Our 2-year old home has cedar siding, a cedar deck, a cedar walking bridge, and a large concrete pad. It is recommended by the professionals to apply a clear coat (or stain) on the cedar siding every 2 years to keep the cedar looking at its best, especially on those sides where the sun beats down on it, causing it to weather faster. Before applying another coat of stain, the siding needs to be pressure washed to remove mud, dust, and mildew. In our former home, we had always rented a pressure washer when our concrete pads or brick sidewalk needed to be cleaned. However, in calling the rental shops in our new location, the rental stores wanted $75 a day. In checking prices for businesses to pressure wash our siding, the average quote was in the $300 range. After much consideration, we decided to spend the money and buy our own knowing we would be using it frequently. After thoroughly researching, we decided on the Generac Pressure Washer, Model 1450.

During my research, I learned that we needed to have between a 2100 and 2400 psi for adequate cleaning of the siding, deck, and our concrete pad. Pressures as high as a 3500 are more for commercial use and not for the average homeowner. Also higher pressures could cause damage to your wood siding or wooden deck or even yourself. Anything smaller than a 2100 psi would not be as adequate for concrete pads or siding.

Features

Honda GC 160, 5 hp Overhead Valve Engine: Overhead valve technology extends your engine life and improves your fuel economy

PSI: 2400; this means 2400 pounds per square inch.

GPM: 2.0 gallons per minute

Hose Length: 25 feet

Turbo Nozzle: Spins a narrow jet in a circular motion, significantly increasing cleaning effectiveness.

Quick Connect Spray: 3 high-pressure tips (0, 15, and 40 degrees) and 1 low-pressure tip. Tips can be changed to control the spray pattern.

Stainless Steel Gun and Wand with Pro-Style Spray Tips: Offers different spray styles

Detergent Injection System: Adds cleaning solutions to the water stream.

Extra Large Quiet Muffler: Impressive! Not near as noisy as I thought it would be.

Automatic Cool Down System: Automatically purges overheated water to protect pump.

10-inch Pneumatic Tires: Extra large for all-terrain mobility, which is excellent for us since we have elevation variations around our home.

Applications and What It Removes

You could use this on siding, decks, patios, concrete pads, boats, bicycles, boats, ATV's, driveways, sidewalks, fences, gutters, lawn and garden equipment, patio furniture, RV?s, tractors, trailers, and windows.

The pressure washer removes stains, spills, mold, mildew, dirt, grease, paint, salt, and grime.

How to Use

Place the pressure washer in an area close enough to a water source capable of supplying water at a flow rate greater than 2.3 gallons per minute with a water supply temperature not to exceed 100 degrees F. Then connect the garden hose to the water inlet on the pressure washer pump. Turn on the water. Do not ever run the pump without the water on. The pump is entirely dependent on running water for cooling. Next, you squeeze the trigger on the gun until you have a steady stream of water and attach the nozzle extension to the spray gun. Pull the choke rod on the engine to the "closed" position and move the throttle control lever to the "fast" position. Grasp the starter grip and pull slowly until you feel some resistance. Then pull cord out rapidly. The engine has now started and you are ready to get some serious cleaning done. Be sure to wear your safety goggles when using this.

The turbo nozzle rotates the high-pressure stream in a rapid circular pattern. The high pressure is most effective when the tip of the nozzle extension is held between 8 to 24 inches from the surface being cleaned. The turbo nozzle is capable of cutting holes through surfaces or removing paint that you didn't want to remove if held too close. You cannot apply detergent when using the turbo nozzle or any of the high-pressure nozzles.

For a gentle rinse your would use the 40 degree nozzle which produces a fan spray effect. To scour a surface, you would use the 15 degree nozzle which produces a smaller fan effect or the 0 degrees nozzle which produces a stream effect. Use lower pressure for washing a car or a boat and use a higher pressure to strip paint and degrease driveways. Always apply a high-pressure spray to a small area of the item first and check for damage.


Household detergents could damage the pump in the pressure washer, therefore you can only use soaps specifically designed for pressure washers. If you do use the detergent siphoning tube, you must flush it with clean water before stopping the engine.

If you run the engine on your pressure washer for 3-5 minutes without pressing the trigger on the spray gun, the circulating water in the pump can reach a temperature between 125 degrees F - 155 degrees F. When the water reaches this temperature, the automatic cool down system engages and cools the pump by discharging the warm water onto the ground. This prevents internal damage to the pump.

Impressions

So far, I must say I am quite impressed. Assembly only took about 20 minutes before it was ready to go. It is easy to start and easy to maneuver even though it weighs 87 pounds. The extra large muffler makes it a lot quieter than any machine we had previously rented. I really like having an assortment of stray tips, and I love the turbo nozzle. We have been able to remove the mud splatters and mildew with effortless ease from our siding. The gutters were cleaned out in no time, and I was astounded of how much pine needles and other debris had built up in them.

One side of our home required usage of a ladder to spray the very top. You do need to be extremely careful if you need to use a ladder since pressure in a running washer builds as you climb. When you press the trigger, the recoil from the spray could cause you to fall. With this in mind, my husband would climb the ladder and I would start the washer after he reached his destination.

Make sure you wear old clothes when you use this, and be prepared to be showered with, well,... crud! Now, our next big step is applying the clear coat stain. Oh, boy, I can hardly wait. I have a strange feeling my husband is now going to want a power sprayer next...!

The only negative incident that has happened is when our son used the pressure washer to clean his engine in his Blazer. Apparently, he must have sprayed something that was electronic because while driving, he called us on his cell phone explaining to us that a red light showed up on his dash about "Needing to be Serviced". He swung the Blazer into the auto shop and discovered that all the codes had been erased. So that was a $45 lesson to him to spray the engine with more caution.

Warranty

The warranty is 1 year.

Update

We have owned this for 3 years now and it is still running strong with no problems. This was well worth the money and has really paid for itself in no time.







Recommended: Yes