pressure washer?

[rabbidrabbit]

I'm thinking of getting a pressure washer.  My thought process was to get a better one that can do everything but is that the best plan?  The 3000 psi ones seem to run around 400 but once you get to 4000 psi they seem to run twice that plus.  the question is what is good for what?  I'm pretty sure I don't want a weak one but how much is enough?  Is bigger that much better?

[scottydawg]

Unless you're going to try and strip the paint off your car, anything over 2000-2500 psi is a waste of money.

[Vulcan]

The question is what are you getting it for.

Sometimes lower pressure can make them a bit more 'manageable' (ie don't strip the paint off your car, trash your drive way, skin the cat etc)

[storch]

I have an old 3500psi water shotgun with a wisconsin robyn that is just perfect for around the house.  I can't imagine what a 4000psi would do any better and not damage stuff.

[rabbidrabbit]

whats wrong with skinning the cat?


Basically, I have one now that with a 7hp motor and a commercial Cat pump that supposedly can do 2500PSI but its a pain to start and keep running. The RPMs are all over the place  and the pressure is all over the place.  I paid a friend 75 bucks for it and I pretty much got what I paid for.  I'm thinking of selling what I have and going for something thats easier to use.  I don't know what 2500 PSI is since the sucker rarely ramps up.   When it gets going its adequate but doesn't clean more than 4-5 inches about 8 inches off the tip.  I'm thinking something more powerful will do much better.

I use it to blast off my deck, siding and driveway a couple of times per year.  I'm thinking I can regulate down a more powerful one as needed but again, not much experience with pressure washers.  Will 2500 PSI make good work of just about anything or is more necessary for striping paint etc?  Does more clean that much wider of a swath?

[scottydawg]

Let's just leave it at:

3000 psi going across your leg LEAVES A MARK FOREVER.

Oh, and using very high pressure to wash your deck ruins your deck.  makes the wood all feathery and soft and actually accelerates decomposition.

[Blooz]

Skin the cat...lol.

Too dang funny.

A squeaky clean kitty.

http://www.don-sphinx.ru/gallery/images/cat_41b.jpg

[storch]

the key is selecting the correct tip for the job with 25 degree tip I pressure wash the deck clean with no damage to the wood.  it's also good for washing the vehicles, 4wheelers, boats etc.

[rabbidrabbit]

The pump is a Cat 530 if thats any help..  Its supposedly a high end pump and is built like a tank.  I don't know if 7HP is enough for it or what.  Heck, I just want something that will do what I want without a fuss.  Way to busy to jack around with the barely running, no bypass valve, one tip, 25 ft hose pain I have now.

[storch]

mine is a 15hp so 7 sounds kinda weak for 2500psi

[Cougar68]

Originally posted by scottydawg
3000 psi going across your leg LEAVES A MARK FOREVER.

A friend of mine pressure washes for a living.  His brother caught the tip of a 3000 psi unit on his calf.  Tore straight through to the bone and required surgery to repair the damage.  Definitely not something to screw with.

My buddy runs 4000 psi units, but he mainly cleans concrete.  He'll do signs and buildings occasionally and has to be very careful with it.  I saw him rip the paint off a sign twenty feet in the air one night.  

As for pressure washing a deck, it's not bad to do as long as you seal it afterwards.

[VWE]

Here you go, perfect for how little you want to use it...

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=248609-348-20292&lpage=none

[myelo]

Originally posted by Cougar68
A friend of mine pressure washes for a living.  His brother caught the tip of a 3000 psi unit on his calf.  Tore straight through to the bone and required surgery to repair the damage.  Definitely not something to screw with.

We were cleaning an aluminum dock once and this guy decided to use the pressure washer to get some mud of the bottom of his boot. Bad idea.

That ankle bone was nice and clean for the surgeon though.

[Ripsnort]

You need better than 2200 PSI if you plan to strip you concrete drive way down in a reasonable amount of time without having "stripes" once your finished.  My driveways (about 1500 sq feet) alone take the better part of 6 hours every spring. I now wish I'd have sprung for the extra bucks to get at a min. 3000 PSI.

Most of the new pressure washers have different nozzles for different jobs, so you need not worry about stripping the siding off your house while prepping it for painting.

[Shamus]

Originally posted by Ripsnort
You need better than 2200 PSI if you plan to strip you concrete drive way down in a reasonable amount of time without having "stripes" once your finished.  My driveways (about 1500 sq feet) alone take the better part of 6 hours every spring. I now wish I'd have sprung for the extra bucks to get at a min. 3000 PSI.

Most of the new pressure washers have different nozzles for different jobs, so you need not worry about stripping the siding off your house while prepping it for painting.

Hey Rip, just carpet that badboy, then you can just run the vac over it in the spring  

shamus