Need suggestions for buying a pressure washer

[rockstah]

I'm looking to buy a electric pressure washer for car and home usage, like cleaning terrace, tiles etc.
Budget is around 20k

I've been looking at available options, the Chinese rebranded ones seem to have low pressure than their advertised level. I've narrowed down to models from Bosch, karcher, stihl. I'm favouring the stihl but it looks non existent in India as i couldn't find one good review for it.
Anyone using any of these here? I'd love to get actual user reviews.

 

[lockhrt999]

I have owned one from Black and Decker. It was a high end version with 130 bar pressure. All pressure washers are made in china either way.

Most of the users who have it, buy it for their brand new car. They kinda think they can wash their cars better than the washing center. But frankly speaking, it takes a lot of hassle and time to connect the pressure washer to the water, electrical supply, then its connectors. Once the novelty ends, pressure washers aren't used very often. Not to mention, these have limited lifespan as the pump in them is a piston based.

For cars, commercial washing centers provide better wash because of their high flow rate. Home pressure washers have lower flow rate but higher pressure. High flow rate is needed to get mud and gunk off the car as after a certain point pressure isn't that useful.

About terrace and tiles cleaning, using a brush and broom is a faster approach. A big brush / broom with long handle can clean 1k sqft terrace/tiles in less time than it takes to have pressure washer fully connected. Again, not to mention, it'll be even slower to clean than a brush.

I'll say that, there are some applications which pressure washer excels at but those are few. If you have to buy a pressure washer then get one with a high flow rate.

 

[rockstah]

I have owned one from Black and Decker. It was a high end version with 130 bar pressure. All pressure washers are made in china either way.

When did you get it? Is it still operational?

Most of the users who have it, buy it for their brand new car. They kinda think they can wash their cars better than the washing center. But frankly speaking, it takes a lot of hassle and time to connect the pressure washer to the water, electrical supply, then its connectors. Once the novelty ends, pressure washers aren't used very often. Not to mention, these have limited lifespan as the pump in them is a piston based.

I'd get the karcher if they provided 5-7y warranty as they do for other countries but we only get 1y warranty. I've been checking other country reviews and many of the comments seem to agree that karcher and stihl are reliable.

For cars, commercial washing centers provide better wash because of their high flow rate. Home pressure washers have lower flow rate but higher pressure. High flow rate is needed to get mud and gunk off the car as after a certain point pressure isn't that useful.

Pressure washer alone can't get the mud junk off the cars, i think it needs a foam wash plus washing with a microfiber cloth to get it as good as commercial washing centers

About terrace and tiles cleaning, using a brush and broom is a faster approach. A big brush / broom with long handle can clean 1k sqft terrace/tiles in less time than it takes to have pressure washer fully connected. Again, not to mention, it'll be even slower to clean than a brush.

I'll say that, there are some applications which pressure washer excels at but those are few. If you have to buy a pressure washer then get one with a high flow rate.

Agree, home usage is secondary but i just wanted to check if it's possible with it.

 

[lockhrt999]

When did you get it? Is it still operational?

About 10 years ago. It was operational for 5-7 years then I sold it off.

I'd get the karcher if they provided 5-7y warranty as they do for other countries but we only get 1y warranty. I've been checking other country reviews and many of the comments seem to agree that karcher and stihl are reliable.

Karcher is a reputed brand. They are however new entrant in India. I would have considered them had they existed here back then. For your household use it'll easily last you that long provided the water isn't that hard.

Pressure washer alone can't get the mud junk off the cars, i think it needs a foam wash plus washing with a microfiber cloth to get it as good as commercial washing centers

Pressure washer at commercial places alone can get mud off the cars. There are places like wheel arches, underbody where you can't use other things. Commercial pressure washers work at less pressure but they have higher flow rate which makes it possible. Household pressure washers have enough pressure that its thin jet can easily chip off the paint but then thick jet does not enough flow rate that can remove the mud. And foam wash removes mud only on youtube. When I purchased my setup, I imported foam washer from UK. It did produce nice, milky soft foam as seen on youtube with Meguiars and 3M shampoos but it doesn't do much for Indian mud. You still have to use piece of cloth to wipe off the mud. Swirls are inevitable.

