Pressure Washer Advice
Thread Starter
Super Member
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 826
Likes: 4
From: Southeast PA
2010 VW Golf TDI
Pressure Washer Advice
Don’t worry, I am not planning to use it on my car. I just thought many of you guys might be obsessed about cleaning things other than your cars and that you could give me advice about buying a pressure washer.
I think my wife will kill me if I try to buy something for over $500.00, but I have her convinced that we need to spend enough money to get a REAL pressure washer and not just something slightly better than my garden hose. My wife took a look at the Home Depot and found the "Excell" brand. I have not seen it myself. Based on my brief education about pressure washers, it looks like it is all about the pump. The motors are very often Honda or Briggs and Stratton, just like lawn mowers. I think I am partial to the Honda motors, but I think it is really all about the pump.
How much do I have to spend to get a REAL pressure washer? I have a huge deck and my house has algae growing on the siding. My house has an exposed basement and a steep roof that makes it 4-stories tall at the peak. I will need some pressure to apply algaecide to the top panels of siding. I know not to use high pressure to just blast off the algae. I saw a house turn completely green after they made that mistake. I also know not to blast water up under the siding so that I am sure I won’t get water and algae up under the siding.
I assembled a partial list of pressure washers below. As I said, I am very sure my wife will resist spending more than $500.00, but I included a couple of machines with better pumps that do cost more. I am just starting the education and shopping process, so I would love some advice. How much do I have to spend to get something that will really do the job? Note that I like good equipment, for example I have a 48" deck professional walk behind mower that I use to cut my 1 acre yard. I like overkill.
Model 165328
2600 PSI Pressure Washer
5 HP Honda GC (OHC) engine.
Pump Make DAPC (DeVilbiss Air Power Company – Brand Excell)
Maintenance free pump.
2 Year Engine and 1 Year Pump Warranty.
Area cleaned in 5 minutes: 40-45 sq. ft.
Price: $417.00
Model # ZR2800
2800 PSI Premium Pressure Washer
6.5 Hp Honda GX (OHV) engine
Premium CAT crankshaft pump
2 Year Engine & Pump Warranty
Area cleanned in 5 minutes: 60 to 65 sq. ft.
Price: $699.00
Briggs & Stratton Power Products
Model 1808
3400 PSI Pressure Washer
4 GPM
10 HP Briggs & Stratton OHV engine
Annovi Reverberi Triplex Plunger Pump
Adjustable pressure regulation
Price: $799.99
I think my wife will kill me if I try to buy something for over $500.00, but I have her convinced that we need to spend enough money to get a REAL pressure washer and not just something slightly better than my garden hose. My wife took a look at the Home Depot and found the "Excell" brand. I have not seen it myself. Based on my brief education about pressure washers, it looks like it is all about the pump. The motors are very often Honda or Briggs and Stratton, just like lawn mowers. I think I am partial to the Honda motors, but I think it is really all about the pump.
How much do I have to spend to get a REAL pressure washer? I have a huge deck and my house has algae growing on the siding. My house has an exposed basement and a steep roof that makes it 4-stories tall at the peak. I will need some pressure to apply algaecide to the top panels of siding. I know not to use high pressure to just blast off the algae. I saw a house turn completely green after they made that mistake. I also know not to blast water up under the siding so that I am sure I won’t get water and algae up under the siding.
I assembled a partial list of pressure washers below. As I said, I am very sure my wife will resist spending more than $500.00, but I included a couple of machines with better pumps that do cost more. I am just starting the education and shopping process, so I would love some advice. How much do I have to spend to get something that will really do the job? Note that I like good equipment, for example I have a 48" deck professional walk behind mower that I use to cut my 1 acre yard. I like overkill.
Model 165328
2600 PSI Pressure Washer
5 HP Honda GC (OHC) engine.
Pump Make DAPC (DeVilbiss Air Power Company – Brand Excell)
Maintenance free pump.
2 Year Engine and 1 Year Pump Warranty.
Area cleaned in 5 minutes: 40-45 sq. ft.
Price: $417.00
Model # ZR2800
2800 PSI Premium Pressure Washer
6.5 Hp Honda GX (OHV) engine
Premium CAT crankshaft pump
2 Year Engine & Pump Warranty
Area cleanned in 5 minutes: 60 to 65 sq. ft.
