Pressure washer. Gasoline VS Electric

I could go on and on about this. Is there anything specific you wanted to know?

 

I think if a person was going to buy a gas pressure washer I would stick with a Briggs and Stratton or a Honda . You going to have a Great motor with either one. I can't think off the top of my head of any other motor I would trust like these two. :chips:

 

Kohler.

 

I wouldnt call a Briggs n Stratton a great motor especialy compared to a Honda.

 

I use a Gas for right now, but i miss my old electric Karcher.

$120 for 1300psi and very portable. And much quieter than gas so you dont wake up neighbors when your detail starts at 6 or 7 am on weekends.

 

I have a Husky 2600psi gas that I used for a while but it didn't suit what I needed. I would start and stop it at least 10 times when washing my car. I wash my car early in the morning and the noise was always a problem. The honda engine on it is nice but the pump went bad and it now only runs if I have the gun engaged.

I just bought a 2000psi Task Force electric and its perfect for me. Very quiet. It starts and stops when I pull the trigger. I can twist the sprayer to run a normal stream of water if needed. Plenty of power. And it was much less expensive vs. the Husky.

If I needed to be mobile I would probably need a gas one.. but as just an enthusiast I can't ever see needing the gas one again.

In my opinion why not buy both.. I have noticed that there are tons of pressure washers (gas and electric) being sold dirt cheap on craigslist. People buy them an never use them.

 

Not to hi-jack this thread but a lot of you guys have mixed reviews of the karcher electrics. If you were to choose a reliable pressure washer that lasts, is reliable, and electric which would it be?

 

That's what I'm worried about - engine noise on a pressure washer. Was really thinking about Karcher...But the problem is they used to be MADE IN GERMANY, and that's exactly what I want...but right now they are not, and quality of third world countries is not same same as German, meaning it will break soon, "so our technicians can have a job"...

 

I understand what you mean. JLs and some of the other guys are using Karchers successfully so maybe give them a try. Kohler makes a very quiet gas model but they would be quite a bit more than the ones you have mentioned but quality doesn't come cheap. You mentioned a Honda motor with Karcher pump. That should do you fine. You could have a custom muffler put together for the gas model to make it even quieter.

 

But then again, there's nothing like the testosterone surge you get when you fire up that gas powered pressure washer. You kinda get that Tim Allen complex :headbang:

Letting those around you, you mean BUSINESS.

 

Do Karchers still have the unloader valve problem?

Mine's probably 5 years old or so, and I've had to disassemble it twice to get it to keep working. Maybe they've fixed this?

Here's a link with a description of the problem, and the fix.

 

When my dad and I were looking at pressure washers the one thing we learned is that the

Honda motor and what not is not what is going to make it reliable. It is the manufacture of the

pump that you want to be concerned about, especially with gas ones. I think the one we got

was $1100 CAD and it's not the high PSI that makes it amazing for washing cars, its the

4.0GPM that makes the huge difference

 

Is there a limit on how much pressure should be used when using a power washer on cars? Also, is there a distance you should always keep from the when using one without causing any damage?

Also, which electric Karchers are good, and can use a foam cannon with the proper hardware?

Sorry for the questions, but before I joined this site, I always assumed power washers were not safe for paint.

 

Also, would it be too heavy for me to pick up and put in my SUV?

And when I'm done using it, is there a way to make sure water doesn't leak out during transporting it in my vehicle?

 

I have to agree with 911Fanatic on Karchers, i have had no reliability problems with a residential model.

The only failure i have experienced with it is an o-ring that had failed after 1year of service that caused less than desired pressure. It was a simple fix and took only 20minutes total.


Plus, i dont mind buying Karchers on a repeat basis since the one i had lasted for a good 3 years. I got my money back many times over from it.

I cant remember the model as it has been over a year without it, but it only cost me $120 at Lowes.

 

I agree. Heres my new one. Kohler 12.75 hp, electric start and up to 3000 psi @ 4 gpm. Sweeeet!!

 

:worship2:

 

So true. The psi is not as important as the gpm. Although JLs and a few guys are doing grat work with their 1.8 gpm Karchers, I need 4gpm because I live in truck country and things get VERY dirty here. If you live in an area where most of your clients are city folk, then the 1.8 gpm should be fine.

I tend to keep my pwasher at around 1000 - 1200 psi for washing and will put in a diferent tip for higher psi when doing frame rails, dirty inner fenders etc. Also, with the gas engine, I can dial the throttle down as well, where you can't do that on an electric to control the water flow.

 

Can you connect an electric Karcher to a foam cannon? If so what do I need to buy?

 

Yes.... use the search function. Visit PressureParts.com's website and or call them. They can help you out.