Outlaw 14 Report post Posted January 28, 2005 how much difference would I notice , job wise, between 3.5 GPM and 4GPM? Gav Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Henry B. 4 Report post Posted January 28, 2005 Honestly, I can't really answer that question, it will clean faster and better than the 3.5 but I've never done a side by side comparison. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
One Tough Pressure 580 Report post Posted January 28, 2005 What kind of work do you do? If your work is vertical you may not notice much, but for flatwork it will speed things up. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Outlaw 14 Report post Posted January 28, 2005 Mostly residential housewashes, I have a cold water 3600 psi 4 GPM machin with an 11 HP honda engine, it's still going good but I want a second machine, they are aprox $1000 at HD and Lowes for the same, Sams has theirs price at $800, Honda engine, the main difference I see is the GPM, I was just wondering if I would regret "saving" the $200 or so. Gav Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Beth n Rod 1,279 Report post Posted January 28, 2005 Negligable difference. Only drawback I have seen is that many homes hose bibs dont always supply 4gpm. If you are using a tank, no prob, but if you are direct feed, you will have some problems if the supply doesnt meet your machines demand. Rod~ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Outlaw 14 Report post Posted January 28, 2005 Only drawback I have seen is that many homes hose bibs dont always supply 4gpm. would that be why my pump seems to pulsate at times, not enough supply? Gav Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
One Tough Pressure 580 Report post Posted January 28, 2005 would that be why my pump seems to pulsate at times, not enough supply?Gav Yes What type of pump does the cheaper machine have? I say not only does it have a smaller gpm pump but one that will not hold up very long with constant use. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mike 64 Report post Posted January 28, 2005 Besides taking a bucket and filling it up with water and counting how long it takes, is there another way to see what the GPM coming from a water hookup on a building or house is? Is there some kind of guage that can be put inline with your water hose? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
One Tough Pressure 580 Report post Posted January 28, 2005 Besides taking a bucket and filling it up with water and counting how long it takes, is there another way to see what the GPM coming from a water hookup on a building or house is? Is there some kind of guage that can be put inline with your water hose? Yes it is made by Toro for sprinkler installers. It does psi and gpm. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Outlaw 14 Report post Posted January 28, 2005 I'm not sure, the machine I have now has an AR, if i'm not mistaken, I thought all the HD and Lowes machines had either General, cat or AR, I could be wrong on that, I will check on the pump make this weekend. The reason I figured it was cheaper is because it is put together by Delta, most their tools are cheaper than their rivals, not sure why, I have had a Delta chop saw for a few years now and never have had any problems, however, I'm always kind of wary about bargains. Gav Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Celeste 341 Report post Posted January 28, 2005 Also, if you are drawing off of a house that has a well you need to know that the well pump is push more gpm than what you machine is. If your machine is pulling more gpm than what the well pump is putting out you can damage the well pump. Roger Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Henry B. 4 Report post Posted January 29, 2005 If your power washer is pulsating make sure the customer has their spicket inside and outsied turned on all the way, check your inlet screen, it may be clogged up. If that fails check the seals on your pump. Most houses put out 4gpm with no problem around here. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CCPC 26 Report post Posted January 29, 2005 I made a reversed Y connection that I hook directely to my machine which breaks off into two seperate hoses, that attach to two seperate spickets. Any job where I have encountered problems with either not enough pressure, or gpm, this has always solved the problem. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
