Seeking recommendation on power washer

[Mike Henderson]

I have a Karcher pressure washer but I'd like to find a more powerful one. However, I'd like an electric one and not a gasoline powered one.

What electric brand/model do you like?

Mike

[Greg Portland]

Although powerful electric pressure washers are sold they tend to be much more expensive (2x+) versus gas options. I assume you currently own a $100 or so electric? You are not going to get appreciably more power until you step up to a gas engine unit.

[Dewayne Reding]

Mike

What Greg said. Unless you just have to have an electric, I think you would like something like a Generac. I have a Honda powered model that was about $400. It starts reliably and really works nice for the price. Pretty much no maintenance except a few oil changes for over 5 years. Pretty handy to not be limited to an extension cord too.

[Tony Joyce]

I have a Karcher pressure washer but I'd like to find a more powerful one. However, I'd like an electric one and not a gasoline powered one.

What electric brand/model do you like?

Mike

Karcher makes some pretty powerful units. I have an older HDS 580, it is also steam, with the ability to add chemicals(cleaners). It is electric(burner is K1). I don't recall the pressure rating, but it will remove paint. Years of good service! At the time we bought this one for our business, it was purchased from the local NAPA store.

[Mark Ashmeade]

+1 on "electric will be limited".

I had a Honda powered 2200psi machine, and it did me well for 5 years. The wife then blew up the pump, although the motor was fine. I replaced it with one with the same engine (Honda GCV160), but uprated pump (2600 psi). There's a world of difference.

At 120v, the max you will get out of an electric one is 120V x 15A= 1800W, and that's being generous, most don't run to 15A. The GCV160 has a 3.3kW output.

[Dave Lehnert]

I own a gas power unit. It works well for home use but found out later that units that cost around $300 are disposable. The pumps are only rated for around 40 hrs use on average.

I have no experience with this brand but Northern Tool sells upper end electric power washers. Northern Tool is actually a manufacture of pressure washers (North Star) , not just a retailer.

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/NTESearch?storeId=6970&N=32+210209&Ntt=PRESSURE%20WASHER&D=PRESSURE%20WASHER&Ntk=All&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Dx=mode+matchallpartial

[Will Rowland]

I also upgraded from an electric Karcher to a $350 Honda powered model. It is a world of difference. However I have learned there are two important items with the gas powered units:

1. Never start the unit without priming the pump (by squeezing the trigger with the water on until water flows out the tip.)

2. There is a small washing machine style screen filter on the water hose connection. The rubber on the screen can dry out and the filter will fall out. If it does, even the tiniest bit of grit in the water (from dragging the hose around) will wreck the pump.

[Mike Wilkins]

Would love to find one myself. I have owned 2 power washers in the $300-400 range, both with Honda motors, and they are junk. The first one would not start after 2 techs looked it over. The 2nd just broke the starter rope and would not start, after it too was checked by a tech. May have to start to look into rental units instead of shelling out hard earned money on one.

[Cyrus Brewster 7]

Check out the Ridgid... I know, I know, but it has a Subaru engine and CAT pump. I have had mine for a tear and it works great. I bought the 3000 psi unit. The comment on the $300 - $400 units being junk is mostly right. Those have axial cam pumps that are in fact junk. The Ridgid ($560) has a triplex pump which is usually found on commercial washers. It is also relatively good on gas.

[Michael Schneider]

I have a Karcher pressure washer but I'd like to find a more powerful one. However, I'd like an electric one and not a gasoline powered one.

What electric brand/model do you like?

Mike


Mike,

After talking with several shops that do warranty repair for most brands of pressure washers, I would suggest that you look for a pressure washer with a cat pump (gas or electric).

If you go gas, I would suggest a cat pump with honda GX (not GC) motor.

Subaru engine is not bad if you get a good price, just mate with cat pump.

---------------------------------------------
If you really need electric.

Baldor motor + cat pump

http://www.amazon.com/1500-Psi-Electric-Pressure-Washer/dp/B003A4FVNY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1294765506&sr=8-2


The North Start from northern also looks good,

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200350515_200350515

They use leeson (also very good motor)


I might get face strong disagreement here but a pressure washer assembles a motor and pump + provides customer service. North Start is pretty good in the customer service department.

Not many manufactures make good motors or good pumps, they are pretty easy to pick out :-) .

