Buying a Pressure Washer

Hi, now that so many seem to be on sale this Easter weekend, I'm thinking
about getting a pressure washer to keep the old bikes clean. I've been
paying into the local jetwashes like they were fruit machines lately!

Does any one have any experience with those yellow Krashure (sp?) jobbies
that I see everywhere? Halfords have their entry model on sale for £55 this
weekend and was wondering if anyone has actually used one on muddy (read
chiltern clay) bikes.

Its rated at 85 psi, 100 psi max so is that enough? I don't really know
anything about psi's myself but I wont probably use it for the car or such
as thats a rust bucket and I'm afraid to wash it incase something important
falls off. I wonder what the petrol station jet washes are rated at.

Any advice about the washers or where I get buy one cheaper would be
great....

"Me" wrote in message
...
Hi, now that so many seem to be on sale this Easter weekend, I'm
thinking
about getting a pressure washer to keep the old bikes clean. I've been
paying into the local jetwashes like they were fruit machines lately!

Does any one have any experience with those yellow Krashure (sp?)
jobbies
that I see everywhere? Halfords have their entry model on sale for £55
this
weekend and was wondering if anyone has actually used one on muddy
(read
chiltern clay) bikes.

Its rated at 85 psi, 100 psi max so is that enough? I don't really
know
anything about psi's myself but I wont probably use it for the car or
such
as thats a rust bucket and I'm afraid to wash it incase something
important
falls off. I wonder what the petrol station jet washes are rated at.

Any advice about the washers or where I get buy one cheaper would be
great....



It will work fine and blow all lubrication out of your drive system. A
gently scrub is much more satisfying and won't wreck your lube.

Keep that spray away from your BB and hubs! Besides, washing by hand with a
damp rag allows you the opportunity to look for any potential faults in the
frame, rims, etc.

Me wrote:
Hi, now that so many seem to be on sale this Easter weekend, I'm
thinking about getting a pressure washer to keep the old bikes clean.

Don't get one. I thouroughly rinsed my bike down the other night with
what can only be described as a *dribble* from a garden hose. On the ride
home, my front wheel made the most horendous, disturbing, loud knocking
noise I've ever heard from any bike wheel. Sounded like something was
well broken. I stripped down the hub but could find nothing wrong (apart
from the grease being weirdly pastey, despite only being serviced 300
miles previously) and it was fine after cleaning and regreasing. I don't
know if the water washed some grit in or mispalced something or what but
I'm going to be more careful in future. If *low* pressure can do that,
what could high pressure do?

A bucket and sponge is certainly safer, if slower.

To be fair, I'm not 100% sure the hosing was responsible for the problem.
I had ridden on a de-surfaced road a couple of miles before the noise.
Maybe a chip of old tarmac or stone somehow got in the hub. (Problem was
definitely to do with hub as wheel made noise when removed and spun).

Anyway, use of pressure washers is discouraged by component manucturers
and bicycle experts (I think they're mentioned on the Park Tools site
somewhere).

~PB

On Thu, 8 Apr 2004 18:47:27 +0100, "Me" said:

Hi, now that so many seem to be on sale this Easter weekend, I'm
thinking about getting a pressure washer to keep the old bikes
clean. I've been paying into the local jetwashes like they were
fruit machines lately!

Does any one have any experience with those yellow Krashure (sp?)
jobbies that I see everywhere? Halfords have their entry model on
sale for £55 this weekend and was wondering if anyone has actually
used one on muddy (read chiltern clay) bikes.

Its rated at 85 psi, 100 psi max so is that enough? I don't really
know anything about psi's myself but I wont probably use it for the
car or such as thats a rust bucket and I'm afraid to wash it incase
something important falls off. I wonder what the petrol station jet
washes are rated at.

Any advice about the washers or where I get buy one cheaper would be
great....

I own a Kärcher pressure washer - great for muddy Land-Rovers, but I
wouldn't use it on a cycle. Mine is a very old model (580), and when I
compare it with a recent cheap pressure washer a friend bought from
MachineMart, mine produces a much greater volume of water, which is
what makes the difference in shifting the muck - I think that all the
PSI values are just marketing.

--
Alan J. Wylie http://www.wylie.me.uk/
"Perfection [in design] is achieved not when there is nothing left to add,
but rather when there is nothing left to take away."
-- Antoine de Saint-Exupery

"Me" wrote in message ...

Its rated at 85 psi, 100 psi max so is that enough?

