equipment

[maylog]

Hello my name is Chris, I am interested in starting a power washing bussiness. If anyone can help me with some start up advice it would really help out alot. I was looking at some equipment and wondering if this sprayer will do
-11.0 hp Honda GX engine
-industral comet ZWD triplex pump
-3.5 GPM 12,250 cleaning units
-thermal relief valve
-ajustable loader
-chemical injector
-model;beex-3511hwcomz
-3500 PSI

thanks

 

[Mark]

I would spend the extra $ and go with the belt drive unit.

I expect it to go on sale soon.

Call for details.

 

[Mike Hughes]

I agree, and go for 4gpms if you can. GPM's are more important then psi.

Spend some time looking at old posts on here, and doing searches............you will learn a lot.

Best of luck to you.

 

[oneness]

Don't fall for the "Cleaning Units" crap that Home Depot and Lowes try to con you with. They're irrelevant. You want as high a gpm machine as you can possibly afford...I think Mark has some good deals on belt drive machines. 3000psi is as much as you'll ever need for doing residential work, and is too much for many things you'll likely be cleaning. Better to get a machine with 3000psi and 4-5gpm...that extra 500psi won't be useful to you, but the extra gpm's will.

What types of work are you looking to do? That will help determine what is the best machine for you.

do a lot of reading on this and other boards...there's a LOT of vital information for someone just starting out.

 

[Mike Hughes]

Originally posted by oneness
3000psi is as much as you'll ever need for doing residential work, and is too much for many things you'll likely be cleaning.

Well said!

 

[MightyMike]

If the Lowe's and Home Depot models came with an "hour glass" instead of a price tag, you wouldn't buy them...
A good start is 4 GPM... I have a 3GPM@3000PSI Honda. I do alot of roofs, so I appreciate one less GPM, but when it comes to running your surface cleaner and using "distance" nozzles, the 4 GPM is much more efficient.
Poly Belt Drive Units are pretty much an investment worth making. Sometimes $$$ can be a problem, and that's where the "E" series may come in handy. I researched quite a bit before I bought my equipment, and I found that it was in "my" best interest to get the 9HP 3k@3GPM Eagle Series. I haven't had any trouble yet.
You want atleast 200 ft of pressure hose, and 100 ft of garden hose. I made that mistake already!
Other than that, it's mostly your chosen chemicals that do the work. I feature "low" pressure, so I use different equipment.

 

[oneness]

Mike:

Not having done a lot of roofs, I'm wondering why less gpm would be favorable on the roof? I could see less psi, but why less water?

Thanks!

 

[hadishon]

Maybe so you don't mess up the clients flowers as bad when they don't have gutters?? Only thing I can think of at the moment...

 

[B.E YOUNG Sr]

Less water means more work in most applications. You usually spend 20-25% percent washing and the other 75-80% rinsing.

I would thinK a 4.0 gpm machine would have 25% more volume and a five gpm ect. ect. ect. ect.

I would set 4.0 gpm and 3000 psi as the lower standard and go up in gpm from there.

 

[Dan S]

Hello Chris welcome to our world ..................

where are 'ya from?

YOu really dont need hardly any pressure to do anything except heavy Eq.

go with the GPM's like memtioned above and you will do a-okay.