Pressure Washer Buying Guide
How to Choose a Pressure Washer
Soft Wash vs Power Wash - Hot vs Cold - Electric vs Gas
1) Soft Wash vs Power Wash
This is the most important decision you'll make when buying a pressure washer. Both soft wash machines and power wash machines are types of pressure washers since they both use pumps to add pressure to the water beyond what the spigot provides. The difference lies in how much pressure is added and how much cleaning power you need.
Soft wash machines dole out a higher GPM (gallons per minute) and lower PSI (pounds per square inch), hence soft. You probably want a soft wash machine if you're cleaning more delicate materials: wood, vinyl siding, shingles, windows, things that have paint without sealants, etc.
Power wash machines are the opposite. They provide lower GPM and higher PSI, producing a more powerful stream of water and blasting loose the stubborn dirt and grime. Power wash machines are best for use on tough surfaces: cement & brick, parking garages & lots, etc.
2) Hot vs Cold
The second most important decision when buying a pressure washer is whether to buy a hot water or cold water machine. A hot water machine can be used with cold water—just don't turn on the burner—but not the other way around. The decision comes down to whether or not you think you'll need to use hot water in your future cleaning.
Cold water pressure washers are often used around the homeas well as for contract cleaning businesses. They provide all the same pressure and benefits of hot water machines except, of course, the temperature. Cold water machines are for cleaning dirts that aren't hydrophobic or blasting away particulates: sand, layered-on mud, stripping paint, cleaning out gutters, etc.
Hot water pressure washers do everything cold water machines do. The difference is hot water cleans faster because the temperature of the water excites the particles and loosens them up more. Hot water machines are better than cold water for cleaning things like grease, oil stains, gum, etc.
3) Electric vs Gas
The last of the three main decisions you need to make is whether to buy an electric or gas pressure washer. Electric models are usually cheaper than gas models due to having fewer moving parts—it makes assembly faster & easier, cutting down on costs. Neither is inherently better than the other. It all depends on what you're using it for
Electric pressure washers, having no engine, are generally half the weight of gas pressure washers. The low weight makes them more portable, and no emissions makes them easy to carry around for indoor cleaning. Not to mention how much quieter they are...
Gas pressure washers pump out, on average, higher GPM and produce way more PSI. Buying a gas machine is generally a good idea if you're using it outside, away from a power source, and don't have any noise restrictions. Or if you just really need the power and flow to blast dirt, grime, oil, and muck from surfaces hard enough to handle the pressure.
