Pressure Washer - Gas or Electric?

[kvfalcon]

A NorthStar Professional Series Pressure Washer � 2750 PSI, 2.5 GPM just followed me home this evening.



While shopping for said item, the Pressure Washer Guru at the store said, "If you have problems with that unit feeding from a tank, come on back and we`ll get you hooked up with a Northern Industrial Submersible Pump.



Well that got me to thinking... What sense does it make to run both my pressure washer and my generator? So I started looking at their electric pressure washers.



They sell essentially the same model as the one I bought in an electric version (NorthStar Electric Cold Water Pressure Washer � 2750 PSI, 2.5 GPM, 230 Volt

).



When I bought my generator, I just happened to end up with one that`ll power a unit such as this (230 Volt). Now I have no experience with electric pressure washers so I`m open to suggestions and input.

[Paulie Walnuts]

A NorthStar Professional Series Pressure Washer � 2750 PSI, 2.5 GPM just followed me home this evening.



While shopping for said item, the Pressure Washer Guru at the store said, "If you have problems with that unit feeding from a tank, come on back and we`ll get you hooked up with a Northern Industrial Submersible Pump.



Well that got me to thinking... What sense does it make to run both my pressure washer and my generator? So I started looking at their electric pressure washers.



They sell essentially the same model as the one I bought in an electric version (NorthStar Electric Cold Water Pressure Washer � 2750 PSI, 2.5 GPM, 230 Volt

).



When I bought my generator, I just happened to end up with one that`ll power a unit such as this. Now I have no experience with electric pressure washers so I`m open to suggestions and input.

Careful, that is getting powerful. That will prolly take paint of your car at full strength.

[kvfalcon]

Careful, that is getting powerful. That will prolly take paint of your car at full strength.

Well, it`s one of the few I`ve found that`ll crank out over 1.5 gpm. That seems to be a common complaint about the electrics. Not enough gpm`s.



A lot of folks that I`ve talked to suggest getting something like a 3000 psi unit and just backing the pressure down. Again, open to suggestions.

[David Fermani]

Electrics can pump out plenty of water. All you need for detailing cars is 1500 psi and 2 GMP. Buy a quality product (like CAT) and make sure to try out a bunch of tips and wand lenghts. Dial that thing in 1 time and don`t look back.

[kvfalcon]

Buy a quality product (like CAT)...

That`s exactly why I bought the unit I picked up today and why I have a DeWalt 3100 psi sitting in my garage. I`ve heard nothing but good things about the CAT pumps, which that particular electric unit has.



:2thumbs:

[David Fermani]

That`s the reason why most self-serve car wash owners use CAT pumps. They rely on their equipment to stay running and not break down. If it does, they`re out time, customers and money.

[kvfalcon]

What is anyone`s opinion on this unit at this price...



Cam Spray 1500A Cold Water Electric Pressure Washer, 1450 PSI, 2.1 GPM, 2.0 HP, 110 Volt



$453.20



*Shipping is $70, however; even at $520 (shipped) this is still the best price I`ve found on-line.



__________________________________________________ ________________________



A little research yielded this...



BE - 1500 PSI - 2 GPM - Cat Pump



$652.50

[brwill2005]

The camspray 1500A is an excellent machine. It has a General Pump which are equally as good as CAT pumps. It draws 18 amps and sometimes has problems running on a 15 amp outlet.

[SuperBee364]

Careful, that is getting powerful. That will prolly take paint of your car at full strength.

I have a John Deere 3000 psi machine that I`ve really enjoyed. Just make sure you use the 40 degree nozzle, and you won`t damage the paint even at the full rated pressure. Backing down on the pressure also means decreasing total gpm. Just make sure you don`t use any narrower nozzles, or as Mr. The Kid said, you could start peeling paint.



The JD machine has the same pump and honda engine as the OP`s. The same unit can also be bought from Home Depot under the DeWalt brand.

[kvfalcon]

The camspray 1500A is an excellent machine. It has a General Pump which are equally as good as CAT pumps. It draws 18 amps and sometimes has problems running on a 15 amp outlet.

I got a response from Cam Spray via eMail. In short, they don`t suggest running the 1500A on anything less than a 10K watt generator. They said inadequate start-up load voltage supply could lead to motor failure. Figured I should share as I know discussion about this particular pressure washer has come up in a number of other threads.



The owners manual for my generator states that "20 amps of current may be drawn".



*As an aside... Shortening the power cord will provide you with some wiggle room.

[brwill2005]

Yup, the motor is powerful and draws a lot of current, that is for sure. As long as you can power it, it is an awesome little PW.