[Steven Butler]

Hi can anyone recommend a decent pressure washer for the cleaning of block paving, patios etc...
I'm not interested in anything good enough for commercial work just literally small domestic jobs.
Cheers

[Gordon_Taylor]

I have a Nilfisk p150, cost me about £300 has 150 bar pressure and flow rate is 610 litres an hour perfect for domestic stuff.

Regards,

Gordon

[Steven Butler]

Cheers Gordon,
Other than the actual pressure washer what else would be needed to offer the service to customers?
Thanks

[Great Outdoors]

How can you offer a professional service using that ?

[Gordon_Taylor]

Blindly two threads and you have dug me out on both.

Read the post, the chap is not after a all singing all dancing machine just something that I'm sure will do a good job.

As for providing a professional service you know nothing about my professional approach to my work, I provide pressure washing as an additional service to my window cleaning customers, no I don't have a 3000 psi and 20 ltrs machine but for what I use it for it does a fantastic job, I explain that my machine is not industrial but my customers are always more than happy with the job I do.

If you have nothing to better to say than sh*ty comments then maybe it's best you go and polish your lances or something?

[Gordon_Taylor]

Sorry Steven I did not answer your question properly, I also use I wet and dry vac, you will find on some jobs that you will get pooling I use a floor squeegee if its bad then I use the vac.

Gordon

[Great Outdoors]

It's not a dig at you but why recommend something from band q? Some of our customers have higher spec machines than that . It's similar to us using a rug doctor for carpet cleaning but it's  viewed as an add on service that's ok Why not pay a little extra for decent machine kenny has some for sale in used section. What £600. What's the difference between domestic cleaning and commercial surely u want to provide same level of cleaning ?

[Great Outdoors]

I was going to say go polish your lance ... Then I realised its probably plastic  owe come on that was funny  give us a smile

[johnny bravo]

boxing gloves on  and gumshield in

[Steven Butler]

Gordon,
Cheers you understood my question exactly, I'm looking at a possible add on to carpet cleaning... Not solely a pressure washing business so cheers for the advise.
Steve

[Neil Jones]

How much you have to spend Steven?

[Rob_Mac]

Mike and everyone else on this section have much to be proud of with their attitudes to developing commercially driven businesses and if I am honest I have not seen this question raised (from this angle before) and from my own perspective I started a pressure washing service from a residential window cleaning round, as an add on. I am confident that Mike meant no malice with his response.

He is big enough to defend his own actions though, as he has done.

I started with a 5.5HP petrol machine that lasted till it blew up cleaning a commercial roof. My attitude is to go and offer any service from a slightly different angle.

If you offer a service, with equipment that the homeowner can go and buy from the local shed there doesn't, from my perspective, seem to be anything better than in that.

You don't have to spend a great deal of money to have a petrol machine and a wheeley bin that can be put in the van for the odd job. I am sure for not a lot more money than you will be paying for the yellow throw away machines. The other side of it is that if the cheap machines go wrong they are meant to be thrown away, something with a petrol engine can be repaired and will give years of service.

Whatever you decide we are a good bunch down here - honest

Rob

[BDCS]

Gordon,
Cheers you understood my question exactly, I'm looking at a possible add on to carpet cleaning... Not solely a pressure washing business so cheers for the advise.
Steve

Look at it round the other way - I'm a pressure washer and have bought a vax to offer shampooing carpets as an add on 

[Rob_Mac]

Carl

A very simple way of looking at the situation - excellent response!

Rob

[Kenny83]

I agree, thats the best comparism ive seen when it comes to this kind of subject... for the people that want to do pressure washing as an add on, by buying decent kit they will be retaining value to the service as opposed to 'just some guy with a karcher did it for 50 quid'

[Steven Butler]

Gents thanks for the responses.
Firstly can i make it clear that i respect the effort, finance, hard work etc most of you must have put in to establish yourself as professional pressure washing businesses.  I dont for 1 minute think i can buy a cheap machine and offer the service you offer.
To be honest the reason im considering the service is that as i was leaving my last 2 carpet jobs this week, both had large areas of block paving and asked if i knew anyone who cleaned it so that got me thinking......
Cheers

[Great Outdoors]

Gents thanks for the responses.
Firstly can i make it clear that i respect the effort, finance, hard work etc most of you must have put in to establish yourself as professional pressure washing businesses.  I dont for 1 minute think i can buy a cheap machine and offer the service you offer.
To be honest the reason im considering the service is that as i was leaving my last 2 carpet jobs this week, both had large areas of block paving and asked if i knew anyone who cleaned it so that got me thinking......
Cheers

Steve I meant on offense, If you purchased a machine like Lee is selling - you can offer the same level of 'cleaning'. If you went this route you would however obviously need a van.
 The main difference with the larger machines is they allow you to clean faster.. But again at the same level of cleaning.

Another alternative is to find a local pressure washing guy who is 'setup'. Network with him pass leads his way swap leads or work out a commision basis  

[Gordon_Taylor]

I think what the problem is we are targeting different customers, I understand what is being said about having the same type of equipment as the customer.

The kit I have would cost between &300-£350 so a domestic customer would not but this sort of kit, the spec is a lot higher than the £50 unit out of say lidl.

Most of the customers that I do this type of are existing customers of mine who either don't want to do the job cause there either not that way inclined or don't want to get coverd in crap.

Or they just don't want to but all the kit for once a year job.
It's the same principle with window cleaning the customer could go and but a set of point ladders and do the job but they don't because either they know its easier and quicker to get a window cleaner

Does may kit deal with patios paths and drives yes it does could I do a car park deffinatley not.

If I got a lot busier with the pressure washing then I would invest in the equipment needed to be self contained until then I'll carry on as I am.

[Roger Oakley]

How strange, we were working in Eltham last week (Court Road) homeowners couldn't find anyone that could cut-it local to them.
Add on merchants don't you just love-em

[BDCS]

I've surveyed the drains at Eltham railway station and I'm from Dover - obviously competant tradesmen are scarce in the locality