The Down Range Forum
Member Section => Down Range Cafe => Topic started by: billt on March 24, 2018, 06:59:38 PM
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Now that I've had this new concrete work done, I'd like to clean the older portion of my driveway. It's 20 years old, and has gotten yellow, dirty, and dingy over time. Not to mention when they excavated for my new concrete the Bobcat driver got rubber tire tracks all over it.
I was thinking about renting a gas powered pressure washer from Home Depot. They run only $50.00 or $60.00 bucks for a 4 hour minimum with a $100.00 deposit. Which seems really reasonable compared to hiring it out.
Have any of you guys ever done this? I've watched videos on You Tube, and it's amazing how well it works. I would like to not have to mess around with chemicals or cleaners. My driveway doesn't have any oil stains. Just the tire tracks, along with 20 years of dirt and grime.
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I do it every spring to my driveway. It accumulates dirt and algae like moss slime, from all the rain. I broke down and bought a gas powered one from Costco several years ago, after my electric Karcher died. Good investment.
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Oh absolutely I've done that. A lot of it. Absolutely do not go less than 2,400 psig discharge. 2,700 is pretty good. I have one that does 2-1/2 gallons a minute at 3,200 psig which is a very big improvement over 2,400.
Below 2,400 it is more a tease than a workhorse. To do a really good job wet the concrete down and then take some cheap bleach and spread it out with a push broom and let it work 10-20 minutes keeping it wet the entire time. Then pressure wash it all. Check the % of sodium hypochlorite; cheap sometimes has 6% vs 4% in name brands ( That change of 2% is really 50% more active ingredient).
Note what your faucet provides for water volume. The 3,200 psig unit I have needs 5 gallons a minute...twice what it pumps. It needs that so the pump is not starved on the suction side...which will tear a pump up sooner or later. You may need to time a 5 gallon bucket. Those little 3/8" water hoses won't work...you need a 3/4" if you can get it.
You can buy a good one for normal light use around $300-350. Wash your car with it, the house, car mats, ash trays, rugs, strip paint, etc...whatever.
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You may want to buy one instead of renting, but renting would be a good way to see if it's something you'll want to do enough to justify buying one.
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You may want to buy one instead of renting, but renting would be a good way to see if it's something you'll want to do enough to justify buying one.
I would buy one in a heartbeat if I had a place to put it. After I get some of my new driveway block walled and gated in, I'm going to put up a nice small storage shed. Then I'll get one for certain. Right now I lack the room.
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Most places also rent a surface cleaning head. Which is well worth the money. It will go faster, you will stay drier and it will prevent damage too the concrete.
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Most places also rent a surface cleaning head. Which is well worth the money. It will go faster, you will stay drier and it will prevent damage too the concrete.
+1 to this idea. Makes it a much quicker job.
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Most places also rent a surface cleaning head. Which is well worth the money. It will go faster, you will stay drier and it will prevent damage too the concrete.
I saw those on You Tube. But the Home Depot by me doesn't have any available for rent. I'll try a few others in the area. Are these the things that look like those big floor buffers you see janitors pushing around on hospital floors?
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Yes, they have like a whirlybird sprinkler
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I have run pressure washers for years in our barns. Volume is as important as pressure, but for what you are doing, or will in a home setting, 3,000 psi and 2.5 gpm is plenty. It may take longer for some tasks, but no reason doubling the price of equipment.
For cleaning the concrete, my years in the service station and auto shops made me a fan of powdered Tide. Wet the surface, sprinkle the tide on the surface, and scrub with a stiff push broom to work in, DON'T LET IT DRY as it soaks, and then blast off. In the service stations we only used faucet pressure through a nozzle. However, it works quicker, and better, with the pressure.
Have fun!
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You can buy a good one for normal light use around $300-350. Wash your car with it, the house, car mats, ash trays, rugs, strip paint, etc...whatever.
