Recommend a me power washer

Is there a such thing as a power washer below $200 that's actually worth buying?
I will be using it to wash my SUV occasionally but I also need something that will be powerful enough to clean the siding and other nasty items.
I was looking at this http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-25e...langId=-1&keyword=power+washers&storeId=10051
but the reviews make me nervous. They're either 5 stars or 1 star;the reviewers either love it or hate it.
I also looked at this http://www.lowes.com/pd_336396-5339...br|0||p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&facetInfo=

Think this is what I'll get.
http://www.pressurewashersdirect.com/Karcher-K5.740-Pressure-Washer/p6276.html
I'll have to wait until next month though

 

I had $150 Karcher and it died after the warranty ended - @ 18 months, so I upgraded to Cam Spray. It is not cheap - almost $700 but is worth EVERY PENNEY. It work VERY WELL cleaning around the house also. Cheap pressure washers have plastic pumps which will eventually break.

 

Basically you get what you pay for. I too had one of those cheaper units that failed . I also purchased a camspray unit and it has been trouble free . Its built like a tank ! So bottom line is save up and just get the better unit from the start.

 

I have the Kranzle 1120T, It is a well built unit. I had looked the higher end consumer (Karcher x series) before deciding to make an investment as opposed to a purchase.

 

I own the Cam Spray 1500a, I've had it for 3 years now - It is a great machine!

 

theres a 1700 psi for sale at home depot, its the same brand as the red one. its on sale for 80 bucks i believe, but im in canada!

 

I bought the cheapest one from Home Depot and it didn't work out of the box. I'll hold out until a Karcher is within reach.

 

I got a karcher last year off craiglist locally for 70 bucks I think. I don't quite remember how much. I use it all the time and works great.

 

I recently bought the 2200 psi 2.0 gpm Homelite unit from Home depot for $200 and it seems to be a decent unit. I can't speak to its longivity as I just bought it recently. It was a special buy item here in Canada not sure if its available in the US
http://www.homedepot.ca/product/2200-psi-gas-pressure-washer/943516

 

I have the Cleanforce from Home Depot and have done about 15 cars with it...no issues so far, and if I do then I just take it back with the warranty I bought.

 

Have you looked into the AR Pressure Washers. I have a the AR610 and it works awesome. I picked it up off amazon used for $144 and it retails for $500 new. They have others that fall within your budget that use a metal pump.

 

AR Blue Clean? Yes I like this one

http://www.pressurewashersdirect.com/AR-AR390-Pressure-Washer/p5926.html

It'll probably be between that one and this one

http://www.pressurewashersdirect.com/Images/Karcher-K5.740/i6276.html

 

Man I had the $85 one from Lowes in my shopping cart but I got nervous and put it back.
I also came really close to getting a $160 one form Home Depot but they only had one and the box looked like King Kong had been using it for a punching bag.

 

I definitely can't go that high $300 maybe $400 if I wait until June

 

How about this?
http://www.pressurewashersdirect.com/Campbell-Hausfeld-CP5101-Pressure-Washer/p6177.html

 

That appears to be not bad .

 

Anyone have an opinion on this Simpson pressure washer?

IIRC it's on sale at costco for $250 and the costco "warranty" makes any reliability issues a moot point.

http://simpsoncleaning.com/store/vmchk/residential/msv3024.html

Dave

 

Dear Red Orc & Friends

I received the Cleanforce 1800HD as a Christmas gift. I use it with the MTM Hydro foamer and the combination works very well. I've washed vehicles about thirty times with it and used it to clean the siding of my mother's garage and the floor of her porch.

If you want to run the washer for half an hour at a time, a consumer electric washer is not a good choice. The Cleanforce's manual advises against using the washer for more than thirty minutes without a five-minute cooling down due to heat. However, if your primary interest is washing cars, an electric is fantastic. With a consumer gas-powered washer, you'll be advised not to let the washer sit and idle because water inside the pump will overheat and damage the pump. Even though there's a thermal relief valve, the manuals of these washers still advise against letting the unit idle for more than two or three minutes.

I'll put my Cleanforce against Karcher's best consumer electric any day. The Cleanforce is available for US$159, but there are a lot of coupons and discounts you may use to bring down that price. Even if you just used a ten-percent-off coupon, the purchase price would be US$143.10. The Karcher costs US$280 and doesn't have a two-year warranty on its pump, whereas the Cleanforce does. Also, the Cleanforce will work on its belly, sort of like a canister vacuum cleaner, in addition to the standard upright position. It even has a wheel for maneuvering it this way. It has a large onboard detergent tank and two reels for the electrical cord and high pressure hose. It folds down very easily, too, which makes it easily transportable.

I wish the Cleanforce's gun had a way to lock it in the on position to save me the trouble of keeping its lever pulled. My hand hurts after a few minutes. I haven't seen a gun on any electric or gas models that has such a feature, though.

The Cleanforce's hose is too short. To wash our Odyssey I have to move the washer twice. I emailed the company to see if this washer would accommodate a longer hose and received no reply.

It's no Kranzle or Camspray but the Cleanforce is most definitely worth more than its purchase price.

--Jaddie

 

I have this same pressure washer, but it's a Troy Bilt. It's an excellent unit and it's also fairly quiet. Mine has a higher GPM (2.7 instead of 2.4). I paid $349. The only thing I don't like is that it takes a couple minutes to build up pressure when you first start it. I have used mine for 10 hrs straight (cleaning the siding) and I had no issues. Another thing that I'm not a fan of is that the fuel tank is small.

Great pressure washer nonetheless ... especially for that price.

 

Another disadvantage I've found with electric models is that the better ones seem to all draw 13 amps or more. Almost all of my circuits are 15 amps and there aren't any that I can dedicate to st the power washer.
Also you have to have an outlet within reach of the power cord since most manufacturers recommend against using extension cords. I don't know if they mean all extension cords or if a high quality 10 guage or thicker extension cord would cause problems as well. If I still get a power washer it will probably be a gas powered one and I just won't use it for my SUV.