Pressure Washer choice

[Pjj]

7hp is pweny. Not enough drive regardless of what pump Is bolted to it.

Better off going for the full works and having a Rutland pumps WaterTek package Honda GX390 21lpm 2900psi 

The op is on a tight budget , Ime guessing once he gets more established with bigger jobs he will probably upgrade 

 

[Truckcab79]

7hp is pweny. Not enough drive regardless of what pump Is bolted to it.

Better off going for the full works and having a Rutland pumps WaterTek package Honda GX390 21lpm 2900psi 

If you look back at the start of my thread you’ll see my logic.  This isn’t the major part of my business but something I do now and want to do better and with more reliable equipment. My current equipment which actually serves me well to date is even ‘pwenyier’ I assure you ? 

Watertek is clearly better but beyond what I wanted to spend. It’s a bit like stating that I’d get better equipment if I spent £10k rather than £10. Well obviously. ?

if it works as the reviews I’ve read have said and if it’s as reliable as I’ve heard the Loncin engines are then I think I’ll be fine with it for a while I hope  

 

[Truckcab79]

The op is on a tight budget , Ime guessing once he gets more established with bigger jobs he will probably upgrade 

Possibly. I’m a sucker for new tools.  Depends how it takes off but to be honest I have such a huge breadth of trades that I cover currently that I’m not consciously looking to add another. Won’t be turning any work down though.  ?

 

[Truckcab79]

Don't forget to put oil in engine, pump and gearbox!!!! Good Luck and let us know how you get on

Cheers. Think I have some still in the workshop. Bought a load then realised that my Rocwood came with it for free. 
 

will be sure to post my ‘review’ and work. 

 

[Truckcab79]

Well delivery speed was clearly too good to be true. Tracker went from  9am to 6pm, waited in all day and no show. They’ll no doubt drop 1,200 quids worth of gear on my doorstep when nobody is here tomorrow. ?

 

[Pjj]

Well delivery speed was clearly too good to be true. Tracker went from  9am to 6pm, waited in all day and no show. They’ll no doubt drop 1,200 quids worth of gear on my doorstep when nobody is here tomorrow. ?

I thought it was to good to be true to get delivery from Ireland that quickly, but Evan if it arrives tomorrow that’s still very fast . 

 

[Truckcab79]

I thought it was to good to be true to get delivery from Ireland that quickly, but Evan if it arrives tomorrow that’s still very fast . 

On the plus side id actually taken the day off to catch up on estimates so it wasn’t entirely wasted 

 

[K in Kent]

I got the opportunity to buy one of these new for £75 and I thought at that price it'll do as an emergency spare spare. With the standard nozzles it wasn't great but didn't think it would be. But you can also fit generic turbo nozzle to it and that makes a huge difference.
This sort of thing will do the job - cheap but effective for your purposes.

 

[kevinc250]

the rockwood is a copy of the kawasaki engine similar to a honda in the way it works, and similar to the honda copy which is a loncin, its all the same mate when you have a budget and these are all good engines, i also read a comment that 7hp is puny, its not really, for instance you can buy an upgrade kit for £125 to make it into a 10hp, the higher/posher honda gx390 has 11.5 horse power and considering some if not more users are using these machines at less than full throttle it suggests that in reality they are running at 8hp or so anyway
the higher end of the market have a bigger pump, you are fine with what you have bought and it will serve you well, just remember to change the oil often in both the engine and pump and the air filter.
you have bought wisely with the work its intended to do.

 

[Truckcab79]

the rockwood is a copy of the kawasaki engine similar to a honda in the way it works, and similar to the honda copy which is a loncin, its all the same mate when you have a budget and these are all good engines, i also read a comment that 7hp is puny, its not really, for instance you can buy an upgrade kit for £125 to make it into a 10hp, the higher/posher honda gx390 has 11.5 horse power and considering some if not more users are using these machines at less than full throttle it suggests that in reality they are running at 8hp or so anyway
the higher end of the market have a bigger pump, you are fine with what you have bought and it will serve you well, just remember to change the oil often in both the engine and pump and the air filter.
you have bought wisely with the work its intended to do.