Nowadays these foam washers are available locally.

Agree, home usage is secondary but i just wanted to check if it's possible with it.

Perfectly possible, but it's time consuming and these machines are very loud. If I had to do it, I'd use some chemical, leave it for some time. Then I'd use brush like this or scrubber like this and after that simple rinsing using a garden hoes.

 

[rockstah]

Karcher is a reputed brand. They are however new entrant in India. I would have considered them had they existed here back then. For your household use it'll easily last you that long provided the water isn't that hard.

Our water hardness level is in 300-350 range sometimes a little more, not sure if that'll be an issue.

Pressure washer at commercial places alone can get mud off the cars. There are places like wheel arches, underbody where you can't use other things. Commercial pressure washers work at less pressure but they have higher flow rate which makes it possible. Household pressure washers have enough pressure that its thin jet can easily chip off the paint but then thick jet does not enough flow rate that can remove the mud. And foam wash removes mud only on youtube. When I purchased my setup, I imported foam washer from UK. It did produce nice, milky soft foam as seen on youtube with Meguiars and 3M shampoos but it doesn't do much for Indian mud. You still have to use piece of cloth to wipe off the mud. Swirls are inevitable.

Nowadays these foam washers are available locally.

Ya those parts of the car it's hard to get rid of mud, I'll be getting separate brushes for under arch and rim cleaning. I'll be wiping with microfiber cloth after spraying with foam which should be enough to get rid of mud. I'll also be applying turtle wax ceramic spray after drying so swirl marks aren't an issue. The model i was looking at had 8l/min flow rate i think. There are some models at 145-150bar pressure but not sure if they're worth spending the extra money for. Stihl seems to have many dealers but can't find any good reviews about their models regarding it's actual pressure.

Perfectly possible, but it's time consuming and these machines are very loud. If I had to do it, I'd use some chemical, leave it for some time. Then I'd use brush like this or scrubber like this and after that simple rinsing using a garden hoes.

It's for bathroom tiles mostly and a small terrace so I'm not even getting the patio accessory. I'm also considering one of those brushes like this one

 

[lockhrt999]

Our water hardness level is in 300-350 range sometimes a little more, not sure if that'll be an issue.

It'll be perfectly fine.

I'll be wiping with microfiber cloth after spraying with foam which should be enough to get rid of mud. I'll also be applying turtle wax ceramic spray after drying so swirl marks aren't an issue. The model i was looking at had 8l/min flow rate i think. There are some models at 145-150bar pressure but not sure if they're worth spending the extra money for. Stihl seems to have many dealers but can't find any good reviews about their models regarding it's actual pressure.

Don't overly worry about swirls. You get them by just driving on Indian roads. It's actually easier to 'compound' them out once in a year or two. Dents, scratches, swirls etc are the normal and accepted parts of the Indian driving ecosystem.

My old washer had 7L/M flow rate. 130 bar pressure is enough to strip car paint (with concentrated jet) or kill a tree by girdling. Higher pressure is only useful with higher flow rate so that on wide jet, you can cover large area in less time. No idea about Stihl. I haven't heard about it.

It's for bathroom tiles mostly and a small terrace so I'm not even getting the patio accessory.

Depends upon the scaling but I have had lesser luck using pressure washer (I'm not saying it didn't work at all). I have found bathroom descalers work better.

BTW: I haven't used any of products I have shared links to. Those are just suggestion.

 

[rockstah]

Depends upon the scaling but I have had lesser luck using pressure washer (I'm not saying it didn't work at all). I have found bathroom descalers work better.