You left off small children and animals... ;D ;D
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People on ATV forums sometimes talk about pressure washing their ATVs. It works good for some people, but others end up blowing water past the seals into CV joints and U-joints, among other places. When the joints rust and break, they probably wish they used a garden hose and a bucket of soapy water. I know a guy who got too close and stripped the decals off of his ATV, which some people want to do anyway. If you pressure wash a car you have to use the same common sense about how much pressure to use and where you spray it.
P.S. Kitty litter is great for absorbing spilled oil and keeping it from spreading. Once you have it mostly cleaned up, pour on some more kitty litter and grind it in with the bottom of your shoes. When you sweep that up there will be less of a mess that needs detergent to clean up. You can buy oil absorbing clay granules but when I checked the price years ago it cost more than clay granule cat litter. I've kept cat litter around ever since.
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What Jumbo said!
Most ag equipment companies discourage pressure washing their equipment. The equipment is designed to sit outside year round, work in mud, water and powder dry, but pressure washers push past the seals and will ruin lifetime bearings in just a matter of days in the tillage season.
In the shop, when I would spill oil I would put down some floor dri, and if it wasn't saturated, I would just leave it. After a couple of hours of working on it, it was a fine powder that I would just sweep up, and the floor was cleaner than before the spill. When starting jobs that I knew were going to be a mess, opening up engines, trans, transfer case, diffs, I would put a small pile of floor dri next to the post before I even started, so when I spilled I would just kick it over the spill.
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What Jumbo said!
Most ag equipment companies discourage pressure washing their equipment. The equipment is designed to sit outside year round, work in mud, water and powder dry, but pressure washers push past the seals and will ruin lifetime bearings in just a matter of days in the tillage season.
In the shop, when I would spill oil I would put down some floor dri, and if it wasn't saturated, I would just leave it. After a couple of hours of working on it, it was a fine powder that I would just sweep up, and the floor was cleaner than before the spill. When starting jobs that I knew were going to be a mess, opening up engines, trans, transfer case, diffs, I would put a small pile of floor dri next to the post before I even started, so when I spilled I would just kick it over the spill.
Good idea Mike.
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....I have one that does 2-1/2 gallons a minute at 3,200 psig which is a very big improvement over 2,400.....
I'm seriously thinking of just buying one, and be done with it. My concern is size. As I mentioned, I don't have a lot of room in my garage. So today I'm going over to Lowe's and get some storage racks, so I can get my garage better organized. And get a lot of the crap off the floor, and up on the wall. I've got too many light things like Aluminum ladders, rakes and shovels, hoses, and assorted other junk taking up too much floor space.
Once I get that done, I should have enough room to store a pressure washer. I was looking at this one the Home Depot by me has. It's a Ryobi with a Honda engine. It puts out 3,100 PSI at 2.5 gallons per minute. It's got a nice small footprint, and the handle folds down for better storage. I went to rent one yesterday, and all the one's they had were the size and weight of a D-9 Cat. So I gave up. I don't have anyone to help me, and I don't need another hernia.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Ryobi-3-100-PSI-2-5-GPM-Honda-Gas-Pressure-Washer-with-Idle-Down-RY80940B/203615829
They also sell this Homelite Cleaning Head for $70.00 that really does a nice job without spraying everything. It hooks right up to the wand with a quick disconnect coupling.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Homelite-15-in-EZ-Clean-Gas-Surface-Cleaner-AEZ31023/203105727
I can get out of there with both for around $5 bills. Which isn't too bad. I figure I've got enough concrete now that I'll be able to get my moneys worth out of it. Here is a video of the cleaning head hooked up to a 3,100 PSI washer. It really does a nice job, and doesn't make a mess.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIhHl5_If6s
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You’re aware that Ryobi is exclusive to Home Depot, but you can buy it from Amazon as well! I believe they actually own the subsidiary that owns the brand.
