Can I get your advice on this machine and if you recommend it? What price is fair, what price is great?
Mi-T M 4004. 4k, 4 gpm with electric start. Vanguard motor, belt driven, general pump t9281.
On Craigslist for $1,600.
Buy or no buy? This will be my primary machine.
I would hold off until you can buy a commercial grade machine. If this is what you are going to do for a living and feed your family with, you need something more than a homeowner grade machine. Just my thoughts.
I’m looking for a machine that will run for about 100 jobs. Light repairs are acceptable.
What would you consider a commercial grade? I thought Vanguard motors were great and general pumps were great.
What are our reservations with this machine?
I would love to purchase a 5.5 but my budget is only 2k for equipment right now.
I should mention that my business is residential. Concrete and house washing.
This is a side business for me and my family. Main job provides the insurance and mortgage.
commercial grade (red) Briggs were ok until the ethanol hit 10%. Even then 2k hours were the most you could expect from them. I’ve got 2 year old Hondas with 3500 hours now. Home owner grade Briggs would hold up less I would think. General pumps are common place because they are cheap to purchase but require rebuilds often. They don’t like to run a minute without water. I get you are on a budget, but double your budget and wait to buy equipment until you can afford to buy once. What happens at the end of 100 jobs? You quit this? You then buy good equipment and kick yourself for using 4 gpm for 100 jobs? All this is just my thoughts. I have no problem with buying cheap. I’ve never owned a new vehicle in almost 5 decades. But buy quality.
Although i disagree with Innocent on the general pumps, i do agree about this buying this machine and not because its a vanguard/briggs (i haven never owned one).
I dont believe you have to start out with a 8+ gpm machine for this industry. You may take a little longer on flat work but house wash’s wont be that much faster. With the larger machine means bigger buffer tanks and more weight. I know guys who have “downgraded” to smaller machines for just doing house’s.
For $1600 you can buy a brand new 5.5@2500 machine with honda motor which will be better than that 4gpm machine anyway.
I agree. Go with the honda. I started out with a 4gpm 4000psi cat pump belt drive machine and I still have as a backup. In fact I just used yesterday for soaping. You can buy a new one for about $1300. But it’s pretty slow for driveways. I only did like 3 big house driveways when I first got and went and bot my 8.5. For residential, 5.5. or a 6 would probably be better, but I don’t like the 2500psi because by the time you run it thru 200’ of hose you’re down to 1900 psi and though it will do it, that’s getting a little low for me on concrete. The other problem is around here, lot of homes don’t have 5.5 gpm flow on water. But there again I only did one house after I bot my 4 before I got a buffer tank. Hated having to run back to shut off.
Thank you for your thoughtful response.
What are your thoughts on machines from pressure washer direct? In the range of 1200 to 1600 there are some Honda engines and cat pumps. But most are direct drive.
What other online stores offer good equipment and choice?
I agree with not wanting to repurchase equipment. If this machine can work for the 300 hours to complete 100 to 150 jobs that would be great cash flow and offer me many more options at the end of that period. Allowing me to upgrade to a trailer setup.
Visually this machine looks well kept and newer. Hopefully that means less running hours too. I’m going to inspect it on Monday.
Not that I’m inept on the internet but can you link to the 5.5 gpm machine in this price range you suggest? Thanks
please understand that i would let Jn Allison go hungry or eat one of his cats before I bought am o ring from him but here is a link to 5.6gpm with 18hp for $1750
https://envirospec.com/envirospec-catalog/tnt-pressure-washer/
They are everywhere for that price. His just popped up first and it’s 10 minutes until race time.
^^ Ive read a lot about envirospec, and what they have said. Definitely would not want to buy from them but must say their prices aren’t bad.
the 5.6 @2500 i bought was from http://stores.kecsupplies.com/ would have to get you the link later.
Pressure pro makes a 5.5 gpm belt drive. Call pressuretek and see if they can get you one. They sell Pressure pro. At the end of the day 9 out of 10 of them are just Hondas with general pumps. In which case I’d rather give my money to Pressuretek
I started with NT 3.5/4 and still have it
NT because of their service, they are local and their insurance is good.
All machines are good until they break down.
You have to discipline yoyrself and clean all your equipment after every job and in between. Its good for presentation.
Mine still look lije new after 4 years
NT meaning Northern Tool?
Uh oh!
Yes…minimum of 5 characters
You must have the best northern tool there is then… we have two within 30 minutes of downtown Kansas City. Both sell machines that are barely finished when they put them on the showroom floor much less any good when you put them through their paces. The customer service is a joke and the warranty is nonexistent at best.
I spent around $10k between the two stores before I learned my lesson with a machine that’s the worst one I have. It’s an expensive Honda motor and some lawnmower tires. When I tried to take it in to get warranty work done the service guy called me a liar in front of two other customers.
Oh and they screen reviews. When I tried to review the machine they said the review didn’t meet their standards and declined it. That’s grimy.
Their social media team told me shove off.
A trigger gun I bought from there got stuck open and ultimately burned my wrist.
Half the stuff the sell is no different than harbor freight garbage with the Ironton name on it and higher priced.
The list goes on.
I could care less if every northern tool in the country burns to the ground in the middle of the night.
@John_Martinez beware Northern Tool… I’ll send you a bottle of Elemonator to NOT waste money there.
A free bottle of Elemonator and many saved hours of frustration and anger is what you’re getting for making a wiser choice.
Just saw this. Lol
I’ve cleaned a lot of stuff but I must say I’d probably fire someone if I saw them cleaning a machine instead of working lol
I retracted my post, but @John_Martinez if you want a long list of reasons why you should avoid Northern Tool like the plague I’ll be happy to give them to you.
I changed mind again. I reretracted the post. See above. Lol
