Hello all,
been lurking for a while and this forum seems to be a bit more active with a good knowledge base compared to the only other active forum I’ve seen. And the nice little invitation to join the forum was cool too.
Anyways nice to meet everyone. I have a power washer about 12-15 years ago, Troy built unit with an AR pump 2.2GPM 2600psi Honda motor. Pump went out on it so I ordered another pump and rebuilt the carb.
I ended up buying another pressure washer at Lowe’s that was returned for about 50%off .Simpson 3700psi 2.5GPM Honda gx200 engine and 50 feet of hose with a AAA pump.
A few hours of google and YouTube and I end up reading a lot of info on this forum and my mind is everywhere lol. The info on this forum totally ruined me lol. Now I’m thinking I need a different machine… bigger it may seem.
Well thanks for reading this far, I tried not to make my first post so hideous and long. I’ll go back to my reading
Welcome to the forum. I’ve heard where guys have used a small pressure washer when starting but have no idea how they were able to. I used my old homeowner unit once just to try soft washing my house and it took forever. I would say washing a house will take you at least 3 times as long. So let’s say a big house takes 2 hours with a 5.5 gpm you’re looking at at least 6 hours with yours. That means you’re basically only able to do 1 job per day compared to 4. I just don’t see how you can make any money. Not to mention homeowner units aren’t built to last. They’re built for a homeowner to use them a couple times a year.
Keep reading on here and you’ll learn a ton. You really want a 5.5 gpm that you can leave on a truck or trailer. Get a buffer tank so you have bypass. If not you’re going to have to be on the gun the whole time so you want be able to run back to the truck for anything without shutting the machine down. Get at least 200’ of pressure hose, 200’ of garden hose, a couple hose reels and insurance. You can get started for a reasonable investment but there’s no possible way I would start with a small homeowner machine if you’re going to make a serous go at this. Be sure to keep money back for marketing. You have to if you want a successful business. You need a website, Facebook business page, and Google Business Page. Google reviews and a 5 star rating are GOLD.
Agreed. I was just playing around with a 3 gpm a few weeks ago and it was painful to wash a small building. I’ve used it professionally only once while working inside an atrium of a insurance firm that I didn’t want to drag my hose through. I have one QC connecting two hoses together and i could just see it leaking a small amount of bleach on some high dollar carpet.
Before you buy any more equipment do some research. Sometimes when a price is too good to be true… it really is! Investing in your business with proper equipment is the best thing you can do for yourself.
Thanks for the input thus far guys. I’ll definitely do more research and that’s part of why I’m here. One a certain skill set interests me I like adding it to my arsenal of life skills. Power washing/soft washing really interests me it may not a critical skill but I believe will come in handy when I purchase a home… or maybe it might help me buy one? :)… back I go to reading more post
I just went through the whole startup gauntlet this year. My takeaway…4/4 fully plumbed belt drive machine at a minimum, 150’ pressure hose on a reel, 100’ 5/8" Flexzilla garden hose, 35 gallon buffer tank.
That will be a good, solid starting point if you don’t have $10,000 up front.
