Recommendations for Pressure Washers

my father has one with a Honda engine, i forgot the actual brand of it, but that thing is rock solid and extremely reliable

I got the residential model from Northern Tool with the Honda engine and Comet pump. I think it was around $450. Still going strong after 5 years.

quote:

---

my father has one with a Honda engine, i forgot the actual brand of it, but that thing is rock solid and extremely reliable

---

This one?

LINK

Same. Anything with a Honda engine, 2600-3200 psi. Take care of it and that engine will last a while. Mine is 15 ish yrs old, upgraded the pump several years ago to 3200 psi. Engine cranks 1 last or 2nd pull. Have been running it like mad the last few weeks.

that simpson is what i would recommend. Use to work for concrete repair company (industrial) and we would go through pressure washers like crazy. 5000psi is really what you want OP. But not gonna get it in that price range. the simpson in the picture is what I would go with and get the attachment head for concrete.

people talk mostly about the engines of the pressure washers but its usually the pump that's the piece of shite and cost $150-$200 to fix/replce down the road out of warranty.

Truth. As long as you take reasonably good care of the engine and perform periodic maintenance, that shouldn't fail. The pumps are what generally go out.

I have a Mi-T-M 4200psi 3.4gpm with a Mi-T-M engine and an AR pump. I think it's generally a $1400.00 machine but I got it for like $800.00. The thing about pressure washers for homeowner use is that they tend to sit up for awhile. I use mine maybe 8-10x a year, mostly in the spring/summer. Every time I'm finished using it, I spray pump saver (LINK ) through the pump, stabilize the fuel, and shut the fuel valve off/run the fuel out of the fuel filter. I also change the engine oil, pump oil, and spark plug annually or whenever I think about it. None of that is difficult or time consuming and the machine runs better today than it did the day I bought it.

I have the DeWalt 3,600 and it is very powerful. It has a Honda engine and a high quality pump. It has a knob on the pump to reduce the pressure output if you are doing wood. It's probably made by Simpson, because they are identical except for the color. Pretty close to your budget at HD. Then I added a wheeled surface cleaner from Amazon. Much more efficient than my old 2,700 pressure washer.

LINK This unit actually is strong enough to do concrete damage!
I like the hassle free of the electric and the fact I only need it several times per year

I have the ryobi (3500psi) with a honda engine. Works Great. As others have said, it is the water pump that will go out. They cost about $75-$100 to replace, but are very easy to replace. The internals on the pump are all made of plastic. Failure is caused by the water reciculating in the pump while you are not spraying water. It heats up and damages/melts the plastic internals. If you are going to idle your pressure washer for more than 30 seconds, then you are better off just turning the thing off. Your pump will last much longer. Also, get some pump conditioner at the hardware store and use it after each use.