Price: $699.00
Briggs & Stratton Power Products
Model 1808
3400 PSI Pressure Washer
4 GPM
10 HP Briggs & Stratton OHV engine
Annovi Reverberi Triplex Plunger Pump
Adjustable pressure regulation
Price: $799.99
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,005
Likes: 33
From: Germany
'00 S320 W220, '98 A160 W168/ sold in 2005 '86 260 E W124 '90 260E W124
Try this one. It is the top brand for power washers of any application household or industry.
http://www.karcher.com/usa/
I would be careful to power wash aluminum siding of your house. You would shoot water under the siding which would wet all the insulation and wood underneath the siding panels. You actually need to do this from the top down to prevent water entering under the siding (4 stories you said?!?!?)
For the patio you need the attachment "patio cleaner" which eliminates the mess and saves you half the cleaning time. I would go with the brand which provides the longest warrant on the pump.
http://www.karcher.com/usa/
I would be careful to power wash aluminum siding of your house. You would shoot water under the siding which would wet all the insulation and wood underneath the siding panels. You actually need to do this from the top down to prevent water entering under the siding (4 stories you said?!?!?)
For the patio you need the attachment "patio cleaner" which eliminates the mess and saves you half the cleaning time. I would go with the brand which provides the longest warrant on the pump.
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 302
Likes: 1
From: Salem, OR
08 Lexus GS350 AWD. 08 Lexus RX350 AWD - wife's. 94 MBZ E320 - still have it.
"I think my wife will kill me if I try to buy something for over $500.00, but I have her convinced that we need to spend enough money to get a REAL pressure washer and not just something slightly better than my garden hose. My wife took a look at the Home Depot and found the "Excell" brand."
Hey, dude! Who is wearing pants in your house? LOL
Hey, dude! Who is wearing pants in your house? LOL
Thread Starter
Super Member
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 826
Likes: 4
From: Southeast PA
2010 VW Golf TDI
showering down and pants
Hello bamberger_1,
I will take a good look at the Karcher line of pressure washers. Their website is good and it sounds like parts are definitely available. I also received Karcher recommendations from posts at a couple of other sites, so I will be sure to check them out. Thank you for the tip.
As for shooting up under the siding, I was hoping to be able to arc the spray up so that the liquid would actually rain down onto the siding. I am just hoping to get enough pressure to push the liquid high enough to get the showering down effect. My brief reading about the pressure washers, has me concerned that the "algaecide" application mode is always at a lower pressure setting. I really need to be able to shoot something, other than water, at high enough pressure to reach the peak of my roof. I can step to the side yard, where I would only have to shoot 3 stories in height to rain the liquid down from an angle.
Hello Arnie,
I guess I have to say that we both have some pants. After all, we are in this together. In addition, I have found that she compliments my decision making process by keeping me from making crazy purchases. I have this excessive compulsive nature that pushes me to get things bigger and better than I really need. At the same time, she can very accommodating if I educate her about why a specific product is so good and how happy I will be if I can own a top quality product. She likes to tell people that if she had known how happy I would be, owning my E320, she would have encouraged me to buy it sooner. She is OK as my consultant.
I will take a good look at the Karcher line of pressure washers. Their website is good and it sounds like parts are definitely available. I also received Karcher recommendations from posts at a couple of other sites, so I will be sure to check them out. Thank you for the tip.
As for shooting up under the siding, I was hoping to be able to arc the spray up so that the liquid would actually rain down onto the siding. I am just hoping to get enough pressure to push the liquid high enough to get the showering down effect. My brief reading about the pressure washers, has me concerned that the "algaecide" application mode is always at a lower pressure setting. I really need to be able to shoot something, other than water, at high enough pressure to reach the peak of my roof. I can step to the side yard, where I would only have to shoot 3 stories in height to rain the liquid down from an angle.
Hello Arnie,
I guess I have to say that we both have some pants. After all, we are in this together. In addition, I have found that she compliments my decision making process by keeping me from making crazy purchases. I have this excessive compulsive nature that pushes me to get things bigger and better than I really need. At the same time, she can very accommodating if I educate her about why a specific product is so good and how happy I will be if I can own a top quality product. She likes to tell people that if she had known how happy I would be, owning my E320, she would have encouraged me to buy it sooner. She is OK as my consultant.
