Electric Pressure Washer Advice?

I'm thinking about picking up an electric pressure washer. Yes, I've read all over the internet that the gasoline type is much better, but I'm limited to electric.

Got one that rocks? Sucks? Dribbles? Tell me about it...

I just picked up an 1850psi electric from Menards a couple weeks ago after asking for pressure washer advice here. They had 2 models with identical specs, one was $139, the other $160. I bought the cheaper one(duh).

It's OK - though I've only used it twice, so I'm really still figuring it out. It's definitely not as powerful as what you get at the car wash, but it's strong enough that you need to be careful around loose trim/decals/badges/etc.

An unintended consequence that I hadn't considered, is that with no pavement at the house I can't really wash anything close to the ground without spraying rocks/dirt/etc. all over whatever it is I'm attempting to clean.

I wish I could justify a more powerful unit in a way, but I can't, and I really don't want another engine to maintain. I'll use this till it dies, throw it away & decide what to do next.

Thanks for the response, Pete. After I posted, I spent some time looking for info on the web. What I found was that, even for brands that I consider reputable, the electric ones seem to be cheap and, worse, difficult to get parts or warranty service for. I found plenty of grumbling about Campbell Hausfeld, Karcher, and Stanley. For one unit, when the motor blew, the manufacturer referred the owner to their motor supplier! If I could buy one from a place that I know won't be a hassle, I'll do it.

I need electric because I need to store it in a basement -- I think I'm going to have to wait until I have a garage to store a gas unit...

I used my neighbor's electric Karcher unit years ago and I was surprised. It did a decent job, but took a long time. I have since bought a gas powered pressure washer and its much better. But the gas part of it is a pain to have to deal with.

spitfirebill wrote: I used my neighbor's electric Karcher unit years ago and I was surprised. It did a decent job, but took a long time. I have since bought a gas powered pressure washer and its much better. But the gas part of it is a pain to have to deal with.

I will second this. i have used an electric one, and it worked, but boy was it slow.

I borrowed a friends gas unit and WOW....

ignorant wrote: I borrowed a friends gas unit and WOW....

Agreed, but

spitfirebill wrote: But the gas part of it is a pain to have to deal with.

This part overcomes the first. The electric ones can be chucked anywhere you need to. Wanna store it on its side in the attic for a few months? go right ahead, it won't care.

I have awful luck with small gas engines. I put them away expecting to use them again soon and then something always comes up and they sit for a few months with fuel in the carbs before I remember. Then they are a pain to start, or worse need the carbs gone through.

But if you really want to invest in a pressure washer go for the heated ones. The landa's are electric pumps and a diesel burner. These suckers are amazing

After my neighbor cut down the tree that shaded my garage I borrowed my B-I-L's electric Karcher unit to blast many years of accumulated mildew off the bricks. It took a while but it got the job done.

So I bought one for myself to clean the concrete driveway and sidewalks. Took it back to get a bigger one. Took that one back and got a small gas engine one. Finally got the job done.

NOTE: an electric pressure washer powerfull enough to do any heavy duty cleaning will require a 20 amp outlet with nothing else on that circuit when using the pressure washer.

I borrowed my grandfathers Karcher unit. After a particularly muddy rallycross, i got under the crown vic with a set of goggles. I shed about 50 pounds of gunk.

if money is not a concern, just being electric, Northern carries some pretty serious looking ones.

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/category_northstar+pressure-washers+electric-cold-water

I have had one for three years. I got the electric one to because I didn't want another gas engine to take care of. It is a Powerwasher brand. Plug it in and turn it on. It has enough power to get any job done I need. I do the exterior of my entire house every spring with it. I have never had a problem with it, and would recommend one to anyone. It was close to $200 three years ago, I'm not sure what their prices are now.

http://www.power-washer.us/

We've had a Craftsman 2700psi pressure washer for 10+ years and it's been flawless. Starts on the first pull. Just run the tank dry the last time you use it before winter and it runs like a champ.

At a previous summer job they had a 2 phase electric pressure washer with a kerosene heater. It was only like 2000psi but put out alot of volume. The heater made it much more effective; it was pretty anemic with just cold water.

