If you put a rotary nozzle on it you can probably etch your name on the sidewalk.
If you put a rotary nozzle on it you can probably etch your name on the sidewalk.
One of my first jobs a few years out of high school was helping the neighbor down the street build a mobile steam and pressure washing unit on a medium duty flat bed truck. It had a 1000 gallon water tank and we built the rack and drive system for 3 pumps. 2 of them were 5000 psi at 10 gpm and 1 was 8,000 psi at 5 gpm. All were PTO driven. On the back of the truck was a kerosene fired 1 million BTU boiler to give us hot water or steam when required.
We spent a lot of time in oil patch cleaning up heavy equipment so they could get repaired. That's where the high volume at lower psi worked best to clean off mud out of the tracks and whatnot.
If you're cleaning cars with it get a shorty washer gun with no extension. I set mine up with one along with quick disconnects and a cheap foam cannon. It works great for cleaning up the jeep and truck. Allows you get in tight places underneath without dealing with an unwieldy long pressure gun.
The hose on the ryobis kind of suck so just replaced mine with a bit longer flexilla hose I have been happy with.
The hose on the ryobis kind of suck so just replaced mine with a bit longer flexilla hose I have been happy with.
I just got a 50' Uberflex hose for my electric pressure washer. Have used it twice now washing cars and it's so much nicer to handle and way less frustrating than the hose that came with the unit. I also got a stubby gun and that too is way less cumbersome. This hose is plenty long enough for me that I can leave the pressure washer hung on the garage wall and don't have to worry about moving it around the car or it falling over at some point. Was right around $50 on Amazon.
I ended up with the 50. It can be a bit much at times but the ryobi hose is too short though I think they make their own longer version now.
I put mine on a hose reel. Stupid easy to deal with after that.
My cars think they're getting the luxury treatment when I bother to break out the soap.
The first thing I did when I got mine was pitch the high plastic content hose and replace it with a rubber one. I added a hose reel and storage for the tips.
Only thing I didn't do yet is do a swivel on the hose end of the gun. That will be my next upgrade.
Dammit, another $150 for something I did not know I needed...seriously I was pricing out cartridge systems for washing the cars and those where a lot more.
Electric is ok if you are just cleaning your TJ in the driveway. I find it easier to run a garden hose or 2 than an extension cord. I have 2 gas washers. 5hp honda 3500psi 2.5gpm and 8.5hp kohler 3000psi 3gpm. I use mine away from the house all the time cleaning up around my rentals, prepping houses for painting and graffiti removal. I have a 12” floor sprayer for large flat areas such as side walks, driveways, and my shop floor. Gpm is an important factor in cleaning ability. The downside with my big gas washer is the weight as it is more difficult to get in and out of the truck. As with many things power is a good thing.
I got one of these https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RZYSL1Q/?tag=wranglerorg-20 to wash the beach salt and sand from the undercarriage. And how about a foam cannon, I love them! Just washed the Superduty after returning from a 1500 mile trip to NM and back.
I've used it both on my gas and on my electric, works fine on both. If anything it's easier to control on the electric. I'm only after a rinse anyway, I don't want to be tearing up wiring harnesses with it.
Update time:
I appreciate everybodys responses.
I ended up with the sunjoe spx3000 electric unit.
I finally got around to using it and I am impressed with this little machine. I used it to clean a tj that was disgusting from top to bottom and it did everything my old Honda gas pressure washer would do.
the power cord is stupid long which is a good thing. It has multiple different tips. I did not worry about the unit falling over.
It is fairly lightweight and easy to store.
The only issue i had was aometimes if i let go of the trigger it would pulsate and then when the trigger was depressed again it would have low pressure and pulsate more. I solved this by releasing the trigger again and then it worked fine.
I would 100 percent recommend this unit to the casual DIY person who is going to use it a few times a year. I don't miss gas!!!
I appreciate everybodys responses.
I ended up with the sunjoe spx3000 electric unit.
I finally got around to using it and I am impressed with this little machine. I used it to clean a tj that was disgusting from top to bottom and it did everything my old Honda gas pressure washer would do.
the power cord is stupid long which is a good thing. It has multiple different tips. I did not worry about the unit falling over.
It is fairly lightweight and easy to store.
The only issue i had was aometimes if i let go of the trigger it would pulsate and then when the trigger was depressed again it would have low pressure and pulsate more. I solved this by releasing the trigger again and then it worked fine.
I would 100 percent recommend this unit to the casual DIY person who is going to use it a few times a year. I don't miss gas!!!
The Sunjoe products look to be pretty good and it was on my list but in the end I decided on the Ryobi just because it sits low on 4 wheels and can't tip over if you jerk on the hose like an upright one can. I also like that it shuts off when you aren't squeezing the trigger but maybe they all do that and I'm just used to the gas one always running.
I was close to buying the ryobi unit but my hate for ryobi power tools got the better of me and I just couldn't do it. I realize apples and oranges but sometimes a bitter taste takes a while to go away
It's all in how you look at it. I went in knowing Ryobi is crap and expecting it to be a throw away. It's been a bit over a year now and it's still going strong. A couple things I do with pressure washers, 1. Never, ever run them dry, squeeze the trigger till you get water before turning the power on, or starting the engine on a gas one and 2. Never allow it to freeze, mine are stored indoors and on my gas one I use this every fall before putting it up: https://www.amazon.com/STA-BIL-Pressure-Washer-Protector-Lubricant/dp/B00NEG6KVU?tag=wranglerorg-20 My Honda powered Excell is now over 20 years old.
Actually there is a 3rd thing that makes them last longer, I never loan them out.