Pressure Washers

My pressure washer is on its last legs, hose leaking, pump seal leaking, gun leaking, etc and I think I’d better upgrade before they all disappear from the stores.

Let’s not go IDO-Max-It @peshit crazy on this, Yes, yes, the obvious choice is a 365 HP turbo diesel pressure washer with an aftermarket boost chip that brings it to 425 HP and that will shoot holes in 3/4 inch steel. I just don’t have room in my 100×300 heated/air-conditioned pole shed.

3000 to 3500 PSI is more than enough for my equipment cleaning chores without risking damage.

Anybody own and have any feedback on any of these models:

– Northern Tool Powerhorse 3100 – Yeah it’s a Chonda (Chinese Honda knockoff) engine, but I have had good luck with these engines so far. Is this thing any good? On sale for a good price. Norhern Tool swears they actually carry parts for this.

– Simpson Honda 3000 PSI unit – Like the genuine Honda power. Parts seem available on internet. Like compact size. Simpson any good?

Other ideas in the 3000-3500 range?

Thanks.

Grouse

Wish I could help you Grouse but mine is at the cabin and I dont remember much about it other than I bought it cheap at L&M and its a Honda. And it works great.

Its a little less on the psi your looking for, but the generac 2700 i have has stood up to everything I’ve put infront of it. Throw a turbo tip on and it’s even better, this year I teamed it up with the 6-18′ extendable powerhorse wand and it still ate the mildew up easily by peak of the house.

I have a ryobi I think. Green from home depot with gas honda in it. Been great to me. I beat it at work day in and day out. Never a single problem besides touching the original rubber hose to the exhaust.

FW gifted me a Ryobi 2800 psi about 3 years ago. Can’t kill this thing which is rare for me.

I’ve got a Simpson 3000 w/ Honda power and it’s been great so far. No complaints here.

I took the Honda up to the cabin and picked the Dewalt up at HD for home.
Either one works very well.

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Let’s not go IDO-Max-It @peshit crazy on this, Yes, yes, the obvious choice is a 365 HP turbo diesel pressure washer with an aftermarket boost chip that brings it to 425 HP and that will shoot holes in 3/4 inch steel. I just don’t have room in my 100×300 heated/air-conditioned pole shed.

That could be the best thing I’ve read on here in the last 6 months.

I have a Simpson 3000 psi @ either 2.1 or 2.4 gpm, don’t remember. Always wintered inside in the basement. Honda motor or Briggs don’t remember that either. No Complaints. Purchased @ Sam’s Club 6ish years ago for the mid to upper $200’s. Went to Lowes and got an extra length of hose and the 12″ dual disk attachment for the end of it for cleaning any horizontal surface.

Original thoughts were for a Honda motor and a Cat pump that was serviceable, but for the price I couldn’t get the Cat.

I have the Gererac. Menards or FF. Mine is 5 years old. Starts 1st pull. Also has a nice size fuel tank. Which is nice.

Thanks for the replies.

Hadn’t really looked at the Ryobi, but looks very similar to the Simpson for about the same price.

Northern Tool has a really good State Fair special on their own brand, though. Pretty tough to decide. It looks like far and away the most issues are with the pumps, not the engines themselves. Craigslist is loaded with units with good motors and blown out pumps. Parts availability for Simpson and Ryobi looks good, wonder if Northern Tool will keep up with parts.

Grouse

Random tidbit: In dealing with pressure washers fairly often, people focus too much on PSI. The GPM ratings are equally or more important. The same happens with leafblowers when people shop based on “peak MPH” instead of the volume or “CFM”. A blower or washer with higher volume of air or water moved with speed or pressure even remotely close is night and day different.

A lot of pumps go bad because people don’t winterize them. Store in unheated garage or storage shed. Left over water freezes and bango cracked pump.
Just like boat lower units not checked before winter.

I have a ryobi with a Honda engine, love it

I have the northern brand pressure washer you are looking at. Short sample size as I’ve only had it a few months but so far it’s been great, no complaints or negatives I can think of.

My deciding factor in buying it was based on how the same brand generator performed when I lost power for 3 days this spring.

Hey Grouse, I bought Simpson MegaShot MS31025HT 3100 PSI 2.5 GPM Gas Pressure Washer Powered by HONDA from Fleet Farm this spring. So far its working great, have a lot of hours on it this summer. After reading reviews, seeing it had a honda. It starts and runs like a Honda.

I’ve got the Ryobi with Honda engine. It’s been fussy getting started. After sitting for a month, it always took a shot of starter fluid to get running. Once running I would have to leave choke on mostly all the way. I moved to a more expensive stabilizer and after several tanks run through it all is well.

Besides that, I like it. Just seems to be way more sensitive to fuel age than any of my other fuel products.

I got a new one from Sears, 3100 psi, 2.5 GPM max. Briggs motor with only on/off switch, no choke or throttle. Works nice and motor runs wide open when using the pressure washer and idles when you aren’t

fishingchallenged wrote:

I’ve got the Ryobi with Honda engine. It’s been fussy getting started. After sitting for a month, it always took a shot of starter fluid to get running. Once running I would have to leave choke on mostly all the way. I moved to a more expensive stabilizer and after several tanks run through it all is well.

Besides that, I like it. Just seems to be way more sensitive to fuel age than any of my other fuel products.

This is timely because I haven’t been able to start mine since last summer. I will likely have to tear the carb apart. It is strange because my Honda mower and generator have zero issues.

I have a Generac that I have had for about 5 years, you can dial the pressure down to around 2000 PSI and up to 3100 PSI. It also has a tank that you can have it spray soap for washing cars/boat etc. I have taken the old stain off the deck and then dialed down for washing cars. I love the thing and think it was around $400.

Can any of these put soap thru with pressure?

Steve Hix wrote:

Can any of these put soap thru with pressure?

Yes I have a gas powered ryobi with a Honda motor. Sprays soap with pressure

My Simpson 3100 PSI unit does too and mine is a Briggs motor.

Had a Ryobi with Honda for 4 years running religiously washing vehicles, trucks, boats, etc and had zero issues. Also run soap through this unit and works excellent. Any unit with a Honda motor and don’t think you can go wrong.

Dont know what you are washing but 300+ psi is a lot. Paint/decal peeling psi. Getting into sealed bearings psi. LOL. I am also a more is better guy, but… This said, I would look at a Honda powered pressure washer.

robby wrote:

Dont know what you are washing but 300+ psi is a lot. Paint/decal peeling psi. Getting into sealed bearings psi. LOL. I am also a more is better guy, but… This said, I would look at a Honda powered pressure washer.

I think he meant a 3,000 psi.

Just recently joined the site and see a ton of great info, looks like a great forum glad I found it. I noticed this thread is a bit old but if it helps anyone, great.

I own a pressure washing company in WI.

If you want to make it easier to clean pay attention to gallons per minute and not so much psi. 4gpm will clean really well and as the poster mentioned above, anything honda will last. They’re a little more expensive but well worth it.

Grouse, another brand to consider is Mi-T-m. When you google them, you’ll see a crap load of their commercial equipment. Look past that and look at their consumer models.

Been running them for years with zero issues. The pumps are more heavy duty and stout units. As stated above compare gpm and psi. My unit in my trailer for job sites is around 3400psi. I have a copper tube attachment I made and can shoot a low pressure stream about 50 feet. Perfect for rinsing windows on second floor. I have a smaller unit around 26 or 2800 psi for
My farm. Both have been flawless

I have a friend who works for Northern. “Their ” brand comes off the same line as the Honda after they switch the labels out.
FWIW