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The Pressure Washer Upgrade & DIY Setup Thread

278K views 425 replies 88 participants last post by  spyk3d 
#1 · (Edited)
So, there's been a lot of threads (and PMs!) about this topic - upgrading hoses, guns and lances on "normal" PWs, and extending home setups (hose reels, water butts and pumped water setups) etc. So I thought it was worth kicking off a thread where folks can post their own setups, ask questions about upgrades they're thinking about and get inspiration and ideas from what others are doing. I'll kick off by copying my post from this thread...

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Mine is a bit of a mongrel of a setup:

Kranzle HD7/122

Kranzle M2000 standard gun, adapted to 19.5mm inlet quick release and Kew outlet quick release
MTM Hydro "Astra" wash gun adapted to same connections as above

Standard Kranzle flat jet, Dirtkiller and underbody lances adapted to Kew quick release
Pressure Washer Parts UK "cranked" lance 450mm with interchangeable nozzles
DIY "Shortie" lance with female QR straight into Kew probe so interchangeable nozzles can be attached straight onto the end of either gun

Foam lance adapted to Kew QR (again, for use on either gun)

15m hose on a reel with Mosmatic swivel at gun end
Original Kranzle 10m hose with 19.5mm QR fittings - can be used standalone if I take the machine elsewhere or as an extension to hose on reel if needed.

DIY mobile platform for PW to allow for easier movement (some large castors attached to a piece of plywood, essentially)

All sits on / hangs off a DIY bracket / hanger / system organiser in the garage.

Pics:


DIY bracket


DIY bracket, other side.


Both guns


Lances - top to bottom, underbody, flat jet, Dirtkiller, cranked, shortie Vario, shortie (interchangeable nozzles)


Foam lance adapted for Kew QR


Platform rear view - shock cord secures the machine on top


Platform side view - the grubby MF is by way of insulation to keep the warmth in from the trace heating cable wrapped around the pump head


QR for machine outlet. You can see the camlock inlet and the trace heating cable as well


Original Kranzle hose adapted for 19.5mm QR


My Mosmatic swivel :argie: on the end of the 15m hose on the reel


Adapted hose so I can connect a normal hose to the machine (normally it runs off a 25mm ID hose from the water butts, to a camlock connector on the inlet)

Edit - I've added some of the recent (and not so recent!) threads that made me think to start this one, which may also be useful:

Rob D 88's K4 Change Of Gun Thread
andyfish's PW upgrade thread (specifically regarding DIY options for a new PW build)
Whizzer's shortie lance thread
steelghost's running a PW off a waterbutt thread (with particular emphasis on parts and fittings needed to achieve sufficient flow rate)
bigbruiser's K4 lance upgrade thread

Any others you think would be useful to include here, PM me and I'll edit this post.
 
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#413 · (Edited)
Hey all, i've just picked up a Kranzle 105 for free and I need your help in getting kitted out. This is my first proper pressure washer and I know nothing about what I need or what's available. I'll be using it for light duty.

Just from doing a bit of reading, there are a few things that have caught my eye:
- I prefer to have stainless hardware where possible.
- Apparently MTM SGS35 guns are the best?
- Apparently Mosmatic couplings are the best?
- Vented handle lances are apparently lighter than lances with solid handles?
- A 10m hose would be the shortest i'm willing to go. At what length does it become a restriction?
- I'd like a hose reel but it's not a priority.
- There are a range of different fittings and sizes available, Kranzle also do their own type of fitting. Not sure what's best to go for.

Please could you help with identifying what I need and what I don't, and if there's anything i've missed above. Many thanks!
 
#414 ·
Hey all, i've just picked up a Kranzle 105 for free and I need your help in getting kitted out. This is my first proper pressure washer and I know nothing about what I need or what's available. I'll be using it for light duty.

Just from doing a bit of reading, there are a few things that have caught my eye:
- I prefer to have stainless hardware where possible.
- Apparently MTM SGS35 guns are the best?
- Apparently Mosmatic couplings are the best?
- Vented handle lances are apparently lighter than lances with solid handles?
- A 10m hose would be the shortest i'm willing to go. At what length does it become a restriction?
- I'd like a hose reel but it's not a priority.
- There are a range of different fittings and sizes available, Kranzle also do their own type of fitting. Not sure what's best to go for.