My only experience with Ryobi was not good. Daughters boyfriend bought an impact wrench that barely made it past the warranty period.
I buy a lot of tools, I won’t buy HD or Lowe’s private brands...
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Ryobi, AEG, Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation, Hoover, Dirt Devil and Vax are all brands of Techtronic Industries of Hong Kong. They also make Craftsman and Rigid branded tools. Ryobi tools aren't professional grade but are good for the average handyman. From the reviews I've seen online they generally rate 4/5 or 5/5, like this cordless driver/drill. "Bottom Line *BEST VALUE 5/5 stars". And their pressure washer. "Overall this is a must have pressure washer. The RY80940 is a quality unit." and "This is one of the best pressure washers we have tested for the homeowner so far."
https://www.popularmechanics.com/home/tools/reviews/a3793/4292657/
http://toolsinaction.com/ryobi-3100-pressure-washer-with-honda-engine-review-model-ry80940/
This is for Bill.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8Ow1nlafOg
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Well I just finished my garage project. I hung a total of 16' of rack. It was a ball buster, but I got it done. I got a lot of crap off the floor, and hanging on the wall. And it looks good too. My El Cheapo Harbor Freight Chicago Electric cordless drill made it through the whole job on a single charge. I drove a total of 24, 2-1/2" screws into the studs.
It felt like I was drilling into 4140 steel. The 20 year old studs were really hard and tough. But everything went well, and it looks a lot better. Tomorrow I'm going to go and check out the pressure washer situation. My concrete was 28 days old today. So I got my truck parked along the side of the house. Now I can get both vehicles in and out of the garage without playing musical chairs with my truck. That was a PITA. And with the nice and wide driveway, I can cut my wheels and not have to worry about going off the edge.
If I buy this thing, do I have to get any kind of Ethanol treatment for the fuel? I heard with these new small gas engines it's better to run an additive, even if it's only 10% Ethanol. No one around here sells non Ethanol gasoline. I know they make an oil that screws into the water inlet, to squeeze into the pressure pump when you're done, to keep it lubricated and prevent rust. I never had a pressure washer, and if I need all that crap, I want to get everything when I'm there. I'll go early before all the cattle stampede.
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.... And their pressure washer. "Overall this is a must have pressure washer. The RY80940 is a quality unit." and "This is one of the best pressure washers we have tested for the homeowner so far."
That's good to know. Thanks!
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I use Sta-BIL in everything. Rebuilt my 30 year old Tecumseh blower a few years back and there were no ill effects of all the years on ethanol additives.
The carb just needed a good cleaning but ran before and after without issues.
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Just make sure can get parts for it. The store brands can be hard to get parts cor.
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You're welcome Bill, and I agree with Timothy on using Sta-Bil. I used to double dose my ATV, then started using Sta-Bil and Sea Foam both at the same time. I pour it in my tank, top it off, run the engine for 5 minutes, and I'm done. No clogged fuel injectors or carburetor jets in 20 years. The same gas sits in the tank for half a year and is still good when I go riding in the spring. I only put Sea Foam in my gas, but it's supposed to work as an oil additive too.
Sta-Bil 360 has a corrosion inhibitor vapor that protects above the fuel level like nothing else does, and it's still good for up to a year. Regular Sta-Bil is good for up to 2 years but only protects where the fuel is in contact. Using plain Sta-Bil my last lawn mower would always start on the first or second pull after sitting half a year. My new one with no primer takes a little more effort.
https://seafoamsales.com/sea-foam-motor-treatment/
https://www.goldeagle.com/product/sta-bil-360-performance-small-engine-formula/
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I'll be sure to pick up a bottle of it. Looks like good stuff. Back when I had my boat I always used regular Sta-Bil and never had any fuel related issues. It's a good product.
