Electric pressure washers

dhermesc

Well-known Member
Are electric power washers any/much good? My gas powered unit (only 1850 PSI) was ok but once again the kids used it and never drained the pump - destroyed last winter when it froze and I didn't know it until I tried to use it yesterday. Guy on CL has an electric "Husky" with 2000 PSI for only $50. The price is cheaper than a another pump on my gas unit and I feel safe keeping it in the basement so it doesn't freeze.
 
We have a cheap electric one and it works, but! The soap injector was kind of a joke so what I do is mix up a soap solution in a bucket or tank depending on how big the wash job is, and then suck it out of there. I have never used a gas powered one so I have nothing to compare it to. My dad had an old JD electric one and it was better quality but was disappointing to use, so we sold it at his estate auction, I wish now I would of kept it and fixed it. The hose and nozzle is so flimsy on the cheap ones. The thing about the small electrics is they are limited to about 1 hp.
 
I bought a Karcher at a garage sale, $75, NIB but as I found out later, 15 years old. It's handy to set up for cleaning tractors and equipment. Only 1500 psi so it doesn't take paint off or push water into seals. I get my use out of it.
 
I bought a Campbell Housefeld years ago at TSC. It was OK,but kept getting weaker over the years.
I got a nice 5.5 horse 2200 PSI gas at a yard sale this summer for $25. Had a cracked fitting where the gas line hooks to the carb.
 
Bought a Ryobi 1700 psi electric last year. It was a toy so I took it back. Came home with a Ryobi 3100 psi gas w/Honda motor -- been very good, was a good price at Home Depot. I have a lot of concrete and brick to clean. If you want a good electric look at Northern Tool.
 
Horsepower and gallons/minute mean everything. I've got a 10 hp Baldor on a 4 gpm unit. It'll get it done!

Glenn F.
 
I have a Karcher unit and it works great. It is a 1700 PSI unit. Nice and quiet and even the foamer works well. I think it all depends on what you intend to use it for. I specifically wanted something with less power so that it would not be so destructive. It still works for cleaning concrete but I mostly use it for other things.

If you need the industrial cleaning capability of a 3000+ PSI unit then gasoline powered is the way to go.
 
There are very good electric pressure washers.
But like everything else you get what you pay for.
The cheap homeowner ones are useless on a farm.
We have a 5 HP 220 volt Karcher, it will cut the grease and dirt off just about anything.
Yet to see anybody able to hang onto the wand with one hand.
Without pressure and volume the little ones just do not compare.
 
All I am wanting is something to clean grease off engines and to maybe clean the siding on the house. Not real farm use - basically a little more than you get at car wash.
 
Lots of good advice and if you know the old get what you pay for chant. I used to be a sales rep and we had someone special order a BEAST of a washer. This was needed to clean concrete in a parking garage up in Allentown, PA. This thing was 6000psi at 5 gallons ber minute with a twin cylinder Wisconsin engine on it!!!! The idea is the concrete gets "rotten" from oil and gas dripping on it. This washer would litterly Blow the loose cement right off. Then they would trowel on a coat of new cement and all done. We hooked this thing up and it would cut right through one of those old soft bricks with just water!
 
I have both gas powered and electric powered washers. I have a five horsepower 3500 PSI electric mounted above the walk in door of the shop. It gets used more than all the other washers together. It is hard plumbed in to hot or cold water an you just throw the switch and wash. I believe I bought it at TSC on sale 15 years ago or more. It just is a motor and pump nothing else.
 
I just bought the little Ryobi 1600 psi, 1.3 or so (forget) gpm. Haven't washed my porches (treated wood) nor my house (latex white) in about 10 years. Filled the soap container with Dollar General dishwasher gel and it did a fabulous job.

As compared to all my previous gas:

Connection the same....hook to hydrant water, bleed, get the power source going.

Electrical and wand lengths are really long. I could reach 35' of house siding with the unit sitting in one spot.....right in the center.

Unit acts like power sprayers you use for pesticides and fertilizer. When you turn it on and the pressure is up to par it shuts itself off. When you squeeze the trigger it auto. starts.

Light weight, just pick it and the cord and spray hose up and carry it wherever you want it.

I like the lower pressure as it doesn't knock the paint off the house whereas the 2300 gas unit and bigger did in the past. It has 2 high pressure SS, not plated steel nozzles; one is 15 degree the other is a swirl which really gets the dirt

No cranking, no worrying about old gas, no having it sitting there loping while waiting for you to pull the trigger.

Punch line: $109 @ HD, not $300 or so.

I didn't use my gas all that much as they were just too much trouble getting them started and all that took. This little baby is going to get a lot of use.
 
I received a Northern Tool electric pressure washer as a present about 20 years ago. About the same pressure as a coin-operated carwash, i guess but I used it for years before I got a gas model (and still use it in the winter after the gas model is put away) and it still runs.

You do have to be sure you are taking precaution to keep the electricity and water from mixing. You don't want to just let the spatter fall on the electric model like you can allow to happen to the gas powered washer. And of course, you want to be certain the outlet is grounded!
 
Several years ago I bought an electric one from TSC, only used it occasionally.
Used it one day, then a couple weeks latter it would not put out high pressure. So I bought a new one from Lowes.
Sad to say all the extra hose I had for the first one would not fit the new one.

Dusty
 
Had electric Handy brand for years worked well but after 15 years the just wore out. Bought a gasser. 3000 psi does what I need. Tip if you purchase a new gas make certain the engine has an oil drain plug. Went to change my oil, no plug. Cheaper to make. I turn mine upside down to drain the oil. Pain in the tusssss. 2 years ago not far from here a teenager electrocuted washing his car with electric.
 
My Ryobi has a GFCI breaker right in the plug. After you plug it into a service outlet, you have to push the set button and hear it click telling you power is available at the receptacle and unit is set. Other thing it is only 2 wire so I guess it monitors current in both wires and compares it rather than monitoring a safety ground wire. What else it says is that metallic parts are not in contact with an electrical circuit. Also the plug is polarized. Seems pretty safe to me.
 
I have a Campbell-Hausfield washer that I got about 10 years ago and use it to wash my tractors, crawler the cars and truck. The washing fluid I use is called " Incredible Pink". Has always worked well. Keep it in the cellar during the winter months
 

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