Pressure Washer Buying Guide for Snow Foam
We all love a thick, mousse-like Snow Foam consistency when it comes to washing our cars. One of the most important factors to a thick, luxurious foam is the pressure washer you use.
When we created Snow Foam Australia, our initial focus was to make products that worked for Australian car enthusiasts. We know that not everyone is going to crank up a petrol pressure washer to do a simple weekly car wash nor would we casually pay $500+ for a pressure washer that we were only going to use occasionally.
So our Snow Foam Lance and our OG+ Snow Foam Lance was specifically made with the following in mind; users aren't all using petrol pressure washers and prefer pressure washers between $100 - $400 as a general starting point.
We produced a Snow Foam Lance that works superbly with affordable pressure washers that are highly accessible to the market from retailers such as Bunnings, Mitre10, Sydney Tools and Total Tools to name a few.
But now you're ready to commit to a Snow Foam Lance and you want to make sure you don't waste your money on a pressure washer that won't give you the performance you expected so here's our list of things to consider:
1. Water Flow Rate
When looking at pressure washers, be sure to take note of the Maximum Flow Rate. This essentially is a read of how much water can the pressure washer pump out in litres per minute.
We want this reading to be 8L/min or above
2. Pressure Rating
For automotive cleaning, we like to stick between the 2000psi - 3000psi rating as it is generally cost effective and not extremely powerful that you could run into potential damage.
If you are lower than the 2000psi rating, opt to switch to the included 1.1mm inlet in the Snow Foam Lance which caters for lower pressure rated pressure washers.
3. Pricing
Be realistic when buying your pressure washer. We have bought plenty of pressure washers over the years for testing from the cheapest on the market to costly petrol pressure washer models.
You definitely get what you pay for when it comes to pressure washers. A $49 pressure washer may not have the quality or longevity to last years to come along with potential headaches of warranty and hard to find replacement parts. The pressure ratings are going to be lower due to a cheaper motor and you'll be putting more effort to clean the car and other areas of the home.
On the flipside, an expensive pressure washer will leave a bigger hole in your pocket and if it may sit in your garage unused, was it really worth it per use? We like to find that middle sweet spot from $150 - $350 with a good warranty period.
4. Warranty
Remember we are dealing with high pressure water products and so parts can break. Companies are always looking for ways to reduce costs and plastics and motors seem to be getting cheaper and thinner over the years. Although we cannot control the choices of these companies, we can keep an eye out on the warranty options for our options.
Also if you purchase from a reputable hardware store like Bunnings, you want it to be an easy process to return the pressure washer if the pressure washer malfunctions.
5. Build Quality
Build quality is the final thing to consider and where you should do your own research to make sure your money goes to the right product. Do you research as to which brands use metal pumps and which brands have plastic pumps. All products are evolving so it is up to you and a point to consider.
Snow Foam Team's Suggestions: Ryobi
We are totally aware that every individual has their own experiences with different products with different satisfaction levels. These suggestions are our experiences with commonly purchased pressure washers from our local hardware store in Sydney. We aren't affiliated with these companies mentioned.
Affordable: $139 Ryobi RPW140G
We have tried the Karcher K2 and the Gerni Classic 115.2 and weren't majorly satisfied with them. The Karcher was problematic and completely stopped working within months of purchase and the Gerni did last a good year of use before coming crashing down. It was when we tried the Ryobi range of pressure washers, we honestly were beyond satisfied. It has been over 2 years without a single issue so far.
The RPW140G comes with 4 year warranty and has 1800W 2000PSI with a minimum flow rate of 6.7L/min and maximum flow rate of 7.2L/min.
It foams up nicely with our Snow Foam Lance and Detergent. The only upgrade would be an extension hose to upgrade to a 10m length. Simply select the Ryobi adaptor for this pressure washer.
The upgrade would be a braided 10m hose in place of the standard hose.
Ideal: $349 Ryobi RPW170G
The RPW170G comes with 4 year warranty and has 2400W 2500PSI with a minimum flow rate of 7.3L/min and maximum flow rate of 7.8L/min.
These numbers will create a rich, luxurious foam with our Snow Foam Lance and Snow Foam Detergent. Simply select M22 adaptor for the Lance for this pressure washer.
The 8m hose works well and does not need an immediate replacement.