Lets talk about pressure washers. I need help

neilsleder

Active VIP Member
Joined
Oct 18, 2009
Messages
9,618
Reaction score
17,005
Location
Leduc Alberta
On our trucks at we run pumps and pressure burners with cat pumps 660 or 3560. 660 is more than enough to dig with. The Hotsy is a finicky pos it never works. Landa seem to last good to in our wash bays.
 

fredw

Active VIP Member
Joined
Jan 15, 2010
Messages
3,317
Reaction score
3,586
Location
medicine hat
Purchased many over the years, the last few have been the easy clean, fairly cheap and can run max pressure and heat all the time, take the odd o ring out of hand wond or coupler, but quick fix, uses all the power the Honda has and will peel paint off a new trailer, found that out recently.. first one from a Rb auction and second one from process auto, both put threw a lot of gallons and still in use today.. paid 2k when on sale at Christmas
 

skegpro

Active VIP Member
Joined
May 11, 2009
Messages
9,930
Reaction score
21,329
Location
In them hills.
Don't deal with hotsy, they are con artists.
You will pay double what you need too.
There is a reason most commercial car washes don't use hotsy.

I have a big natural gas heated hotsy mounted in the shop.
($16k)

I have also had a easy clean diseal heater gas job.
($4.2k)

I got more flow and pressure for 1/2 the price of a equivalent hotsy.
Make sure you stay away from the lower end easy kleen stuff.
The commercial stuff is A+.
 
Last edited:

S.W.A.T.

Active VIP Member
Joined
Apr 13, 2008
Messages
4,505
Reaction score
7,913
Location
Smithers
Also running hot water through a washer not meant for it isn’t good and screws the seals .

Have mine hooked to the outdoor boiler 180° all day long no issues. Like I said, best 450 bucks I've ever spent at crappy tire
 

gibsons

Active VIP Member
Joined
Nov 14, 2009
Messages
8,450
Reaction score
4,723
Location
Blackstrap Sask
We bought one years ago from crapy tire as well. You think they would be good because you see a Honda engine, but the problem is the Chinese pumps they put on them. Ours had little plastic pieces in the pump that didn’t last. Especially if you run the engine before having the water circulate. We learnt the hard way.
 

Murminator

Timber King
Moderator
Joined
May 22, 2007
Messages
5,615
Reaction score
2,498
Location
NE Edmonton
It’s GPM that’s more important then the psi .

What he said GPM washes PSI peels decals off. Our industrial ones we use to wash semi trucks at around 8 GMP at 1900 psi cleans way better than my 4 GPM at 2900 psi
 

Luke The Drifter

Active VIP Member
Joined
Dec 29, 2008
Messages
1,512
Reaction score
2,768
Location
Parkland County
We just finished getting our new pressure washer setup installed at our shop. Its a Kärcher running natural gas, rated at 6.3gpm at 3200psi and its ridiculous what it will do. That being said, I've used a mobile diesel fired Kärcher in the past that did fairly well for heating the water and pressure, ran on 220V which was handy too (our new setup is 600V 3ph). The only downside was the diesel fumes in the shop. If you want a serious heated, pressure washer be prepared to spend some coin. We got our setup from pumps and pressure, they were pretty good to deal with and their install guy knows his stuff. Also if you can swing it, get a foamer, cuts down the wash time on our equipment by a lot.
 

Cyle

Active VIP Member
Joined
Jan 21, 2008
Messages
7,182
Reaction score
4,762
Location
edmonton
We bought one years ago from crapy tire as well. You think they would be good because you see a Honda engine, but the problem is the Chinese pumps they put on them. Ours had little plastic pieces in the pump that didn’t last. Especially if you run the engine before having the water circulate. We learnt the hard way.

I thought it was a given for any pressure washer to turn on the water before the engine so the pump isn't dry? :confused:
 

Cyle

Active VIP Member
Joined
Jan 21, 2008
Messages
7,182
Reaction score
4,762
Location
edmonton
I have a cheap Canadian tire $250 unit that works fine for taking mud, grease, etc off of equipment. Don't waste my time with vehicles, always found it's more the soap and warm water needed then anything else. The fancy $1000 gas units seem to be a waste, don't seem to work any better and are just heavier.
 

Mike270412

Golden Boy
Joined
Apr 29, 2008
Messages
29,458
Reaction score
48,434
Location
GBCA
You need 3 things; heat,good soap, and lots of water to make washing as easy as possible.
 

skegpro

Active VIP Member
Joined
May 11, 2009
Messages
9,930
Reaction score
21,329
Location
In them hills.
I've heard horizontal boiler is better than vertical, more efficient any experience on that?

I have been looking at these as well just for simplicity as the wood stove connection works good but does take some set up
No idea.
I do know the natural gas unit is way cheaper to run than the diesel one.
 

catalac

Active VIP Member
Joined
Nov 22, 2008
Messages
3,432
Reaction score
13,217
Location
Red Deer
Would love to have a steamer type and an RO water system for it... couple buddies have done that their shops great way to go but $3000+
 
Top Bottom