Gas pressure washer

[bosterr]

I'm looking into replacing my kaput Karcher electric pressure washer with a gas one. I'm looking at Generac, Simpson and Northern Tool at this point. 2800+ PSI and a max budget of $400. There's some issues reported about leaky M22 quick connect fittings with the Honda powered Simpson but still getting good reviews. The Generac name has been around a very long time and there are good deals out there. Are there engine makes that should be avoided?

[Finster101]

I bought a Generac a few years ago and did not have the best of luck with it. The pump quit after a few uses spread-out over enough time to be out of warranty. I replaced the pump with one from Northern Tools and the motor has continued to run fine although I may have put too big of a pump on it.

[Shepherd2]

I bought a Troy-Bilt 3000 psi washer 8 years ago. I bought the model I did because it had a Honda engine. I've used the washer a lot over the years and it still starts on the first pull. Every time.

[DougGuy]

I am converting a pressure washer with the GX390 Honda engine to electric start. MAJOR PITA!! Get the factory electric start if you want but don't convert one. Buy once cry once.

[osteodoc08]

Maybe find a pro consumer grade model at a pawn shop?

[jsizemore]

I've used a northern tool pressure washer for the past 25 years with the Honda motor. I've had to clean the float bowl twice. lost the spray tips a couple times during transport. After the winter, I've had to pull the start cord 4 times but the rest of the time it's one and done.

[abunaitoo]

Years ago I got a Troy with the Honda motor.
Pull Start, gas.
Never had one problem with it so far.
This one has the pump on the back.
I've heard the one's with the pump on the bottom don't last long.

[Mk42gunner]

I bought a like new Craftsman with a Briggs & Stratton engine at an auction, for $140 IIRC, a few years ago. It has worked fine and always starts in the spring.

I do make sure to prep it for winter by cycling straight RV antifreeze through it in the fall.

Robert

[Dragonheart]

I have owned a lot of pressure washers. My first recommendation is get one with a Honda engine. Honda will last and it will start! Yes, you will likely pay more but it will be worth it.

Next get at least a 2.2+ gallon flow rate with a lets say a 2500 psi unit. Don't be fooled into just looking at the pressure ratings because that means nothing without a good water flow rate. It is the rate of flow that does the work, not the pressure.

I would do some serious looking for a Mi-T-M unit, made in Tennessee. Their pumps are commercial grade and will last, not like a lot of this Chinese junk. Take your time, shop around and you might get lucky. A 2500 psi Mi-T-M model w/Honda 160 is about a $800+ machine, but occasionally you might find one that someone is in need of selling. I picked up a new one in the box for $300 delivered last year and it is a terrific light weight machine I actually use the most. I also have a commercial grade Mi-T-M 3500 4+ gallon a minute washer for heavy stuff like washing down concrete driveways, flatwork or commercial ventures.

The smaller 2500 unit is best suited for washing the car, tools, house prep for paint. Will the small unit clean a driveway, yes but it is going the take a lot, lot longer and not do as good a job as the big guy. The big guy will drive a surface cleaner, so you might imagine how much surface and how fast that pressure and water flow rotating inside an 18" disk about an 1-1/2" above the surface cleans.

Get the proper accessories to make the washer productive. The washers comes with standard fan spray tips and chemical tip these are useful, but if you want to get the most out of the machine buy a rotating zero head. Also pick up an inline chemical injector to spray cleaners, etc. and maybe a Snow Foam Washer Gun to wash the car, boat, etc.

Lastly, be careful! It is not a toy. Wear protective clothing, boots, heavy gloves, eye and ear protection. A machine like I am describing will bore a hole in a 3/4" sheet of plywood in no time at all, I have used my big guy to cut tree stumps out of the ground and dig ditches. It will cut a brick in half and it can cut you like a straight razor and just as quick.

But as my neighbor says, "they are a hoot to use"; he borrows mine.

[Moleman-]

We have a 12 year old B&S lawn mower engine style with the pump underneath. Works fine, but weeps a little oil over the winter. Not much just enough that if you can see the top of the pump looks damp. Clean it off and it stays clean all summer. The seals in the pump get soft after a 4 or so years because of the oil and blow out. When that happens they get about $3 worth of new o-rings and it's back in business. Keep waiting for it to die so we can get a nicer one with high pressure soap which is the only thing I wish this one had. It has low pressure soap, but the high pressure soap degreases stuff much better.

[Kev18]

I have a honda. Works really nice. And they make great quality products.

[smithnframe]

I bought a Simpson from TSC a few years back and it works much better than the craftsman that it replaced. Works best with ethanol free gasoline!

[bosterr]

So far I'm leaning towards a Honda equipped Ryobi. 3 year warranty and it seems reviews are better on average than a lot of other makes. A feature they have that I haven't seen on other brands is an engine idle down when the wand trigger is released although I'm not sure if this is a big deal or not. The vinyl siding and deck floors on this house gets a lot of green slime along with a big brick patio out back so maybe a machine with a soap tank?

[NyFirefighter357]

I don't know what brand I have, I'll check but it's not what HD sells now. It has a Honda engine which is a must. I have the hose attachment for chemical soaking/spray. I find it doesn't work as well as either using a pump sprayer or cleaner in a 5gal bucket with a brush. Apply chemicals separately. I have also discovered using pool algicide ($16 a quart) & even adding TSP or bleach as a very economical cleaner for mold/algae. The algicide for pools is very concentrated 4oz treats 10,000 gals of pool water so imagine a cap full or two in a pump sprayer or an once in a 5gal bucket with some TSP or bleach. This can be used on decks, patio's, driveways and I've even used it without the power washer just to clean the roof. Also you want to make sure you drain the water from your pump as it will freeze in the winter and destroy it. I usually attach a short hose filled with RV antifreeze and start the unit for a few seconds with the wand open, this flushes the water out and leaves the pump protected.