Are they OK for light use or a waste of money? I'd not use it often so having a gas engine to care of could be a potential PITA. I want to clean siding, outside of gutters sidewalk and steps.
Price of electrics is $99 to $199. Gas from $249 to $thousands.
Your thoughts?
I've got electric.
Not much good for siding that you can't reach.
Was watching neighbor clean his siding with a gas powered with an extension and asked if that would work with mine.
He pointed out that while mine may have had the pressure, it did not have the volume and extension would be useless for me.
Depends on your needs. Extra gas engines are a PITA to nurse, OTOH if job is big, gas would probably be better.
I have 2 electrics. One is a 120v toy that is OK for washing the lovebugs off your car and such. The other is a real one, 3000 PSI at
2.5 GPH with a 240v 30a 5HP motor on it. That will run with most consumer grade gas machines.I cut the original plug off and put a "dryer" plug on is so it is more portable. Everyone has a dryer. That and a 50' extension cord lets me use it just about anywhere. I also have 10-30r receptacles around my house for the pressure washer and my welder that has a dryer plug on it too. It has become my standard 240/30a plug for everything.
Frank"
That's what I was afraid of.
I made the mistake of buying one off Ebay, missing parts, and then made the mistake of buying another. (plastic pump housing which cracked). For my third unit, I went to home Depot and bought one that had a metal pump housing. Red unit, can't remember the brand.
The third unit has served me well, and made me a bunch of money over the years. I've also done some good neighbor stuff (used it for a friend, to clean some white plastic chairs). And done a bunch of outdoor home cleaning, like cleaning off the dirt from my white plastic mail tube. And clean the trailer siding, and wash the salt from under my vehicle.
I regret the units off Ebay, but totally benefit from the metal pump unit from Home Depot.
- . Christopher A. Young learn more about Jesus .
Around here there is a Shell station that sells premium ethonal free gas. Costs about a dollar more per gallon. I run it in all my small engines and add Sta-bil to help my piece of mind. I have a tiller that I only use about one or two times in the spring. For the last several years I run it empty and store it all winter. This year the first time I put gas in it and gave it a pull it started on the first pull. About the same as it does every year, a pull or two and it is running. The gas I put in it was from sometime last fall. I last mowed in Novermber to get rid of the leaves so the gas is atleast that old (5 or more months).
stores around here sell non ethanol gasoline, but its costly.
i have a electric pressure washer that works well for me.........
small jobs mostly
It is about a dollar more a gallon here. As I use less than 125 gallons a year I can stand that for peace of mind. I do add the stabil to it,so that does increase the cost.
Small engine repair shop I frequent when I can't DIY recommends Sea Foam vs. Sta-Bil. Sea Foam in addition to treating/stabilizing the fuel does a great job keeping the fuel system clean.
Love mine. They're great for the type of jobs you list.
I clean my rather large composite deck every year. Outdoor furniture, siding, concrete walkways.
Take it indoors in the winter.
I have a small 120V electric one I picked up at Home Depot about 10 years ago. Huffy brand I think, but just going from memory.
Pros:
- No gas or oil to deal with.
- Small. I store mine in the original box on the upper shelf of a cabinet in my garage.
- Sufficiently powerful for cleaning sidewalks, decks, lawn furniture, siding, etc.
- Lightweight. Nice if you need to use it at another location, such as the in-laws house.
Cons:
- Less powerful than gas models. For me, that's a good thing as I'm less likely to cause damage to decks or siding in normal use.
- Have to drag a cord around. Not a huge deal breaker since you have to drag a water supply hose around anyway.
Overall, I have been quite happy with my little electric pressure washer. I only use it once a year or so, and don't really need the power of a gas model. You can always rent a large gas model if you have a job the electric washer can't handle.
Anthony Watson
There's nothing wrong with an electric pressure washer if you buy a decent one:
Thanks for the link. Sort of.
That as almost twice what my 5HP cleaner cost and less than half the power.
1200 PSI vs 3000 and 2GPM vs 2.7.
Kind of what I was going to say. I have a 120V electric one, but it's a real heavy, well built, commercial use type one that I bought used. It will run on a 15A circuit, but just barely. It's fine for washing off the sidewalk, patio, siding, etc. I haven't used the lighter, cheaper, typical electrics, but suspect they would be less useful. And for things like concrete, a gas one with higher pressure and volume would work faster. As others have pointed out, it's not just pressure, it's the volume that matters too. So, depending on what you want to use it for, how often, etc, maybe a good electric one would be fine.
IDK if they rent electrics, but maybe that's an option to try it out?
I use enough gas that I don't usually treat it . If it's going to be used in 3 months or less , there's no need . The exception is my generator , I usually use some stabil in it because it can sit for months at a time . I still run the carb dry between uses , and it's never failed to start on the first pull .
I use Stabil in my generator's gas but try to run it about every three months. Not a problem but annoying and this is one of the PITA's with gas engines.
I have two mid-range Karcher electric ones I got with Air Miles points. One at home and another out at cabin. They do adequate job for my needs. Cleaning walls and decks, cars, driveways, patio, etc.
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