# Needing a bigger pressure washer. Is this thing worth it?



## mpminter (Mar 21, 2011)

So I just found this pressure washer. Is this thing worth the money?


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## ReNt A PaInTeR (Dec 28, 2008)

I'm not familiar with those pumps, PM Mr. fix it ,he knows for sure if it's worth it or not


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## mpminter (Mar 21, 2011)

Good idea, I think I'll do that:thumbup:


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## Roof Cleaning (Jun 29, 2011)

depends on what you will be using it for?

For a fulltime pw'ng co you would want a 5.5 belt driven general ts 2021.

this is a good unit tho, depends on what you need out of it?


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## PatsPainting (Mar 4, 2010)

Those are not bad pumps, They basically are generics that allot of company's use. I have a airlessco pump that looks about the same as that one. What you really want to do is research the actual pump on the thing. 

Pat


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## Bender (Aug 10, 2008)

The Honda GX motors are pretty tough.


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## 4ThGeneration (Apr 17, 2007)

mpminter said:


> So I just found this pressure washer. Is this thing worth the money?


Call Tom Vogel from ACR Products. He owns a power washing company as well and knows his stuff. Tell him jimmy sent ya. 

(610) 253-8005


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## Slopmeyer (Aug 2, 2009)

Never heard of the pump manufacture ,but it looks pretty sweet to me. And for the price you cant beat it if the pump manu. is good. Mine is a about 10 yrs old 11 hp honda motor with a general pump. 3-3.5 gall. per minute and it was $1500 back in the day. great machine


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## PressurePros (May 6, 2007)

If unloader is built into pump... run. It looks like it is in that picture. Unloaders go long before pumps do. A pro machine should have the capability to swap them/bolt on. I'm not a big fan of AR pumps either. 

From a generic standpoint.. I like the Honda GX motors mated to General pumps. General pumps are like small blocks. Plenty of parts and easy to rebuild.


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## mpminter (Mar 21, 2011)

Roof Cleaning said:


> depends on what you will be using it for?
> 
> For a fulltime pw'ng co you would want a 5.5 belt driven general ts 2021.
> 
> this is a good unit tho, depends on what you need out of it?


I'm not a fulltime PW company by any stretch. I am a small time painting contractor who uses a pressure washer to clean houses and strip decks from time to time. I have started using a low pressure, chemical based system for washing vinyl, and I find that my current machine really does not have the flow to be efficient. I have had the same pressure washer now for 6 years, and it has served me well. It is a 5.5 horse honda mated to an AR pump (same manufacturer as the machine in question) that is pushing 2.3 gpm at 2400 psi. Basically, it's an upper mid-grade home owner unit. I would like to start doing more pressure washing, but I don't have the business to justify an expensive belt driven machine yet. A 4 gpm, 4000 psi direct drive unit like the one here would more that meet my needs for the time being.


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## vermontpainter (Dec 24, 2007)

PressurePros said:


> If unloader is built into pump... run. It looks like it is in that picture. Unloaders go long before pumps do. A pro machine should have the capability to swap them/bolt on. I'm not a big fan of AR pumps either.
> 
> From a generic standpoint.. I like the Honda GX motors mated to General pumps. General pumps are like small blocks. Plenty of parts and easy to rebuild.


I'm so calling Bob W and telling him Kenny sent me.


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## PressurePros (May 6, 2007)

vermontpainter said:


> I'm so calling Bob W and telling him Kenny sent me.


I get a dollar off of shipping every time I send a new customer :thumbup:


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## 4ThGeneration (Apr 17, 2007)

Imagine the surprise when people do not even by from power washing companies in their back yard when they actually bs about all they do? Are all people from Vermont saps? Hmmm thats the question

I know a guy who will sell ya a BE power washer cheap if you have the time to drive to their place 3 or 4 times and in the end realize there never was a BE :whistling2:


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## PressurePros (May 6, 2007)

There was a company called Eskimo Power Wash Supplies that actually used to sell cheap machines. Strange name I know. They must have gone out of business which I knew was coming because every winter their website would get turned off. There is also ETS, Equipment Trade Services about 5 miles from me that has some decent deals on used pro equipment. Are you near Philly?

http://www.shopetsonline.com/


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## vermontpainter (Dec 24, 2007)

PressurePros said:


> There was a company called Eskimo Power Wash Supplies that actually used to sell cheap machines. Strange name I know. They must have gone out of business which I knew was coming because every winter their website would get turned off. There is also ETS, Equipment Trade Services about 5 miles from me that has some decent deals on used pro equipment. Are you near Philly?
> 
> http://etscompany.com/wordpress/


I remember sled dogs in the logo


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## Roof Cleaning (Jun 29, 2011)

I had a 5.6 AR direct drive with 16hp briggs on it that lasted a good while.
We also have a general direct drive 4gpm with a 13gtx honda pushing it.