Thanks for all the information, I'm thinking of trying this Cleaner first. As for hard water stains I've found harpic to work better in Chrome fittings, though it says not to use any acid in the fittings it didn't cause any issue.

 

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It's for bathroom tiles mostly and a small terrace so I'm not even getting the patio accessory. I'm also considering one of those brushes like this one

What kind of bathroom tiles are these?

 

[rockstah]

What kind of bathroom tiles are these?

I have no idea what they're called, these are very old tiles

 

[lockhrt999]

Thanks for all the information, I'm thinking of trying this Cleaner first. As for hard water stains I've found harpic to work better in Chrome fittings, though it says not to use any acid in the fittings it didn't cause any issue.

Can't say for sure but it may or may not a descaler. Usually descalers have 'descaler' written on them. You can use them on most ceramic stuff. I don't think natural stone can handle them very well (granite, marble, shahabadi etc). Anyway, use strong concentration of cleaner/descaler. Apply some time. Longer the better but don't let it dry. And use metal/wire scrubber. After the work throw the scrubber away.

 

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I have no idea what they're called, these are very old tiles

Post a photo

 

[rockstah]

Post a photo

Spoiler: it's very dirty

 

[powervgx]

I am using a pressure washer from an Indian brand called Starq. The owner is very responsive on whatsapp. The washer started giving problems after 3-4 years of use so I contacted the owner. He guided me what to do and sent a few oil seals free of cost which he should have charged because my unit was out of warranty. I changed its oil and oil seal and the washer is working great after that. I bought it for 5k but now all the models of this brand is very expensive so avoid it. Most of these presussre washers are more or less the same so buy anything which costs about 5-6k and strictly avoid all the firangi brands like Bosch because not only they charge more for inferior quality just like Samsung and LG in TV's but service is bad too. Sometimes, spare parts won't be available even in warranty and forget about any support after warranty. Bosch used to sell a noise making abomination for 8k with an inferior motor when I bought an induction motor varient with far less noise for 4700.
The model I have is similar to this but the brand is Starq.
AGARO Supreme High Pressure Washer, 1800 Watts, 120 Bars, 6.5L/Min Flow Rate, 8 Meters Outlet Hose, Portable, for Car,Bike and Home Cleaning Purpose, Black and Orange https://amzn.eu/d/5okNCVc

 

[blr_p]

Spoiler: it's very dirty

View attachment 164820

That's not old. Those are vitrified tiles. The way I've seen people clean them is with diluted toilet acid in a spray bottle. The tiles won't be affected but you don't want to get the acid near the grout as it will weaken it.

Or you could make a cleaning solution with citric acid. one is to four. in a spray bottle, let it sit for an hour and then wipe it off. People put citric acid in the toilet cisterns as well to clean up the scaling in the tank.

 

[rockstah]

I am using a pressure washer from an Indian brand called Starq. The owner is very responsive on whatsapp. The washer started giving problems after 3-4 years of use so I contacted the owner. He guided me what to do and sent a few oil seals free of cost which he should have charged because my unit was out of warranty. I changed its oil and oil seal and the washer is working great after that. I bought it for 5k but now all the models of this brand is very expensive so avoid it. Most of these presussre washers are more or less the same so buy anything which costs about 5-6k and strictly avoid all the firangi brands like Bosch because not only they charge more for inferior quality just like Samsung and LG in TV's but service is bad too. Sometimes, spare parts won't be available even in warranty and forget about any support after warranty. Bosch used to sell a noise making abomination for 8k with an inferior motor when I bought an induction motor varient with far less noise for 4700.
The model I have is similar to this but the brand is Starq.
AGARO Supreme High Pressure Washer, 1800 Watts, 120 Bars, 6.5L/Min Flow Rate, 8 Meters Outlet Hose, Portable, for Car,Bike and Home Cleaning Purpose, Black and Orange https://amzn.eu/d/5okNCVc

I actually read your old post regarding the same. Then i saw their terms taking no responsibility in transit damage even during warranty which is ridiculous, i don't even think it's legal.
Then i checked resqtech brand which had some decent reviews and 3y warranty but it seems they have poor quality components. Later i found out all these rebranded ones don't have the advertised pressure power so i thought spending extra and getting a branded one. How's aimex d7? The guy who did pressure checking video recommended only to buy that model.