Enough to what? Clean lichen off your patio or knacker all the bearings on
your bike?
Sorry, silly question, I imagine it's up to both tasks.

Seriously, bicycle bearings aren't designed to have high pressure water
applied to them, even the "sealed" variety.
What they're designed to cope with, well the better ones anyway, is a wet
ride so when you wash your bikes try to emulate this effect with a light
sprinkle to rinse them each side of washing down with car shampoo.
--
Regards,
Pete

ScrumpyJoe wrote:
On Thu, 08 Apr 2004 18:47:27 +0100, Me wrote:

Hi, now that so many seem to be on sale this Easter weekend, I'm
thinking about getting a pressure washer to keep the old bikes
clean. I've been paying into the local jetwashes like they were
fruit machines lately!

snipped

Any advice about the washers or where I get buy one cheaper would be
great....

Yes: Don't do it unless you want to trash your bikes by forcing all
the lubrication out of the bearings. A nice gentle wash with sponge,
brushes and soapy water should be all that is required to get even
the muddiest of bikes clean. You can use muc-off for persistent dirt.

Having wrecked a set of bearings by pressure washing i cannot but agree.
But.... there is scope for a pressure washer or garend hose to get the bulkk
mud off a mtb provided you avoid all the important lubricated bits

pk

OK,

OP here. Well thanks for the advice, but I'm very surpised at the size of
the "anti-pressure washer" brigade. Surely, there are more like me who swear
by them?


I've been using jet washes for 15+ years and haven never had a problem with
"blowing grease out of bearings" if you do it correctly ie dont spray into
the hubs, headset or bb directly into the seals. I know it doesn't get in
the seals the way I do it as I regularly service my SIDs and hubs after
cleaning them and there has never been any water to speak of. Just do it for
a couple feet away and youre fine.


Indirect spraying rocks providing that you lube up afterwards. I do it for
all my mtbs and roadbikes and did so when I worked in a bikeshop for five
years. The only thing I wont hose down is my helmet and the parts of my
frame that don't have clearcoating over the decals.

Also works a treat on muddy shoes and clothes!

I'm sure loads will disagree with me but it takes me on average an hour and
a half to clear all the mud and clay out from my frame during the winter if
I use a bucket and that still doesn't shift anything out of the tyres or
cassette which means I end up wearing my componants down quicker with the
grit. Since it takes so long I'm more likely to want to just throw it in the
shed.

Anway I'm pro pressure washer and I've never ruined a single bit of
componantry, but then I am quite particular about keeping my kit in tip top
shape and wont settle for anything less.

Anyone else care to speak up in defence of the noble pressure washer? Come
join my gang!


"PK" wrote in message
...
ScrumpyJoe wrote:
On Thu, 08 Apr 2004 18:47:27 +0100, Me wrote:

Hi, now that so many seem to be on sale this Easter weekend, I'm
thinking about getting a pressure washer to keep the old bikes
clean. I've been paying into the local jetwashes like they were
fruit machines lately!

snipped

Any advice about the washers or where I get buy one cheaper would be
great....

Yes: Don't do it unless you want to trash your bikes by forcing all
the lubrication out of the bearings. A nice gentle wash with sponge,
brushes and soapy water should be all that is required to get even
the muddiest of bikes clean. You can use muc-off for persistent dirt.

Having wrecked a set of bearings by pressure washing i cannot but agree.
But.... there is scope for a pressure washer or garend hose to get the
bulkk
mud off a mtb provided you avoid all the important lubricated bits

pk

"Me" wrote in message ...
I've been using jet washes for 15+ years and haven never had a problem
with
"blowing grease out of bearings" if you do it correctly ie dont spray into
the hubs, headset or bb directly into the seals.

Mebbe you know what you're doing but there's always going to be someone who
doesn't.

Anyway, at least when asked the question "do you use a jet wash?" in
relation to warranty issues I can look the accuser firmly in the eye and
honestly say "No!" ;-)
--
Regards,
Pete

Alan J. Wylie wrote:

I own a Kärcher pressure washer - great for muddy Land-Rovers, but I
wouldn't use it on a cycle. Mine is a very old model (580), and when I
compare it with a recent cheap pressure washer a friend bought from
MachineMart, mine produces a much greater volume of water, which is
what makes the difference in shifting the muck - I think that all the
PSI values are just marketing.

If you look at the specs for pressure washers in a tool / industrial
catalogue, they give figures for both pressure and flow rate. There's no
point having a massive pressure when it's barely chucking out any water.