Recently, a customer expressed that one of our portable pressure washers looked like a machine that he could buy at a local home center, at a fraction of our cost. The "big box store" pressure washer had a Honda engine, a pump and a place to connect hoses. This is where the similarity ends. Most inexpensive portable pressure washers use Honda engines, but save money by using cheap inferior pumps that utilize steel pistons and aluminum heads. The fact is, the number one wear item on a pressure washer is the pump. After six months of moderate use, these pumps will begin to wear out leaving you with a power washer that is under performing and wasting your time. By the next cleaning season two things are certain, the pump will more than likely fail and the manufactures warranty will have long since expired. A pressure washer that only carries a 90 day warranty, means you are not buying it, you're renting it and since home centers and retail stores are not repair centers, they will not fix your broken pressure washer. This of course supports the old addage, "you get what you pay for" or "pay less, get less".

When purchasing a pressure washer, the most important items to look at are the pump and the warranty. Read the specs carefully and be sure that the pump head is brass and the pistons are ceramic. The warranty should cover all equipment for at least a year if not two. And, most importantly, know where you can take your pressure washer for warranty service.

Pressure washers sold by Chaffee-Ward may seem to be more expensive than those found in retail stores and home centers, but you can rest assured that pressure washers and steam cleaners manufactured by Mi-T-M, Landa, Epps, or Jenny Products with proper maintenance will far out last their warranty. Couple that with the professional knowledge, experience and quality service from Chaffee-Ward Corporation and your water cleaning equipment will last a lifetime.