Pressure Washer - How much is enough?

[Kelemvor]

I rented a PW a few years back and did our deck, siding, lawn chairs, etc and it was great. I've though about getting one but don't want to spend the few hundred dollars a nice gas one is.

Menards has one on sale this week that's a McCulloch 1800 PSI electric for $99. Just wondering if I should bite on this or not. Not much info in the ad other than it has a 20' hose and a nozzle.

 

[rivan]

I bought an electric model a couple years back with a similar pressure rating, and wasn't impressed. It did an okay job, especially for what I paid, but it won't compare to a higher pressure gas model.

You'll get your work done much faster with a higher pressure rated model.

 

[DrPizza]

It's not just pressure, but also how much water is coming out at that pressure. That's why a lot of the cheap ones can have a high pressure, but suck at cleaning. Check both numbers before making a purchase decision. The better electric ones are okay, but if you want to do any serious cleaning, go gas.