Electric or gas pressure washer
The site decides this one. An electric pressure washer runs indoors with no exhaust, starts with a switch and makes little noise, which is why detail shops, wash bays, kitchens and plants buy electric. It needs the right circuit: 120 volt units top out around 2,000 PSI, 230 volt single phase covers most shop work to 3,000 PSI and 4 GPM, and three phase runs the big stationary units. A gas pressure washer carries its own power, which is why contractors, farms, fleet yards and anyone washing away from a building buy gas. The electric pressure washers and gas pressure washers pages each carry their own guide.
Hot water or cold water
Cold water handles dirt, mud, algae and loose material, which is most residential work and a lot of contracting. Hot water handles grease, oil, road film, fat and anything that leaves a film on your glove, and it sanitizes. If the surface is oily or the job is a fleet, a kitchen or heavy equipment, buy from hot water pressure washers. The 110 hot water units here run from portable gas machines with a diesel fired burner to all electric units for indoor bays.
PSI and GPM: what the numbers mean
PSI is the force that lifts the dirt off the surface. GPM is the flow that carries it away. For most commercial cleaning, flow matters more than pressure: a 4 GPM machine at 3,500 PSI clears a truck faster than a 2.5 GPM machine at 4,000 PSI. The 3,000 PSI class covers cars, decks, siding and general shop work. The 4,000 PSI class covers concrete, heavy equipment and stripping. Above 4,000 PSI the machines are industrial units for hydro blasting and surface prep. Match the flow to your water supply, because a machine cannot pump more than the tap delivers, and a garden hose gives about 4 GPM.
Portable pressure washers, skids, trailers and wall mounts
Portable units on wheels are the majority here and suit a single site. A skid bolts into a truck bed or onto a trailer for a mobile wash business or a fleet that washes at more than one yard. A trailer unit arrives ready to tow with its own tank. A wall mount or stationary electric unit keeps the floor clear in a bay where the water and the machine both stay put.
Pressure washers for cars and detailing
Paint wants pressure under 2,500 PSI with a wide fan tip, flow around 2 to 3 GPM, and a quiet machine that starts every time. That is the Kranzle electric range and the smaller BE and Pressure-Pro electric units. Detailers on a rented bay with standard outlets buy 120 volt; a shop with a 230 volt circuit gets more flow. Pair the machine with a foam cannon from foam cannons and detergents.
High pressure washers for concrete and driveways
Flatwork wants 3,000 PSI and up with 4 GPM, and a surface cleaner attachment so the floor comes up even instead of striped. Homeowners get there with a 3,400 PSI gas unit; contractors want 4,000 PSI and a belt drive pump that survives every day.
Pressure washers by brand
Simpson is the value gas line with Honda and Kohler engines and the Clean Machine, PowerShot and Water Blaster series. Pressure-Pro covers the widest commercial range, from the Eagle series to hot water skids and diesel units. BE Power Equipment builds gas, electric and hot water machines plus truck mounts. Cam Spray is the wall mount and stationary electric specialist with natural gas and propane heated units. Kranzle is the German built electric line detailers ask for by name. Makinex makes the dual pressure washer for rental and contracting.
Pressure washers we recommend by job
Four picks for the four jobs buyers ask about most, chosen on flow, power on site and how the machine travels.
Kranzle K2160TST for detail shops
The Kranzle K2160TST electric pressure washer puts 2,320 PSI and 2.9 GPM on 230 volt single phase, the band that cleans paint without harming it, in a German built unit that lasts.
Simpson CM61083 for driveways and home use
The Simpson Clean Machine CM61083 is a 3,400 PSI 2.5 GPM gas unit that handles a driveway, a deck and the siding on a Saturday without the price of a commercial machine.
Simpson ALWB60828 for contractors
The Simpson Aluminum Water Blaster ALWB60828 runs 4,200 PSI at 4.0 GPM on an aluminum frame that does not rust in the truck, the every day unit for flatwork, siding and prep.
BE HW3524HA12V for fleet washing
The BE Power Equipment HW3524HA12V hot water pressure washer moves 8.5 GPM at 3,500 PSI with a Honda GX690 and a diesel fired burner, the flow that gets a tractor trailer done fast.
Freight, delivery and returns on machines
Free freight to the lower 48. Machines ship new from the manufacturer by freight carrier at no charge to a commercial address with a loading dock or forklift, or to the carrier's nearest terminal for pickup. Orders are prepared within 0 to 1 business days and delivery takes 5 to 8 business days.
Liftgate service, $95 flat. No dock or forklift? Choose liftgate service when you add the machine to the cart. The carrier calls ahead to schedule, brings the crate to your address and lowers it to the ground with a liftgate. It lands at the curb or driveway, not inside the building. One flat fee per order, whatever the machine weighs.
On delivery. Inspect the crate before signing. Note any damage on the delivery receipt and photograph it. We file the claim with the carrier, and if a replacement is needed we ship it.
Returns. Unused machines in original packaging can be returned within 30 days of delivery. A 20 percent restocking fee applies and return freight is the buyer's responsibility, and a refused freight delivery is handled the same way, which is why we would rather confirm the model before it ships: send the job, the water and the power on site through the form on this page and we check the spec against the machine. Full terms are on the shipping policy and return policy pages.
Not sure which machine fits the job? Answer a few quick questions and see the machines that fit, right here.
Prefer a person? Give us a call at (219) 327-1138. We are available Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM EST and one of our representatives will help you with what you're looking for.