newlook 265 Report post Posted January 29, 2005 usually the 1st thing to go on the HD units is the rocker arms break. I have had 2 of them break on me. These are definately not for everyday full time use. I use them now for back-ups Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GymRat 14 Report post Posted January 30, 2005 I made a reversed Y connection that I hook directely to my machine which breaks off into two seperate hoses, that attach to two seperate spickets. Any job where I have encountered problems with either not enough pressure, or gpm, this has always solved the problem. I have used the reverse Y connection myself, but a word of caution in using this on houses with a well. Some of your old wells with a jet pump do not put out very many GPM, and you can cause a lot of problems to the well pump and or your machine if not carefull. Things like water hammer, pump cavitation, backflow, etc. John Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Beth n Rod 1,279 Report post Posted January 30, 2005 Henry, Haven't you run into the homes with flow restrictors installed? We have been running into them for some time. It can be hard to get 4gpm around here even with the spigots wide open and things flowing well. The restrictor helps to economize the home's consumption, by restricing the flow coming out of the home. I wish we had a photo of one of them... Beth Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pams Pressure & Clean 64 Report post Posted January 30, 2005 We did a house a month or so ago that had the worst water supply you can imagine. Less than 2 GPM wide open at the hose bib. We have a tank and showed up with about 100 or so gallons to start the house but had to stop half way through becasue the well pump wasn't keeping the tank full. We waited about an hour to get enough water to finish the house. In talking with the homeowner he tells of the well being nearly 500' deep. He said when they hit water it shot a stream that was just unbelievable, but after the capped and installed the pump is when he had trouble. We suggested a new pump.. I can't imagine how the guy got a shower every day.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Russ Johnson 141 Report post Posted January 30, 2005 Carlos, what rocker arms break? The ones in the Honda engine? I have seen this happen a couple of times. The rockers will take up to 3,600 rpm. I have had people move the throttle restrictor screw to increase rpms and, thusly, pressure and flow. Then the rockers crack in two. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Outlaw 14 Report post Posted January 30, 2005 I almost don't want to say anything in case i'm tempting fate, but my HD unit is 3 years old and has been worked Hard and is still running like a champ, however, i don't feel like pushing my luck anymore, so I will be semi retiring her to a back up roll. When I got this one, it only carried (I think) a 3 month warranty for commercial use, the one at Lowes carries (I think) a 2 year warranty for commercial use. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
newlook 265 Report post Posted January 30, 2005 Russ, Yes the ones on the Honda Engines. They are not built to take a beating all year round day after day. I started our business with the HD pressure washers so I do have a little alligance to them :). I have 3 of them now...with 2 of them in service and the other I just take parts off and use it to keep the other 2 up to snuff. In my case the throttle restrictor moved up because of the continuous vibration from the unit. All in all...if you keep them maintained and don't rely on them as a 1st rig to splash water then you can keep them a very long time. Outlaw....good to hear that yours held up through the years. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
beyoungsr 14 Report post Posted February 4, 2005 My experiance with HONDA engines has been just the opposite. I also own three machines. One is a GSX 340 11 hp engine that is seven years old and has hundreds of hours on it. Very few problems over the years. Machine vibration can come from a lot of things including to much air in the tires, over clocking the engine, over torquing the motor mounts, or just a bad frame design. IMHOP HONDA makes the best small engines. If you need parts for them though, you better have a big wallet. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
newlook 265 Report post Posted February 4, 2005 I do agree that Honda does make a good engine. With me, I totally beat the crap out of my unit. I did not take care of it like I should. Thank god they built those things with an oil shut off valve...if not, I would have blown mine up in the first month. :) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Henry B. 4 Report post Posted February 4, 2005 Carlos, The oil has to be changed in them? lol My first pull around washer I had for 14 years and I only changed the oil in the pump once. The engine oil, probably 3 times. The thing still runs great too but I gave it to a buddy of mine last year. He's constantly changing the oil on the thing so it will probably die from shock..lol Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
newlook 265 Report post Posted February 4, 2005 Henry ~ lol My first unit lasted one summer with me. I am hard on equipment. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
John Orr 206 Report post Posted February 4, 2005 A 4 gpm machine will clean approx 14% faster than a 3.5 gpm machine. It is unusual to find a 3600 4gpm machine with an 11hp motor. That would normally call for a 13 hp - and in fact that is what the HD machines use. In any event, the psi is less important than the gpm. The 13 hp Honda motor is a very good, and HD will honor the warranty on it, and the pump, for 90 days when used commercially. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
