cameron_webb•4d agoProlific Poster

Rant: Rented a pressure washer from Home Depot for 75 bucks - total waste of cash

I figured I'd save some money by renting instead of buying one for my patio and driveway in Austin. The thing just kept clogging every 5 minutes with some crud in the tank or something. Spent 45 minutes cleaning the nozzle and filter, then another hour swapping hoses 'cause one had a leak. Finally gave up after like 2 hours of actual work versus 3 hours of fighting the machine. Shoulda just bought a cheap electric one for 100 bucks on sale. Has anyone else had luck with those cheaper units from Sunbelt or just buying outright?

2 comments

2 Comments

anderson.gavin4d ago

Honestly, I think you might be confusing the tank issue with something else. Most rental pressure washers don't have a tank at all - they hook right up to your garden hose. That crud you were dealing with was probably sediment from Austin's water lines, not something from the machine itself. A cheap inline water filter from Lowe's for like 10 bucks usually stops that problem cold. I've used the Sunbelt electric units a few times and they're fine for patios, they just don't have the same output for heavy driveway stains.

julia_jones724d ago

Nah the inline filter thing is legit, I had the same issue with a rental from Sunbelt last spring. Austin water is notoriously hard and full of sediment, especially if you're on city water near downtown. That $10 filter saved my sanity when I was doing my driveway last year. And honestly the electric units from Sunbelt are fine for patios but you're right, they struggle with oil stains and really set in grime on concrete. I ended up buying a cheap electric one from Amazon for like $80 on sale and it's been solid for two years now, just gotta flush it with vinegar every few months to keep the sediment from building up inside. The rental markup is just not worth it when you can get something decent for basically the same money.