I recently decided to open a business. I am assembling some equipment before I fully open and so far I have this as my power washer and wondering if you guys had any takes on it. Or should I refund
I have a standard surface cleaner from lowes
Recently purchased a Jrod
100 ft garden hose.
I already have a pickup truck but looking into purchasing a trailer in the future.
Do you guys think this setup is ok for just starting out?
Side note, power washer does run hot not sure why
Thanks
If your going to give this business a good crack buy something better with a Honda. These lower end machines and pumps just aren’t engineered to be an 8 hour a day workhorse. If the business isn’t for you when it’s all said and done you have a pressure washer for home that will last you 20+ years. I still have my original gx340 with a general pump I started with, never been opened or carb taken off for a clean over 500 hours on it starts second or third pull every single time.
Agreed. You will have to replace it before you really have to chance to start making money. Simpson makes a similar unit at an affordable price. Equipment is an investment that you should see a return on. Do lots of research. There is a reason people buy more expensive equipment. Remember, you are starting a business, not a hobby.
That’s the one.
Spend the money now, cry less later…get a belt drive. Ask me how I know.
Make your mind up son, you batting for the men’s team or the woman’s team?
Lol hey now, if that flippin pulley had come off like it was supposed to I would still be rockin’ the belt.
I have been through the same thought progression as you while trying to start my business back up this year. I made about $1000 dollars as a side huddle in a relatively short period of time and could have made much more last winter when I was in a pinch, but jobs moved very slow with my store bought 2.8gpm 2700psi and a cheap surface cleaner. As I start back up in a more serious manner (with more money to invest), based on ALOT of research on here and YouTube, it sounds like everyone will tell you to bite the bullet on good reliable equipment not only gets the job done faster and more efficiently but also prevents you from inevitably having to replace a bunch of parts down the line. All this being said I will provide a few links that helped me make the decision for my new setup.
Great video : Basic Pressure Washing System | Everything You Need To Make Money - YouTube
Best priced washer I could find (5.5gpm/3000psi belt driven) : 5.5 GPM 3000 PSI SKID COLD BANDIT PRESSURE WASHER BK5530HC
Buffer tank setup : https://www.pressurewashhelp.com/buildlist/
If you’re wanting to do it right the first time with plenty of room to grow, go ahead and spend the $2500-$3000 on this setup that you can put in the back of your truck. Hope something in here helped.
That looks like a nice pressure washer for the price.
Appreciate all the feedback guys.
One more question:
If I do get that 5.5gpm pressure washer, is a buffer tank a must? Or can I add that down the line
I would return that washer right away, unless your only goal is to have it last for a month or two. Even Simpson washers are peices of crap imo, I have had problems with every single one I’ve bought. Much better off buying a 4/4 from a professional pressure washing company if you want it to last. That 5.5 that lane posted is actually a really good deal, I paid more for my 4/4 than that. Only problem is you will have to setup a buffer tank
Yes, you’ll want a buffer tank with return line. Right now with your machine, if you don’t hit the trigger every minute or so you run the risk of the pump overheating. A buffer tank lets you drop the gun and go get a drink without worrying about your pump blowing up.
A 5.5gpm really just needs a 35 gallon buffer, mine never dropped below half on my 50 gallon.
You guys are awesome, thanks for the information
Good luck dealing with Pressure Washer Products.
I called them about that very unit and talked to a “salesman” about getting one with an electric start. He was very vague and acted like he didn’t even want to take the time needed to sell one.
He said the price was “around $1,600” and “about $250 to ship” and “maybe 2 to 4 weeks to get.” I asked him if he could be a little bit more specific and give me some exact prices and a narrower date range for delivery and he was utterly uninterested in doing so. 
Honestly I wonder sometimes how some of these companies even stay in business.
Like I said you will regret buying a Simpson over time. If your going to drop 1200 you mine aswell spend the extra 1-2 to get a reliable one that will last you checkout pressuretek.com
Powerwashstore.com etc if you want a quality company
Search for “Simpson” and see how many bought it and regretted it.
They all wished they would’ve spent a little more and started off better.
Here’s the thing, whatever you buy…if you decide washing isn’t for you, you can sell it for about half of what you paid. So you can recoup some costs. But if you stick with washing, you have a machine you can run with for awhile.
I know it’s tough. Many have been there. If you go with the 4/4, at least consider getting a belt or gear drive.
But even if you get the direct drive, we’ll still let you in the club.
They let me join and they haven’t pulled my membership yet…
I have since pulled the engine and the pump from the cart and have them blocked up in the bed of the truck, but the point is you can start with whatever you want to start with. We all have budgets to work within as well as timeframes in which we have to get all of the equipment together. Perhaps you have a full year before you feel like dabbling with house washing. Or, maybe you got laid off your full-time job last week and need something now that is within a small budget. But, there are a lot of us that started washing without much education on how to properly wash. This forum is a wealth of knowledge and has so many people who have dedicated their time and energy into sharing their experiences, road bumps, success stories, etc that if you have the time to read here before you have to start washing its well worth the investment of your time. If you have to jump right into washing with as little of an investment as possible no one will tell you that you can’t make money that way. You won’t make as much as you could be making, you won’t be as quick as you could be, you won’t look as professional as you could look, but you have to determine what you are looking to get out of it all. If you buy cheap to begin with and you end up not liking the business, you’ll likely be wondering if you would have liked it with the proper equipment. And if you invest in the right equipment the first time and still end up not liking what you do, well then it just wasn’t meant to be and you won’t be left second guessing yourself. Plus, you’ll have a better chance selling off the pro equipment with a much greater return on investment.
I still use the same exact washer I started with over 1.5 years ago. It’s branded as a DeWalt, but really what I bought was a Honda engine and a AAA direct drive pump. Simpson makes the exact same thing but with their colors and decals on the cart. The cart makes no difference unless you plan on rolling it around. Don’t buy a washer on a budget based upon the name on the cart - look at the engine and the pump to determine what gets you the best bang for your buck while still being price conscious. My machine works great for what I do which is single and two story homes. But, I’m sure that machines with bigger engines and bigger pumps clean easier and faster and will also likely last longer. That’s the risk with low investment. But so far, I’ve had zero issues with my purchase. I bought longer hoses, upgraded to a real downstream injector and a jrod. I recommend those to anyone who’s just starting out. But there is a following here for the x-jets if you want to explore that possibility. Each have their pros and cons but lots of the guys and gals here have both and interchange as needed for the particular job they are doing.
Bottom line. Buy what you can and make it work. They all clean to some degree. Just figure out what types of things you want to clean, how clean you want your results to look as well as how easy you want it to be to achieve that desired level of clean.
Beautifully written 
That’s a direct drive, you want a belt driven.
