willing to wheel and deal, but they did say they would knock off sales tax, and a little bit more if I paid cash. They mentioned that the Michigan State dairy and horse farm are using the 600 & 800 models and have apparently been pretty happy with them.

The 400 they had sitting on their floor seemed well built and a bit more compact than some comparable Generac washers I've seen.

 

[ClintFletcher]

I bought a Stihl RB400 pressure washer two years ago. It was a big disappointment. First, it required a high volume and pressure of water from a tap. It required 3/4 inch lines and about 60 psi to work well. My outside taps are on 1/2 inch lines. Furthermore, it required a maximum 25 foot 3/4 inch hose to opperate. These conditions might be true for some newer urban homes, but not my 1959 rural house. The Kholer engine is junk. The current kohler engines are made in China. When I took my pressure washer home, the first thing that happened was the cheap inner tube in the wheel would not hold air. Within a year, both wheels were flat. Next, despite always draining the fuel tank after use, the fuel line rotted out within two years. The carberator is the modern cheap plastic junk, making the low end stuff Briggs&Straton turns out looking great. The throttle shift wildly while in use and it is very difficult to start. For $580, I expected somthing better than this from Sthil. I would not recommend this product to anyone.

 

[B T C]

I ended up getting an RB600 a couple of summers ago. I didn't use it at all the first summer, but I used it quite a bit last year. Overall I would say that I'm quite happy with both the design and performance, and I'm surprisingly impressed with the Kohler engine. I'm just a homeowner, so it doesn't have tons of hours of use. There are probably a few little things that could be nitpicked, and if I had to complain about something it would be the tires. They don't seem to hold their air very well, but I guess that's why I have an air compressor.

Right now I'm glad that I paid a little more and got this unit as opposed to going with one of the cheaper axial cam units that are very common in the big box stores.

 

[LSUmAniac]

So I also have the rb 600 and bought new in the fall of 2017. I cant say for sure the hours on the unit but I've used it alot over the 6 years I've had it. The kohler command pro engine is awesome and I would put it up against the Honda GX any day of the week, it starts easy runs great and haven't done one thing to the engine beside regular oil changes and air filters. The one negative I can say and I really wouldn't call it a negative because I've used this alot over 6 years but the unloader on the pump started weeping water from a small pin hole and had to end up replacing the unloader at $75. Things do break when you put them to work and I say it's done pretty darn good to have only one small issue. Like the previous comment my tires would never hold air either so I quickly bought new (better) tubes for the tires and haven't had an issue since. So my overall thoughts is it's a damn good machine and I would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a good quality unit.