I received this on Friday. Took about 10 min to assemble. The wheels are hidden under the bottom styrofoam in the box(hint). It took longer to find the wheels than to put it together. On saturday, I decided to clean something. We have a kayak trip coming up - kayaks have not been used in 3 years and are stored under the deck. I filled the soap holder with Simple Green. Using the 15* tip, I commenced to clean the kayaks. These are plastic kayaks, nothing fancy. No soap was used. Zero! More on soap usage later. The machine ate the dirt and grime off of the kayaks easily. The clean stripe down the center of the green kayak took less than 10 sec at about 6" away. We have 4 of these. About 15 min on each one, top and bottom and they were brite and shiny again! Cold water - 45*F water out of the hose. No soap used again (my fault again!) Ok, so then I decided to wash the jeep. I get some liquid soap, dilute 3 oz into a 20 oz soda bottle filled with water. When I opened the soap container, IT WAS FULL! Zero soap used! So, after reading the manual some, I sort of learned that the soap only gets used when you use the soap tip! Low pressure, more water, but sudsy soapy water comes out! I soaped the Jeep with Simple Green (I don't recommend this!) As soon as the soap ran mostly clear, I switched the tip to the 15* tip and washed the soap off. Again, worked like a charm! No dirt on car after dry. kept want from 6" to 12" and it took the dirt right off. Even the wheels! So, then I diluted about 3 oz of liquid wax in 20 oz of water and poured it in. The soap nozzle spread the wax nicely. I easily got the jeep covered with wax before it ran out. Back to the 15* tip and rinsed the car from top down. When dry, no missed spots, nice and clean and shiny. So, After an hour on 4 Kayaks, 30 min each on 3 cars, I ran out of things to clean. The machine works great. It does the job nicely. Don't expect the water volume you get at a car wash, 'cause you ain't gonna get it in an electric power washer! The pressure was adequate. I haven't tried to clean the wood deck yet, but that is coming. Not sure how it will do on wood, although the pressure was fine so I don't expect problems. SOAP USAGE: The machine only sucks the soap out of the holder when using the soap (black) tip. This was a surprise to me but it is kind of nice. Soap it down, switch tips, power wash it off! Novel idea. (auto car wash wink wink) The motor runs just for a second after you let up on the handle. It pressurizes the hose then stops. As soon as the pressure is released, it jumps right into action. The hose was adequate. Could be longer, but worked. I placed the unit at one corner of the car and was able to get all of the vehicle without it moving much. The power cord was plenty long enough for me, I have an outlet on the outside of the house by the driveway. It rolls nicely. The wheels are wide enough that it doesn't pull over. I was on a concrete driveway. Grass may be a bit different, but... I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this unit to friends. If you have $350, go get a gas powered unit. If you have $150, this is perfect. It is smaller than I thought. The whole thing isn't 2 feet tall. The hose and cord are held on the unit, but the hose needs something to tame it a bit. I used velcro strips and all was good. It doesn't weigh much and has a nice handle on top to pick it up and carry. Over all I am satisfied with it. The only wish I have is somewhere to store the tips. I will get a nylon bag and hang it from the handle. The tips seem to be a standard size. I found the same type of tips at the local farm store and Menards, so you can get more or replacements easily. Over all, I am satisfied and believe I made a good purchase. No idea on longevity, but satisfied for now.