My gas powered PW has a Honda engine on it. My Honda riding mower and garden tiller have needed no engine repairs in the 12 years I've owned them. The only real problem I've had with the PW is it is hard to start soemtimes, becasue the pressure builds up in the pump and makes the engine impossible to pull the recoil starter. Just pull the gun and release the pressure and it can be started.

All the tall skinny and cheap(ish) electric pressure washers seem to be the same unit underneath. They all work and squirt water moderately hard. No, they won't etch concrete, or strip the paint from your houses second story wall and such. But they do fine for blasting grime from an engine bay and muck from underneath. They are powerful enough to cut radiator hoses and spark plug lines when handled foolishly. As well make a hash of electrical connectors. Both filling them with water and sometimes tearing them apart.

By and large, I tend to find them to create more problems than they solve. I tend to use a garden hose and nozzle, hooked up to hot water. That, a brush and some engine cleaner does the job with much less risk of damage.

I have both and I infinitely prefer the electric to the gas. They wash comparably but the electric never gives me grief nor is is hard to start.

foxtrapper wrote: than they solve. I tend to use a garden hose and nozzle, hooked up to hot water.

This may be a dumb question, but how do you get hot water through a garden hose? Do you have an attachment for a faucet? Some sort of heating device?

when i lived in a townhouse we had a small rear yard but no hose bib outside. i hooked my hose to the hot water connection for the washing machine; that was plenty of flow for the PW.

for smaller stuff (e.g., dog washing), i screwed the hose directly onto a sink faucet. if you unscrew the decorative ring around almost any sink faucet, you'll see normal pipe threads (although most sinks only have a few turns available). when i was using the hose a lot (like in the summer), i'd just attach a quick-connect to the faucet so i could just snap the hose on and off.

I have one of those small Karcher electric pressure washers, and I'm happy with it. It's not as powerful as the big gas rigs, but for how little I use it (maybe a couple times a year) I don't mind spending a few extra minutes to do a cleaning project.

procainestart wrote:

foxtrapper wrote: than they solve. I tend to use a garden hose and nozzle, hooked up to hot water.

This may be a dumb question, but how do you get hot water through a garden hose? Do you have an attachment for a faucet? Some sort of heating device?

most hot water heaters have a valve on them you can hook up to with a garden hose (unless it is old and no water flows out of it.

My basement sink has a threaded spigot on it. I use that. One could use the hot water feed to the washing machine. You can unscrew the aerator from any spigot and thread in a garden hose adapter.

If its your own house, it would be nice to run a hot water line around beside the cold water line for the outside spigots. I've never bothered, but it sure seems like a nice idea to me. It would make washing the car much more pleasant and convenient.

I've had both, but currently only have an electric I rescued from my grandfathers garage after he died. It's red. I actually prefer it over a gas unit for power washing greasy engine compartments and whatnot. It's just powerful enough to cut through the grime without filling electrical connections with water or cutting through hoses. For anything else gas models will be better.

I never thought of using a pressure washer on the dogs, Buzz. That would make dog wash day a lot easier. Thanks for that tech tip.

I've thought about the cheap electric ones. I've seen the Honduh gas engined ones at Sam's, but I really can't justify the expense and yet one more gas motor to maintain. So, do these electric ones work for car washing? Is that the general use here or cleaning decks, or what? I'd kinda like one for car washing and I think I have another 20% off HF coupon either here or coming.

I mainly use mine for cleaning off the porch floor, garage floor, sidewalk, etc.
I would imagine these low power electric ones aren't much different than the spray wand at the do-it-yourself car wash down the street, but I'd still be careful using one on a car.

In reply to Dr. Hess:

They do a pretty good job on a car, blasting the mildew off the house, the grunge off the porch and driveway. They work great on greasy engines, especially if you soak it with degreaser first. Since it isn't gas powered, I use it for everything. Not having to drag it out, gas it up, deal with the engine makes them a lot more user friendly and convenient. Just plug it in and turn it one.

I am willing to bet that most people that burn the motors out of the electrics haven't read the owners manual.

You can't run them dry!!! The water cools the motor. This also means that you need to be careful using hot water. If you run them dry the motor will be toast in just a few minutes. Always attach the hose and turn the water on before you even plug them in.

The other thing to remember is to store them in a warm place in the winter...I thought I had fully drained all the water out of my first pressure washer when I put it away for winter, but I found out the next spring I was wrong.