Portable Pressure Washers and Why?

[gb387]

Originally posted by sneek
ya my job mate works great i just used it yesterday with the DC wash then i let the water run off and its super easy to dry! the only problem is i had to go out to fill up and now my cars a mess again

Do you run DC wash through your power washer?

[sneek]

nope
but can you?
if you look under member:WAC he has a detailing shop with many many pretty cars and he uses some kinda of soap gun if i could to that with mine it would be great!!!

[Five Star]

Originally posted by OctaneGuy
I bought the Karcher 1400PSI model for $49, on sale from $139.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...lance&n=228013

did you read the reviews on this? lots of problems with build quality and warranty serrvice.

The Campbell hausfield or sistema would probably be better as far as electric ones go

[Paulvr4]

Hey Octaneguy,

I have the same Karcher portable pressurewasher you are linking. It is excellent on wheels/wheel wells and engines! Sometimes on heavy soiled paints. (mud salt etc)

I do mobile on the weekends and this makes everything a lot easier. Just don't forget to bring extra power cord extensions and a hose.

You should get it !

[OctaneGuy]

Yes I read them, but I've also heard many positive reviews from friends who've used it. Amazon reviews aren't always as they seem---lots of very extreme ones, sometimes makes me wonder about the mindset of the individual. But I figured for the price, I wouldn't mind testing it out.

I just got back from a trip and it seems my Pressure washer is at my neighbors (who kept it while I was away) who isn't home yet. =(

Richard

Originally posted by Five Star
did you read the reviews on this? lots of problems with build quality and warranty serrvice.

The Campbell hausfield or sistema would probably be better as far as electric ones go

[Five Star]

Originally posted by OctaneGuy
I bought the Karcher 1400PSI model for $49, on sale from $139.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...lance&n=228013

okay, i would trust the word of people you know before some of the people who write the reviews. for 50 bucks maybe i'll try one out, keep the honda in the garage.

its rated 13.5 amps so you will need at least 1620 watts

[Alex7938]

dont know if this'll interest you guys, but its an adaptor for the Karcher that might impress you

foam adaptor

heres the thread it was on

http://www.meguiars.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=2417&start=30

Alex

[OctaneGuy]

Wow, now that is coool. Thanks!

Richard

Originally posted by Alex7938
dont know if this'll interest you guys, but its an adaptor for the Karcher that might impress you

foam adaptor

heres the thread it was on

http://www.meguiars.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=2417&start=30

Alex

[Alex7938]

i have no idea where you get them from,

but if you email Steve i'm sure he'd help you out, just let him know your from MOL and Alex hijacked his thread

Alex

[Alex7938]

Steve's updated the thread and has an Ebay link to these foam lances

Alex

[refurbish]

I bought a karcher model .1300 psi about 2 years ago and got only 3 uses out of it. ( the main seal blew and filled the inside up with water. )

I got my money back though ( maybe a lemon ? or just a cheap make ? )

[Pete-FWA]

Karcher has made excellent industrial units for quite some time. They found, though, that they had to compete in the "home" model, so they built the lower pressure units. Some of their initial offerings were less than stellar, but yours sounds like a random defect. From what people say, their newest home models are stronger and more reliable.

[OctaneGuy]

Karcher 1400psi Pressure Washer

I purchased this pressure washer from Amazon.com for only $49 after discounts and rebates. I had read both positive and negative reviews during my initial research and now that I've received my own unit, I have nothing but positive things to say. It has plenty of pressure, and really gives me a good understanding as to how pressure washers work.



Two wands came with this unit. The top one is adjustable from a very low velocity spray to a more intense pattern. The interesting thing is that even at max velocity, it's still soft as cotton. The second wand isn't adjustable or to be used on anything soft like paint and when I put my hand in front of the spray, it hurt!



There is a built in GFI for your safety on the power plug.


Here are the specs on this Pressure Washer


There is a molded wand holder to keep the removable wands in place


There are 3 fittings here. The bottommost one is for the water supply, the middle is for the wand sprayer and the top is for a line for the detergent.


Both sides are molded to accept a spare wand. This knob is the main On and Off switch.


One of the wand attachments is very rough on surfaces but very effective.


Although the instructions state that when you attach the water supply you need to make sure it's fully open, apparently you CAN use a standing source of water as well with the optional tubing, which as seen below, is simply a hose with a filter on one end.

http://www.karcher-usa.com/accessories.php

Adjustable Velocity Head


Fixed Velocity


More coming....

[Mark2]

The one I have looks exactly like yours. I'm very happy with it.

[OctaneGuy]

This is how the trigger looks like. The unit stays off until the trigger is pressed. Then it starts up and immediately shuts off when its released. The sound is of an air pump motor. Not silent, but not terribly noisy either.


The wand is assembled by inserting the wand cable here.


But first you need to release the lock.


Now the hose will fit in place. You have to press it firmly.


Assembled correctly it looks like this.


Now attach the other end to the Pressure Washer unit.


Before the wand is inserted into the trigger unit, it looks like this.


Press in and turn to engage the wand lock.


When you attach the water supply, make sure everything is snug to avoid a situation like this.


How does it perform? Here it is at minimum pressure. Its almost dribbling out. All I'm doing is rotating the end of the wand to adjust the pressure.


Here it is with a little more pressure.


Here it is with a little more pressure. Note even as the pressure increases, the spray pattern is still the same.


Here it is with almost max pressure.


Here it is with max pressure. If I put my hand in front of the stream, it feels like a combination of air and water. It's surprisingly soft. The instructions don't recommend putting this stream closer than 8" to a surface to prevent damage.


While in contrast, this wand attachment makes the water feel sharp! Don't put your hand or anything sensitive in front of this stream!