pressure washers

[ASH]

i dont really need one , but i kinda want one  ,  what psi   would i be looking at  to strip clear coat off a truck  ?  one of my farm/town trucks the clear coat is peeling aweful , and i wanna strip it all off, truck is 20 years old,  so  if i fudge it up no biggie .   i was gonna get one last summer then i had to spend like 30 grand  all in one week   so i put it off .  plus  i got 2 tractors  im rebuilding the engines right  down to the block .  id like to be able to pressure wash them , and my daughters house has vinyl siding and it needs cleaned . 

[MDLOTT]

4000 psi minimum. A decent pump with a Honda GS390 13hp is what I have. Anything less will just piss you off.

 

Edit to add that you should get one with chemical injection. It will draw bleach and mix it with water at lower pressure. Cleans vinyl like magic. With no pressure.

Edited January 22, 2020 by MDLOTT

[windowasher]

Water flow, water flow, water flow.  I have performed pressure cleaning services as part of my window cleaning business for 30 years.  I have found 2000 psi at 5 - 6 gallons per minute will out perform 4000 psi running 3 gal per minute.  Because most pressure cleaners purchased at hardware or box stores will be used at homes, they usually have only 3 to 4 gpm to feed them.  They use high pressure at low volume.  High volume will "hit" the surface harder with lower pressure.  Think like this, a mustang hitting you at 60 mph will hit hard, but a dump truck hitting you at 40 mph...

[holyjohnson]

+1 on the G.P.M.

i bought a 3500 PSI Brand X one years ago and it sucked because the Volume of water was too little.

i found out after i bought it,i returned it and got a 3200 PSI and 5 G.P.M. it would De-grease a Diesel with half the amount of Chemical De-greaser.

its a Honda Mega shot and i think i got it at Mill`s Fleet.

Edited January 22, 2020 by holyjohnson

[Walt Longmire]

2 hours ago, windowasher said:

Water flow, water flow, water flow.  I have performed pressure cleaning services as part of my window cleaning business for 30 years.  I have found 2000 psi at 5 - 6 gallons per minute will out perform 4000 psi running 3 gal per minute.  Because most pressure cleaners purchased at hardware or box stores will be used at homes, they usually have only 3 to 4 gpm to feed them.  They use high pressure at low volume.  High volume will "hit" the surface harder with lower pressure.  Think like this, a mustang hitting you at 60 mph will hit hard, but a dump truck hitting you at 40 mph...

When I had the well drilled for my shop, the driller told me I had enough water to fill fire trucks. A 1" line runs from the well to the shop. I put in a high pressure pump and pressure tank and ran 1" copper all the way to a fire hose I use to blast the mud off the KW and equipment. The pressure washer comes out afterwards.

[SC Tiger]

11 hours ago, ASH said:

i dont really need one , but i kinda want one  ,  what psi   would i be looking at  to strip clear coat off a truck  ?  one of my farm/town trucks the clear coat is peeling aweful , and i wanna strip it all off, truck is 20 years old,  so  if i fudge it up no biggie .   i was gonna get one last summer then i had to spend like 30 grand  all in one week   so i put it off .  plus  i got 2 tractors  im rebuilding the engines right  down to the block .  id like to be able to pressure wash them , and my daughters house has vinyl siding and it needs cleaned . 

To strip clear coat off of a truck you probably need to look at a different option than a pressure washer.

As far as for normal household tasks, this is a nice one:

3000 PSI is plenty for most tasks.  Just be careful to not use the 0 degree nozzle much - it's more of a weapon than an actual cleaning device.

 

[SC Tiger]

10 hours ago, MDLOTT said:

4000 psi minimum. A decent pump with a Honda GS390 13hp is what I have. Anything less will just piss you off.

 

Edit to add that you should get one with chemical injection. It will draw bleach and mix it with water at lower pressure. Cleans vinyl like magic. With no pressure.

For a professional - maybe.  For an average homeowner this is way too much unit.  Most people only fire their PW up a few times a year.

Now - if you could get that unit for a decent price, that's fine.  But you just described a $1000 pressure washer.

[MDLOTT]

1 hour ago, SC Tiger said:

For a professional - maybe.  For an average homeowner this is way too much unit.  Most people only fire their PW up a few times a year.

Now - if you could get that unit for a decent price, that's fine.  But you just described a $1000 pressure washer.

You would be correct.

 

I bought mine with low hours for $500.00

[SC Tiger]

10 minutes ago, MDLOTT said:

You would be correct.

 

I bought mine with low hours for $500.00

Probably a decent deal.  But no way in hell a homeowner needs that much PW.  

If I'm making money off of it, then we can talk.

What kind did you get?  Brand?  

 

Something that tends to rub me the wrong way is when I see people recommend uber-high-end tools for homeowners who will never get the added value over a mid-grade tool.  I see it all the time.  That's why I responded the way I did to your first post.  Didn't mean it as a personal hit.

I view it as the tool version of recommending a Wilson Combat for an EDC gun to a first-time gun buyer.  And I see it all the time.

What you pulled off was the tool version of a Wilson Combat for $800 with low round count.  And that's not a bad deal, mind you.  I'd buy that.

Edited January 22, 2020 by SC Tiger

[Bish1309]

In my experience, look for one with a Honda motor. I've had the best luck with them over the past 20 years. 

