Brand and specs of power washers you own

[KEJ]

Hi All,

Yes, I searched, but the power washing/pressure washing threads were general and I'm looking for specifics on brands and specs. We're looking to buy something that will clean house siding, decking, vehicles, etc., but I'm not looking to strip paint or endanger anything I'm trying to clean. I'm thinking medium-duty and hoping not to go wildly expensive or excessively heavy/hard to handle. Went to Lowe's, but that wasn't very helpful. Any advice for a unit that's lightweight, adjustable (PSI as well as stream pattern) and perhaps under $300.00? Thanks.

KJ

 

[agro1]

For your needs, it sounds like 1500 PSI would be fine. I got mine (Kartcher) at Costco and it has worked well for all the things you mention. The gas powered models that have 2500 PSI + are great, but you have to be careful with them. You can etch concrete with those suckers and they will damage your paint if you get too close. 1500 PSI is the most I would reccomend for washing your car and regular use around the house.

 

[garrett]

i have the Kartcher one as well. works well for the basic stuff......cars, driveways, decks, etc. hell Karen i think i might even use it on Hewitt!! haha. kidding of course.
quiet and light enough too. but then again you don't have neighbors. in that case you might want to buy one for your lawyer too while you are at it.
i believe Lowe's sells them too.

 

[KEJ]

Thanks for the input, guys. I just read up on the Karchers and then went and read the Amazon reader's reviews. Have you had any reliability issues with this brand? The reviews were pretty negative. I wonder if I should step up to a gas-powered model, but a smaller one? I dunno, we have a use I can think of on the barn roofs, cleaning the skylights of mold, but I don't want to blast out the sealant, either. We'd need a pretty long hose on the unit for something like that, too.

GP, leave that nice horse of yours alone! Mud on a horse is normal

KJ

 

[agro1]

I too, have heard the Kartcher's have reliability issues and a buddy of mine that had an older model that failed on him. Mine is a year old and has worked very well - no problems. The best thing in buying it from Costco is that if it breaks, anytime, you just take it back and get a refund or a new one.
1500 PSI will blast silicone sealant off a window, I'd be very careful with those 2500 PSI suckers. 2500 PSI will rip your skin open if you happen to hit your arm, leg or (in my case), foot. Ask me how I know...

 

[El_Cid_2000]

Argo,

Do you know if Costco offers that type of warranty on all of the stuff it sells?

Thanks,
Michael

 

[marc olivares]

Sounds like Luke and i have the same Karcher unit.
i got mine from Costco for around $280 (IIRC)
i love it
and it works great for getting that nasty red Moab sand off my nice new driveway!

 

[KEJ]

Hmmmmm, I get your message about the power. I'm in the country a bit, so no Costco, though I can find one elsewhere or order online from them. Are they like Sears/Craftsman inthat there is no limitation on warranty? I ask because one of the repeated beefs in the reviews of Karchers was that after the year warranty you were SOL and there was no product support along the way before that. Don't mean to bog down in the details and I really appreciate the info. 1500 PSI is settled at least!

KJ

 

[agro1]

Here is the Costco return policy:

"Returns or Exchanges
Costco guarantees your satisfaction with the merchandise you purchase from us. Costco.com products may be returned to any of our hundreds of Costco warehouses worldwide. Or, if you wish to return or exchange merchandise directly to costco.com, contact us at customer service.
Effective November 4th, 2002, Costco Wholesale?s desktop and notebook computer return policy is six-months from the date of purchase. After six-months from the date of purchase, all service and technical support will be subject to the applicable remaining manufacturers' warranty"
http://www.costco.com/Service/FeaturePageLeftNav.aspx?ProductNo=10166081#Returns

Now, I'm not sure if they treat power tools differently. I'd check with your local store for a more detailed description of their return policy. But it's my understanding that you can return just about anything for any reason.

PS - Here is the model I have:

http://karcher-usa.com/showproducts.php?op=view_prod&param1=67&param2=&param3=

 

[sven]

Speaking of Costco, my friends parents returned a couch after 3 years of onwing it. They claimed it was defective (it wore out) got a full return no questions asked.. Try that in any furniture store.