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I found this one. It's on sale for $100.00 less than the similar one I linked to. ($299.00 compared to $399.00. And it has 100 PSI more, (3,200 PSI as opposed to 3,100 PSI), plus it's got electric start. It's not in stock at any of the Home Depot stores by me. But they offer free delivery by April 10th. Some kind of, "Spring Black Friday" type of deal.
And it's only 17.5" wide, compared to the other $399.00 model, which is 24.5" wide. So it would be easier to store. The only thing I'm not liking is the engine is not a Honda, but rather appears to be manufactured by Ryobi. I'm thinking the Honda engine might be worth an extra C-Note.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Ryobi-3-200-PSI-2-5-GPM-ONE-Electric-Start-Gas-Pressure-Washer-RY803111/206542711
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Have you looked at the Generac models? They get great reviews and you have a large service side that doesn't strap you to the big box store from hell!
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Well I pretty much researched this whole thing to death, and ended up with this model I bought this morning from Lowes.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/SIMPSON-PowerShot-3300-PSI-2-5-GPM-Cold-Water-Gas-Pressure-Washer-CARB/1000151725
It was $100.00 more, but it's more of a commercial unit then the Ryobi model from Home Depot. It's got a 6.5 H.P. Kohler engine along with a triplex pump, nice pneumatic tires, and delivers a full 3,300 PSI. It came fully assembled except for installing the handle, and connecting the wand with all the hoses. I know Kohler engines are good products, and parts are readily available.
It's all ready to go, so tomorrow I'll get a gallon of fresh gas, hook up all the hoses, and give it hell. I also bought the 15" EZ-Clean head from Home Depot. I'll see how that works. It just snaps on to the end of the wand like the other assorted nozzles the unit came with. I also bought one of those rotating, "Turbo Nozzles". They're supposed to work really well for cleaning concrete, and getting into tight, irregular places that I can't reach with the big head.
So it turned out to be an expensive Sunday. But if this thing works like I'm hoping it will, it will have been money well spent. I also bought pump oil, engine oil, Sta-Bil Storage, Sta-Bil 360, and, "Ethanol Shield" fuel additive, per the manual. It probably does the same thing as the Sta-Bil 360, but now I have every fuel additive known to mankind! So after all this I damn well better end up with the cleanest driveway on the block!
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Looks like a great choice!
Don’t lend that rig to anybody.
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Looks like a great choice!
Don’t lend that rig to anybody.
No, that is not something you want to lend to anyone. Running the pump without an adequate water supply running to it will cause the pump to self destruct in almost no time.
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Here is the Turbo Nozzle slicing through a wooden pallet. They don't say what PSI they're running.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQ8jr-CL69A
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It looks very similar to the one I have and I bet you will love it. You can break the seal on your tires with this one and if it get's behind paint on your car...it's gone. I perused the use guide on the link you provided and the unit requires a minimum of 5 gallons per minute at 20 psig to operate properly.
You can ruin a good unit very quickly by starving the suction side of the pump. These units are very robust and powerful but that power comes at a cost if minimum parameters are broen. Make certain you are able to supply the required water supply or the unit can be ruined very quickly.
I ended up having to go to Tractor Supply to find a sufficient diameter hose to supply water. Check the fittings with your fingers for inner diameter...you don't want a 3/4" hose with a 3/8" inner diameter connection that works against you. See how longs it takes to fill a 5 gallon bucket to know if you are good. I've put a lot of time behind pressure washers in the past so I have a feel for when I'm starving one and tearing it up...because starving them will tear them up surprisingly fast.
I was able to get by with 4-3/4 gallons a minute at 15 psig with mine. I suspect my unit will be damaged if the flow drops to 4 GPM or 15 psig.
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You're bringing up a good point about the supply hose. I don't think mine are good enough. I'm going to have to look into this. I have good water pressure where I'm at, but my hoses aren't the best. I'm going to have to do some checking.
This unit say's it flows 2.5 gallons per minute. I know my hoses will easily deliver that. But 5 gallons per minute I'm not sure. I think that might be pushing it.
