I'm going to get a pressure washer this week. The wife wants one to clean the drive after the builders have gone. I want to clean out floor pans and wheel arches to check for rust etc. Sizes seem to be based on pressure and vary from 80 Bar upto 150 bar or more. What size is big enough and what is too big (I don't want to dent the car with excess pressure!)

I got this one for a variety of tasks (cleaning the car/van/driveway & patio) It does the job very well. A little loud but presume all are like that.
Is very neat with all the accessories and fittings it comes with.

(Linky) Argos RAC pressure Washer

Rich

I'd be astounded if you could dent your car with 150 bar water pressure - it sounds a lot but its not, get the biggest you can afford.

i got a cheapy medium size one 2nd hand off ebay - works a TREAT. If its just for domestic stuff there is no need to go nuts and get a big one really.

get the biggest you cn afford, you can effectively adjust the presure down (or you can on mine) but if you gat a low power one you cant turn it up.....

Depends.

Ive got a little 'hobbie' kartcher which for £30 off ebay (£40 in BnQ) does well for odd bits cleaning the car and you discribe, washing bikes, and odd bits of driveway. I dont like the twizely end but thats how they get around the low flowrate while maintaining a tollerable presure and jet size. Its just slow, and if you move fast, leave sprials on things.

My parents have an older large kartcher which for doing bigger areas is ideal. Same presure but the flow rate in 10 fold and it just gets the job done faster. It also had a metal three-ram displacment pump and offloader rather than a plastic impellorbased pump and electric cutout switch.

Biggest ive used was a 2500watt three phase job on a dry dock. Took the dirt of a treat but i could only use it one hour on one hour off as my arms where knackered.

Biggest ive seen was at a work placment at a brine handling plant. It was powered by a 8l stright six turbo deisal and took three men in waders and hardness to hold it. However it could cut 2inchs of scale of with ease.


Daniel

I wouldn't bother with anything less than 110bar.

Even 150+ bar ones could take a while to get my pickup track clean in Greece.

As mentioned.

Get the biggest you can afford.

I got one of these - It's pretty good, you're welcome to come and try it.

Best you can afford.

Kranzle k7 or k10 are fantastic.

(I have k7 & 135)

Dont use the "dirt blaster" type on the car.

If you have the cash, always go for a hot PW, use em at work, makes it so much easier.

hi there
i have 1 of these http://www.tooled-up.com/SearchBasic.asp?Keywords=karcher+k785&SearchType=2&referrer=yahooallterms
and think its brill you can buy lots of add ons as you need them my latest was 15m drain jetting hose and not all that long ago got the snow foam attachment
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVpoQ5fw2rs

It also really depends on what you use it for. Like the cheap ones will do fine for small jobs but often die when used extensively. Like cleaning a (bigger) driveway.

Pressure alone says nothing. You need a mix of pressure, flowrate and endurance.

I have a Clarke one that my mate threw in a skip as it was "burnt out". I fitted a new start capacitor for £9 and have used it ever since. He replaced it with a cheap Netto one which has been going strong and gives excellent pressure and flow for a £30 machine and has been running for over a year now in daily use on motorbikes at the shop.

I've got a small 150bar Karcher thing that does what it says on the tin. Cleans the green mould stuff off the patio at the end of the year and cleans the crap off the cars...

However, I once had access in the bus garage to a nice big thing that took a 25 litre cobby of road film remover and was 250bar. The jet came out the end HOT. Best soapy hot wash I've ever used

The under bonnet of my Astra diesel was spotless!

Quite good for cleaning bus engines down as well