High Pressure Cleaning

[batcat]

Some advice on which high pressure cleaner brand to buy would be appreciated.
Searching through the forums of some older posts hasnt really helped me decide.
My budget is up to about $200.

I dont want to go down the hire route because we have an on-going problem which is BATS!:~
With the drought, the bats have moved into our neighbourhood and in particular to my neighbour's mandarin tree.
This tree is the biggest mandarin tree I have ever seen, it's about 5mtrs tall and laden with fruit. Unfortunately, the fruit tastes terrible so it is left on the tree, never harvested.
The bats come in each night to feed, then fly over our place and defecate in our backyard. The clothes on the line, the BBQ, the pavers, the back of the house, the fences, you name it is covered with their droppings.
This is driving the 'significant other half' and me crazy :((
If we dont remove it daily, it sets like concrete and stains.
We talked to the (Sydney) Water Board and asked as a health issue can we get an authorised water use permit for 10 minutes a day to hose down after scrubbing - answer NO...
However they did say a high pressure water blaster providing it is not hooked up to the main supply is ok if you use a seperate source (bucket of water to draw from).
I figure a high pressure cleaner would probably empty a bucket pretty quick, but we do have the large otto bind for rubbish & recycling so they I would use as my reservoir.

Has anyone used a bucket, how long did it take to empty?

Any advice on what to buy would be appreciated, (ahhhh... no not a shotgun) in the way of a high pressure blaster?

[Terrian]

may I suggest a chainsaw instead ?

[Buzzer]

Well........how about an air rifle!!!!?

[Master Splinter]

The average domestic high pressure cleaner uses about 6-14 litres per minute so your Otto bin will give you plenty of time. Make sure that you have a good filter in the intake line to stop crud getting into the pump. Supercheap Auto has a range of the Karcher brand cleaners, including one (not branded Karcher, but made by them) for $99. I'd try to get one of the slightly larger models, as they come with a lance which has a spinning nozzle that gives you a bigger cleaning area. But if the tree were to mysteriously gain some 5mm diameter drill holes around its trunk and these were to mysteriously fill with neat Roundup a few times, I think you would find that the tree would, ah, mysteriously die.... However the chainsaw is an instant fix!

[batcat]

Thanks Splinter on the litre usage, in that case the otto will give me enough supply.
I was reading in old posts that people were having problems with karchers and their plastic components breaking so was tending to steer away from that brand.

Killing the tree is not an option (unfortunately)

[Terrian]

Thanks Splinter on the litre usage, in that case the otto will give me enough supply.
I was reading in old posts that people were having problems with karchers and their plastic components breaking so was tending to steer away from that brand.

Killing the tree is not an option (unfortunately)


how about just trimming it to 3" above ground level till the bats decide to go elsewhere for their feed ?

[Barry_White]

This tree is the biggest mandarin tree I have ever seen, it's about 5mtrs tall and laden with fruit. Unfortunately, the fruit tastes terrible so it is left on the tree, never harvested.


Hi Batcat

Have you thought about picking the fruit and turning it into Marmalade Jam. Doesn't matter how bad it tastes fresh it always tastes great as marmalade.

[MaxFoxElec]

In my industry we have dealt with high pressure cleaners of many brands over the years but have come to a stop at the GERNI brand. we have had Karchers, and mega-jet and a couple of others and found other then the initial purchase cost (which usually is cheap) there isn't much good about them. Most have plastic parts which break easy when using with pressure and most have a basic metal pump which will rust and corrode, and when they do the parts are extremely hard to source. The Gerni range have brass pumps so it wont rust or corrode. They are backed by a 2 year warranty, hot and cold options available. And mostly spare parts are readily available all over australia. For your job you could have basically any model in the range from the basic to the mega hot water and get the same results. Think to the future, how often will you be using it, what would you be using it on and then look for something. The cheap crap ones are usually just that and will last you maybe 3-4 uses before doing the valves and seals and dropping the pressure down.

[The Bleeder]

Batcat,GERNI are the best. But you might like to travel to Canberra and pick up some singe use noise makers (they are illegal in NSW). This really does send them on thier way and if its done often enough they dont tend to come back.Be warned though your still going to need the GERNI when they evacuate because they evacuate (s&^t everywhere) when they evacuate.Steve

[Pewit]

Have you thought about using the pressure cleaner on the bats - they won't stay long if they keep getting a jet of water up their ass :D