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I looked at the manual on the link you supplied. It specifies feeding the unit with 5 GPM at 20 psig. That's a normal spec. You have to push it in to feed the pump as it pushes it out. The pump has nothing to do with supply that comes into it...it either has it or not.
I timed filling up 5 gallon water buckets to check mine....
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I'll check the flow rate of my hose before I hook it up. If it's not up to snuff, I'll run over to Tractor Supply and get a good one. I'll be running off a hose bib that's tee's into the main line that comes into the house.
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Was that one on sale too? It's $499.00 at the Lowe's nearest me. I didn't check the one on the other side of town. Since the Ryobi is only $299.00, it would be $200.00 more.
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Was that one on sale too? It's $499.00 at the Lowe's nearest me. I didn't check the one on the other side of town. Since the Ryobi is only $299.00, it would be $200.00 more.
The Simpson unit that I bought wasn't on sale. It was $499.00. But your right. I was comparing it to the first Ryobi with the Honda engine. It was $399.00. It was $200.00 more than the Ryobi that was on sale for $299.00 with the Ryobi engine.
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I use Sta-BIL in everything. Rebuilt my 30 year old Tecumseh blower a few years back and there were no ill effects of all the years on ethanol additives.
The carb just needed a good cleaning but ran before and after without issues.
Several years ago I went to Seafoam. Every time I fill the gas cans they get the dose of Seafoam.
Nothing against Sta-bil, but Seafoam covers storage stabilization, moisture, and gunk cleaning. I became a believer when I had the parts store and worked with many mechanics. Seafoam was their additive of choice across the board for every engine type, and it has served me well.
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What really got me, was with the exception of my Homelite chain saw, which I haven't had the need to run in eons, this is the first engine powered tool I've bought in a long time. So I bought a new 1 gallon gas can to go with it. WHAT A GIANT PITA! Who designed these things? And what the hell did they do to them? If I ever figure out how to get gas out of this thing, the first thing I'm going to do is set it on fire!
No vent valve at all. Real smart. And it's got some stupid EPA contraption that will break your fingers off before you're able to get any fuel out of it. It is without question, the dumbest, most useless thing I've ever seen. I'm already making plans to saw off some parts, while drilling out others. This is what happens when the government gets involved in something they know nothing about..... Which is just about EVERYTHING!
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Is the can one of the NO-SPILL types with the valve in the fill hole?
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Is the can one of the NO-SPILL types with the valve in the fill hole?
That's what all of my newer cans are. I'm pretty sure the government put an end to gas cans with separate vents. One of my cans you can just pour the gas out and it glug glugs away. It works but splashes a little. so much for no-spill. But 2 other cans you have to pull back on the spout to get the gas out. Those are more of a PITA, but there's a little piece sticking out near the end of the spout that you can push against the edge of the gas tank instead of pulling it back by hand.
P.S. I heard of someone drilling a vent hole in their gas can and using a foam earplug to keep dirt out. They would get great gas flow after pulling the earplug out, but it may work with it in too. I don't know.
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Is the can one of the NO-SPILL types with the valve in the fill hole?
Mine is like the one at 0:45 in the video, except it's a one gallon model.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUoxbTXKuGQ&t=422s
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(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180409/f2877ca56eaab85d18babf4b0d1eeca0.jpg)
I have this one. Vents thru the valve, stops when it’s filled the receiving tank. Just stick it in, press the button and fill. It works OK.
From 1 gallon to 5 gallon sizes.
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I have 2 of these 2 gallon cans. That's almost enough to fill the tank on my ATV. The auto shut-off usually snaps shut on its own when you take pressure off the spout, but not always. The cap is missing off one.
http://www.truevalue.com/product/Auto-Truck-RV/Gas-Kerosene-Cans/Gas-Cans/Gas-Can-2-Gallons/pc/2/c/35/sc/359/18163.uts
My other 2 gallon can just has a hollow tube molded into the inside of the spout. It looks like a regular gas can with no vent until you see inside the spout.
