Pressure washers

[Mr. Clean]

I have a hotsy electric pump diesel fired steam washer that I couldn't live without. I used to use gas powered washers and got sick of pull starting and the noise. It was also 3000 psi..a little overkill for cars. A small electric washer would be my choice.

I've had the pleasure of using a Hotsy unit a couple of different times while working a charity car wash. It is great and could certainly spoil you. But it definitely wouldn't be practical for my situation.

Do you have a Costco near you?

They had a Snap On electric pressure washer last month and the price at my local (Los Angeles) store was $89.95
This was your typical electric pressure washer, nothing special except for one thing. Costco warranty is good forever. I have had three pressure washers over the years (all Karcher) and they always fail at the same point. The high pressure seals in the pump housing. The repair cost exceeds the price of a new washer. Since no matter when it fails I can just take it back to Costco and get another it is a great deal.

That is certainly a pleasing price point, and if Costco really warranties the unit for anything past 3 years or so that is probably a good way to go for the Costco members.

I have seen mostly negative reports on the low price ($200) electric washers from Home Depot and other places. People claim they leak, couplings break etc, and not covered under the warranty that seems to primarily cover the motor.

Negative reports. Those are the ones that always come to mind when I consider pulling the trigger on one.

id have to agree with most gas pressure washers being overkill for a car.. owning a pressure washing business, we have an assortment of washers at our disposal, but for detailing we've relied heavily on a little task force 1600 psi 1.8 gpm machine. useful since our generators going to be running anyways.. its handy and we aren't afraid to get a little closer to a vehicle to remove stubborn stains than we would with a gas powered washer. remember that all psi's are measured at the tip, so the closer you get the higher the probability of damaging a finish. that being said, if you're detailing and scrubbing is going to be done strictly by hand and your pressure washer is going to be used from a distance only, then it really doesn't matter.. to me i guess its not worth it to wear and tear a more expensive machine just to rinse a car.. in the end a hose works just as well, and pressure washing saves minimal time. If youre running a generator id say electric for sure just due to simplicity and ease of manueverability. just my two cents though.

This is a good perspective from someone with a varied background with several different units. You know, of course, that your good experience with the electric unit appears to be contradictory to many others. It does act as a ray of hope and once agains causes me to consider such a unit.