The Karscher unit works fine. I did notice that its sorta weak for blasting grime off engines and axles; you still have to scrub it with something.

 

[jsonova99]

I've got a Toro I think, actually can't remember now, but it has a 6.5 HP B&S motor and has never given me any trouble. Forget how much it was, too. I've sure been a big help!

 

[agro1]

The Karscher unit works fine. I did notice that its sorta weak for blasting grime off engines and axles; you still have to scrub it with something.

The alternative would be using a 2500PSI unit. Yes, grease, grime etc would be easy to blast off, but so would your dif breather, or any rubber hose fitting you might hit. I'd err on the side of caution anywhere NEAR my cars with 2500 + PSI. Until you've had your foot torn open with 1500 PSI, you will never understand just how powerful 2500 PSI, or 3500 PSI is...You can do serious damage instantly with those gas powered bastards. come to think of it, I can't imagine one thing I would use 3500 PSI for. Maybe concrete, but even then, you have to be careful or you'll etch the concrete.

 

[Str0ud]

I own a Craftsman 2250 PSI pressure washer. 5.5 HP Briggs & Stratton OHV motor. It will etch concrete, punch holes right through rusty body panels. It will also impregnate skin, very painful. I'm pretty sure it could pressure wash a toe right off your foot if you were careless. Great no questions asked warranty.

 

[Mike_Rupp]

I've got a Craftsman 2500 psi / 6.75 horsepower unit. The most important thing to remember when using a high pressure washer is to not use the fine tip for anything up close. Mine comes with 3 different tips for the gun that have progressively wider patterns. I use the widest one for anything I have to do for the cars. The 2500 psi unit is nice for cleaning 2nd & 3rd floor windows.

 

[Randy]

I had the Karcher 1500psi electric one, busted off the plastic feed for the hose. Was always frustrated with how frail the wand was, but it never broke. Truth is too much plastic in it for my liking. I bought a 5.5hp Honda engined 2500psi Delta Shopmaster from Sams Club last summer and I've been alot happier with it. I use a 15" circulor floor washer to clean the concrete around the pool and it does a fabulous job.

 

[Ray Wallace]

Karen, check out the Ex-Cell gasoline-powered Briggs & Stratton 5hp gasoline powered 1750 PSI model. Great for getting the mud off the underside, without breaking the brake lines, as well as cleaning the house siding, decks, driveways (with oil cleaner), etc. About $200 or so at Home Depot, but available elsewhere also. Set nozzle to either high pressure or low pressure, and a wide range of spray configurations. Run various wood or concrete cleaners through it if desired. Reliable as an old Marine. No problems in 5 years of use, averaging about 1-2 times per month for various projects. Other brands using Briggs & Stratton engines may be as good-- I don't know. I had very bad luck with cheaper electric-powered ones-- didn't hold up to frequent use. Ray

 

[bshinn]

Get the largest gas-powered model you can afford. Mine came from Lowe's (Toro i think), Don't just go by max pressure, look @ the flow rates (gpm), 20k psi @ 1gpm will cut steel but it's not good for much else! If you need to wash something fragile just change the tip to one w/ a wider fan pattern.

 

[jsonova99]

I've got a Toro I think, actually can't remember now, but it has a 6.5 HP B&S motor and has never given me any trouble. Forget how much it was, too. I've sure been a big help!

Okay, I have troy-built 2350 PSI. I use it for everything, got it at Lowe's with a 3 year warranty on everything. In my experience, the pumps are usually the weak point. The B&S engines are pretty bullet-proof.

 

[Kai]

The Kartcher models are ok, but if you use them too frequently the pump will fail.

I bought our first one at Costco ($399) and returned it for another unit when the pump seized and wouldn't work. The second unit did the exact same thing in about the same amount of time. I then returned it for cash at Costco.

Upgraded to a Snapper unit($789) with a Honda motor and haven't had any problems since.

 

[KEJ]

Once more, thanks for all the experiences, guys. More opinions welcomed as I don't think we'll get out to buy until at least this weekend.

KJ