I sometimes get a bit "ticked" when somebody posts a question here to solicit opinions on something they just bought.
If you just bought it, why ask if you should have ?
So, guess what ?
I just bought a PRESSURE WASHER !!!
I'm not going to ask if I got the right one, if I could have got a better one, whether or not it will clean aluminum, whether I can use full pressure on rubber mats and not have them disintegrate and fly around the neighborhood as rubber crumbs. I'll just USE it and hopefully enjoy it.
BTW, Royobi with Subaru 7 HP engine, 3,000 psi, 2.7 GPH {claimed}
$498 at Home Despot right now.
OK, I could have got out of there for ~$200 less for the B&S one, or about $400 for the Honda 5HP one, I liked the Royobi and have always had good luck with their other stuff. It folds up nice and small, will store in the big trailer's d/r.
Ask specific questions if you're interested, I'll probably wash a lot of (clean) stuff with it tomorrow, so it will have some hours on it by monday.
Posted 2005-05-22 11:06 AM (#25445 - in reply to #25430) Subject: RE: Pressure Washers.
Member
Posts: 27 Location: Delta, B.C., Canada
Please let us know how it works on your trailer and rubber mats. I have been thinking of using ours, but am afraid of taking the white paint off the alum. or destroying the rubber mats
Posted 2005-05-22 4:53 PM (#25451 - in reply to #25445) Subject: RE: Pressure Washers.
Expert
Posts: 2689
Originally written by Summit1 on 2005-05-22 11:06 AM
Please let us know how it works on your trailer and rubber mats. I have been thinking of using ours, but am afraid of taking the white paint off the alum. or destroying the rubber mats
So far so good, but I've only used the black nozzle for putting detergent ON and the white (mildest) nozzle for washing the inside of a fairly clean trailer and the WHITE back doors and ramp. I was a bit surprised how dirty the back was, it didn't look too bad until the dirt came rolling off.
There's a fun trick of washing UNDERNEATH the mats without pulling them out, just find the right angle down the side wall and the jet goes under there and lifts the mat, manure tea comes out wherever it can, when it is clear - all done (-: Works well if your trailer has adequate drainage.
You can do the same at the mat joints once you get an edge to lift, obviously don't lift a mat with a free hand and try to spray underneath it.
I might destroy the red and orange nozzles, they're for REMOVING PAINT !
I have some scrap white painted aluminum trailer "skin", I might try a deliberately destructive test on it when I get back from NC. I'll have a trailer to clean (Yippee) anyway, so I might as well.
Posted 2005-05-22 7:30 PM (#25455 - in reply to #25430) Subject: RE: Pressure Washers.
Member
Posts: 27 Location: Delta, B.C., Canada
Thanks for the tip, on cleaning the mats, I think I will wait to hear about your test on the paint , before I try though. The washer I have is a 6.5 HP, so it might be too powerful
Posted 2005-05-23 4:26 PM (#25525 - in reply to #25455) Subject: RE: Pressure Washers.
Veteran
Posts: 140 Location: Colorado
Does that washer brochure say you need to fill the pump up with RV antifreeze before you store it? After destroying the pump in our washer (Briggs and Straton), the warranty repair guys said to fill it with RV antifreeze after every use to keep the inside from corroding.
Posted 2005-05-23 4:46 PM (#25526 - in reply to #25525) Subject: RE: Pressure Washers.
Expert
Posts: 2689
Originally written by NoSpam on 2005-05-23 4:26 PM
Does that washer brochure say you need to fill the pump up with RV antifreeze before you store it? After destroying the pump in our washer (Briggs and Straton), the warranty repair guys said to fill it with RV antifreeze after every use to keep the inside from corroding.
Happy Trails,
Michelle
I'm fairly sure that it doesn't.
The design looks as if it probably drains fairly well once the garden hose is disconnected, but your point is well taken, thanks.
Posted 2005-05-23 5:07 PM (#25529 - in reply to #25526) Subject: RE: Pressure Washers.
Expert
Posts: 1391 Location: North of Detroit, MI
When I first moved to the last boarding barn I was at, I marveled at how large the ladies rest room was and the fact that it had a thermostat and wall heater! The guys had a narrow skinny bathroom with no heat. : (.
Come winter time, I found out why ... The hoses and the pressure washer were stored in the ladies room!
Reg - could it be the residual water in the pump itself that you have to protect against? The tank portion of the pressure washer where I boarded was always empty when it was stored.
Posted 2005-05-23 6:22 PM (#25537 - in reply to #25529) Subject: RE: Pressure Washers.
Expert
Posts: 2689
Originally written by gabz on 2005-05-23 5:07 PM
When I first moved to the last boarding barn I was at, I marveled at how large the ladies rest room was and the fact that it had a thermostat and wall heater! The guys had a narrow skinny bathroom with no heat. : (.
Come winter time, I found out why ... The hoses and the pressure washer were stored in the ladies room!
Reg - could it be the residual water in the pump itself that you have to protect against? The tank portion of the pressure washer where I boarded was always empty when it was stored.
As I read that I was expecting a punch line about the ladies' room having to double as, or in fact being a horse wash stall. {Just me}
This is a cheapo washer, no tank, no heater. The garden hose threads directly onto the pump and it is at probably the lowest point, so I'm figuring it drains out OK. I've been storing boats without anti freeze (just draining the block) up here for many years with no ill effects. I'm guessing/assuming that this pump body is brass, so it should hold up even better than the typical cast iron boat engine block.
If I get worried about it I'll use a clothes washer hose to suck through some RV anti freeze after each use when freezing temps are anticipated.
Posted 2005-05-24 12:14 AM (#25552 - in reply to #25537) Subject: RE: Pressure Washers.
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 366 Location: Albany, Oregon
I leave the switch in the off position and pull the start cord a few times and blow any water left out...worked so far and it has been in some cold weather.
Posted 2005-05-24 9:12 AM (#25562 - in reply to #25552) Subject: RE: Pressure Washers.
Veteran
Posts: 140 Location: Colorado
On ours, they said water sitting in the pump will corrode the tank (not counting freezing conditions). It was one of the models that costs about $350 at HD. The interesting thing they said is that the manufacturer of our model will almost always replace the pump once under warranty, then it costs $250 for a new one. Basically, it's a throw away pump.
Posted 2005-05-24 9:27 AM (#25564 - in reply to #25562) Subject: RE: Pressure Washers.
Veteran
Posts: 140 Location: Colorado
I started wondering WHY? So I looked in the owner manual (Excell Pressure Washer, FWIW).
"Using a pump protector/winterizer or RV antifreeze is to provide proper lubrication to the internal seals of the pump regardless of temperature or environment".
Posted 2005-05-28 7:58 AM (#25774 - in reply to #25564) Subject: RE: Pressure Washers.
Expert
Posts: 2689
Originally written by NoSpam on 2005-05-24 9:27 AM
I started wondering WHY? So I looked in the owner manual (Excell Pressure Washer, FWIW).
"Using a pump protector/winterizer or RV antifreeze is to provide proper lubrication to the internal seals of the pump regardless of temperature or environment".
Who'da thunk it?
Michelle
Thanks,
That sounds reasonable.
I'll probably make up a short hose and elbow of some sort that I can just screw onto the water intake and pour RV anti-freeze into for storage and to keep the seals from drying out {save the seals, etc.}
Pressure Washers.
We just bought a pressure washer too!!
