Pressure Washer

DecksEtc

I am in the market for a small portable pressure washer and was looking for brand advice from those here. Simoniz, Karcher, other brand? I have narrowed it down to an electric model as it's something I'm not going to use on a regular basis. My main reason for getting it is to do final clean-offs for decks. The one I am doing currently has gotten pretty dirty because I've been working in pretty wet and muddy conditions and I don't want to leave the job without removing all my footprints from the cedar before winter hits. Other than that, I'll probably use it for washing my truck, etc. around the house.

Recommendations for brand and size of pressure washer would be greatly appreciated.

TIA

DecksEtc

Anyone, anyone, Bueler, Bueler...

IHI

I bought a Kracher 2600 psi unit with the Briggs motor 6hp, worked great the first year. Set it in the basement and the next year you could not go from low pressure soap to high pressure without latting go of the trigger...something in the pump. Stored it in the basement last winter, got it out this spring....nothing at all. Tore the pump apart...ALL PLASTIC internals...got what I paid for obviously.

I Had a "Honda" brand PW before this one, same thing-pump gave out after one year. This was also a gas unit.

Grandfather has an electric no name brand and it's still working good after 5 years, only 1600 psi which will be good for your deck cleaning, but anything vehicle wise-be sure it's just dust on the truck cuz you'll be hard pressed to get off mud and muck.

Buddy's dad has an electric 1600 psi Kratcher, 2 years old still works fine, but again, even trying to clean the concrete floor in the garage really works this unit.

IMO, get the highest psi and gpm/gph you can find for real cleaning power. Many of the newer ones come with variable tips or quick change tips so even though your running 2600+psi if you put in a big fan tip it;ll knock down the wood cutting pressure and work like a champ. Otherwise if you can limit it's uses to deck final cleaning, a 1600 psi unit will work great. I've just never like the idea of standing in water with wet hands pulling/unplugging the cord

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slickshift

I had a couple of Karchers
I had difficulty finding parts for them at the time
Got a Craftsman for the parts availability
Works just fine
I'd like a little more power and flexibility
Maybe more of a commercial unit
We'll see what next season brings

As for power, well my deck work with the PW is probably pretty different than yours
I often get what I call "deck recovery" jobs
No maintenance here on the corner of river and ocean equals a heinous deck pretty quickly
Sun in the summer snow in the winter...or worse if it's that lovely tree shaded deck
I need to remove a lot of tenacious mildew and mold
2600 is the bare minimum to get me by

Now that comes in handy for other things too
And more power does mean less time even if you are not all out

The electrics top out at around 1600, 1750?
So I couldn't even consider them anyway, but I always prefer gas over electric
I did use one last year once and it felt like a toy
It worked
Mind-numbingly slow, but it worked

chris-tool-pher

Porter cable has some heavy duty pressure washers


~Chris

DecksEtc

Thanks for the advise guys. Not that it didn't take everything above into consideration before my purchase today but I went with a local store's brand. It's a chain store here in Canada called Canadian Tire and the brand is "PowerMate". The thing is, I was going to hold off until next year to buy one but when I was checking them out, it turns out this one (1500 PSI, 1.5 gpm) was on sale 50% off. So, needless to say, I picked it up - for $74.99. It does have a 1 year warranty so if I have problems in the spring, I'll just "take it back".

Thanks again for the advice!

kapena

Cheap pressure washer pumps have pistons (plungers) with small scratches and nicks from assembly-line carelessness. These defects tear up the teflon skirt on the high-pressure o-ring seals.

If you partially disassemble a new pump before using it, you can polish out all of these defects on the (3) plungers. Use 600 grit autobody sandpaper. Remember to first remove and later replace the smelly gear oil.

If you are rebuilding a used pump, you will need to disassemble the entire pump to replace the seals etc. too. The rebuild kit ain't cheap either...They stuck me for $70. for that baby.

rservices

power mate is a brach of coleman, They should stick to grills. I bought an 18 volt drill for a back up because it was cheep. it crashed after a couple of days.

I have a kartcher 2700 gas P/W I've been using it for 3 years (about 200 hours per year) I have had only one problem with it, and it was just recently, something to do with a gasket. I was runing hot water through it. It can handle up to 105 Im sure I was pushing 180.

I paid 500.00 and made 6000.00 pretty good return on investment. the real key to powerwashing isnt allways the power, it's the chemicals

I love the smell of napon in the morning

perfect

I Have A Be 3600 Psi Washer With A Honda 13hp Works Great On Concrete And Paint Prep. I Have A Simons 1800 Psi For Deck Prep Works Great Money Well Invested

Barry M

At least at 1500psi you shouldn't hurt the deck just don't get too close with that pressure. At 1.5 GPM you might find just using the garden hose works better and faster. Hope it works out for you.

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Barry Maddox - Midwest Pro Wash
Pressure Washing Indiana
Deck Cleaning