Many thanks. Very useful info. I’m sure if FedEx ever actually deliver it I might find out. So far a day waiting in when they didn’t show. Two days when they turned up unannounced after being told there would be nobody in. One attempt to leave it at a neighbours and one suggestion I tell them it’s ok to leave it on the driveway at my risk! Taken another day off when hopefully it should arrive. In the meantime lovely solid buffer tank barrel arrived next day delivery and I’ve stocked up on more hypo. Also ordered another 10m QC hose. I’m hoping that having 3x 10m will give me more flexibility than one long one. Find out soon I’m sure.

Also booked another job as part of a total refurb of a very tired and rotten deck for a client of mine.

As for the Rocwood. I cant really fault it. The build quality is poor and you’ve got to learn your machine but most of the poor reviews I’m sure are from buyers who expect to buy it and it perform like a machine ten times the price. In hindsight I’d have probably bought a Wolf. Same machine but better UK support. My go-to on cheaper petrol stuff is generally Wolf or SGS and never have any issues with either.

I’ll be keeping the Rocwood as a spare despite two of my mates being desperate to buy it off me for their own businesses.

Got a link to that engine upgrade? Not heard of that.

 

[Truckcab79]

I got the opportunity to buy one of these new for £75 and I thought at that price it'll do as an emergency spare spare. With the standard nozzles it wasn't great but didn't think it would be. But you can also fit generic turbo nozzle to it and that makes a huge difference.
This sort of thing will do the job - cheap but effective for your purposes.

£75!!!!! For the pressure washer!?

Thanks for the nozzle link. I have one for the Rocwood. Cheap Chinese job but works fine. The Jetmac comes with a turbo nozzle also. I’m assuming similar quality but might be surprised. Will be interesting to see what a better one does that a cheap one doesn’t otherwise.

 

[Pjj]

Many thanks. Very useful info. I’m sure if FedEx ever actually deliver it I might find out. So far a day waiting in when they didn’t show. Two days when they turned up unannounced after being told there would be nobody in. One attempt to leave it at a neighbours and one suggestion I tell them it’s ok to leave it on the driveway at my risk! Taken another day off when hopefully it should arrive. In the meantime lovely solid buffer tank barrel arrived next day delivery and I’ve stocked up on more hypo. Also ordered another 10m QC hose. I’m hoping that having 3x 10m will give me more flexibility than one long one. Find out soon I’m sure.

Also booked another job as part of a total refurb of a very tired and rotten deck for a client of mine.

As for the Rocwood. I cant really fault it. The build quality is poor and you’ve got to learn your machine but most of the poor reviews I’m sure are from buyers who expect to buy it and it perform like a machine ten times the price. In hindsight I’d have probably bought a Wolf. Same machine but better UK support. My go-to on cheaper petrol stuff is generally Wolf or SGS and never have any issues with either.

I’ll be keeping the Rocwood as a spare despite two of my mates being desperate to buy it off me for their own businesses.

Got a link to that engine upgrade? Not heard of that.

Oh dear let’s hope you get it soon ???? hose length depends on the type of work you are doing , we have 1x20 meter and 2x30 meter lengths with we join up as needed only time it’s to short and we have to move the machines and buffer tank is on big commercial car parks and we haven’t done any of them for several years ,so not been a problem .

 

[Truckcab79]

Oh dear let’s hope you get it soon ???? hose length depends on the type of work you are doing , we have 1x20 meter and 2x30 meter lengths with we join up as needed only time it’s to short and we have to move the machines and buffer tank is on big commercial car parks and we haven’t done any of them for several years ,so not been a problem .

Nearly all driveways and patios to date. 10m rarely enough and I have to move the machine which is a pain. More so now as I’d have to move the buffer tank also. Always been tap fed with the Rocwood. No plans to do any commercial stuff so I’d imagine it will be enough.
Thanks again.

 

[Deleted member 7446]

Well. I’ve pushed the button on the Jetmac kit. To be honest I didn’t even want to waste rutlands time asking. Their kit looks lovely but for their lowest priced machine plus accessories plus an FSC plus the VAT it was heading toward £2k to start with. Probably better kit, on the mainland if there were any issues and great spec, but this isn’t meant to be my main business and I get carried away far too easily spending on tools, so I chose not to be tempted.


I went for the 7hp washer pack at £1,150. Tried for a bit extra or a freebie on top but nothing doing. ?


