Pressure Washer

[db_land]

I decided to buy myself a pressure washer for Christmas. There's an electric 1300 psi unit for sell at Home Depot for about $50. Would this work well enough for cleaning hive equipment - boxes, frames, feeders, bottom boards,....
:cool:

[tarheit]

It's worked well for me. Mostly I've cleaned extracting equipment and buckets. Doesn't get off the most stubborn wax or propolis but still works quite well. Don't know why it wouldn't work with woodenware (you don't want too expensive a pressure washer, the really high PSI can damage wood.)

-Tim

[honeyman46408]

They work will on excluders too (after I soak them in paint thiner)

[odfrank]

I use a 1500 psi HOT pressure washer all the time. Cold would work on the wood, but barely on the wax and propolis.

[db_land]

Hi Oliver,
Does your pressure washer heat the water or do you just connect it to the hot water? How hot does the water need to be to remove most wax and propolis?
:cool:

[odfrank]

Wax melts at 145. Mine heats to almost boiling with diesel fuel. Works great in cleaning equipment in small quantities. I do maybe 100 frames in maybe two hours, and excluders must take about two minutes. Works great on wood, makes it look like new.

[Sundance]

If you can afford it.... stay away from the
super cheapo's. Sometimes they are not worth
the $50 you pay, plus parts can be on iffy to
get down the road. Resale is pretty good on
the better high quality units where the cheapos
are worthless in a month or two for resale.

[db_land]

Thanks for the good advice Bruce. The cleaning and recycling chores for my 50 +/- hives is becoming a real drag. I can't imagine doing it for >100 hives. It quickly turns into a full time job unless power tools and automation is employed. :cool:

[odfrank]

It's a full time job even with power equipment.

[Flyer Jim]

Oliver, where did you find your hot pressure washer? sounds like a good piece of equipment.

[Sundance]

They can be spendy for sure. Try an ebay
search using your zip code and you may
find a nice used one within stricking
distance to you.

[odfrank]

Mine is a Hotsy bought probably 20 years ago and cost probably $3000. Northern Tool has cheaper ones.

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CatDsp?storeId=6970&N=32

[Flyer Jim]

thanks , thats a little out of my price range
you can get a lot of new frames for that much money and I boil my excluders works good
Jim