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I went to Wal-Mart today and bought a 50 ft. 3/4" hose. It's a nice one, and is of good quality. I also mounted a hose hanger to store it. I'm all set. Tomorrow I'll get up early and get some gas and start in. It shouldn't take very long. I'm anxious to see how well it all works out.
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I got one of those 1 gallon stupid gas cans last week. Just break the black plastic out and then take a knife and trim the yellow spout down to where the split in it ends.
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Well I just finished the job and the washer worked FANTASTIC! It really did an unbelievable job. My driveway is the cleanest it's ever been since we moved in over 20 years ago. The rotary cleaning head worked really well. I made 2 passes over the worst parts, and it took 100% of the rubber marks right off. It left the finished surface a bright white after it dried. It made the old concrete look like the stuff I just had poured. It's amazing how it takes that yellowness right off.
My next door neighbor had his pool re plastered last month, and the guys who did it got some cement on the curbing. (My street has that shallow radius curbing that's designed to be driven over). The washer blasted that hard, dried crap right off down to the bare concrete in seconds.
I switched to the wider, high volume, lower pressure nozzle, and it blew everything right into the middle of the street. It's unbelievable the power it has. The "Rotary Nozzle" worked OK, but you have to go slow or it will leave swirl marks. I found the 15" Rotating Cleaning Head to work the best. It was well worth the $70.00 bucks I spent on it. I would recommend it to anyone who has a pressure washer. You can get right up against garage doors, stucco, stone edging, and gravel without making a mess and blasting crap everywhere.
When I was all done I hosed off everything, and it turned out spotless. I stopped half way through to take a break, and let the unit cool down. The pump gets pretty warm. I was glad I bought the nice large 3/4" hose. It really moves a LOT of water. When I was finished I treated the gas that was left in the tank with Sta-Bil, and ran the unit until I could smell it in the exhaust. Then I shut off the gas and ran it until it quit. (About 2 minutes). All the hose connections didn't leak a drop. It all worked really well.
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8) It sounds like a great setup.
From what I've read and heard, Sta-Bil actually works better if you don't run the engine with the gas off until it stops. If the carb is full of gas, the Sta-Bil is in there doing its job. Even if that turns out to not be true, it's still unnecessary to run it dry, and causes more wear on your engine. I've never done that and everything works out fine.
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From what I've read and heard, Sta-Bil actually works better if you don't run the engine with the gas off until it stops. If the carb is full of gas, the Sta-Bil is in there doing its job. Even if that turns out to not be true, it's still unnecessary to run it dry, and causes more wear on your engine. I've never done that and everything works out fine.
Now you got me thinking. Maybe I'll just turn the gas on and let it sit for a minute. Then with the ignition "OFF" pull the engine through a few times to draw it into the passages and down the venturi. Then just shut the valve off.
Back in Illinois I had an old Toro push mower that I put in the basement after I bought a new self propelled Honda. Before I stored it I filled the tank with fresh gas that was generously treated with Sta-Bil. I then ran the engine for several minutes until I could smell it. It sat down there for over 5 years. When I brought it out into the garage, it started on the second pull. It had no gas shut off valve.
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5 years is really pushing your luck. I still have my first string trimmer. I don't know if I used it at all last year, and don't expect it to fire up on the old gas this year. It uses a 32:1 mix and has it's own gas can. My leaf blower is 50:1 and so is the hedge trimmer I gave to a friend. My chainsaw and scooter were 50:1 too. I'm not sure what year I filled the can for the weed whacker. If it's no good I'll dump it in my truck where it can mix with all that good gas and be okay. I never dump it on the ground like some people do.
