Pressure Washer questions

[13S550]

Anyone have or hear about Yard force YF220BL? Just found this online. Still leaning toward a gas powered but this does look pretty good as a alternative.

[Accumulator]

I somehow missed this thread earlier....after going through a scad of pricey, high-spec pressure washers (always died in an expensive way, usually right after the warranty ran out), I got a *really* cheap/crappy AR as a Christmas gift.

While it`s underpowered for propery-maintenance work (utterly compared to some of the Karchers I`d had), it`s absolutely great for prewashing the vehicles. The low power actually turned out to be a feature as I don`t get overspray all over the shop (as long as I`m careful).

I did use it to clean some pretty nasty areas of my driveway and to my surprise it did the job. Sure took a long time compared to a more potent unit though, but for something I hardly ever do it was OK.

IIRC it`s an AR110. Cost maybe $80 and is still working fine going on two years now, which is longer than most of my Karchers lasted.

Haven`t given up on the Karchers though, kept all the hoses/attachments, just wish they`d fit on the AR.

[13S550]

Simpson Professional 3200 PSI (Gas - Cold Water) Aluminum Frame Pressure Washer w/ Honda Engine & CAT Pump

I think I made up my mind

[rlmccarty2000]

PA Detailer/homeowner needs both. Electric for detailing and gas around the house. I`ve got the AR Blue 390ss electric and a Sears Briggs and Stratton gas powered power washer. Sometimes you need a bigger hammer.

[13S550]

PA Detailer/homeowner needs both. Electric for detailing and gas around the house. I`ve got the AR Blue 390ss electric and a Sears Briggs and Stratton gas powered power washer. Sometimes you need a bigger hammer.

Is 390ss sufficient for all your detailing needs or is the gas powered used occasionally?

[rlmccarty2000]

The 390ss is all I use for detailing. It`s pretty powerful.

[Jaddie]

I`ve had a longterm on-and-off relationship with pressure washers and have spent too much time studying them. Any choice you make will not make you happy because you`ll want to try the other options.

Cat pumps are the most durable, but they`re much more expensive to repair than General pumps. Billy Strickland, Southeastern Sales Manager for Pressure-Pro, advised me to get a washer with a General pump because local supply stores will likely have the General parts in stock. He said almost all Cat parts have to be ordered and cost about three times what the comparable General parts cost. He recommended a 3-phase electric washer for me because I wanted a quiet washer. He said those are very quiet and don`t compare to homeowner-grade electrics.

I`m still using my homeowner-grade Generac 3100/2.7 gas model, but not as often as I used to. It creates better foam than a Gilmour foam gun on the end of a water hose, but the time and energy spent to set up the washer and take it down often aren`t worth it to me, most especially during hot weather. For thoroughly cleaning tires in preparation for a tire coating, though, I believe a pressure washer is valuable.

One thing that makes a pressure washer a bit more of a pain to use than a garden hose is the lack of flexibility of the high-pressure hose. You`ll find yourself fighting a high-pressure hose more than you have to fight a garden hose.

Unless you use your washer several times a week, you`ll want to be certain the pump is emptied of any water when you`re finished. You can blow it out with a compressor or with any of the pump-saver foaming antifreeze/lubricant solutions.

[Accumulator]

Funny how...knock on wood....I have done *zero* maintenance to my AR. None. It sits unused for weeks at a time and then gets used once before sitting again. Might sit for *months* unused with nothing done to keep it healthy. Works fine...

With my Karchers, I did everything you`re supposed to do, and they all died anyhow.

I struggled a little bit with the high-pressure hose too (I`m spoiled by having redundant regular hoses on each side of the washbay), but once I got a longer one it wasn`t an issue any more.

[13S550]

I finally bought one today. I ended up getting the Generac model 6923 3100 psi 2.4gpm. Also bought the MTM Hydro long range Foamer. After driving myself crazy I finally made up my mind. After reading some of the post here I went with a axial pump. It wasn`t worth getting the Cat pump at this point. Should be here next week and I will follow up with everyone after the initial use. Can`t wait...

[Dmayer]

I bought a Generac also, their One Wash:

Generac Power Systems | Pressure Washers | Residential Grade | Generac Power Systems

Has 4 different settings: Lowest setting is for autos. I think it`s pretty cool and works great!

[Accumulator]

Sometimes you just have to BUY SOMETHING or you`ll never get past the Product Selection phase

I see the Generacs have a separate "soap" nozzle...I`ll be intereted to hear what routine you two settle on and how it works out.

Dmayer- Welcome to Autopia!

[rlmccarty2000]

Great that you found a PW to fit your needs. Keep us updated on any problems or lack thereof.

[Jaddie]

I finally bought one today. I ended up getting the Generac model 6923 3100 psi 2.4gpm. Also bought the MTM Hydro long range Foamer. After driving myself crazy I finally made up my mind. After reading some of the post here I went with a axial pump. It wasn`t worth getting the Cat pump at this point. Should be here next week and I will follow up with everyone after the initial use. Can`t wait...

You`ll like this machine. It has an AR-brand pump that costs around US$140 to replace. I`ve been using mine for three years and haven`t had any problems with the pump. The motor locked up on me, so I had my father-in-law look at it. There was some sort of screw or nut that`d loosened and was blocking something. After he fixed it, it ran just as it always has.

The motor is affectionately known as a "Chonda," a Chinese knockoff of a Honda engine. Believe it or not, it has a cast iron cylinder sleeve just like Honda GX engines. It costs US$99 at Harbor Freight.

You`ll probably find that the included hose is kind of crappy and too short. You`ll probably want to get a 50` hose, but I don`t know which one to recommend. I have a blue one from MTM Hydro that`s too stiff. If I put a swivel on my gun, the hose`s stiffness wouldn`t bother me so much. The Simpson Monster hose is supposed to be flexible, but I haven`t used one myself.

I took GearHead`s advice and switched from 92- to 87-octane gas and found it does run better with the lower-octane fuel. You may want to add some Sta-Bil 360 to your gas so you`re protected against aging fuel and fuel-water separation.

[Mary B]

I dislike dealing with gas units. While you get more bang for the buck they are noisy, can be a PITA to start, have to be filled with gas, and of course the fumes. Plenty powerful electric units can be purchased but you`ll spend $600+ for one and want to make sure your electric is up to the task. I recently picked up this AR630, 1900psi and 2.1GPM. I also got a different trigger, flexible wand, 50` kink resistant non-marring hose, quick connects, and a few different tips for $716


(Triplex Pump with ceramic plungers and double packing industrial seals)

Just Amazing

[Striker]

For all my Canadian fellows reading this: Costco has a Karcher electric washer (2000 psi) for $129.00. I think this is a steal for anyone that washes their cars often.


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