[janice6]

18 hours ago, ASH said:

i dont really need one , but i kinda want one  ,  what psi   would i be looking at  to strip clear coat off a truck  ?  one of my farm/town trucks the clear coat is peeling aweful , and i wanna strip it all off, truck is 20 years old,  so  if i fudge it up no biggie .   i was gonna get one last summer then i had to spend like 30 grand  all in one week   so i put it off .  plus  i got 2 tractors  im rebuilding the engines right  down to the block .  id like to be able to pressure wash them , and my daughters house has vinyl siding and it needs cleaned . 

I did quite a bit of car painting.  No matter how bad that clear coat looks when you attack it with a pressure sprayer you will be left with at least 1/2 the vehicle still covered with clear coat.  

In prepping cars for re-painting, I have never found a method that removes enough old paint that is worth the effort.  I abhore chemical strippers on cars since you now have to use various special washes to clean it off so the next paint job will stick.

In every case I was forced to go to electric/air/DA sanding, or sandblasting.  Some areas of your vehicle will have paint stuck as well as it was originally intended.  

This is one of those jobs where the solution is elbow grease.  There are no shortcuts.

A person I knew cleaned his car for a new paint job.  Then he washed it with soap and water as a final prep.  For less than month it looked great.  Then it started flying off as he drove down the highway.  This is no joke, it really happened to him.

There are no shortcuts for a paint job  that is intended to adhere well.

 

Edited January 22, 2020 by janice6

[MDLOTT]

3 hours ago, SC Tiger said:

Probably a decent deal.  But no way in hell a homeowner needs that much PW.  

If I'm making money off of it, then we can talk.

What kind did you get?  Brand?  

 

Something that tends to rub me the wrong way is when I see people recommend uber-high-end tools for homeowners who will never get the added value over a mid-grade tool.  I see it all the time.  That's why I responded the way I did to your first post.  Didn't mean it as a personal hit.

I view it as the tool version of recommending a Wilson Combat for an EDC gun to a first-time gun buyer.  And I see it all the time.

What you pulled off was the tool version of a Wilson Combat for $800 with low round count.  And that's not a bad deal, mind you.  I'd buy that.

Originally, a Home Depot special. Devilbiss. I had to replace the pump later and upgraded. The Honda is what makes it better than average. 

[janice6]

3 hours ago, MDLOTT said:

Originally, a Home Depot special. Devilbiss. I had to replace the pump later and upgraded. The Honda is what makes it better than average. 

I have to agree on the Honda Engine.  I have Hondas in both the lawn mowers and the pressure washer.  They are remarkable starting machines and I have never lost one.  

I am always amazed when I start up the Pressure Washer, since I only use it once a year, that it starts on the first or second pull.  I leave gas in it and when I'm going to use it I dump the tank and put in fresh fuel.  I do like them.  It surprises me every time.

One time I fired up the Honda lawn mower and it has some oil smoke in the exhaust.  I was concerned, since this was unusual for any of my Honda machines.  But, I kept mowing.  Pretty soon the smoke just poured out of the exhaust, and the engine quit.

I was really upset that I lost an engine!  I pulled the plug and it was full of burned oil.  But, pulling by hand, I had good compression and smooth rotation with my finger over the spark plug hole.

I then decided at the last effort to check the oil, fuel, and filters, before heading uptown to replace it.

I was so humiliated!  I found that for some reason, on this engine, I had completely forgotten to change the air filter, ever! ----- And of course, it was plugged with dirt.  It couldn't get air, so it sucked up oil past the rings.

I took off the filter and replaced the oil, then started the mower, it ran like brand new and with a clean exhaust.  I was so embarrassed that somehow, of all the engines I maintain, I had somehow pulled a total stupid and forgot the filter.

That was about 4 years ago and the same mower is doing well.  Now my knees won't let me walk too much so I have a riding mower, but I just can't let the walk behind go!

[ASH]

thanks for the info folks,   learn something new here all the time,  sometimes when me and the wife are talking bout something ,  i say let me check the bore site lol .  she just rolls eyes .  

so its matter ofvolume of water not the highest psi , 

i gotta go to garner tomorrrow  to pick up some disc' blades for plow  at agri supply  . we  look around there while gone . i should have known that because my irrigation system is like that 

more volume less time and wont blow off the end pop offs  like running high psi .  

Edited January 22, 2020 by ASH

[janice6]

2 hours ago, ASH said:

thanks for the info folks,   learn something new here all the time,  sometimes when me and the wife are talking bout something ,  i say let me check the bore site lol .  she just rolls eyes .  

so its matter ofvolume of water not the highest psi , 

i gotta go to garner tomorrrow  to pick up some disc' blades for plow  at agri supply  . we  look around there while gone . i should have known that because my irrigation system is like that 

more volume less time and wont blow off the end pop offs  like running high psi .  

The various spray heads give you some control over the pressure on the "surface" that you are spraying.  I used   the pressure washer with a medium fan head, to literally wash the Maple seeds out of my lawn once a year.

I used the flat fan like a shovel and kept it a few feet from the grass.  I could scoop the Maple seeds up with the fan and literally throw them into a windrow.  It didn't hurt my grass, and lightly watered it while removing the thatch at the same time.

I have some treated wood platforms in the yard and they get mildew on them.  So one day I decided to clean them.  It worked fast and great.  Then I couldn't help myself when I went to a single high pressure stream head, and found that in only a second or two I could cut 1/2 inch deep into the treated wood.

Be very careful you never get you finger in front of the nozzle.  The horror stories of what happens with a solid paint sprayer are just as horrible if you use the pressure washer.

The have a siphon tube that allow you to throw it into a cleaner or solvent bottle to do washing in the literal sense.  They are useful machines.  I would expect that on a farm they would be an essential tool.