Got rid of my Overpriced Karcher PW and bought a Cheap Ryobi & Upgraded it... way better setup!!

I got the k5 with the hose reel and the Autogeek foam gun I couldn't be happier with it. 1 trick I use to run the hose through a rag with vinyl rubber cleaner/condition on it when rolling it up to put away. It keeps the hose supple so you can pull it out without holding the machine
 
Took Zach's advice and will be upgrading my electric PW set up with a new handle, fittings, and spray tips:

oKmDAOTl.jpg


Can't wait to start using it!

Thanks for the info Zach!
 
FWIW: I have the same PW, use it multiple times a week, and I've never once had an issue with it. Some upgraded parts would be nice as that OEM hose is crap and tangles non stop, but I've never once batted an eye about using this PW while detailing and doing other things around the house.
 
Thanks, OP for putting this together. This setup works great. Going to upgrade my SG28 to the new SGS28 with the built in swivel.

Btw, I've been looking at this Ryobi PW. It is $20 cheaper than OP's unit. Ryobi 1,600-PSI 1.2-GPM Electric Pressure Washer-RY141612 - The Home Depot

Looks to be even more compact, without the soap tank, which we don't need. And I don't care about the hose or gun that comes with it. I'm curious if both units have the same internals.
 
Which MTM foam cannon would work best with this set up?

MTM Featherweight for low pressure, pressure washers?
 
As mentioned in the OP, I was using the MTM PF22 Foam Cannon. It works great with this setup. I'm sure any of their foam cannons would do just fine.
 
You can save 15% with code Grill15 which expires today if you follow the link to the upgraded items.
 
great thread

this is the route I plan to go very soon

thanks for the writeup
 
d4dawg said:
Are the MTM spray guns rebranded Mosmetic?
Click to expand...

Actually the Mosmatic gun is rebranded Suttner gun with only their swivel inlet. Mtm is Italian brand. Other very good Italian brand is PA.
 
Zack- thanks for the time and effort detailing this upgrade. I have the Ryobi and am waiting for delivery of the rest from MTM.
 
zmcgovern45 said:
Happy to help
Click to expand...

I hope you're enjoying the setup - how are you liking it after some time?

Most important question I've got - not sure if you covered it, which size orifice did you end up getting for your machine and how does it feel?
I would be interested in knowing if the 40 deg nozzle would be at a good rinsing/strong enough to remove dirt but not damage paint pressure, and if the 25 deg nozzle becomes a more pressurized/dirt "scraping" nozzle?

Also, I just did research and discovered that you can upgrade the PF22 foam cannon's stock orifice (size 3.5, 1.25 mm) to a smaller sized one (size 3, 1.1 mm) that will yield better/thicker foam for lower pressure machines.

I'm in the middle of putting together a setup similar to yours - would love to hear your thoughts/experiences regarding it.
 
If your electric pressure wash has 1600psi and lower you would benefit to get a 1.1mm orifice to your foamcannon. Even the nozzles has different kind of diameter and angle. That's not so easy to say what diameter to use to get the most psi out of them. To big and the PW gets lower working psi and to small the PW begins to pulses. The diagram I go after is in bar and liters/minutes so it's a little hard to convert. But if you have your specs for your PW psi and gpm I can look it up. Or if someone else have a diagram for psi and gpm would be great. The orifice and nozzle diagram and diameter is not the same.
 
Overpriced is not a legitimate complaint seeing as you already payed for it. It cost more to get the new one. I am biased though because I have a k5 and it works great.
 
My K5 hose lays flat, Why? Because I use vinyl and rubber cleaner and conditioner on it every time I roll it up. Takes 2 seconds and it keeps it nice and supple
 
I thought about this thread a few hours ago when I hooked up my Karcher PW and realized it is done! I got my first Karcher early 2016 it lasted until August 2016, got a replacement under warranty. They are top notch about replacing a bad unit, however the replacement died today.

Thanks for the info Zach, I am looking into getting the setup you put together here.
 
I remember this thread from back then ;) Did not pay much attention to the details then.

It's funny that is has been revived cause i am in a similar situation now ;)

I have 2 pressure washers. One is from Simoniz (a Canadian Tire brand) that is 1700 PSI. Works fine, has a 23 feet long stiff cheap hose and the wand is ok. Come with 3 spray nozzles and has a quick connect that supports a foam cannon.

Second unit is from Sundance and is 1800 PSI with similar features.

So I decided it was time to upgrade the hose because it's a bit too short. i have to move the pressure washer unit several times to do an entire vehicle and the hose is very stiff and goes into all sorts of tangles that drive me mad ;) So I want a 50 foot hose and one that is soft so it won't have those issues. For the gun I was thinking about using a sub-machinegun style one, it looks easier to use on cars.

So I start calling around and everyone tells me that electric pressure washers use dedicated connectors that are not the industry standard. So only the manufacturer can replace the accessories. I called Simoniz and the only option they have to to replace the hose with the exact same one. Or I can buy a kit with that same hose that has a connector to hook it up to my existing hose and use it as an extension. That kit is 70$ and I would end up with a 46 feet stiff hose. Would still be an improvement but I would rather not go that route.

I started inquiring about connector standards and found out that Simoniz uses 2 connectors on my unit, the hose connects to the unit with an M14 connector. And the gun connects to the hose with a M22 15mm connector. The industry standard is M22 14mm so that is why you can't use them on this machine.

So what I decided on doing was to get a M14 to M22 14mm adaptor and purchase a flexible 50 foot hose with a gun. Just have to take the time to order everything ;)
 
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