Flat surface equipment

[H2O Joe 14]

What flat surface cleaning equipment do you recommend? Can you recommend any that will be a good fit for both smaller residental jobs and at the same time, larger commercial jobs ?

[ron p 500]

i have a 20" floater and a 28" big guy. I have good uses for both.

If i could only have one, i would get 20" with wheels NOT CASTORS.[LANDA WATER JET].

[K.J. Pressure Washing 14]

H20 Joe..

I agree with Ron P..

I also have purchased the BIG GUY and absolutely love it!!

Today I just bought a 16'' Whisper Wash to do barrel tile roofs

here in florida.For the time and labor it saved me, i only wish

i had bought it sooner........good luck!...........K.J.

K.J. PRESSURE WASHING:D

[One Tough Pressure 580]

Steel Eagle has a few that you may want to look at. The first two are floaters and are less than $500.00 each.

The 12" is good for 4 gpm, and the 16" is good for 5 gpm. Both at 3000 psi.

Next is the 24" which is what I use for both Res and Com work. Not sure what the max gpm is, but does fine for me @ 5.3 gpm.

http://www.steeleagle.com/ProductCatalog/SS-LittleFloater.htm

[Jon 533]

I have a Steel Eagle 24" surface cleaner, not a floater.

I used to have a 28" Big Guy.

Both have there places and if I were to suggest one I would say Big Guy.

But you need to figure out how many big vs. small jobs you do.

What type of work, sidewalks and a few driveways or large commercial work?

How much do you want to spend?

What is your GPM and PSI, that needs to be considered also.

My 24" Steel Eagle is a 3 bar, would work better with 7 plus GPM but I have 3000 PSI, 5 GPM and it does the job.

Some swear by Landa but I would not pay the money for one.

Also unless you do decks forget the adjustable models.

The above is my opinion only and others will disagree with some of it.

Jon

[Aplus 525]

I don't think there is one surface cleaner in particular that will be good for both small and large jobs. It may require you to have two different units depending on what you need for a given job.

I use (and like) a 30" Steel Eagle, mostly for commercial work, but occasionally for a residential concrete driveway. I am going to be adding a smaller unit this season, possibly in the 20" range.

Many commercial locations, like fast food joints, have a narrow concrete ribbon that runs around the building, and my Steel Eagle is just too big for it. Now I have to use my wand, but that is proving to take too long....hence the need for a smaller surface cleaner.

[paul-uk 500]

just got a 18 inch one with casters mainly because most of the ones over here someone has copied and you don't know what your buying...i know some people are happy with the one i have

so i went for it....all that i would say is get one fast...;)

cheers paul.

[Jon 533]

Tony that is why I opted for the mid-size this time around, I find the 24" is ok, just that I am so used to the Big Guy it is taking me a bit longer to readjust to this one.

Still both have pluses and minuses.

Jon

[Shark 14]

I'm looking at purchasing a surface cleaner for a 4 gallon machine with hot water. I'm hearing conflicting reports in regards to using hot water with a surface cleaner. I have been told that it can cause persistent problems with the swivel. I'm looking for information whether this is correct or not.

[R. Williamson 14]

All the above mentioned surfacer manufacturers state that their machines can handle up to 210 degrees to 212 degrees. I have found this to be true. I have not had any warranty claims do to heated water. A 4 GPM machine does not have enough lifting force to float most casterless surfacers. Which will lead to premature brush wear. And it does not have enough force to power a large diameter surfacer properly. With that said, I would say that you would need a smaller diameter ( 19" or 20" ) with casters or if you like the thought of a floater the Whisper Wash Classic is the lightest floater on the market ( 20 LBS ).

Robert Williamson

[Wallydog 14]

All the above mentioned surfacer manufacturers state that their machines can handle up to 210 degrees to 212 degrees. I have found this to be true. I have not had any warranty claims do to heated water. A 4 GPM machine does not have enough lifting force to float most casterless surfacers. Which will lead to premature brush wear. And it does not have enough force to power a large diameter surfacer properly. With that said, I would say that you would need a smaller diameter ( 19" or 20" ) with casters or if you like the thought of a floater the Whisper Wash Classic is the lightest floater on the market ( 20 LBS ).

Robert Williamson

Rob, Ive been considering my options and want to buy a flat surface cleaner. My washer puts out 3GPM a little light on water. i notice you say that even at 4GPM that, that may not be enough to lift some of the hover type cleaners properly which leads to prem brush wear and i would say it would get hard push around.

I was considering a 16" hover whirlaway. Do you think a 18" on castors would be a better option? or do you think the 16" will be suitable? Getting more confused than ever Thanks Wallydog

[R. Williamson 14]

I would recommend casters and a smaller diameter. Whisper Wash Ultra Clean has casters and a 19" diameter cover.

[Wallydog 14]

I would recommend casters and a smaller diameter. Whisper Wash Ultra Clean has casters and a 19" diameter cover.

Thanks Rob. I ve emailed the good people at whisper wash and asked for a quote on the 16" Ultra clean model with and without casters. I notice that the hover one is very light compared to the whirlaway so i think theres a good chance of it being easy to use and from what i gather its good quality. Your input is greatly appreciated. wallydog.

[Wallydog 14]

I would recommend casters and a smaller diameter. Whisper Wash Ultra Clean has casters and a 19" diameter cover.

Thanks Rob. I ve emailed the good people at whisper wash and asked for a quote on the 16" Ultra clean model with and without casters. I notice that the hover one is very light compared to the whirlaway so i think theres a good chance of it being easy to use and from what i gather its good quality. Your input is greatly appreciated. wallydog.

[HotShot 34]

Hey Wallydog....have you got your surface cleaner yet. I'm in the market for one and eager to hear your input.

My PW is 5 gpm and 3000 psi, so I'll probably take Jon's advice.

[Wallydog 14]

Hey Wallydog....have you got your surface cleaner yet. I'm in the market for one and eager to hear your input.

My PW is 5 gpm and 3000 psi, so I'll probably take Jon's advice.

Tony you have 5GPM to play with and that'll run just about anything quite well. Jons advice is good. 24" will be good for your setup. Pretty BIG. Should get jobs done quickly.

Me, i have a 3GPM, 3200 psi setup and i have to be careful what im buying because theres a hell of a lot of conflicting advice on what will work well and what doesn't. It looks like I might get the whisper wash 16" at 15lbs in weight and quality build my 3GPM washer should match it nicely....i hope. The whirlaway is 18lbs in weight which would be more suited to a 4GPM to make the thing hover properly. For me its the above or sell the lot. I'll make my mind up in the next few days. I see the Steel Eagle make a fairly cheap 16" floater but im not sure whether they are durable , feel free to advise me anyone. Wallydog.

[HotShot 34]

ok that makes sense, I shouldn't have a problem with a 24". It looks like the Steel Eagle is a favorite around here, and the Landa. I think I'll start with the S.E. and see how it goes.

[One Tough Pressure 580]

The Steel Eagle Floaters are pretty tough little units. The rotary union is unlike any I have seen before, but has performed well on a 12" that is used with a 4/3000 unit on a regular basis.