Pressure washer recommendations

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ineedaBubble

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I purchased my Karcher 4000 w/ 13Hp Honda GX commercial engine for $450 new. It was a factory rejects as it had literally "fell off the back of a truck" Fortunately the shop had two and I was there first, so I swapped the broken parts for the good ones and off I went. The price was good enough for the motor alone. Ive had it now 10 years and aside from carb replacement and Oil, its been a great performer. I run 93 octane and always run Lucus Carb cleaner after every season.

As for foam cannons, Im shocked what people pay for these. Ive found a cheap gun and foam cannon on Amazon and literally paid a fraction of what you all are spending.

Gun- $19

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0157U65MO/?tag=fordraptorforum-20

Foam Cannon- $18

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00WPKHFA6/?tag=fordraptorforum-20

I will say that the gun is not the best and seems to go through O-rings but my buddy bought the same one and his works flawlessly. I replace an O-ring every 3-4 months. No biggie for the price savings.



Use a high quality foam cannon and you’ll see the difference. While I also have a cheap amazon foam cannon, it’s simply a backup in case my MTM Hydro PF22 cannon ever ***** the bed.

You know the old saying “you get what you pay for”?! Well, there’s some truth to that.


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Sasha4

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Use a high quality foam cannon and you’ll see the difference. While I also have a cheap amazon foam cannon, it’s simply a backup in case my MTM Hydro PF22 cannon ever ***** the bed.

You know the old saying “you get what you pay for”?! Well, there’s some truth to that.


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While I can appreciate quality because Id rather buy once, I can also appreciate a bargain. I spend top $$ on my sandpaper, pads, buffer/ polishers, polishes and coatings.

Ive been in the detailing business for over 30 years (on and off) and these have been around a very long time. These are simple devices. It atomizes the soap into the stream. The variance of soap amount/ cling is all dependent upon the GPM/ pressure used and the ratio of soap mixed into the container. While my gun may leak occasionally, the end result is the same as with more expensive cannons.

I'm simply stating to many new to this concept that if you chose to spend $150-250 on a pressure washer, spending nearly the same amount on the soap dispenser is a bit much. Save your money and buy quality soaps made for these applications.

Remember its only to apply the soap- the end user still needs to abide by a lot of other processes (two bucket, etc) in order to get the desired end result.

My last car show winner- 65' Type 1 custom
 

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VADER332

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Pressure washer recommendations
Looking for a good Pressure washer for the truck and some light around the house work (cleaning brick patio / siding ), but 99% of the time it will be used for washing the truck. Maybe something $200 or under?

I use an AR Blue Clean AR383 Electric Pressure Washer with the foam cannon for soaking the truck. It has 1800 PSI for blowing off everything.
 

DCSVT1

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I just got the harbor freight 1750 for $75. Plan on using it 95% for washing the trucks. Also ordered a foam cannon with quick disconnect from eBay for under 20 and a Ryobi "replacement" wand from an online tool store for 12. The Ryobi wand will plug into the HF gun and has the quick connect on the other for the foam cannon. I love and use Adams stuff, nothing against them but my setup including the pressure washer cost less than there foam cannon. If I get a season or two out of it it'll be well worth it. Will update when I test it out next weekend.
And FWIW, I have a well and the larger pressure washers draw too much water and the pump can't keep up. I think the last washer we had was a 3200 and it was about max on the well and took off a spot of clear from my previous F150. 1750 is fine for a car wash sprayer in my opinion.
Edit to add; if I was looking for a multi purpose washer for other tasks, this aint it LOL...but for washing the pollen and bird crap off my truck it works fine.
 
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armyflightpa

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I bought a pressure washer at Costco, with a Honda motor and a nice cannon. But, the detergent you put in it is the most important. I use the McGuiare's. I do however still do go over it with a nice sponge to get all the dirt off. I will also clay bar it a couple of time a year prior to putting a good coat of wax. Otherwise, I will use the MQuiare's quick wax after each wash.
 
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