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Electric power washers.

2K views 31 replies 17 participants last post by  Jiveturkey3 
#1 ·
I just started to clean the rzr after my first ride. I come to the conclusion I need a pressure washer. I have very few uses for one and don't really want to spend money on a "nice" one. Basicly washing the rzr, driveway, and maybe the house once a year. Electric seems to beach cheaper am I don't need high psi numbers. What are the thoughts on these? Doe anyone have one that works well they would recommend?
 
#2 ·
We had one and it did on decent job, but you had to pull around the hose and the power cord. So when you are not washing by a power outlet you have to get out the long extension cord.

I ended up buying a cheaper gas powered one to wash my quad, trailer, truck, and what ever else I needed to wash. I would recomend a gas powered one over the electric. To compare my cheap one to a good gas powered one, i would need to use a narrow tip (15 deg I think) compared to the wider (30 deg tip) to get the same results.
 
#9 ·
Sounds like just what I need. Where can I find a kracher? That's a brand I assume? What makes them better than others? As far as gas vs electric I just don't see the need when I will only be doing small jobs that will no require high psi. I have many outlets outside and plenty of gfi cords if needed.
 
#10 ·
My father-in-law pulled a coleman electric washer out of his neighbors garbage in 2005 and gave it to me, said it did not turn on. I replaced a wire and repaired a simple on/off switch.

It's hanging in my garage on the wall and I have washed the fawk out my Jeep so many times I can't tell ya.

It's just enough pressure to get all but the large clay/mud clumps packed into deep pockets...but not so much that I'm penetrating rubber seals on electrical plugs in the engine compartment. A 10 year old kid can wash your RZR from set-up to finish and not harm a damn thing.

gas powered is what I use to clean my brick house, and I borrow one.:finger:

Check out flea markets,garage sales whatever and chances are you can find a used electric REAL cheap that will last quite a while and not take up much space and zero gasoline.
 
#13 ·
Electric fail after only a few years, and on top of that the only way you get any power is on a jet spray (not fan)

Check your local pawn shop for a gas one. I got my last one at a pawn shop inventory reduction auction for $60

Right after I bought it I went to my garage and cleaned the garage, I then found one I bought off of here for $15 that I was told didn't work (bad pump). It worked great after fixing the leaky fitting - cost $3 :teehee:
 
#14 ·
I have had a Karcher that I got from Big Lots (a Refurb unit at that) and it's about 20 years old. Works fine, I can even degrease engines with it if I let the chemical cleaner soak in for an hour. It takes longer on heavy jobs like that, but it's fine for mud, and more convenient than running the Big Red 3 wheeler down to the coin op car wash.

If you can hook it up to the drain on your water heater it works even better.
 
#17 ·
Just remember, your water supply has to be higher than the GPM of the washer..... if the garden hose only supplys 2 GPM, your washer can't supply 3GPM and will run dry.

(My water pressure and flow is terrible- even my old electric Karcher will run dry if I have the lawn sprinkler running at the same time)
 
#26 ·
I wish I had that.

2 years ago I timed how long it took to fill a 5 gallon bucket. With nothing else using water, I could fill a bucket in just under a minute.

Turn on the shower, it took a minute and a half.

To fill a 5 gallon bucket in my shower takes 3 minutes.

The line coming in to my meter is 1/2" and if it's anything like the water lines that were going to my utility sink, it's choked down to 1/4" inside.

I was trying to wash down the lawnmower one time when my wife started a load of wash. The pressure washer pump started cavitating.

I hate this house.
 
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