Pressure washers

Check out the green works 1700psi at lowes. A few people suggested it to me and that is the one I am leaning toward

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Bought the Karcher Series X 2000psi electric last month from Pressure Washers Direct. Wanted something better than the standard home depot fare but didn't want a gas powered model. Plan to use it for the usual projects (house, brick patio and driveway). Also bought a foam cannon to use with the Karcher. Now all I need is nice weather to work with it. My advice is read some reviews before you get the HD model. And the Karcher isn't that much more expensive.

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I had the Green 1700 from Lowes for a little while. I was disappointed with it and returned it after about a week.

I then moved to the Cleanforce 1800 and its okay, but also not enough. It has more GPM and PSI than the Green, but still pretty weak.

I now (maybe 6 months after buying the green) use a 2700 psi 2.7gpm honda powered unit that has been in my parents garage for a few years and it is GREAT. Maybe on the verge of a little too strong, but if you're careful it's great. Also works awesome with my MTM foam cannon (far better than the cleanforce and green did)

Id say 2200-2500 psi, 2.3-2.7gpm is ideal for washing cars.

is this it?
PowerStroke

The GPM is a little lower than I'd consider ideal, but it should serve your needs as far as cleaning power.

To put it all into perspective. With the Cleanforce 1800 PSI, I can put my hand about 5-6 inches from the tip with the "general" tip, and it doesn't hurt, or leave a lasting mark. I have accidentally hit my foot with the 2700 before from about the same distance (in highschool washing a deck bare foot) and it left a pretty nice cut.


Think of these tools as "lifetime" tools and get something you can "grow into". Don't limit yourself by going small, it will only cost you more money when you're not satisfied.

Think of these tools as "lifetime" tools and get something you can "grow into". Don't limit yourself by going small, it will only cost you more money when you're not satisfied.[/QUOTE]

:iagree: 100%

You will find interesting informations here Quick Find

gas with high gpm for the win! love my honda 3000psi 2.7gpm! good for everything! car house etc! best investment/toy so far!
(careful with high psi..)

Bought an Excell XC2800 2800 PSI of CL for $200. Previous owner used it once. Still looks brand new!



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Nice find. Mine just died I may have to check in to that one.

The Moose said:

Think of these tools as "lifetime" tools and get something you can "grow into". Don't limit yourself by going small, it will only cost you more money when you're not satisfied.

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:whs: :dblthumb2:

I don't even remember what I paid for my 13hp Honda 4.5gpm/3600psi but it was on sale, and it was worth every penny! It's more than you need for a regular car @BigBoi.... AWESOME find brother! rops:

cardaddy said:

:whs: :dblthumb2:

I don't even remember what I paid for my 13hp Honda 4.5gpm/3600psi but it was on sale, and it was worth every penny! It's more than you need for a regular car @BigBoi.... AWESOME find brother! rops:

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Thx man!

I wished I could've snagged that Dewalt pw I had my eye on, but this one will do. My friend has the same 13hp Honda with a CAT pump.... 4000psi!

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Big Boi said:

Thx man!

I wished I could've snagged that Dewalt pw I had my eye on, but this one will do. My friend has the same 13hp Honda with a CAT pump.... 4000psi!

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Tell ya' what, you shoulda' seen the monster a friend of mine used to have. (He had a commercial pressure washing business.) That puppy would shoot 210° water, at 5gpm over 4500psi downstream, with a high pressure soap dispenser! It'd peel the chrome off a trailer hitch! (or was that his ex wi......... ) ROTFL

Pressure washers are a great tool to have and do a fabulous job at cleaning and removing dirt and grime. There are a lot of pressure washers available today in a wide variety of makes, models, PSI, and horsepower. How much does one really need is somewhat subjective. For general automotive detailing I suspect a washer in the 1700 to 2200 PSI range is adequate...

Fluid pressure is not like horsepower. We can have 800hp under the hood but if we're careful how hard we step on the gas peddle it's relatively easy to control...

PSI on a pressure washer is controlled by the tip or nozzles orifice. Damaging or completely ruining something with a pressure washer is easy to do if you're not careful. While I'm not sure exactly certain how much pressure it takes, people have lost fingers and other body parts due to accidents using these washers...

Pressure washers are an example or more may not be better so be careful...

on bigger units you can adjust the pressure at the unloader. I can adjust mine from 50 to 4000 psi.

Pressure washers have two aspects: pressure to dislodge dirt and water flow (gpm rating) to rinse it away. For washing car paint, water flow is more important since the PSI good enough.

With the wrong wand (jet stream rather than wide spray), a lower psi pressure washer can do damage to paint, trim, etc.

I was just about to start a thread about power washers!lol

other than a jet tip or 4000 psi of pressure, would power washing dirt off of a vehicle cause any sort of scratching or etching?

I have an Alkota 5355J Steam Cleaner It does a beautiful job.

But not on a car. Doesn't seem to get the road grime

I will always wash my cars with a bucket and a waterhose, no matter what water temperatures I have available.

Be very careful with high pressure washers, and the tips you use, yellow tip is a 15 degree with a nice fan, green is a 25 degree with an even nicer spray. For they can take paint off in a split second.

Good Luck,

Blackbird96 said:

I was just about to start a thread about power washers!lol

other than a jet tip or 4000 psi of pressure, would power washing dirt off of a vehicle cause any sort of scratching or etching?

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Scratching, probably not. Etching? That's subjective. The speed of water coming out of the tip is extreme even at slow, wide, low pressure, low volume settings. Take a high pressure unit, with high volume, use a 15° tip and it'll do more than 'etch'. It will peel the paint off like baby powder spilled on the floor!

cajundetail said:

I have an Alkota 5355J Steam Cleaner It does a beautiful job.

But not on a car. Doesn't seem to get the road grime

I will always wash my cars with a bucket and a waterhose, no matter what water temperatures I have available.

Be very careful with high pressure washers, and the tips you use, yellow tip is a 15 degree with a nice fan, green is a 25 degree with an even nicer spray. For they can take paint off in a split second.

Good Luck,

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I agree! Not getting into the science of hydro-suspension and all that, as I don't do that science speak so well. :laughing:

Nothing will remove grime short of contact with the surface.

Having the tool beats not having it, but too big of a tool is like trying to crack egg with a sledgehammer. Heck I've even used one with a 0° tip to rake leaves! (which it does very well, and doesn't even get the grass wet...) Which is why the "ideal" pressure washer for car washing can be a portable electric unit. Not what you'd want for cleaning the driveway and certainly not the house! Although it does help get into those crooks & crannies.

If your going to use a gas pressure washer go to your local professional pressure washing store and ask for a fan tip. (the big box stores don't carry them) This is a tip pro's use for rinsing. Almost impossible to damage anything.