That's not old. Those are vitrified tiles. The way I've seen people clean them is with diluted toilet acid in a spray bottle. The tiles won't be affected but you don't want to get the acid near the grout as it will weaken it.

Or you could make a cleaning solution with citric acid. one is to four. in a spray bottle, let it sit for an hour and then wipe it off. People put citric acid in the toilet cisterns as well to clean up the scaling in the tank.

I'm thinking of trying out this Cleaner plus pressure washer

Can't say for sure but it may or may not a descaler. Usually descalers have 'descaler' written on them. You can use them on most ceramic stuff. I don't think natural stone can handle them very well (granite, marble, shahabadi etc). Anyway, use strong concentration of cleaner/descaler. Apply some time. Longer the better but don't let it dry. And use metal/wire scrubber. After the work throw the scrubber away.

I have few products shortlisted to clean these, will try one by one

 

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I'm thinking of trying out this Cleaner plus pressure washer

You can try that but citric acid with the linked brush and scrubber in post #4 will do the same thing and possibly better but it will take more time than a pressure washer

 

[powervgx]

Any brand which is Indian and available on WhatsApp is good to go. No one is going to cover transit damage but Aamzon covers it so we are safe there. Just buy something in 6-8k budget from Amazon which looks like the link I sent and avoid expensive brands. Resqtech is also expensive so avoid it. Pressure washer is very basic tech just like water pumps so these work for a long time. The one I have is very powerful, works great, noise is also not much and easier to service too. The newer ones are even better built.

 

[rockstah]

You can try that but citric acid with the linked brush and scrubber in post #4 will do the same thing and possibly better but it will take more time than a pressure washer

Citric acid is vinegar? I saw many videos saying to use vinegar. I tried vinegar with a scrubber and it didn't help in Chrome fittings. In the video i saw they said to mix vinegar with the cleaner i have mentioned to get best result
Edit: it appears they're different, I'll try the citric acid too

Any brand which is Indian and available on WhatsApp is good to go. No one is going to cover transit damage but Aamzon covers it so we are safe there. Just buy something in 6-8k budget from Amazon which looks like the link I sent and avoid expensive brands. Resqtech is also expensive so avoid it. Pressure washer is very basic tech just like water pumps so these work for a long time. The one I have is very powerful, works great, noise is also not much and easier to service too. The newer ones are even better built.

Surely they should cover transit damage at least from their end, when they send repaired unit back. They don't even cover that within warranty period.

I'll consider agaro or other brands which have better support.

 

[blr_p]

Citric acid is vinegar?

No, its a little more acidic

I saw many videos saying to use vinegar. I tried vinegar with a scrubber and it didn't help in Chrome fittings. In the video i saw they said to mix vinegar with the cleaner i have mentioned to get best result
Edit: it appears they're different, I'll try the citric acid too

Vinegar is more dilute. around 5%. Fixed concentration. Citric acid you can dose as you want up to 100%. I recommended a 25% dose

Citric Acid

For Chrome fittings, just ball up some aluminium foil, dip in water and scrub

 

[rockstah]

No, its a little more acidic

Vinegar is more dilute. around 5%. Fixed concentration. Citric acid you can dose as you want up to 100%. I recommended a 25% dose

Citric Acid

For Chrome fittings, just ball up some aluminium foil, dip in water and scrub

Thanks for that link, for chrome fittings harpic is doing better job so it's fine. I'll try citric acid for tiles and see. How much gram to dilute with 100ml water? Will two spoon for a small cup of water be enough?