The 4gpm on a 100 feet of hose will pull a REALLY nice ratio with a downstream injector.

Had my ts2021 belt now for a couple years and she is like a Cadillac.
You can run surface cleaners fast, with a 0060 you can hose down just about anything. Couple that with a nice 12v system and you will kick ass and take names. Using a 14gpm chem pump atm and with my ts2021 (2520 tip) we are pretty fast.


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## mpminter (Mar 21, 2011)

In my never ending search for good equipment I found a Graco 4030 on craig's list for $700. It's a belt driven 4 gpm machine flowing 3000psi. It has a honda GX motor and a General pump with what looks like a bolt on unloader. The guy that owns it now said that they just used it to wash trucks (he's a landscaper) and the guys were using too much pressure so they're downgrading. Their loss will be my gain! Hopefully I'll pick it up on Monday:thumbup:


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## Roof Cleaning (Jun 29, 2011)

Nice find!

I got my 4gpm general used also. A local pw'ng company called and said they were going out of biz and moving. I picked it up for 250!!!!hoses, summit reel and a really nice soft brush.

Had it serviced and she still runs great.

Check out some of the forums around, with so much eqpt being sold at the events etc the markets seem flooded (at least down here) 8 out of 10 of them will be selling the 6 month old eqpt. That would be were I would look if I were looking for some specialized cleaning eqpt on the cheap. Chems I bet you could talk em down to just shipping if you buy the eqpt...


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## mr.fixit (Aug 16, 2009)

Ken is correct if it has a built in unloader run and personally I would not give you a nickel for a Cat pump. The most important thing to remember is that nobody manufactures pressure washers, all of these companies just assembly parts & pieces from other manufacturers. Honda engines are good as are Subaru. Giant,General and AR are all good pumps. there is always the belt drive versus direct drive debate but I my opinion if you have 3500 psi ant 3 gallon per minute or whatever the numbers are it does not matter what is driving the pump. But of course I just repair them Ken may have a different opinion as he works with them all day


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## mpminter (Mar 21, 2011)

just an update, I bought the machine, and it looks like it has been very lightly used! It turns out it has a Comet pump, not a general, but it looks like I could put a general on there if I wanted to. The carburetor was gunked up from lack of use but a quick cleaning and an oil change and it runs like a champ! HUGE improvement over my little 5hp honda!:thumbup:


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## doctors11 (May 17, 2010)

A salesman at Northern Tool told me Comet pumps are made by General. Anyone know how true this is?


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## PressurePros (May 6, 2007)

doctors11 said:


> A salesman at Northern Tool told me...


"Salesman" and "Northern Tool" have me glancing sideways. 

Everything these days is made to spec and private labeled. The company label is more important than the manufacturer. I can get a manufacturer to make me a piece of junk that will last 200 hours and put my name on it. Then I can train my salespeople to tell people that the $300 pump is made by General. 

Northern Tool, Harbor Freight, etc. They get stuff made to their cheaper specs. That's not to say they are all bad, but, as with everything, you generally get what you pay for.


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## Different Strokes (Dec 8, 2010)

PressurePros said:


> "Salesman" and "Northern Tool" have me glancing sideways.
> 
> Everything these days is made to spec and private labeled. The company label is more important than the manufacturer. I can get a manufacturer to make me a piece of junk that will last 200 hours and put my name on it. Then I can train my salespeople to tell people that the $300 pump is made by General.
> 
> Northern Tool, Harbor Freight, etc. They get stuff made to their cheaper specs. That's not to say they are all bad, but, as with everything, you generally get what you pay for.


It can get confusing for sure. I've heard of guys selling junk, but justify the sale because what they consider to be the "Most important Part" of a machine has a quality name like "Honda" on it. I've heard guys say things like "I got this pressure washer at a steal of a price, and it's got a Honda motor!" . Ken, are all honda motors quality?


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## mr.fixit (Aug 16, 2009)

Comet is not a division of General. the only connection to General is Interpump


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## PressurePros (May 6, 2007)

Different Strokes said:


> It can get confusing for sure. I've heard of guys selling junk, but justify the sale because what they consider to be the "Most important Part" of a machine has a quality name like "Honda" on it. I've heard guys say things like "I got this pressure washer at a steal of a price, and it's got a Honda motor!" . Ken, are all honda motors quality?


Some look like Hondas, we call them Chondas as they are made in China. Even in the Honda line there is good and not-so-good. The Honda GX line is decent.


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## mpminter (Mar 21, 2011)

This is my thread, so I can necro post if I want to! I just went to repack this pump and found out that it's a general after all! For some reason I had thought it was a comet, but it turns out to be a general 47 series with a nickel plated brass manifold. The packing system has two brass rings per plunger, and apparently now there is only one (packing retainer). Does anyone have any experience with these pumps? it seems solid enough, and my ceramics are all perfect, so I'm just doing packings with brass, and valves.


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