Pick a pressure washer with a good motor and a good pump from any company that provides good service. I would not worry about the brand of the pressure washer.


Good luck,
Michael

[scott vroom]

Mike, I'm curious what are you power washing that requires the extra oomph of a gas powered machine? I have an electric Karcher that is great for cleaning the moss off the flagstone and mortar patio, and to strip loose/flaky paint from house siding. I once rented a gas powered washer for striping paint off a deck and it was so powerful it stripped not only the paint but also much of the softer grain wood.

[Harry Hagan]

The ONLY thing I've ever taken back to Costco (their warranty covers everything, except some electronic stuff, forever) was a Karsher electric washer and a Snap On electric washer. I now have a gas powered washer from Costco. I DON'T recommend electric washers.

[Matt Meiser]

Knock on wood, I've had very good luck with a Devilbis branded gas unit from Home Depot. And I've had very good luck with B&S engines in my power equipment using Stabil in the gas when stored or running them until the tank is dry. The Karcher my dad has is a toy by comparison and mine isn't anything special.

The gas ones generally have multiple horsepower engines so getting comparable power out of an electric unit means you probably aren't plugging it into a standard receptacle. NT's biggest 120V unit is 2000 PSI, 1.5GPM for $600. In gas, $550 will get you 3000 PSI, 2.5GPM and a Honda GX engine.

I'd love to have a hot-water unit after seeing the difference in cleaning on my tractor comparing my cold water unit to what the John Deere dealer's hot water one did.

[Mike Henderson]

Mike, I'm curious what are you power washing that requires the extra oomph of a gas powered machine? I have an electric Karcher that is great for cleaning the moss off the flagstone and mortar patio, and to strip loose/flaky paint from house siding. I once rented a gas powered washer for striping paint off a deck and it was so powerful it stripped not only the paint but also much of the softer grain wood.
I have a deck behind my new house that was laid as stone. But the previous owner stained the stone. I want to remove the stain and return the stone to its original color. I might be able to do it with the unit I have, but it'll be slow because I'll have to keep the nozzle close to the stone, which means it'll only clean about an inch wide strip. I thought a more powerful one would allow me to do wider strips.

A friend has a commercial gas powered unit that puts out 3,000 or 3,500 psi so I'm going to try that before I make any decisions.

Mike

[Scott T Smith]

I have a deck behind my new house that was laid as stone. But the previous owner stained the stone. I want to remove the stain and return the stone to its original color. I might be able to do it with the unit I have, but it'll be slow because I'll have to keep the nozzle close to the stone, which means it'll only clean about an inch wide strip. I thought a more powerful one would allow me to do wider strips.

A friend has a commercial gas powered unit that puts out 3,000 or 3,500 psi so I'm going to try that before I make any decisions.

Mike

Mike, I have a 4000 psi unit from Northern, and it works very well. One extremely beneficial upgrade is to use a "turbo nozzle" that Northern sells. Even if you borrow your friend's pressure washer (a very good idea IMO), I would buy a turbo nozzle to use on it. Here is a link to one: http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200319685_200319685

The turbo nozzle's have a 0 degree stream that comes out of a rotating tip. As a result, you have the most concentrated wash possible yet with a coverage area of several inches. It makes a huge difference compared with the standard fan nozzles. I can literally cut a hole through a cedar board with mine.

[Bryan Morgan]

I have a Karcher pressure washer but I'd like to find a more powerful one. However, I'd like an electric one and not a gasoline powered one.

What electric brand/model do you like?

Mike

I have an older Husky 1600psi electric that I got from a big box store. What are you planning on using it for? At "only" 1600 psi its quite dangerous. Breaks windows, slices window screen like a hot knife through butter, and my old house has a nice big arc through the stucco on the side of the house that it cut through. So my power washer fu is not so great.... :) I use it to wash my house, power wash the concrete, wash off my truck (with the rotating nozzle), blast down wasps nests, etc. I couldn't imagine the havoc and damage I could cause with even more PSI.... :)

The only thing is that you have to either plug it straight into a wall or use a heavy duty extension cord. Those thin orange standard extension cords don't cut it. The motor starts oscillating and doing weird things.

[David Helm]

Glad to hear it is for cleaning stone. Powerwashing siding forces water into the wall structure; not a good idea, and power washing roofs shortens their life dramatically.