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Re: Buy or rent powerwasher? Posted by Ari [Email] ![]() ![]() In Reply to: Buy or rent powerwasher?, IanC ![]() ![]() |
I've borrowed a few over the years, all gas units. Frankly, I hate the gas units. Yes, they've got lots of power. They also take gas and oil, make a ton of noise, and are big, bulky, and heavy.
I bought an electric unit (Karcher) and have been very happy. Yes, lower PSI than gas. And having used both, in many cases you want to turn the pressure down on gas units. Make a mistake with a high psi unit, and you can very quickly chew up wood, blow a hole in an asphalt driveway, etc. A lower PSI unit takes longer, but it is harder to mess things up. A lower psi electric unit has smaller hoses that are easier to handle, and they are much quieter.
The only advantage of the higher PSI units is they can reach a few feet higher up, so they can do a better job on eaves and such. However, with a high PSI unit, I worry when I'm on a ladder, because the kick from the gun is much more.
My opinion - if you have a big job that requires a high-psi power washer, rent a gas unit. You won't need to store it, and you can get a much more powerful unit for less money than buying it. And you don't have to maintain it - no cost for new seals, etc.
If you have lots of small jobs, and maybe on larger job, buy a unit. Gas is OK if you've got the storage space. But I prefer the electric units. No fuel costs, easy to handle, and the lower pressure reduces the potential damage quotient. I used the heck out of my electric last year (stripped the deck, power washed my house (Cape Cod style with addition), cleaned the deck furniture, lawnmower, etc, and it's going strong. Light enough to lift with one hand, and easy to store and move. Since it has no fuel, I just tossed it in my basement for the winter, so it wouldn't take up garage space.
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