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5 years is really pushing your luck. I still have my first string trimmer. I don't know if I used it at all last year, and don't expect it to fire up on the old gas this year. It uses a 32:1 mix and has it's own gas can. My leaf blower is 50:1 and so is the hedge trimmer I gave to a friend. My chainsaw and scooter were 50:1 too. I'm not sure what year I filled the can for the weed whacker. If it's no good I'll dump it in my truck where it can mix with all that good gas and be okay. I never dump it on the ground like some people do.
2-Stroke engines that run on gas / oil mix are troublesome. Older 2-stroke outboards with oil injection, not so much. But 4-stroke engines treated with a double dose of Sta-Bil will keep for really long amounts of time. My chainsaw runs on 32:1 and it's always fouling plugs. I keep 2 or 3 on hand at all times.
I bought a Ryobi power blower and it runs on 50:1. But it just slowed down and died while running one day, with fresh fuel and a new plug. I just gave up on it. I'm so glad to see 2-stroke engines going the way of the Dodo.
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All this talk of pressure washers and small gas engines raised my enthusiasm. So this morning I dragged out an old Honda generator I had that has been sitting over 10 years. I thought I had run the fuel out of it the last time I ran it. I found out I didn't. It had over half a tank of stinky, spoiled, 10 year old stale gas in it. That had been sitting in a hot Arizona garage.
I NEVER thought it would start, thinking the carburetor was a gummed up mess for sure. I dumped out all of the old, stale gas and filled the tank with the fresh fuel I got yesterday for my pressure washer. I added even more Sta-Bil Storage to it, and turned on the fuel valve while I took the side covers off and cleaned the whole thing up.
After I got it all nice and clean and put back together, I was amazed it started on the third pull! After sitting for over 10 years with half a tank of stale fuel. It's purring like a kitten out on the patio as we speak. I'll let it run until most of this tankful goes through it. It only has a 600 watt output, but it's a nice, good running little unit that's pretty quiet. Funny, before I pulled that rope, I would have taken any and all bets it never would have started. Especially after finding out I never dumped the gas out of it over 10 years ago.
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Something to remember is that these small engines put out a crapload times the CO of a automobile engine. Don’t run them close to the house!
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I read somewhere that a chainsaw running an 8 ounce fuel tank full of 32:1 mix, puts out more hydrocarbons than a new, modern 4-cylinder car does traveling coast to coast.
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Bill, have you pulled that pressure washer out after the initial job was finished?
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Bill, have you pulled that pressure washer out after the initial job was finished?
Not yet. Before I shut it down I added quite a bit of Sta-Bil Storage to it and ran it through the fuel system. But even with that, I don't want to let it sit too long. I'm thinking in the not too distant future to pull it out and run the fuel left in the tank out, and replace it with fresh gas treated with Sta-Bil. It bothers me to let it sit. I don't want any problems.
When I lived in Illinois my motorcycles would sit all Winter without issues. But they also got a healthy dose of Sta-Bil in the fuel before I stored them. They usually sat from mid October to early or mid May.
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Well now that I have 2 good running gas engines, (new pressure washer and older generator), I ditched that crappy gas can I bought for a, "No Spill Gas Can", like this one. It's MUCH better! The only other one that comes close is the, "Sure Can".
https://www.surecanusa.com/
But the thing I didn't care for with it, was the bottom pour spout that is dependent on just 2, O-Rings at all times not to leak.
That scared me because I have a gas hot water heater in my garage. If you have that thing filled, and you don't notice it leaking on the floor or shelf, your going to end up with gas and gas fumes everywhere. That's asking for a major fire. Or worse, explosion. The "No Spill" features a solid tank. The On/Off valve, along with the venting is incorporated into the screw on cap. Which is replaceable if anything should go bad.
It also has an O-Ring on the cap. But it is only required to seal when you are pouring. Not when the can is just sitting. The "No Spill" is a much safer design, that works just as good, if not better. I wish I would have researched this better before I wasted my money on the POS I bought at Wal-Mart. Live and learn. Gas cans have really changed...... And not for the better I might add. But if you have to have one, this is the one to get. Don't waste your time and money fighting with, or trying to modify the other garbage that's out there.