Please could you help with identifying what I need and what I don't, and if there's anything i've missed above. Many thanks!
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#415 ·
You can get 25° and 40° shrouded nozzles from pressurewasherpartsuk which are good and what I use. I also have a 60° shrouded nozzles from qwashers which I love for rinsing.

The Mosmatic QR connectors are quality kit but come at a price of course. I don't have them everywhere in my setup but I would advise putting one on the end of your trigger so you have confidence that your nozzle will be properly engaged.

The SGS35 is a great trigger and is what I have. The built in swivel is pretty good but not as good as the mosmatic which I upgraded it to. If you think you'll do this eventuallly, you'd be better purchasing the mosmatic trigger from the start.

My guess is that any basic lance extension should be fine and I doubt you'd even notice the difference in weight based on handle types... I would suggest getting the shortest lance you can based on your needs to keep it as easy to handle as possible.

For the hose, I don't know enough about the Kranzles to say for sure but I'm guessing that a 15m hose should be fine before you need to worry about pressure loss. Maybe at 20m your see some loss but even if so, you'd still probably be fine if all you're using it for is light duty...

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#416 ·
I know not that popular on here, but have you looked at Kranzle accessories? I have a few of their bits. The quick releases seem bomb proof, short gun very solid, foam lance good and short stub vario lance very handy. Well worth a look and don’t appear to be any dearer than decent 3rd party products.


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#418 ·
Why is it that Kranzle accessories are mostly overlooked? I notice that nobody really considers them.[/QUOTE]

Beats me ! Especially the quick release connectors. The Kranzle ones I think will last as long as the machine. I have a Bigboi jet wash that I use when I'm in the U.K. and the 1/4 connectors I find rally flimsy in comparison to the Kranzle ones at home.

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#419 ·
Finally got round to using the lance attachment (MTM Hydro Ils28) and the nozzles (25 & 40 degrees) I ordered from Henri @Carscope. All worked fantastically well with my SGS35, it's a really great setup now, albeit probably a bit of overkill for someone who washes their car once a fortnight or so! Teamed with my new Nilfisk Premium 200 absolutely brilliant. I've no excuses for grubby cars now!
 
#421 ·
Why are you specificaly looking for connectors larger than 1/4? If you're looking fo maximum flow then you'll not gain much by a bigger connector without a bigger guage hose also. You can adapt a 1/4 into a 3/8 connector easily enough if you just want to hook it into a machine. You'll probably get a lot of references for DirectHoses and QWashers hoses, both of which probably have something to meet your needs. I have a 20m QWashers 1-wire rubber hose with 1/4 cone seat swivel terminations and it works brilliantly with my Karcher K4.
 
#424 ·
No worries, high pressure hose do tend to be a small ID.

As I mentioned, I have a 20m hose which I pair to an SGS35, upgraded with Mosmatic swivel and QR fittings on both inlet and outlet. The mosmatic stuff is great kit but isn't essential for general home detailing or even pro level in all likelihood.

I got my SGS35 as a kit from in2detailing and bought my mosmatic bits from a euro shop as I live in France. You can get stuff from mosmatic.co.uk though.

If you decide you really want a mosmatic swivel then you should just go straight for the mosmatic trigger with their swivel built in. You'll also then get the ballbearing easypull trigger. As a note, mosmatic guns are actually just rebranded top of range Suttner guns.

If I were to make a suggestion, I'd say get a SGS35 which already has a good built in swivel. After that, spend money on a mosmatic mini female QR coupling for the 1/4 gun outlet. Also spend your money on good quality 25 and 40 degree nozzles like from pressurewasherpartsuk. I also got a 60 degree nozzle from qwashers which is super wide and lovely for rinsing, especially when combined with a DI vessel!

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#425 ·
The biggest benefit of a trigger like the SGS35 is that it is built to last a lifetime and from my experience it absolutely will! It's comfortable to hold and the trigger pull is nice and easy. I've taken mine apart and it is all solidly built internally. Being all stainless steel, including casing screws, it'll not rust or otherwise corrode.

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