It's been a while since I last detailed and I need a new pressure washer that I can get by March 2. Any ideas on one that I can get for less than $200? Is it going to be another Karcher? I'm assuming it will be. Suggestions out of the $200 range are welcome as well. One key thing to keep in mind is that the pressure washer will have to be mobile. Would love to have the Cam Spray or Kranzle but that's currently out of my league.
Honestly I would just spend the money on a quality unit. Otherwise you will doing this again in the near future. Before you know it you would have spent more than either the Kranzle of the Camspray cost . Just my 2 cents. I do remember someone posting about one from home depot that is in that price range. Hope it works out for you.
I'm in the same boat and have gone through my fair share of pressure washers. Save a couple hundred more and get a camspray. I'm saving up for a Kranzle
If you are going with another Karcher stay away from Canadian Tire. They are made specifically for Canadian Tire and they are junk.
I use a Honda gasser now but have owned several electrics. I have never had good luck with Karcher. I really liked the AR Blue Clean pressure washers. I still have my 620 and sold my 383 which I loved,I beat the hell out of it and I know the guy who still uses it.Its gotta be close to 5 years old now. The 383 is priced very well. Still not sure if it foam cannon compatible. I know there have been writeups on it,not positive of end result. End of the day for what it costs and how well it works,the question of cannon compatibility didnt matter to me when I owned it. Hope this helps Denzel. Good luck with your new purchase. Amazon.com: AR Blue Clean AR383 1,900 PSI 1.5 GPM 14 Amp Electric Pressure Washer with Hose Reel: Patio, Lawn & Garden
Hey denzil, long time no talk buddy. I have not priced them in quite some time but last time i bought one, before it was stolen out of my garage when broken in to, I used a troy bilt gas powered unit from lowes. It was a good one as far as i was concerned, and it was 270 something. Give them a look, it beats a cheap electric one for not much more money.
I use cheap-ish electric units purchased at Costco. They generally last 1-2 years and are between $100-200. A few times Costco has even replaced with a brand new one after a breakdown. If you can find a retailer w a good return policy, going economical like this isn't a bad way to do it. Especially if fronting the cash for a $1000 cam spray isn't realistic for you. I saw a unit for $99 @ Lowes the other day, standard hookups, very compact and foam gun compatible. Not sure about their return policy....
Camsprays aren't $1, 000 I think you may be thinking of the Kranzle. Quality is usually never cheap. If you look around you can find some camsprays new for like $500 ish. It just depends on what specs you need. I purchased a Karcher when I first started because my gas crapped out and ill say this: What a pos lol. Thing lasted about 30 seconds and the pump died. Returned it and got my $ back.
OK, $700, that is the cheapest I could find online: My main goal of that post was to present my experience with the economical side as most others have responded down the high quality side of this coin and the OPs question.
Hahaha I know. Just busting balls but it was just a joke. In short it all boils down to about the same. You can get a cheap pressure washer for $200 and have to replace it every year or 2 or you can drop all that $$ upfront and have a pressure washer that will last 5-8 years or more in which you can actually replace specific parts as they break and not have the part cost more then the entire unit itself. Gas units are great and have a lot of psi and gallons per minute for a lot less then the electric ones for sure but don't forget you have: Oil Gas Spark Plugs Air Filters to change out regularly as well as the abundance of noise they create. After 3 - 4 years of listening to a gas one i had it with that. I like to start early and out of respect here i wouldn't start my pressure washer until 8am or later and even then sometimes i felt bad. Electrics are smaller, cleaner and quiter. It doesn't take a ton of pressure to clean a car either.
You make some great points and I think we have all done a good job of helping the OP made an educated decision. :applause:
I have a gas one too but prefer my electric for all the reasons above. My gas is an older Craftsman. The connections are difficult to use and rolls poorly since the fittings are UNDER the motor. The one thing I lose is portability since it does require an electrical outlet.
CLeanforce 1800 from Home Depot is less than $200 and works great. The Homelight I had previously was also a great unit, but the hose and gun were not covered under waranty and were not replaceable parts, so I had to steer away from buying that since the hoses broke easily. The Cleanforce has a pretty good build quality, is sturdy and the hose and gun are made for rough and tough handling. Quick connect is already there so all your attachments will still work with the right fittings. As for durability, I can't speak for it personally, since I've only had a few months out of it, but the guys at DipYourCar.com have this unit and have been using it 5-6 times DAILY for over a year without any issues. Cleanforce 1800 psi 1.5 GPM Axial Cam Heavy-Duty Electric Pressure Washer-CF1800HD at The Home Depot
Yeah, I'm definitely not financially in a position to get the long term option here. Plus, I'm currently in an apartment complex so I'd rather go with what suffices for now. I couldn't find the AR Blue Clean locally available so I just picked up the AR 118 from Amazon shipped with Prime! I think this should hold me over until I get more details in. I think I'm going to pick up detailing again as a business on the side but definitely going to sell my services as a boutique service and not just some car wash guy. I still need to revamp my website and build my social to support it. Another few things to add to my short bucket list. On another note, it's great to be back here and see all the old faces. Thanks again to everyone that has provided their gracious feedback.
Hey guys, I just tested out this pressure washer this weekend and I have to say that I'm honestly very impressed for such a small unit. Here are some of the pros and cons of the unit: Pros: - Compact - Cheap - Adjustable fan nozzle - Handle is seemingly easy to depress/handle - Light (to me) Cons: - No wheels to cart it around - Cable management lacks - Standard line length - No option to keep the trigger permanent depressed (I'm not entirely sure if any pressure washer has this feature) I am wondering if my foamer attachment, which had a Karcher adapter previously, will attach to this pressure washer. I'm hoping it does once I get it from my parents' house but if not, I'm sure a couple fitting can fix that. After one use, I'm convinced that this is a great investment. However, we'll see how long this unit will last.
I'm glad to see people saying they had good luck with the 383 I'm thinking of picking that up sorry to rehash old thread. And they now seem to make there own foam cannon which looks almost just like the MTM.
