More of a handyman topic than ww’ing but this is a great place for opinions 😉
I’ve bought a pressure washer on impulse–couldn’t pass up $450 for 3200psi 4gpm piston pump powered by a 10HP B&S Intek engine. Usually $700…only one they had. I brought it home so nobody else would get it while I agonised over whether I REALLY need a pressure washer. I lobbied the wife with using it to keep our vinyl siding clean & new but she countered that she read pressure washing is bad for this. I’m on a well with feeble pressure but this is really overkill for washing cars. What other uses do you find for yours?
Replies
Some people who don't like painting prep. will use them to blast loose paint of walls. After you do that you get a real wet wood that needs to dry out.
If you want a real good bug sprayer put the insecticide in the soap tank.
MACH
I have cedar siding, so I pressure wash mildew off every 3 years when I re-stain. I also use it to do the same on fences an decks. Used mine today to clean the drive-way. Was dark with some mildew. It's now clean without mildew.
It's a tool that is similar to a set of hole-diggers. You don't need it on an everyday basis; but when that certain job rolls around it's the tool that will save you tremendous time an energy.
sarge..jt
Let MACH pressure wash his vynal and then he can tear it off, replace the sheathing and sub structure and put on real siding.... LOL
Under side of your truck can be kept clean and corrosion free.
IMERC
You're right about the underside. It will to the outside also. Most commercial truck cleaning companies use them. We don't have much of a problem with road salt down south as we generally don't have to apply any to the roads. But if you take it off-road, the P/W does the trick on that red Ga. clay.
BG... You can use it on the car to just knock of road tar an mud build-up behind the wheels an below the door. Yep, be careful. My wand is fully adjustable. You can reduce pressure also by backing off. The farther away from the point of contact, the less psi hitting it. Caution should always be the rule. Common sense will take it from there...
Ya'll have a good afternoon...
sarge..jt
Mach70,
I too bought a pressure washer on impluse a couple years ago ...but mine was 1600 psi and $50 bucks I think. Just a toy really..wash the car...clean driveway....wash down back porch...wash riding mower....and maybe gutters and down spouts. Anyhow, while doing the back porch I found out just How powerful this little thing is....paint was flying all over the place....I'm a bit more concerned now to use on car...
Yours is much more powerful....be careful
Edited 7/27/2003 5:14:53 AM ET by BG
MACH70
I've got a Honda 2400 PSI that I use on my vinyl siding, and have had no problems for the past 6 years. I use full pressure on the siding, decks, tractor, and other equipment. Use it to srtip paint from porches and steps too. Turn the pressure down when you wash something with decals, or it'll take'em off.
I have one. Only 1600 PSI and still capable of taking stucco off the house and etching my bluestone walk. On the other hand it makes a real cool fog machine in the evenings.
Wash down, not up. I've seen people spray their houses and spray up into the siding, then wonder why they developed mold in their walls.
It's still a tool. Congrats.
Len
We just bought a pressure washer this year also and use it for all kinds of stuff. Cleaning the siding (oh my god was it dirty). Cleaning our decks, cleaning out the gutters, washing the driveway. We've already loaned it out to our neighbors and kids quite a bit also for the same thing.
For once in my life I did not go for more power. When we were looking around, the advice we got was that anything over 2500psi was too much power for the basics that we were going to do. When you get the higher pressures you do have to be careful about stripping paint and doing damage to things.
The rate (gallons per minute) will allow you to work faster, but your well pressure might not allow you to get that high a flow rate.
We have a deck covered with indoor/outdoor carpeting that's covered with moss. We have cleaned it off with Clorox and water by scraping it on occasion, but it's a terrible job. Would a pressure washer clean the moss off without ruining the carpet?
Yes, it'll take the carpet off too if it's not glued down well.
Find the seams in the carpet and make sure that they're tight and no gaps. Rent or buy a washer with a variable pressure setting, and start about halfway and see if it strips the moss withoud damaging the carpet. Up the pressure until it cleans like you want it to. Keep the point of contact moving, or you'll end up with a hole.
If you give half a hoot about your car's paint you won't go anywhere near it with a HP washer. Water is abrasive. Driving the grit into and across the paint is very abrasive. (Think Grand Canyon). The robotically applied paint and clear coats on newer cars is so thin you can't even rub out the orange peel. Do the math.John O'Connell - JKO Handcrafted Woodworking
Life is tough. It's tougher if you're stupid - John Wayne
I'm pitiful. Still on the fence. Might help if I could use it for something else. That 10HP engine might spin a generator... The pump looks easily removed. Any part-time inventors out there?
We bought one last year when Nick had to paint his dad's house, 5HP, 2500psi. The "keys to succes" -- be careful, use the right nozzle, be careful. There are 5 nozzles included with ours, including one specifically for washing vehicles. With that particular nozzle, we can drop a line into a bottle of detergent and wash away, a la coin-operated car washes.
All the other nozzles are probably risky to be using on paint that's supposed to stay put, an if you don't pay attention you can wreck stuff. Just ease up to the task until you get it figured out. We use ours to clean the deck, the sidewalk, the roof when it gathers moss, the gutters which fill with pine needles several times a year.
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
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