I just bought a 2.5 gpm x 2700 psi pressure washer; I got the cheapest one I could find with a decent pump. It has a Comet AXD pump and a Honda GC190 engine. (Too bad it's not the GS series engine, but then it would probably cost quite a bit more.)
The 5HP washer that looks just like it was also on sale at the store even though it's not on sale in the catalog, but it has a Comet VXD pump that looked cheap and not very durable.
The salesguy at Northern who was telling me how to set it up said, "BTW, you gotta bring it inside for the winter if your shop or garage is not heated." I asked about draining it and blowing it out with compressed air, and he said that's not good enough, it could still have just a little water in the manifold or cylinders and ruin the pump if it freezes.
OK, I can do that, but I'm not too keen on the idea of bringing a gasoline engine in the house and storing it in the basement by the gas water heater.
How hard is it to remove the pump? More importantly, how hard is it to reinstall the pump? It looks like just 4 easy-to-reach bolts and the pump will slide right off, but how is it coupled to the motor shaft and how hard is it to line everything back up again?
Thanks, and best regards, Bob