Looking to buy a pressure washer. What size (PSI) do I need for general purpose cleaning (driveway, pool deck, privacy fence, hardi-plank)? Any comments/suggestions are appreciated.
Tips for pressure washer purchase
- Thread starter ktdave
- Start date
We bought a cheapy electric one at HD a few years ago, and it works just fine for those purposes. 1300 PSI
Mine is 2800psi, and it will cut into the concrete if you want it to. I'd recommend a Cat pump and Honda engine combination if going with gas. Nothing cleans like the hot water units, but they are serious money.
I have had experience through my dads company with the heavy duty high pressure gas and heated pressure washers, but would not want to use one for household cleaning since it does not have the built in "OOPS Factor" that the smaller electric box store brands provide.....
When you are doing the home cleaning as you would use it for, you want have the "oops factor" built in, which they do:
- oops I shouldn't have hit that window, at least it wasn't the high pressure model that would have broken the glass
- oops, it looks like I lifted a corner of the paint on the wall...vs. removing a wide strip of paint
- ooops, the wand slipped and hit my foot, it might hurt but at least it didn't remove the skin
Don't get me wrong, the small units can cause damage, but for between $100-150 you have a quality tool that you would feel comfortable giving a novice to use on most surfaces.
I use my HD model to wash my patio, house, car engine, etc and previously used it on teh last pool to clean the water line scum off the pool. I highly recomend as a must have for the home.
When you are doing the home cleaning as you would use it for, you want have the "oops factor" built in, which they do:
- oops I shouldn't have hit that window, at least it wasn't the high pressure model that would have broken the glass
- oops, it looks like I lifted a corner of the paint on the wall...vs. removing a wide strip of paint
- ooops, the wand slipped and hit my foot, it might hurt but at least it didn't remove the skin
Don't get me wrong, the small units can cause damage, but for between $100-150 you have a quality tool that you would feel comfortable giving a novice to use on most surfaces.
I use my HD model to wash my patio, house, car engine, etc and previously used it on teh last pool to clean the water line scum off the pool. I highly recomend as a must have for the home.
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