I’ve been using my 16” Ultra Clean with my 5.5/3500, but frankly it takes forever on driveways and I have to make four passes on a standard 4’ sidewalk. It also tends to stripe on brushed concrete no matter the nozzle combo or walking speed.
I was thinking about a 19” Classic, but can’t quite nail down if I should use 2 or 4 nozzles.
I did a search but info is all over the map.
I have both, on my 8/3500 setup that I use for concrete, 4 tips clean better, less striping and quicker regardless of pre treat.
How about with my 5.5gpm?
Haven’t cleaned concrete with a 5.5 in a while, much the same I would imagine, only difference would be the size of the tips.
Thanks, I’ll pay a visit to Southside when I get the chance.
It’s fine if you’re doing concrete. Pavers, depending on condition, won’t budge with 4 tips.
the striping does make me wonder about the 16" Ultra, its my favorite SC that I’ve used/owned for many reasons, but I do have to admit that it striped more than any other SC I’ve used. Not a big deal because we always post treat strong and that takes care of any striping but it does make me wonder…
Just got off the phone with Southside, apparently the 4 nozzle only comes into play with 8gpm machines. Guess I’ll settle for a 19” Ultra Clean, unless there is something super special about the Classic.
Few tips to avoid striping. Check your nozzles for debris, check your nozzles for wear (yes nozzles are consumables and do wear out with pressure over time, larger hole less pressure), make sure your nozzles are aligned, always pre wet concrete with water or pre treat if your using it, and last but not least slow down with the surface cleaner.
What are you talking about?
I mean when pavers look like this, 4 tips will not have enough pressure to get the gunk off even if you nuke with straight SH first.
That’s not how it works. You can adjust pressure by switching nozzles. When going from a 2 nozzle to 4 nozzle bar you’ll have to change your nozzles for you gpm anyways so just use the corresponding size to get you the pressure you normally use.
thanks brotha! but yes I’ve done all of those… some improved it but still striping… oh well
I wonder how a 35025 would work, wider fan, higher pressure. The 1503’s striped like mad.
I Got the 2503, only 2tip bar, a mitm not WW. Il let you know how those work out maybe fri. Using the 5 5.
That’s what I’ve been using, works somewhat decently. I usually end up doing the push/pull or s-turn method just so I don’t have to do it over again, but it’s a real pain.
I see. Does not going from 1 tip to 2 tips necessarily halve the pressure coming out of them (and then from 2 to 4 etc)?
Sure, but your surface cleaner probably won’t even float. If you have a 5.5 gpm pump and go to an 8 gpm you’ll have to swap out your sc nozzles. Just like you’ll have to swap them out if you go from a 2 bar to a 4 bar. You can get 3000 psi out of a two bar or 3000 out of a 4 bar. The 4 bar will just take smaller orifices.
When using a nozzle chart you look at the psi you want and follow it down to the gpm of your machine. Say you have an 8 gpm machine. If you want 3000 psi out of the wand you’ll need about a #9. Now, if you have a two bar surface cleaner you won’t follow the psi down to 8 gpm but rather 4 gpm because each nozzle puts out 4 gpm so that’s a #4.5. Now if you have a 4 bar you need to follow the chart down to roughly 2 gpm because each nozzle will put out 2 gpm so that’s about a #1. or 1.5.
So, you won’t get that same psi going from a 2 bar to a 4 bar if you don’t change your nozzles but you’ll have to change your nozzles to dial in the surface cleaner or else it’ll be worthless. If you’re ever cleaning a substrate where you’re worried about pressure swap your nozzles out to only allow 2k psi or whatever. You don’t always have to keep the same psi nozzles.
There are some good threads on here about using a nozzle chart if you need more info.
Thanks, I was under the impression that if your machine puts out 3000 psi and you use a surface cleaner with 2 tips, you’ll only get 1500 psi out of each no matter what size orifices you have. I need to do some research into 4 bars & if it is viable for 5.5 gpm because these overgrown pavers are brutal work with 2 bars.
