Hot or Cold? (for me)

dmann88

New member
I'm about to buy my first pressure washer. I'm going to be doing just residential (to start at least) and it's just a weekend business. Which is the better buy:
Brand new Dewalt 4200 4.0 gpm $900
1 time used Landa MVP 4-3000 $1500

My concern is that using the hot water may be overkill for what I'm trying to do and I may do more harm than good. I don't have much experience in this field yet. The Landa is something that just popped up on craigslist last night, until then my plan was to buy a dewalt on 3/10. Thanks for any replies.
 
Depending on which DeWalt you're looking at, some are made in China.

The Landa, being a name brand, should have better components.

Plus, if the heat is there, and you don't need it, don't run it. If you buy cold and need heat...well, you know.
 
Thanks Russ & Red. I am going to check out the Landa if they call me back, at least get a feel for it and for the seller.
 
Why buy a car with an air conditioner? You don't use it all the time, for some it might not even be needed. If you don't need it you just cut the switch off.

Point about hot water is it speeds work, is more effective than cold water, use less chem., etc... Will you use it all the time?......No.......... Will it be there when you need it???....... Yes, it's just a flip of the switch away........but only if you have it.

Why not be prepared for any situation?
 
Makes it almost a no brainer.... you dont need heat until you need it... go with the Landa
 
No brainer . Get the Landa... Dewalt is homeowner grade I'm sure and Landa is commercial grade equipment. Also of you're going to by a Pressure washer to charge people for work you will need heat from time to time.

Pat Norman 663-316-7685
 
Take a strong look at the Landa, but before you do Call Russ and let him tell things to look for to make sure it is in Good Condition.
 
Take a strong look at the Landa, but before you do Call Russ and let him tell things to look for to make sure it is in Good Condition.

If you do buy new, stay away from the Dewalt, and spend the extra $300-$400 To get a belt drive. It will pay for itself by making up for pump repair costs and downtime. Also, it will feed from a tank better when you get around to that.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2
 
Thanks, everyone, for your replies. I'm waiting to hear back about the Landa so I can set up a meeting to try it.
 
Get the home depot dewalt, which is probably a honda gx 390. very similar to the "john deere" they sell at Lowe's for same price, though it may have a cat pump vs. AR at Lowe's. Take the $600 left over and get buckets, ladder, another 50-100' of hose and some sh. Don't bother with the walmart bleach, go to a pool supply store or sherwin-williams for good sh. Worry about finding chemical supplier for the hot 12.5% when you get a few jobs under your belt. Take what's left and use for contingency fund in case you need anything else to complete your first few jobs. You don't want to spend all your $ buying a big house and not be able to furnish it. A commercial hot machine is far less important than the Dale Carnegie book. Learn to sell pw. Spend a couple hours every night reading old threads about basic residential washing & ideas to grow the business. The pricey equipment will come later. Not everyone on this board is running multiple trucks 24/7. Many of us started with the garden pump sprayer, too. One piece of advice: when you load the machine into the back of your suv or car after a job, make sure to cram the hoses on the side of the trunk opposite of the exhaust. Trust me. Good luck.
 
Get the home depot dewalt, which is probably a honda gx 390. very similar to the "john deere" they sell at Lowe's for same price, though it may have a cat pump vs. AR at Lowe's. Take the $600 left over and get buckets, ladder, another 50-100' of hose and some sh. Don't bother with the walmart bleach, go to a pool supply store or sherwin-williams for good sh. Worry about finding chemical supplier for the hot 12.5% when you get a few jobs under your belt. Take what's left and use for contingency fund in case you need anything else to complete your first few jobs. You don't want to spend all your $ buying a big house and not be able to furnish it. A commercial hot machine is far less important than the Dale Carnegie book. Learn to sell pw. Spend a couple hours every night reading old threads about basic residential washing & ideas to grow the business. The pricey equipment will come later. Not everyone on this board is running multiple trucks 24/7. Many of us started with the garden pump sprayer, too. One piece of advice: when you load the machine into the back of your suv or car after a job, make sure to cram the hoses on the side of the trunk opposite of the exhaust. Trust me. Good luck.

That's pretty good advice about not spending everything you have on a machine if you can't afford essentials like a hose, ladder, and surface cleaner. But heck, if he learns to downstream, a ladder may not be that important. I know I hardly ever pull mine out of the truck. Keep in mind though, Home Depot does sell Dewalts that are only about 3 GPM, which he would regret. If he can get a 4 GPM belt drive from Paul for $1300 (or maybe Russ has one at that price?) and not go broke, he'd be better off in the long run. I started out with a direct drive though, and a lot of us did. But I had more pump issues with a brand new direct drive than I had with belt drives in bought on Craigslist. I would never recommend a direct drive to someone who plans on doing this full time, and can afford a belt drive. Only he knows exactly what his budget is though.
 
Get the home depot dewalt, which is probably a honda gx 390. very similar to the "john deere" they sell at Lowe's for same price, though it may have a cat pump vs. AR at Lowe's. Take the $600 left over and get buckets, ladder, another 50-100' of hose and some sh. Don't bother with the walmart bleach, go to a pool supply store or sherwin-williams for good sh. Worry about finding chemical supplier for the hot 12.5% when you get a few jobs under your belt. Take what's left and use for contingency fund in case you need anything else to complete your first few jobs. You don't want to spend all your $ buying a big house and not be able to furnish it. A commercial hot machine is far less important than the Dale Carnegie book. Learn to sell pw. Spend a couple hours every night reading old threads about basic residential washing & ideas to grow the business. The pricey equipment will come later. Not everyone on this board is running multiple trucks 24/7. Many of us started with the garden pump sprayer, too. One piece of advice: when you load the machine into the back of your suv or car after a job, make sure to cram the hoses on the side of the trunk opposite of the exhaust. Trust me. Good luck.
Now thats what im talking about
 
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