Pressure washer

B

baseballlover1

New member
I think i might want to get a pressure washer to eliminate time that i am spending on washing the cars. I was wondering if anyone has any recomendations or could i just go to lowes or homedepot or something and get any pressure washer?... also is it worth the money?... also do those foam attachements help a lot? because i kinda like the idea of them(i also like those pics of the cars with the foam on them where it looks like it just snowed a foot and a half).



Would you recomend me to not get one to save money or just go and get it because they help SOO much?



i am grateful for all your help, thanks!
 
Couple of obvious questions that are going to come up:



Is money an option? If so how much do you want to spend?



Electric or gas? Electric=quieter and sometimes more portable. Gas=more powerful, much more money, much more durable in many cases.



I'd recommend doing a search to get a better idea.



Also is this for personal use or commercial use? Could you see yourself using it for other applications i.e. cleaning the driveway, deck, patio, lawnchairs, etc.?
 
money is an option but if ive saved a good amount of money for detailing supplies and this is at the top of the list... i think ide want electric.... and it would be used for detailing clients cars so i guess you could consider it commercial but it would only be used once er twice a day. and no i dont think ide use it for anything else.
 
Just my opinion, but I would get a gas pressure washer. You can always bring gas with you, but you may not always have the electricity to run an electric one. I'm mobile, and I use power inverters to produce electricity for my vacuums and such, but I don't know if they would produce enough for a pressure washer.



And if I were to get a gas one, I would buy a Honda. At one point in my life, I worked for a company doing nothing but pressure washing for restaurants, and the Hondas held up well and produced consistent pressure. I've also had experience with Briggs & Stratton, and I would avoid them at all costs. Very unreliable, the pumps go out all the time, etc.



Just my opinion from my experiences.
 
I own a 3200 psi Honda P/W, but I never found it really all that useful for auto detailing myself.



I mainly use it for deck cleaning, blasting siding, occasional gutters etc etc



~John
 
jmorton10 said:
I own a 3200 psi Honda P/W, but I never found it really all that useful for auto detailing myself.



I mainly use it for deck cleaning, blasting siding, occasional gutters etc etc



~John
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3200 is a bit much for auto's...
 
jmorton10 said:
I own a 3200 psi Honda P/W, but I never found it really all that useful for auto detailing myself.



I mainly use it for deck cleaning, blasting siding, occasional gutters etc etc



~John
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Yea I would not want to even think about hitting my cars paint with 3200 PSI's



To be honest the biggest difference you can make is by adding heat. Not power. Power will just blow paint right off the body. Heat will melt grease and grime away and make for a much easier time detailing. However heated power washers are out of most peoples budget. Mine was in the $3000 range and they go way up from there. You can get rebuilt ones or search ebay but your still going to be looking at $1000 or more. But it cost that much becase it really does work and work extreamly well.
 
jshillin said:
3200 is a bit much for auto's...
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That's an understatement. :shocked



Anything between 1500 - 1800 psi is ideal for detailing. Heat is great to have, but in no way is it a necessity. Make sure to buy a good durable hose and get the appropriate tip/spray pattern that meets your needs.
 
When choosing between gas and electric, consider the work environment. I've had both and generally preferred the gas ones, but they're not the best choice for use inside a garage.



There are some good threads worth searching for, where specific models of both types are discussed.
 
jshillin

3200 is a bit much for auto's...

Coupe said:
Cant it be turned down though?
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It depends on the model - the gas PWs in the $300-500 range that use axial pumps (from Costco, Home Depot, Lowes, etc.) generally do not have the option to decrease pressure at the pump. Instead, you would use the various nozzles that come with the PW to increase angle of spray pattern, which reduces the pressure. PWs that use nicer triplex pumps generally do have variable pressure.
 
Jakerooni said:
Yea I would not want to even think about hitting my cars paint with 3200 PSI's
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Neither would I, I turn it way down for auto use. I still don't find a PW particularly helpful for auto detailing however, my Desiderio steam extractor is a FAR more useful tool for detailing than any P/W.........



~John
 
jmorton10 said:
Neither would I, I turn it way down for auto use. I still don't find a PW particularly helpful for auto detailing however, my Desiderio steam extractor is a FAR more useful tool for detailing than any P/W.........



~John
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Have you every detailed a really dirty vehicle before with nasty engine compartment and door jambs with one? Steamers probably work great on garage queens, but how would they work on something really bad? Would it take alot longer if you could. Kinda like comparing paint correction with a PC to a rotary? It could be done but.....
 
David Fermani said:
Have you every detailed a really dirty vehicle before with nasty engine compartment and door jambs with one?
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I have an industrial steam cleaner that I use for greasy engine compartments, that melts away grease etc & works far better than a simple P/W.



~John
 
David Fermani said:
Have you every detailed a really dirty vehicle before with nasty engine compartment and door jambs with one? Steamers probably work great on garage queens, but how would they work on something really bad? .....
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As jmorton10 said, a good commercial steamer can work wonders. It's not really an either/or comparison between that and the pressure washer...the steamer can be superior for jobs where emulsifying is of primary importance and/or where you're dealing with limited areas and things you don't want to get too wet.



I used a PW to clean a never-cleaned undercarriage on a 30-year old Jag (talk about grease and oil :eek: ), and it worked fine, but for some things like door jambs I still like the steamer better.



I'd rather have both for engine compartment and undercarriages, but I've done some pretty terrible ones (other people's neglected daily drivers, caked with years worth of solid black, hardened goop) with just the steamer and never wished I'd gotten the PW fixed.



Heh heh, you got *me* thinking about a new pressure washer, perhaps I can get *you* thinking about a good steamer :D
 
Accumulator said:
Heh heh, you got *me* thinking about a new pressure washer, perhaps I can get *you* thinking about a good steamer :D
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Perhaps! :idea I've never used one before. Thanks for the explaination. How much does a decent steamer run?
 
1100 to 1300 psi is still bad for cars with wax and sealants on the paint and will also effect slickness.

I will never use them on paint, only on occasions to do wheels and wheel arches since I refuse to clean or detail engine bays.



Impact marring is a problem if you spray the water straight at the paint and even when sliding the water along the paint, water is not enough of a lubricant to stop the grime from marring the paint even by the smallest amount.



I go straight to a foam gun on a dry car. so much foam that I can't see the car anymore

Much safer.
 
SVR said:
1100 to 1300 psi is still bad for cars with wax and sealants on the paint and will also effect slickness.



Impact marring is a problem if you spray the water straight at the paint and even when sliding the water along the paint, water is not enough of a lubricant to stop the grime from marring the paint even by the smallest amount.
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I respectfully disagree with you. Do you have any documentation or further info on your claim? As far as slickness, your finish usually never feels freshly soft and waxed after you wash it anyways(unless you use an additive). After the 1st wash (with soap), the oilly, buttery soft feel is different than it is right after you top it.
 
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