Pressure Washers
Discussion
I know very little about them but occurred to me today that one might come in useful to give the drive and side-path a good clean of all the vegetation and muddy slime etc before summer. Plus to clean the car...
What's the usual recommendation? I see those yellow Karschers (sp) are always on offer at Screfix etc. Any good? Alternatives, which one would I need for said job? Anything else I should know?
Cheers
What's the usual recommendation? I see those yellow Karschers (sp) are always on offer at Screfix etc. Any good? Alternatives, which one would I need for said job? Anything else I should know?
Cheers
Turtle Shed said:
Take a look at the Toolstation "Hawksmoor" ones. I bought the smaller one on the basis of great reviews and it is excellent. £57.00 and if it lasts a year I'll be more than happy.
On another thread someone else said how impressed they were with the larger one.
Nice! Cheers.On another thread someone else said how impressed they were with the larger one.
So I’ve worked out that one attaches the hose to the unit for water supply, but what about cleaning products? Like some kind of patio cleaner or car shampoo? Does it go in the unit itself or at the business end like a spray gun? Or is it water only? You wash things separately then use the pressure washer to blast and rinse it?
Forgive my ignorance, I’ve never even seen one in the wild.
Forgive my ignorance, I’ve never even seen one in the wild.
KAgantua said:
Yes you connect it to either a hose or a reservoir (Usually a hose unless you have a huge water tank)
Yes some come with a soap dispenser that you put various products in most of the time just water is fine
Cheers.Yes some come with a soap dispenser that you put various products in most of the time just water is fine
Are they powerful enough to blast away small weeds by the way? I hate gardening/bending down.
So I finally got one. Destructions have been barely deciphered and unit assembled. But I have no stuff to put in it. Chemicals/detergent/schmoo or whatever it is.
So what’s the general consensus regarding detergent for a muddy mossy drive and path? Then if I want to clean the car do I have to buy something else? Or is it better to clean car normally then use pressure washer to rinse it off?
So what’s the general consensus regarding detergent for a muddy mossy drive and path? Then if I want to clean the car do I have to buy something else? Or is it better to clean car normally then use pressure washer to rinse it off?
I got this one in the end.
https://www.toolstation.com/hawksmoor-high-pressur...
Thought I'd go cheap on first buy as I'd never used one before I was worried I'd hate the job and never use it again. It did ok to be fair, and I kind of enjoyed it. Although I got absolutely covered with s
t and ruined a good pair of trainers. So next time I'll be in my wellys.
The areas to be cleaned have not been done in at least four years so there was a thick layer of mud/moss/weeds etc. It seemed to blast through all that with ease. It even blasted off the old peeling paint off some stone lintels which has saved me a job. Then I put the patio attachment on and gave all the flat surfaces a good scrub.
One thing I noticed, and I'm not sure if this is a generic issue with all pressure washers, but because I was excited with my new toy I went out and bought some jet-washer specific detergent to add to the tank on the back. But I'd got about half way through the job and realised it wasn't sucking up the detergent. The instructions were barely any use of course being in Chinglish, but I managed to get it to work by disconnecting the high pressure bit off the business end of the gun. Then it would suck up and dispense soapy goodness in a kind of half-arsed manner. Then I'd have to put on the squirty bit again to blast it all away. It worked fine with the patio attachment thing so maybe you're just not supposed to fire detergent at high pressure?
Next time I'm going to have a go at using it to clean my car and bike. It came with a 'foam attachment'. Like a little tank with nozzle that you attach to the end of the gun. I'm assuming you fill this with car shampoo or something similar?
https://www.toolstation.com/hawksmoor-high-pressur...
Thought I'd go cheap on first buy as I'd never used one before I was worried I'd hate the job and never use it again. It did ok to be fair, and I kind of enjoyed it. Although I got absolutely covered with s
t and ruined a good pair of trainers. So next time I'll be in my wellys.The areas to be cleaned have not been done in at least four years so there was a thick layer of mud/moss/weeds etc. It seemed to blast through all that with ease. It even blasted off the old peeling paint off some stone lintels which has saved me a job. Then I put the patio attachment on and gave all the flat surfaces a good scrub.
One thing I noticed, and I'm not sure if this is a generic issue with all pressure washers, but because I was excited with my new toy I went out and bought some jet-washer specific detergent to add to the tank on the back. But I'd got about half way through the job and realised it wasn't sucking up the detergent. The instructions were barely any use of course being in Chinglish, but I managed to get it to work by disconnecting the high pressure bit off the business end of the gun. Then it would suck up and dispense soapy goodness in a kind of half-arsed manner. Then I'd have to put on the squirty bit again to blast it all away. It worked fine with the patio attachment thing so maybe you're just not supposed to fire detergent at high pressure?
Next time I'm going to have a go at using it to clean my car and bike. It came with a 'foam attachment'. Like a little tank with nozzle that you attach to the end of the gun. I'm assuming you fill this with car shampoo or something similar?
Of course.
I generally buy quality. ‘Buy cheap, buy twice’’ etc.
But being new to pressure washing I just wanted to test the waters with minimal outlay. So a cheap one or a second hand one for the time being. Plus, I thought the job was pretty gnarly and I might burn out the motor on the first go, so even if it works once then it’s paid for itself over paying a tradesman.
Next summer when I’m a jet-wash veteran I’ll stick it on marketplace and buy a top of the line beast.
I generally buy quality. ‘Buy cheap, buy twice’’ etc.
But being new to pressure washing I just wanted to test the waters with minimal outlay. So a cheap one or a second hand one for the time being. Plus, I thought the job was pretty gnarly and I might burn out the motor on the first go, so even if it works once then it’s paid for itself over paying a tradesman.
Next summer when I’m a jet-wash veteran I’ll stick it on marketplace and buy a top of the line beast.
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