Electric Pressure Washer....what PSI to get ?

**Levithan9** · 02-01-2017, 09:00 PM

I already have a gas pressure washer that will cut a 2x4 in half. That's not a joke. I did it on a bet. Hey, you'd do it too for a 6-Pac of beer.

Anyway, I going to get into car detailing on the side this summer, and lugging the Behemoth gas washer just ain't gonna happen.

I'm looking at the GREENWORKS 2000 electric pressure washer from Lowes. It's on sale right now for $179. Or the RYOBI from Home Depot for the same amount and the same 2000 psi, but includes a Turbo Nozzle.

OR....should i step the PSI down a little and save some cash. The RYOBI 1700 is $149, and the 1600 is $119

1800 PSI GREENWORKS at Lowes is $139.

Damn....decisions decisions decisions.....

Coming from a pressure washer that will remove chrome (did that too) what do you just suggest? Whats been a real workhorse for the amount of money you've spend ?
Just like everyone else, i'm looking for the most bang for my buck...

Commence the suggestions.....

Thank you.

**chefwong** · 02-01-2017, 09:02 PM

1500 PSI
2 GPM

Whatever your budget fancies.....

**k20trick** · 02-01-2017, 09:23 PM

Originally Posted by Levithan9

I already have a gas pressure washer that will cut a 2x4 in half. That's not a joke. I did it on a bet. Hey, you'd do it too for a 6-Pac of beer.

Anyway, I going to get into car detailing on the side this summer, and lugging the Behemoth gas washer just ain't gonna happen.

I'm looking at the GREENWORKS 2000 electric pressure washer from Lowes. It's on sale right now for $179. Or the RYOBI from Home Depot for the same amount and the same 2000 psi, but includes a Turbo Nozzle.

OR....should i step the PSI down a little and save some cash. The RYOBI 1700 is $149, and the 1600 is $119

1800 PSI GREENWORKS at Lowes is $139.

Damn....decisions decisions decisions.....

Coming from a pressure washer that will remove chrome (did that too) what do you just suggest? Whats been a real workhorse for the amount of money you've spend ?
Just like everyone else, i'm looking for the most bang for my buck...

Commence the suggestions.....

Thank you.

Just to let you know I was on the same boat, I first purchased the 1600 from lowes, then exchanged it for the 2000 because they had a sale, just to let you know I dont notice any difference whatsoever in performance. They both worked the same to me, I just got more convenience with the reel and and cart with the 2000 model. The 1600 was $100 and the 2000 was $180 with sale, luckily Lowes allowed me to exchange it for the 2000. They even let me use the 10% coupon on the newspaper and I believe and additional 5% from opening a new account. All in all, it was probably $50 more but I didnt notice a difference. I normally dont always go by the claims as they can rate it at what they want. Other than psi you also have to factor in the gpm.

Also on a side note, you dont want to use the turbo nozzle on your car at all. Try using that on your hand and it will be bruised for days, ask me how I know. I've have had great success with the 40 degree nozzle with a minor distance.

**chefwong** · 02-01-2017, 09:43 PM

Personally, I prefer a 25 degree for washing.

**spazzz** · 02-01-2017, 09:49 PM

I have the 1600 psi Ryobi and love it.
I bought a 25 foot Flexzilla hose for it to make it even more likable.

Nice compact little machine that is all I need for car work.

**Souldetailer** · 02-01-2017, 11:34 PM

I'm in the same boat, looking for an electric pressure washer. I do detail aside from my regular job which coincidentally happens to be detailing. Using a professional grade electric at work has me looking to purchase a semi-pro electric. Initially was just going to purchase a comsumer grade machine but the advantage of a better motor and/or pump has me looking to the semi. Either way, this is a site with some good info and food for thought. Good luck. Pressure Washers Direct | Power Washer Superstore

Peace,

Darrin

**lawrenceSA** · 02-02-2017, 01:13 AM

I use a Karcher K7 electric pressure washer which runs up to 160 bar, which I think is around 2300psi.

I have never had an issue with it 'removing paint' or doing anything 'unsafe' to the vehicle, and the 'power' is more than enough for the detailing tasks I subject it to.

I went through a couple of cheaper pressure washers before settling on this one and learnt a few things along the way which may help someone prolong the life of theirs, so I'd like to share:

Some of the smaller electric pressure washers have solely plastic internals (cylinder/piston etc) and with repeated on/off action, the cylinder head cracks, leading to a loss of pressure and the machine 'pulsing'.

The middle of the range ones tend to switch to metal (which is more durable) - the K7 uses brass internals

You have to bleed all of the air out of the system before turning the machine on

You should not leave the machine powered on if you are not using it for a lengthy period.

There is a duty cycle per machine which (especially over here in South Africa) the salesman doesn't tell you about... on some of the entry level machines this can be as low as 10 minutes, meaning after 10 min of constant use you need to switch the machine off to cool down. Failing to follow the duty cycle requirements leads to an early death of the machine

Some of the cheaper ones are air cooled whereas the K7 is a water cooled.

**yg1829** · 02-02-2017, 07:50 AM

I've had the greenworks 2000 psi for a couple months now and love it. Added quick connects to the hose and gun which makes set up and takedown very simple.

I pulled the soap container off because I will never use it and I don't use the hose real cause it's kind of gimmicky. You can't keep the hose connected to the machine and roll it up. Also it keeps the hose coiled too small and makes it want to coil back up when unrolled.

If you like the greenworks you could probably drop down to the 1800 psi and be fine.

What I like best about those two machines or similar is the big wide base. It's not gonna tip over like the smaller ones.

One thing I did was get the extra warranty. Lowes is really good about replacing it if something happens. They will just give you a new one if it breaks. To me it's worth the 20 bucks.

Hope this helps. Good luck.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

**rlmccarty2000** · 02-02-2017, 10:56 AM

Probably the best advice I can give is to get the longest warranty available. Of course you have to look at the warranties cost, but I got a 3 year warranty from Amazon which when paired with the manufacturers warranty gives me 4 years of peace of mind. If you read all the discussions on electric PWs it seems like most die in about 2 years, especially if you use it regularly.

I would not use the turbo head on paint. Wheels maybe, but never paint. Too powerful concentrated in one spot.

**rlmccarty2000** · 02-02-2017, 11:05 AM

Probably the best advice I can give is to get the longest warranty available. Of course you have to look at the warranties cost, but I got a 3 year warranty from Amazon which when paired with the manufacturers warranty gives me 4 years of peace of mind. If you read all the discussions on electric PWs it seems like most die in about 2 years, especially if you use it regularly.

I would not use the turbo head on paint. Wheels maybe, but never paint. Too powerful concentrated in one spot.