I’m new to pressure washing and currently looking for my first machine. There are so many brands, sizes, and setups available that it’s a bit overwhelming trying to decide what to buy.
My goal is to clean driveways, sidewalks, patios, and general residential surfaces, but I also want something reliable that I won’t outgrow too quickly.
What pressure washer would you recommend for someone just starting out? Are there any brands or models that offer good performance and durability without breaking the bank?
I’d appreciate any advice or recommendations from those with experience.
You’ll likely get different answers from different people.
I started with a Honda GX390 motor mated to a 4 gallon-per-minute General Pump (GP4040). It was a direct-drive unit, meaning there were no drive belts or gearboxes to complicate things. At 4gpm, it had enough flow to operate a small surface cleaner (for concrete pool patios and such). Fine for decks, etc. It wasn’t so big that I needed a buffer tank (water reservoir) or anything like that. My first season, it was my only machine and I cleared $100k in gross income.
These 15+ years later, I’ve had many machines but that’s still my favorite power washer. Simple and easy and reliable. I still have it, it runs when needed, and it likely has more than ten thousand hours on it. Here’s a link to today’s equivalent, and I’m amused to see that the price has remained much the same for the past 15 years (I distinctly remember paying $1300). How do they do that? I don’t know. Do basic maintenance, don’t abuse it, and it’ll probably outlast all of us.
My recommendations:
Cleaning for money is generally about flow rate (GPM), not pressure. Measure the output of typical house spigots in your area (use a 5-gallon bucket and a stopwatch to calculate gallons-per-minute). Find a machine which is rated for about the same flow rate as you measure from your local spigots (its no good to pay for a 5.5 gpm machine while trying to run off a 4gpm spigot).
Get a unit with a Honda GX-series motor. GX390 is like the Ford F150… ubiquitous, serviceable, plenty of parts, etc.
Get a pump made by General Pump, Cat, AR, or Comet. Those are “commercial name brands” which should generally last if you take care of them.
Buy a “direct drive” machine. These have the pressure pump bolted straight to the gas motor, without any sort of belt drive etc in between. Those more complicated machines are fine for other situations but as you’re just starting out, I’d recommend getting a simple machine which you can just hook straight to a garden hose and own with the lowest possible maintenance. That’s a direct-drive machine.
Don’t buy a used machine from a local exterior cleaner unless you REALLY trust them. Don’t buy a machine from Home Depot, Lowes, Sherwin Williams, etc. Do buy a chine from Pressure Washer Products, Pressure Washers Direct (now “Ferguson Home”), or - best yet - your local Powerwash supply shop IF they have serious equipment. Where I am, they do not, and so I buy these things online.
