If you want to clean your house, driveway, or deck, you need a pressure washer to get the job done right. It’s expensive to rent one, but is it worth it to buy a pressure washer?
Types of Pressure Washers
There are three distinct types of pressure washers, and their differences are pretty easy to understand. At the basic level, more power costs more money. It’s up to you to decide which type of pressure washer best suits your needs.
Let’s go over the three types of pressure washers, their average prices, and how you can use them (we averaged our rental prices from one-day rentals):
- Hot Water Gas (Rent: $200-$300; Buy: $1,000+): Usually reserved for commercial use, hot water pressure washers quickly cut through grime. They’re ideal for heavy-duty jobs, or situations in which you don’t want to use chemicals. They’re also really expensive, and hardware stores might not rent them out in your area.
- Cold Water Gas (Rent: $80-$150; Buy: $200-$350): Your everyday cold water, gas-powered pressure washer works well for most jobs. They’re also not too expensive to rent or buy.
- Electric (Rent: $30-$50; Buy: $150-$200): Electric pressure washers are incredibly cheap and don’t require a ton of maintenance. They’re also quiet, and you can use them indoors (no gas emissions). But they’re a lot weaker than gas-powered washers and don’t last as long. They’re best for smaller jobs or regular cleaning.
So, expensive hot water pressure washers are powerful, affordable cold-water washers are middle-of-the-road, and cheap electric pressure washers, while convenient, aren’t as strong as the gas-powered.
The question now is whether you should buy or rent a pressure washer.
Weigh the Cost and Your Needs
When compared to the cost of renting, a pressure washer generally pays for itself in about four uses. But you also have to consider what you need to clean, and how often you plan on using the pressure washer (the less you use it, the more maintenance it requires, but more on that later).
For most cleaning jobs—and especially monthly cleaning—a cold water or electric pressure washer works just fine. If you buy one for around $200, it’ll pay for itself in no time and should last for five to 10 years.
If you only need a pressure washer to clean your siding twice a year, you might want to consider renting one. The cold water and electric models are pretty cheap to rent, and you have the option to choose the type that best suits your needs. Plus, you don’t have to worry about storage or maintenance.
For hot water pressure washers, consider how often the hot water feature will come in handy. Sure, it makes routine cleaning jobs a little quicker, but the hot water is really meant to cut through cartoonish amounts of grime. You might see the positive impact of a hot water washer on a driveway you haven’t cleaned in half a decade, but the small difference it makes on your deck once a month might not be worth the extra $700.
