Pressure Washer Selection
- Thread starter Hasard
- Start date
I'm a pro painter and have used many different pressure washers over the years. At that price range, it's a **** shoot. Until you spend enough to get a pressure washer that is belt drive--that is, the engine and water pump are connected by a belt and pulleys, you're gambling with your money. On cheaper units, the engine and pump are directly connected ("direct drive"), and the engine vibrations tear up the pump over time. That time is always shorter than expected.
Jason
Jason
If you really need a pressure washer to get work done fast you will eventually end up with one in the $1000-1200 price range. If you really don't need one that often you would be better off renting one for a day. You may read excellent reviews about best presser washers according to their characteristics and rating over http://www.best-pressure-washer-reviews.com/
Hope this will have some value for you.
Hope this will have some value for you.
If you really need a pressure washer to get work done fast you will eventually end up with one in the $1000-1200 price range. If you really don't need one that often you would be better off renting one for a day. You may read excellent reviews about best presser washers according to their characteristics and rating over http://www.best-pressure-washer-reviews.com/
Hope this will have some value for you.
Hope this will have some value for you.
Jason,
cheap units are on the market for a reason. Yes, they cannot serve you as long as commercial and industrial ones. But hey, for your home and car you do not really need it that often.
Hasards,
within your budget you can consider AR NorthAmerica AR390 (electric) or at this champion pressure washer (gas)
cheap units are on the market for a reason. Yes, they cannot serve you as long as commercial and industrial ones. But hey, for your home and car you do not really need it that often.
Hasards,
within your budget you can consider AR NorthAmerica AR390 (electric) or at this champion pressure washer (gas)
Pressure washers are great - but keep them the hell away from bicycles, especially around the hubs and bottom bracket.
If you're a sponsored rider that gets lots of free bike gear and you race 'cross then fair enough - otherwise save the pressure washer for stuff like cleaning the car, siding on the house or the patio.
If you're a sponsored rider that gets lots of free bike gear and you race 'cross then fair enough - otherwise save the pressure washer for stuff like cleaning the car, siding on the house or the patio.
I've seen several pressure washers in the $500-$1000 range last less than eight hours (not necessarily even consecutive hours). I've seen others go for years of occasional use. Like I said, it's just a **** shoot. And, they are very hard on bike parts, particularly bearings and bottom brackets (submerging them in dirty water by riding through it is bad, too).
I have a Troy Bilt. Make sure you get one with the honda motor. If you have that motor, you have a good unit. I used to have an electric PW when I did auto detailing indoors and it lasted for years but I needed one for doing stuff around my house. More portability. It works great and considering I don't use it all the time, it'll last for years. For the money, it's a good investment.
I haven't used the cleaner here for over two years, I forget its name,
it is a direct drive, maybe have a hundred hours of hard use on it,
and it was fine when I last laid it up. But, yeah, direct drive is a killer for the pump, in time,
the single cylinder engine is vibration city, with torque vibrations put to the pump.
The rocker-plate piston pumps suffer badly. That's the kind I got, (if I recall).
I ran it with good oil, changing the pump oil frequently, engine oil too.
Got good service, it was certainly better value for about four bills, than
many rentals and hauling-home of a rental unit, it was ready to go when I felt like using it.
I wash my bike with as little water as possible, rinse it down after a rain ride,
for daily use, I very gently wipe with a wet microfiber cloth, and don't scratch the paint that way,
shaking-out the cloth vigorously, it's the sand, of course, if you rub it at all, you spoil finishes, you all know that.
I like the microfiber cloths, water, a bit of soap if greasy, and for quick-spiffings, Pledge furniture polish,
it is "slippery", an old-line silicone furniture polish, and does not smear, and minimizes scratching-chances between
water wash-downs.
______________________________
Everything suffers when you have explosion, or torque, vibes:
bang, ang, ang, ang, bang....and so, the speed of the shaft is constantly changing.
So is the -load- on the shaft, from the pump: it, too, presents a "vibrating" load.
