Help finding a power washer pump that isn't too expensive

[r8f1k]

I had this posted in Lawn and Garden and I received zero responses, so I am trying this forum to see if I get any traction. Looking to put a decent power washer pump on an all stainless steel, wash down 1 HP motor. It is a 56C frame, 1750 RPM 5/8" shaft, Sterling Electric motor. Very well made, I don't want to spend $400 on a pump. I have seen, in the past, similar motors with small pumps similar to those you see mounted on the back of a horizontal shaft gas engine. That seems like it would work, but I don't see anything like that anymore for sale. It doesn't have to be super high pressure, just 'good'.

 

[bmaverick]

I had this posted in Lawn and Garden and I received zero responses, so I am trying this forum to see if I get any traction. Looking to put a decent power washer pump on an all stainless steel, wash down 1 HP motor. It is a 56C frame, 1750 RPM 5/8" shaft, Sterling Electric motor. Very well made, I don't want to spend $400 on a pump. I have seen, in the past, similar motors with small pumps similar to those you see mounted on the back of a horizontal shaft gas engine. That seems like it would work, but I don't see anything like that anymore for sale. It doesn't have to be super high pressure, just 'good'.

The China made electric power washers have now become the main staple going forwards. The gas engine ones are just too pricey and have fallen out of favor in the market.

1750 PSI 1.3 GPM Corded Electric Pressure Washer

Amazing deals on this 1750Psi 1.3Gpm Electric Pressure Washer at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

 

[5030]

There are a ton on Amazon. You have to decide if you want an axial flow pump or a triplex pump and the GPM you want. I just bought one off of Amazon as a spare for my gas powered PW and it was 175 bucks delivered. It's a cheaper axial flow pump. The triplex pumps are more expensive. Most of them are direct couple so you'll need to have an adapter machined or you can go the belt drive route. All the electric ones are way too wimpy for what I need except for the AR and it ain't cheap.

 

[rScotty]

I bought one on Amazn to replace a broken one on my gas power washer. Basically matched the pictures and the shaft size. A hundred, maybe two. It works fine. Took all of 5 minutes to take off the old and put on the new.
I didn't expect much for the price, but it works better than the original.

I've bought a couple of electrics, they seem made for a different job than the gas powered washers.

 

[5030]

The issue is, a one horse electric motor won't give you much in the way of pressure or water flow. In my opinion, you need at least 5 horsepower minimum to do any real cleaning of anything and flow rate is important too. Why I won't buy a 110 volt washer like was pictured in a previous post. They might make the pressure but the flow is minimal and you need both pressure (at least 1200-1500 psi at the nozzle plus adequate flow which 'washes' the crud off efficiently. The 110 volt washers are not really capable of doing real work like cleaning farm equipment or blasting off concrete crud or cleaning decks. They will work but slowly.

 

[jwmorris]

Add me to the list that found one on Amazon.

I went to Google and searched “3/4” horizontal shaft 2.5gpm 3400psi”. The specs of my Honda GX powered pressure washer.

Then picked this one from the results.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08BQY1CD6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[jwmorris]

Googled this

“1 HP motor 56C 1750 RPM 5/8" shaft pressure washer pump”

Found this

https://www.amazon.com/CANPUMP-Direct-Hollow-Pressure-Washer/dp/B07V2BG92C

 

[mikester]

Cheapo consumer duty means you will end up buying a new replacement one much sooner rather than later. You get what you pay for.

There is nothing wrong with using an electric motor. The high pressure pump is what costs the most money. Pay attention to volume (flow rate), operating pressure AND duty cycle. The better the numbers the more you have to pay. Don't ignore the flow rate.

Single phase 120VAC will be less efficient I'd go 240VAC minimum on single phase.

 

[5030]

I might add that Harbor Freight has a 5 horse (Predator) powered axial flow pump pressure washer complete with rolling cart, hose, wand and 5 tips for under 300 bucks OTD.

I have one, it's 7 years old now and I did replace the pump (bought a pump on Amazon as I inferred in another post and a new hose and it's run like a top. It makes 1500 PSI at a substantial flow rate (2.5 galloons per minute) which works for equipment washdown just fine.

The supplied hose is pretty cheesy and I replaced that with a real pressure washer hose (from Amazon).

I also bought a foam cannon and foam my equipment with pressure washing detergent (I use Chemical Guys detergent) but you can use the foamer with any car wash detergent. The foamer does an excellent job of getting the dirt and mud loose and fits right on the end of the pressure washer wand. The foamer works on the same principal as a fire fighting foamer, just much smaller.

