The more I read??

O

outlaw

Member
The more I read, the worse my head hurts. After reading through many many posts on this and the other sites I am left wondering what a cold water 3500 psi machine is good for, the general consensus seems to be it's too much for a deck or fence and not enough for a concrete drive. Now one thing I do realise is that chemicals and solutions seem to make the most difference between a good job and a bad one. I had a main question but after staring blankly at the screen for 5 minutes I can't think what the heck it was, so if anyone has any thoughts they want to throw out, it might unscramble my head a wee bit.
Gav
 
Gav

All I can say is that I've had a nice fulltime run in this biz washing fleets with the very same machine that you describe, and yes there are many variables attached.

If you think of the "main" question you wanted to ask feel free to ask, or email me.
 
Hey!

You dont need to buy none of that crap you mentioned in your previous post.You live in TX,so call Delco ,trust me,when i started i had the same questions and i couldnt decide for a long time.Buy a machine that will last a long time,when you start making money ,there is nothing worse than working with bad equipment.
Johny
 
Outlaw,

Let me help you some here, for starters what do you plan to wash, concrete, fleets, decks and houses, awnings, hoods?

That answer will help determine hot or cold machine however keep in mind that at some time in your work you will wish you had hot water, if only to rinse off that concrete.

I would recommend a hot water system regardless of what your doing, you do not need run the burner if you only need to cold water.

Now as to the brand, you can start out with something from Home Depot as many have and work up to a better one or you can buy a cheap hot/cold system and as it breaks down fix it OR if money is not an object buy top of the line, it will pay you back in less break downs.

Now that is not to say they don't break down, alll do and will over time.

Now was it about chemicals, pricing, brands of machines, full time vs part time?

Jon
 
Gav,

No machine is too big to do decks. All you have to do is attach a larger sized tip, and it will reduce your pressure so you don't damage the deck.

My machines are both 3000psi/5.5gpm's...........but we run size 10 tips in them when washing wood, which is considerably less pressure then the size 6.5 tips that produce 3000 psi.

The other option is to use a dual-lance wand, and dial the pressure down that way.
 
Thanks for the replies,
As I already have asmall window cleaning biz, I am going to service homeowners needs(at least to start off with) so I guess this would include Decks, houses, pathways drives etc, I have allready done a couple of customers homes with a rented unit(ashamed to say I used no cleaning solution, it was before I came across this site). I've pretty much got to start off with the $1000 HP unit which will leave me some left over for some accesories. One question I do have is, what is this duall wand the deck guys are on about for reducing the pressure when washing a deck, if the pressure is to high can't you simply use the right nozzle and hold it further away from the wood so as not to tear it up. This probably wasn't my main question, but it might be easier to ask one at a time.
Gav
 
Thanks Mike,
Ithink we posted replys at the same time, so you kind of answerd my ? as I asked it.
Gav
 
I have the same unit that you have. 3500 psi cold. I have not done a job yet that it has not cleaned. I too have been asking my self if I should get a hot water unit. I think I will someday but will use the one I got till the unit stops working. I think you should get some money saved first and than move up to something better. I did the samething you are doing, you start to read what the big boys have and want the same. I see it takes time to save money, get a customer base, and make sure it's going to pay off before you buy bigger and better equipment. Start off slow, do a great job, and the rest will fall into place.
 
To use chemicals or not to?

This is my first post so consider the source. I just received my first pressure washer via freight truck. It is a 4000PSI 3.5 GPM cold water unit. I spent my last $1000 on it with the hopes of making a decent income. My question is can I do a decent job of cleaning RV's, boats, decks, and driveways without using chemicals? I can't afford chemicals right now and I am not even sure how to apply them.
 
Frank,
You really need to use the right chemicals to get the results you want. If you try to clean things with brute force, you will end up destroying everything you work on. You should spend some time using the search function on this and other boards, which will answer most all of the basic questions you need answered.
Good Luck.
 
Aplus, thanks for the reply. I need all the advice I can get. I'm sure there are those out there thinking here's another Bozo running a pressure washer out of his garage without the faintest idea of what he is doing. While that is mostly true, we all had to start somewhere. I have rented pressures washers for various home jobs and am aware of the damage they can do. If I can just get started washing a few RV's, mopping them down with soap and water and not getting to close to damage the skins, I'll be on my way. Is there a FAQ somewhere on using chemicals? TIA.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top