This may be more effective if you’re trying to remove old and already chipped paint, but it would have taken hours on a full fence with these weaker units. The gas-powered washers we used had impressive power and were even capable of severely damaging the two-by-fours. These models should be used very carefully to remove paint while avoiding damage to your property. The simplest way to categorize pressure washers is by their PSI, or pounds per square inch, rating and fitting them into three groups.
All of these machines have lower pressure nozzles or settings you can use if you want to avoid damaging paint on your surfaces. However, some people use pressure washers to remove paint from the side of their houses or old fences, so we wanted to test if each unit had the power to accomplish this task. The levers on this machine just to start the engine sun joe spx 3000 are another small hurdle to jump over that electric models don’t have. It has a power switch, a lever for the gas line, and a lever for the choke. Instructions in the manual were vague about how to use the levers and about which position was open or closed. The choke lever position was dependent on the engine too, which added to the confusion.
To empty the tank, you have to tip the unit back and pull out the soap-supply hose on the underside of it. In doing this, it’s not easy to preserve the detergent for future use—in fact, we ended up just rolling the whole machine over on its side and dumping the detergent out on the lawn. Checkout The Best Gas Pressure Washer for a detailed review of all the top gas pressure washers. For pressure washers with gasoline-powered engines, it’s the engine displacement measured in cubic centimeters .
It has a built-in detergent tank with an adjustment knob that controls how much detergent is mixed with water. You also get a hose drum mounted right underneath the carry handle. This allows you to store the pressure hose in a tidy way without wasting too much time folding it around with your hands or dangling it off Champion Power Equipment a hook. And every time you need to operate the pressure washer you won’t have to re-attach the pressure hose. Sun Joe is the brand you go to if you want affordable yet highly performant outdoor electric equipment. Their pressure washers are well-proven by now, and used by everyone from DIYers to small businesses.
You have 2-in-1 models that integrate a vacuum and pressure washer into the same unit, cordless pressure washers, and much more. The SPX3501 is designed for homeowners who want a reliable mid-range pressure washer but aren’t comfortable spending over 300 bucks on it. Another excellent feature is the design of the plug end of the power cord. Due to a pressure washer’s natural combination of water and electricity, all models come with a ground fault circuit interrupter built into the power cord for added safety. The GFCI brick is always bulky, but Ryobi makes it more convenient by setting it several inches back from the plug end.
But the way Karcher implements these systems is what makes them stand out. Their products tend to last longer than the competition while also performing better. In addition, induction motors are quieter than universal motors, as they tend to hum rather than whine. The motor in the RY makes a fairly inoffensive sound as far as washer motors go. The benefit here is that the RY always has its full pressure ready and waiting, whereas the other electric models need an instant or two to ramp up to full pressure. Unless you were using your washer all the time, you wouldn’t really notice any difference.
We don’t recommend these; they’re less durable, and the connection points are proprietary from company to company, so additional accessories are more difficult to get, and you may have fewer options. But you also need to do a certain amount of pressure washing in order to justify owning one of these machines. Most rental centers have them readily available, so if you’re cleaning your siding once every two years, there’s no sense in buying a pressure washer just to have it take up space in your garage. Owning one also adds the convenience of simply having it when you need it. In general, light-duty pressure washers have a PSI of up to 1900 and are good for light jobs around the house, like washing your car. A medium-duty pressure washer might have a PSI between 2000 and 2800, whereas a heavy-duty model typically has a PSI above 2800.