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don't remember if I've posted this before, but while on the topic of fuel cans.... my 3500 Honda generator had a bad fuel tank when I got it, so fuel supply was converted to a squeeze bulb siphon system... hose barb to reduce the feed line to 1/4" for the carburetor inlet... I supplied intermittent 2hr on - 4hr off power to keep the refrigerators chilled up on 3 houses... using the siphon system, they were able to supply fuel for their own use....I made a vented, cap to fit the common 5gal cans.... and if you get much larger than 5 gal, make sure you significant other or kids can handle the can safely
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The “no spill” cap can can be a pain in the winter to depress the locking teeth but I’m guessing that ain’t a problem in Arizona!
LOL
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This guy using the same kind of gas can that I have has the same problem I do. I swear too but not that much. A SureCan may be in my future, but it seems like holding it up over my ATV gas tank would be a pain.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrOIxaxyJ7Q
P.S. A VP Racing Motorsport can still works like gas cans did in the good old days, but are only supposed to be used for racing fuel, at races.
https://vpracingfuels.com/product-category/specialty-products/containers/
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I've never seen one of those Sure Cans. Though they look handy for some things they are probably a lot more expensive than funnels.
So the EPA has mandated all of this crap to reduce emissions. I say their meddling has increased emissions at least 2-3 times what they were when filling up a gasoline powered device.
Some dweeb ass drone came up with these good ideas and got a GS-13 or better level job with the government (and their boss got a boost too most likely). I don't know anyone, anywhere who doesn't spill the crap out of gas with these wonderful mandated filler devices that we have to spend money on while spending even more money on spilled gasoline as a result of the mandate. However, the true mission was surely accomplished. Someone(s) got a big raise out of this I"m sure....so what about we government subject idiot types we don't count we are the unwashed masses.
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Last year I also planned to clean the concrete pavement in front of the house. Friends advised me to use a pressure washer. After the first use, I was disappointed with this method. My yard was like a swamp, and the concrete remained in terrible spots. I sought advice from almightyconstructionnw.com (https://www.almightyconstructionnw.com), the company that built this concrete pavement. They advised me to use special chemicals that are designed to clean concrete. It turned out that chemicals are much more effective than pressure washing. I advise you to buy it too.
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I was washing the yard with a hose, but there was no pressure. I just went over it with a big mop and brush.
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Hello, guys. I used a high-pressure cleaning. I knew it was very efficient. But I didn't want to do it myself. I called in the professionals from https://sparklewash.com/centralindiana/ (https://sparklewash.com/centralindiana/) and was pleased with how they cleaned the concrete on my patio. I saw how effective it was, and I contacted this company again a week later to have them clean my house as well. I hadn't renewed the siding in a long time, so the blue facade had become gray and dusty. It looked terrible. Washing it by hand would have meant leaving brush and sponge streaks. So they did that cleaning perfectly, too. So if you can pressure clean everything, do it. I'm sure you won't regret it.
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This guy using the same kind of gas can that I have has the same problem I do. I swear too but not that much. A SureCan may be in my future, but it seems like holding it up over my ATV gas tank would be a pain.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrOIxaxyJ7Q
P.S. A VP Racing Motorsport can still works like gas cans did in the good old days, but are only supposed to be used for racing fuel, at races.
https://vpracingfuels.com/product-category/specialty-products/containers/
Since there were new spam posts, I watched this video again. Their swear jar looks like the gallon jug I put pennies in. When it's full, I go to CoinStar and get about $55 for the thousands of pennies I tossed in the jug over 2 or 3 decades. I won't pay a fee for a machine to count my other change, I just spend it. But any time I come home with a penny or several of them, I get them out of my pocket right after I walk into the house.