What is death on any pressure washer is allowing it to freeze. Once they freeze (with water inside, they are basically junk and the pump needs to be replaced. I keep mine in a heated shop in the winter but you can buy pressure washer antifreeze as well.

My cheapo HF unit went 7 years of equipment washdown before the pump required replacement. Not bad for under 300 bucks and the Predator motor still runs like a top and starts on the second pull consistently. I do change the oil in the pump (30 weight non detergent), every time I change the oil in the engine.

 

[5030]

Cheapo consumer duty means you will end up buying a new replacement one much sooner rather than later. You get what you pay for.

There is nothing wrong with using an electric motor. The high pressure pump is what costs the most money. Pay attention to volume (flow rate), operating pressure AND duty cycle. The better the numbers the more you have to pay.

Single phase 120VAC will be less efficient I'd go 240VAC minimum on single phase.

7 years, I believe I did well for a cheapo HF unit.

 

[mikester]

7 years, I believe I did well for a cheapo HF unit.

Yes you did well!

I'm on my second cheapo 2,500 psi Karcher which is now operating no better than a garden hose nozzle now after 5 years. My 20 year old 4,500 psi commercial gas powered unit still removes paint on 150 feet of hose. Get what you pay for. The wife wanted the cheapo unit to make it easier for cleaning windows and screens on the house.

 

[5030]

In my opinion (which you can question and I won't take offense) there are only a couple pump manufacturers that make good PW pumps. Cat (which are super expensive) and AR which aren't and what I have and whatever PW pump you buy, make sure you can change the oil in it. The one I had and the replacement pump I purchased have oil filled crankcases with fill and drain plugs and they all take 30 weight non detergent oil.

All of them are rebuildable (AR and Cat) but as cheap as the one I have is, I just replaced the pump and landfilled the used one.

If it was a CAT triplex, I would have rebuilt it. Mine is an AR axial flow. besides, 7 years and it served me well.

The difference between an axial flow and a triplex is a triplex pump has a crankshaft and the pump head mounts to the side (3 ceramic plunger pumps) with a manifold. An axial flow pump uses a wobble plate to actuate the pump heads which mount on the front. Both do the same thing but the axial flow is much cheaper to manufacture.

Dang Predator engine just keeps on chugging along. Probably outlast this replacement pump too.

 

[5030]

Yes you did well!

I'm on my second cheapo 2,500 psi Karcher which is now operating no better than a garden hose nozzle now after 5 years. My 20 year old 4,500 psi commercial gas powered unit still removes paint on 150 feet of hose. Get what you pay for. The wife wanted the cheapo unit to make it easier for cleaning windows and screens on the house.

Years ago I had a 4500 psi plus MTM unit with a CAT triplex pump that you could cut a 2x4 with. Just way too much power. I don't need to peel paint so I sold it and bought the HF unit and put some jack in my pocket. The 1500 psi HF unit is plenty enough for my needs.

 

[WranglerX]

The China made electric power washers have now become the main staple going forwards. The gas engine ones are just too pricey and have fallen out of favor in the market.

1750 PSI 1.3 GPM Corded Electric Pressure Washer

Amazing deals on this 1750Psi 1.3Gpm Electric Pressure Washer at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

View attachment 787214

But do you have long enough extension cord(s) or a generator to run it.....

 

[5030]

But do you have long enough extension cord(s) or a generator to run it.....

Don't forget about the water hose either... Most all PW pumps won't draw from anything other than a pressurized water hose. Myself, I use a pair of 350 gallon IBC totes hooked up to the rain gutters on the shop and wash with that water but I also have a small 110 volt pump on the PW cart that supplies sufficient pressure to keep the PW pump supplied with water. That came from HF as well.

 

[r8f1k]

I should clarify that I wanted the stainless steel motor to use in my cider making operation. It is also a wash down motor, so it should handle the environment well. Once upon a time, I saw one with a pump very similar to this.

I don't really need it for too much grime removal or heavy cleaning. More for sanitizing, washing pomace down the drain and rinsing the equipment. I can swap it over to 220 pretty easy, so that is an option, but overall, I wanted to get a small yet reliable pressure washer that I can run inside.

 

[r8f1k]

Googled this

“1 HP motor 56C 1750 RPM 5/8" shaft pressure washer pump”

Found this

https://www.amazon.com/CANPUMP-Direct-Hollow-Pressure-Washer/dp/B07V2BG92C

What I am afraid of with this pump, is it shows 2-3hp. Does that mean that's what it needs? Or is that it's capacity?