Posted: 4/3/2012 5:24:27 PM EDT
No, I didn't get a free one at Wal-mart. 
I'm considering the purchase of one for various around the house chores, mainly cleaning the vinyl siding, hosing out the mower, and removing grime from the concrete garage floor. Will an electric one suffice, or do I need to step up to a gas-powered unit? I'd rather not get a gas unit since they're quite a bit larger and the strat81 estate isn't exactly sprawling. I'd also rather not deal with the winterizing headache. But, I don't want to a buy a tool that won't do the job. Thoughts? I haven't picked an electric, but if I go gas, I was considering one of the Black Max units from Sam's with a Honda motor. Figure $300 max budget. I'm learning that modern small engines are pretty durable and reliable - the stuff they're attached to often fails before the engine does, so I'm not married to the Black Max with Honda engine. ETA: How hard is it to winterize a pressure washer? It'll live in my garage over the winter and it can get pretty cold. I sure don't want to bust a pump, but I'm not hauling it indoors either. |
| Personally, I'd go with a gas over electric. I've never had a failure with any gas pressure washer, but I have personally had problems with two different Karcher electrics (and seen another have issues). Yes, they are very convenient, but have been very troublesome for me. Gas, while they are heavier, typically produce higher PSI ratings, and offer more options with tips, wands, and hoses. Of course, they do require a little more maintenance, but are a lot more versatile (for me) around the house. |
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Pressure washer pron http://www.aaladin.com/site/product-catalog |
| Cheap gas ones have cheap pumps on them. I bought a pressure washer off craigslist with a bad pump and replaced the pump. Much better quality. Winterizing isn't hard. I used a cut end of a garden hose that screwed on to the pump, and poured the rv antifreeze in and started it to get it through the pump. |
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I personally like electric for any type of power tool. With that said, if you use electric for pressure washing, forget about getting any sort of worthwhile performance out of a 120V outlet; it just isn't going to happen. You need 240V to get some type of meaningful output of maybe 3GPM at around 3000psi.
Here's a good one from Northern Tool: http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200347872_200347872 |