mcmxi
Well-known member
Lifetime Member
Equipment
***Current*** M6060HDC, MX6000HSTC & GL7000 ***Sold*** MX6000HST & BX25TLB
I've never owned a pressure washer until about a year ago. There's a local weekly online auction up here and last year I spotted what appeared to be a very lightly used Karcher pressure washer with a 5 HP Honda engine. Some research indicated that a new equivalent pressure washer would be around $450 so I placed a few bids hoping to get it for around $200. I ended up winning it for $165 plus a 15% buyer's fee. I was feeling pretty good about this deal, and felt even better when I got it home and the little Honda engine started first pull and purred like a kitten.
Now fast forward to this past weekend when I installed two frost-free faucets through the concrete foundation, one after the filters/softener treatment, and one off the well directly. My thought is that I can water the garden with well water and wash equipment, vehicles etc. with filtered and treated water. This is relevant because I hadn't tested the water pump due to the lack of an outside faucet (another story).
I was excited to test out the pressure washer for the first time but disappointed to discover that I could get as much velocity by putting my finger over the end of a hose. Something wasn't right so I ended up removing the pump to find a couple of issues. The oil in the gear housing (for want of a better word) was the color of a latte, and the spill valve which is Karcher's name for the unloader valve was stuck. In hindsight I could have simply replaced the spill valve, maybe, but I wouldn't have known about the oil in the gear housing which would eventually have caused a failure. Every seal or o-ring inside the pump was in a bad state so at the very least I needed to buy a pump rebuild kit.
So after looking for parts online I decided to order a complete replacement 3,000 psi Karcher pump which includes everything that connects to the output shaft of the engine. Total cost was $130 with a free QD kit thrown in. A pump rebuild kit is $85 so I figured it makes more sense to spend the extra $45 for a completely new pump rated for 3,000 psi, a 600 psi upgrade. I might order a pump rebuild kit at some point so that I have a working spare pump but there's risk since I don't know if new seals, fresh oil and a new spill valve is all that it needs.
So now I'm $320 into my first pressure washer and rapidly approaching the cost of a new and possibly better one. I've learned a thing or two but what I thought was a really good deal has turned into an ok deal at this point.
Now fast forward to this past weekend when I installed two frost-free faucets through the concrete foundation, one after the filters/softener treatment, and one off the well directly. My thought is that I can water the garden with well water and wash equipment, vehicles etc. with filtered and treated water. This is relevant because I hadn't tested the water pump due to the lack of an outside faucet (another story).
I was excited to test out the pressure washer for the first time but disappointed to discover that I could get as much velocity by putting my finger over the end of a hose. Something wasn't right so I ended up removing the pump to find a couple of issues. The oil in the gear housing (for want of a better word) was the color of a latte, and the spill valve which is Karcher's name for the unloader valve was stuck. In hindsight I could have simply replaced the spill valve, maybe, but I wouldn't have known about the oil in the gear housing which would eventually have caused a failure. Every seal or o-ring inside the pump was in a bad state so at the very least I needed to buy a pump rebuild kit.
So after looking for parts online I decided to order a complete replacement 3,000 psi Karcher pump which includes everything that connects to the output shaft of the engine. Total cost was $130 with a free QD kit thrown in. A pump rebuild kit is $85 so I figured it makes more sense to spend the extra $45 for a completely new pump rated for 3,000 psi, a 600 psi upgrade. I might order a pump rebuild kit at some point so that I have a working spare pump but there's risk since I don't know if new seals, fresh oil and a new spill valve is all that it needs.
So now I'm $320 into my first pressure washer and rapidly approaching the cost of a new and possibly better one. I've learned a thing or two but what I thought was a really good deal has turned into an ok deal at this point.
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