I also think I’ve found a decent solution for a buffer tank. Someone not too far from me selling cleaned ex-food plastic barrels at less than £25. So long as I can squeeze one in the van (or on the rack more likely) it should be a good solution. Holds 220 litres.


Got a couple of pressure washing jobs booked in the next few weeks so will see how I get on. I’d already agreed that my neighbour could borrow my gear to do his driveway but he’ll be borrowing the Rocwood, not the new stuff. ?

Make sure you familiarise yourself with running in and engine oil change after the recommended time frame normally found in the manual. Honda GX are normally 20hrs

Also if you are one for regular maintenance and logging run times fit a tacho

 

[Truckcab79]

Make sure you familiarise yourself with running in and engine oil change after the recommended time frame normally found in the manual. Honda GX are normally 20hrs

Also if you are one for regular maintenance and logging run times fit a tacho

Good idea. Certainly won’t do any harm. I’m fanatical about looking after my kit so a tacho would be a wise move.Especially as my use will be quite infrequent compared to most on here I’d imagine. Easy to lose track.

Just had a quick look on eBay. Presumably any of the generic, inexpensive waterproof tach’s will do the job?

 

[ched999uk]

Good idea. Certainly won’t do any harm. I’m fanatical about looking after my kit so a tacho would be a wise move.Especially as my use will be quite infrequent compared to most on here I’d imagine. Easy to lose track.

Just had a quick look on eBay. Presumably any of the generic, inexpensive waterproof tach’s will do the job?

Have a look at this one on Amazon Digital Tacho and hour meter £14.39.

 

[Truckcab79]

Have a look at this one on Amazon Digital Tacho and hour meter £14.39.

Exactly the one I’d seen as it happens though they all seem pretty identical. Will order one up.
Many thanks.

 

[Deleted member 7446]

Good idea. Certainly won’t do any harm. I’m fanatical about looking after my kit so a tacho would be a wise move.Especially as my use will be quite infrequent compared to most on here I’d imagine. Easy to lose track.

Just had a quick look on eBay. Presumably any of the generic, inexpensive waterproof tach’s will do the job?

These are the best and the only ones I use as they quote time in actual hours so dyslexicly i don't have to fart around trying to figure out what 1/10th of an hour increments are

Digital Tachometer,RPM Meter, Inductive Hour Meter for 2 Stroke & 4 Stroke Small Engine, Replaceable Battery Waterproof Tachometer for Marine ATV Motorcycle UTV https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0756VGDTC/?tag=wcf01-21

 

[K in Kent]

£75!!!!! For the pressure washer!?

Thanks for the nozzle link. I have one for the Rocwood. Cheap Chinese job but works fine. The Jetmac comes with a turbo nozzle also. I’m assuming similar quality but might be surprised. Will be interesting to see what a better one does that a cheap one doesn’t otherwise.

Obviously, as far as I was concerned it was all above board otherwise I wouldn't have had it, but from what I gather he'd got it from a delivery driver because it was surplus stock his company had been sent and couldn't be returned for some reason and was sold off cheap to get rid of it?? I don't know the details but told it's legit..
R.E. nozzles, I don't know enough about them bur all I do know is I've used cheap Chinese and better quality and didn't notice much difference in performance. Cheap Chinese bit more leaky and won't last as long but do what you want of them and well worth a tenner if on a budget.

 

[Truckcab79]

Obviously, as far as I was concerned it was all above board otherwise I wouldn't have had it, but from what I gather he'd got it from a delivery driver because it was surplus stock his company had been sent and couldn't be returned for some reason and was sold off cheap to get rid of it?? I don't know the details but told it's legit..
R.E. nozzles, I don't know enough about them bur all I do know is I've used cheap Chinese and better quality and didn't notice much difference in performance. Cheap Chinese bit more leaky and won't last as long but do what you want of them and well worth a tenner if on a budget.

Bargain of the century!

 

[Truckcab79]

These are the best and the only ones I use as they quote time in actual hours so dyslexicly i don't have to fart around trying to figure out what 1/10th of an hour increments are

Digital Tachometer,RPM Meter, Inductive Hour Meter for 2 Stroke & 4 Stroke Small Engine, Replaceable Battery Waterproof Tachometer for Marine ATV Motorcycle UTV https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0756VGDTC/?tag=wcf01-21

Cheers. Got one on the way. Should probably get one for the Rocwood too.