[Shop-talk] Pressure washers

[Jimmie Mayfield]

On Tue, May 27, 2008 at 01:14:44PM -0500, Bob Nogueira wrote:
> Any suggestions as to what to get?   

I have a Craftsman (6.75hp B&S, 2450psi @ 2gpm, adjustable nozzle).  I think 
I paid around $300 off-season 3-4 years ago.  It seems to do a good job.
Used it to clean the deck yesterday in fact.  I went with Craftsman over the 
other box store units in hopes that the Sears parts store will stock replacement 
valves and gaskets for years to come should something break.  Time will tell...

So far, I have two complaints about the unit:

When the adjustable nozzle is set to the widest fan pattern, the edges of the 
spray are still fairly intense and can gouge wood if the wand is held too close.  
Does anybody else's fan pattern have this defect?

Second, the pump is designed so that the detergent injector works only at
the low pressure setting.  There are times when I've wished that it also worked
on the high pressure setting (similar to a self-service car wash).  Years ago I
had a spray gun for the air compressor with a rubber tube that would siphon
liquid when spraying.  Anybody know if a similarly-designed pressure washer 
wand exists?

A recommendation for anybody who has a pressure washer:  if your washer has
those little solid "lawn mower style" wheels, consider mounting some 
pneumatic wheels.  A few weeks ago Harbor Freight had 10" pneumatic wheels
marked down to $5.  Mounted a pair of these on my washer and now it's MUCH easier
to move around the yard and over the pebble walkways.