So, it's like you have two punching fighters, landing blows into each other, relentlessly.
Belt drive offers a buffer. So would a "fluid drive". I wonder why not, or maybe some do,
have a "slipping" clutch of sorts, a viscous link between the nasty engine and the equally nasty pump?
OK get this? Water-only on a microfiber cloth, sopping wet.
Water only. And then while you are not looking, I squirt on a dash of preferred dish detergent,
I mean, it helps, and it makes the grit "slippery", less likely to scratch.
Oh, by the way, a real sponge can be very good, but a natural sea sponge may contain bits of lime-rock,
if not properly and fully processed. I don't think, today, you can beat a microfiber cloth for bike or car washing,
even the cheapest ones, if used with care, seem to be perfectly safe.
I "test" mine by using them dry, after washing, to wipe my cheap plastic eyeglasses.
No scratching results. Microfiber clothes today are really a boon for all household jobs,
I no longer buy paper towels, do you, for other than the coarsest throw-away filth jobs.
it is a direct drive, maybe have a hundred hours of hard use on it,
and it was fine when I last laid it up. But, yeah, direct drive is a killer for the pump, in time,
the single cylinder engine is vibration city, with torque vibrations put to the pump.
The rocker-plate piston pumps suffer badly. That's the kind I got, (if I recall).
I ran it with good oil, changing the pump oil frequently, engine oil too.
Got good service, it was certainly better value for about four bills, than
many rentals and hauling-home of a rental unit, it was ready to go when I felt like using it.
I wash my bike with as little water as possible, rinse it down after a rain ride,
for daily use, I very gently wipe with a wet microfiber cloth, and don't scratch the paint that way,
shaking-out the cloth vigorously, it's the sand, of course, if you rub it at all, you spoil finishes, you all know that.
I like the microfiber cloths, water, a bit of soap if greasy, and for quick-spiffings, Pledge furniture polish,
it is "slippery", an old-line silicone furniture polish, and does not smear, and minimizes scratching-chances between
water wash-downs.
______________________________
Everything suffers when you have explosion, or torque, vibes:
bang, ang, ang, ang, bang....and so, the speed of the shaft is constantly changing.
So is the -load- on the shaft, from the pump: it, too, presents a "vibrating" load.
So, it's like you have two punching fighters, landing blows into each other, relentlessly.
Belt drive offers a buffer. So would a "fluid drive". I wonder why not, or maybe some do,
have a "slipping" clutch of sorts, a viscous link between the nasty engine and the equally nasty pump?
OK get this? Water-only on a microfiber cloth, sopping wet.
Water only. And then while you are not looking, I squirt on a dash of preferred dish detergent,
I mean, it helps, and it makes the grit "slippery", less likely to scratch.
Oh, by the way, a real sponge can be very good, but a natural sea sponge may contain bits of lime-rock,
if not properly and fully processed. I don't think, today, you can beat a microfiber cloth for bike or car washing,
even the cheapest ones, if used with care, seem to be perfectly safe.
I "test" mine by using them dry, after washing, to wipe my cheap plastic eyeglasses.
No scratching results. Microfiber clothes today are really a boon for all household jobs,
I no longer buy paper towels, do you, for other than the coarsest throw-away filth jobs.
Some years ago I contacted Campagnolo on the subject of an appropriate grease for their products since Campagnolo grease was no longer available. Their response was that any good quality synthetic bicycle grease would be good. They then added that the single leading cause of component failure of their products was water getting into the bearing surfaces usually caused by washing the bike. I'd avoid pressure washing a bike or even hard blasting with a standard hose nozel if I were you. I sure do!
Yep. Your comments and Campy's are spot on. Avoid using a pressure washer near any place where water can infiltrate bearings and force grease out or cause other harm. The fact is, anything a pressure washer would clean off a bike can be removed by other methods that don't use high pressure water. Pressure washers offer only convenience.
I think in this budget you are using the Lowes is good pressure washer. It will good and robust. You will so many other also but i think you have choosen good washer.
