Going mobile, Good startoff Pressure Washer?

[Need4Camaro]

I was looking for a relatively reliable yet relatively inexpensive pressure washer, I heard Honda's are good however which pressure washer would you recommend I start off with? It has to be gas powered as I'd have no feasable way of powering an electric pressure washer while away from home...

[brwill2005]

Concentrate more on the pump than the engine. The pump is what usually fails on a PW. Cat and General pumps are some of the best.

[BMW335i]

I would be careful with gas. Get a model with a low horsepower rating. The spray can be quite powerful...

I have a cheap Husky PW (99$) from Home Depot I believe...it does the job...and is still powerful enough to remove years of grime from a sidewalk.

[StumpyDetailing]

Why not get electric?

You can use the customer's electricity, nobody ever cares when you tell them "All I need from you is an outlet!".

Also, having a generator is good so you can power your vacuum, pressure washer, polishers, and lights where there is no electricity.

Gas powered pressure washers can't do that!

[Need4Camaro]

Originally Posted by StumpyDetailing

Why not get electric?

You can use the customer's electricity, nobody ever cares when you tell them "All I need from you is an outlet!".

Also, having a generator is good so you can power your vacuum, pressure washer, polishers, and lights where there is no electricity.

Gas powered pressure washers can't do that!

Well yes, but I was also going to be using the pressure washer on homes aswell as a side job. I forgot to mention that... Would an electric pressure washer be powerfull enough on a home?

[MorBid]

Karcher and others have Professional Electric PW's, some will need 220V~240V so you need to be careful.

After rebuilding my Karcher Electric one and spending alot of time talking with people who do these types of repairs and sales for a living I've learned that the cheap PW sold at the Big Box Stores aren't worth a damn. It's really a crap shoot as to how long they will last.

Personally, If it me, I'd go with a Gas one if I was starting out because there are plenty of quality one's out there that won't break the bank. If your on a budget you'll either have to buy a decent PW and a so-so generator to stretch dollars.

I'm not sure Honda makes PW's but they sure to make some great pumps that are in PW's

MorBid

[dgoff07]

I'm sorry for hijacking, but i have a Honda power washer, a big one, with 2950psi. is it safe to use on cars if i use the weakest nozzel?

thanks,
Dan

[MorBid]

The nozzles are rated by degrees. The smaller the number the less wider the fan until your at like a pin point (which isn't good for cars).

The larger the number of Degrees of the nozzle the wider the fan will be and that's what you want when washing cars. I think the ones at the self wash bays are around 3000. Just watch it and don't get to close to the panels.

MorBiD

[detail machine]

I too am looking for a power washer. The best place so far and I have looked for 2 months now is northen equipment. You can go with the

NorthStar Personal Series Pressure Washer — 2000 PSI, 2 GPM
Item# 157471
Was $219.99
Sale $199.99

You'll still need to get a pump. They are from $90 to $200. If your doing a couple cars a week you can get the lesser expensive ones. If you are going to do a higher volume spend your money on a

NorthStar Professional Series Pressure Washer — 2700 PSI, 2.5 GPM
Item# 1578111
Was $599.99
Sale $549.99

This one comes with pump attached. If you have a store near you then this is the best place I have found. Plus you can get the parts there and get some help from an employee. I got my water tank from Tractor Supply for $67 it is a 60 gallon tank, but I only do 2 cars a week on my days off.

Pressure Washers | Northern Tool + Equipment

As far as electric I bought 4 in one weekend at home depot they work once each time, but keep your receipt