Convince me to (or not to) buy a better pressure washer

[Itsa Little CrOoked]

I don't want to overstate this. We made money with those dumb hobby units.

BUT DANG!  I no longer HATE the reclaim process.

I waited a month to post my opinions, just cuz. I have to say I dislike myriad reviewers posting about a gun I am interested in (or whatever), how excited they are ON DAY FIVE!, only to find out the dang boolits are keyholing past 25 yards on the first day at the range.

Its like watching an unpackaging video for a smartphone on youtube. Grow up already. I. DON'T. CARE. how giggly you feel opening the danged box.

Who isn't excited about the new car smell, only to find out that EVERY STEEENKING head gasket is toast at 64K?

Powerwasher is not the place to skimp.

Yes, an I told you so is appropriate. Superior knowledge base is why I come to this place.

[Croft]

the NOISE our industrial unit went down , sent out for repair ( which can't be done with cheapies) and the noise from the cheap drove us crazy.

[Doug S]

I've been using the greenworks washers for the last 4 years.  They are the best cheap units I could find but I'd still go through about 3 a year.   Last week I had my last one go out on me with 3 screens full of degreaser so I finally splurged and bought a Northstar 2000 psi electric.  Man what a difference.  I feel like the screens are much cleaner using it and I'm getting about 5 more cleaned in an hours time.  I really like this unit. 

[Itsa Little CrOoked]

I think that's what I wound up with, ShirtShackandMore. Game Changer for sure.

2000 PSI, 1.5 GPM? Model M1573001K (sounds low on GPM by comparison, but I think the cheapies numbers are tweaked, somehow...)

Best 700 bucks I've spent in I can't remember. I can't imagine and honest 3500PSI at 4 GPM. I'm thinking one with that much juice would have to be dialed back for my purposes. I "develop" and reclaim in the same booth, with the same wand. We are cramped for floorspace.

I'd have liked to bought the Camspray 1500, but I was "plum broke down" (Kansas farmboy terminology) and we have a Northern Tool in Wichita. I was up and running in just a few hours.

[Doug S]

Itsa, that's the exact one I bought.  I know you better be holding on to the wand when you pull the trigger.  Anything with more pressure would've been overkill for sure.

[Grumpy Ole Artist]

Just ran across this thread....MAN does this EVER hit home! I have been bitching/ chewing up Karchers for a few years now...boss brought in the 1st greenworks to the place about a month ago...initial impresssion (who cares, right? LOL!) much more power...tickled! about a week ago, my reclaim guy comes out, drenched to the knee...high pressure line ruptured while laying loosely coiled under the sink...still under warranty, so now, number 2...fingers crossed....I noticed previous postings as to burning through them like I have been Karchers .Would be curious as to roughly how many screens a day it took to kill them...at least the greenworks wand is metal (Which is nice,LOL!) I personally feel that the fewer corners you cut, the more variables you eliminate..."Consistent & thorough procedures are the keys to repeatable results" I have been trying to explain this to the bosses for about a decade now, but they just keep coming back with junk pressure washers... year in, and year out...at least THEY are consistent, and thoroughly cheap! LOL!

[Itsa Little CrOoked]

Itsa, that's the exact one I bought.  I know you better be holding on to the wand when you pull the trigger.  Anything with more pressure would've been overkill for sure.

Yes, but I replaced my angle tube (too long, skews the wand in whichever direction is opposite the bend, wears my arm out,) with a STRAIGHT 1/4" X 4" galvanized pipe nipple, and re-installed the fittings on each end. (MAJOR(!) improvement)

And I replaced the goofball, Nanny Government Mandated Safety Cord, with and ALWAYS CONNECTED TO POWER cord. GFCI technology has its place, don't get me wrong....

I cobbled together Farmboy Designed extra large plastic box, housing a battery operated remote control receiver (ON/OFF) that powers up a relay to carry the required amperage on the 110 circuit. Sounds too complicated, but long story short, I just hit the button on my Fire Marshall approved, switch and it roars to life from a dead stop. I hit it again...dead silence. Voilla! I ran my mod idea through my local Hotsy Pressure Washer distributor and got a thumbs up.

It allows for less run time, and ZERO Bypassing. The pump will last longer than the Northern Tool would expect, but starting and stopping the direct drive motor many hundred times a week, gave me pause originally. I always start and stop the motor and pump under a No Load condition. Easy to do, easy to teach. Just hit the lever on the wand, before touching the remote control. Shut down, is the opposite.

My last Home Depot Cheapo ran almost 4 years using the same concept. The "pump" portion of the unit never really got noticeably weaker over those years, but when it died, it was a sudden death with ZERO warning. It wouldn't even try to start. Could be a coincidence, but avoiding starting and stopping under a load condition seems to have made a difference.

Check back in a couple of decades     and see if my pressure washer "HACK" Part Deux was a good idea.


<EDIT> 4" not 8".  I guess I forgot how short it really is.

[jsheridan]

If you have true 230v power then this is the washer you want to look at.
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200347872_200347872

If you want the belt driven version, perfect for the reclaim area,
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200324563_200324563

[tonypep]

That's the one they use in rinse out sink. And yes belt driven for reclaim

[Shanarchy]

How would the Northstar ones above compare to the Camspray 1500?

[mimosatexas]

Anyone tried one of these: http://www.lowes.com/pd_637718-348-020601_0__?productId=50328563

I can get it for $180 with a coupon.  Huge GPM and ok PSI.  I still use the same two $79 greenworks units I got a lowe's years ago and have had zero issues with them, but would love to take off 8" strips instead of 2-3" strips...

My first Greenworks pressure washer died yesterday after 4 long and good years.  Went out and bought the one I linked above...and it blows!  It is maybe half the strength of the cheapo greenworks at best with the same angled nozzle.  UGH.  Returning it tomorrow morning and getting another cheapo for now.  Not quite ready to spend $500+

[Homer]

My unit just died after 3 years. Cam Spray 1500 a solid unit?


everything is taking a dive today, all 3 embroidery machines just went down too...yikes. happy birthday to me, I get to buy new toys...

[ZooCity]

Skip the camspray and go with a unit with separate pump and motor. 

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[Inkworks]

Convince me to (or not to) buy a better pressure washer

 

Sorry, couldn't resist.

I've seen two schools of thought, buy cheap and take advantage of the guarantee to get replacements, or buy good ones that can be rebuilt or that will just generally last longer. Personally I go with higher end, but not rebuildable, I think higher pressure and better spray patterns will save you money over the long run. But if you are just a small shop and only do screens once in a while then a $100 cheapy may be a good start.

[Homer]

oh no, I had an industrial unit. The home depot jammies are useless for us, tried that years ago. I ended up with the cam spray 1500, I'll revisit this when that ones blows up