What pressure washers do you guys have, and what PSI do you think would be sufficient/overkill for washing your truck/underside (underside of the truck of course...).

I'm trying to do some research now, to get ready for spring when the time comes to really clean up the truck from all the winter debris (sand/salt) etc from the underside of the truck.

I'm not looking to spend a million bucks, maybe 100-125 (little more if you guys are going to laugh at me for spending that much for a pressure washer and wanting something "decent".)

Thanks for the time!

 

I got this one a few years back, but I also used it to clean the siding on my house and clean the fence and deck before staining. The only problem I've seen with pressure washers is that they do not do high pressure soap...meaning when you want to draw a cleaning solution thru them it's at low pressure. Most come with different nozzles so the pressure isn't always maxed out..

I think any of the electric ones will work well for cleaning the underside of your truck...<$200 will get you a decent one..

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?actio...242&lpage=none

R/
Craig

 

Woodie,
3 years ago I picked up a Husky 1750psi electric for about $130. It still works great for the truck, deck, siding, fence, concrete patio, and cleaning out the basements and garages of my houses just before I close them. It has paid for itself plenty and now I think the same model goes for $100. It also has a resivoir for cleaners and solvents. I have never used this feature but it is there.

 

I've sold all kinds of power equipment for the last 4 years and I would not recommend an electric pressure washer. I don't know if it was because they were electric or that the models I carried were total crap. They were Karcher, they make good gas units but the electric is crap. It seems that every one I sold came back burnt up. I will always buy gas units. Do not buy anything with more that 2500-2600 psi as you run the risk of taking the paint off your truck. A good model can be purchased for about $250-$400.

 

Walmart i seen carries a good Gas 1900 PSI gas washer for around 125 bucks. the brand name is "generic". Just kinda wondering if i should spend less on electric, or go full out gas. (easier than dragging a cord around i know).

Thanks for the input thus far...does anyone else have any input?

 

I agree with ian51279. Mine is a Troy built 2900 PSI washer which I use on the house, boat, etc. (It's great for the yearly cleaning on the Barbecue). Anything more than that is overkill and most users would probably do more damage than anything.
Having said that, not having an electrical cord is nice, but keep in mind you're still connected to a hose bib. In my opinion, if you plan on using the pressure washer for something other than the car, go with gas. I've just never seen an electrical pressure washer do the job.
I only use the low pressure tip to clean the heavy stuff of the truck. I never use high pressure, and certainly never get close enough to do damage. That's probably why I can't get the truck really clean with a pressure washer, so I end up cleaning it normally anyway. It's good for the heavy stuff though.

 

I got a 2600 psi 2.6 gal per minute gas modle...I cant think of the brand off the top of my head but it came with 5 nozzles from 40* to 0* spray I use the 20* spray and I dont think I owuld even have to use soap and a sponge if I didnt want too..LOL.. I think what matter is the gpm not so much the psi...Because when you wash your truck you arnt going to use the full psi of the washer neways...

 

I would suggest any gas model that has over 2 gallons per minute, the more GPM the better. The main difference between the brand names is basically the engine; honda, briggs ect...

 

The Brand Name "Generic" that they had, was a briggs engine...so its brand name at least! Plus...heck..its wal mart folks! they take anything back if you don't like it! might get store credit for a return, but hey...you always spend cash @ wal mart.

 

I've been using a cheap one from Harbor Freight. Bottom of the barrel, about 90 bucks on sale.
I've used it to wash my truck and two other cars about three times a month since last summer. Only about 1200 lbs. I put a large inline filter on it as our local water is hard as a rock.
Very simple machine, don't know why they would be burning up unless someone didn't read/follow the directions.

It's small and light enough that even my wife uses it when she offroads with her 'camera buggy' a 4x4 Tracker.

I find that using it on a very waxed truck means I don't need soap. It blasts off the bugs and bird droppings. Five minutes of spraying, ten minutes of wiping it dry with microfiber towels, and the truck still looks freshly waxed.

Well worth the cost of the unit.
Chris

 

I bought an Excell 2600psi reman from lowes a while back for $190. It has a honda engine and works quite well, equipped with 5 nozzles.

As for taking paint off the truck, you can accidentally remove paint with less than 1000psi if you get to close. I have seen 500psi take paint off. I run a car wash and we have high pressure water in the tunnel, running about 450psi up to 800 psi depending on what its running. Those will even take paint off if its already chipped or severely worn.

The electric ones are chitty most of the time. I constantly see returns on sale at lowes (Karcher) and I even have one thats just a statue in a storage area.