We do a lot of pressure reviews here at Tools In Action but this is our first heated unit that we have reviewed. For the homeowner this is crazy overkill so we took it out on the job with the Pros. We tried to think of the harshest environment we could, turns out it is acid washing. In the Chicago suburbs we have the Fox River, it is like a big sewer that people swim and tube in. Everything drains into the Fox River, when you put your hand in you cannot see it. When boats stay in this water for extended periods they get an algae mossy type coating that adheres to the bottom of the boat. This causes performance issues and in general is unsightly. Being a boat owner I know how hard this stuff is to clean off. Basically it’s oven cleaner or acid to clean the boat! Yes, it is that caked on, that after you let the chemical sit on for a few minutes you need a high psi pressure washer to remove it.
For years the marina has used a 4000 PSI cold pressure washer and when I showed up with a 3000 PSI heated unit they were skeptical about the lower PSI being able to clean the boats. Well it turns out with the addition of heat, the 3000 PSI unit cleans better and faster than the 4000 cold unit. Heat is amazing. When you wash your hands with hot vs cold you can feel the difference. Ever try washing dishes with cold water? My point exactly! Another bonus is that the operator has a warm wand to hold on to during cold weather operations. Simpson is a good brand. We have tested quite a few Simpson units in harsh environments and they are still running strong today. We put them in situations where they are used 8 hours a day everyday. The Simpson King Brute KB3028 Heated Pressure Washer is powered by a Briggs and Stratton Intek 11 HP gasoline engine. This engine started easily every time. The only complaint, from TY the owner of the Marina, was that there is no off switch. You basically just throttle it all the way down and then it shuts off.
The diesel burner has a big tank that will give you quite a few hours of run time. The burner heats the water by 100 degrees. So whatever the water intake temperature, add 100. To turn the burner on you simply flip a switch, that’s it. The motor turns a 12V automotive type alternator to keep the battery for the starter and heater charged. The King Brute has a CAT pump, those who know pressure washers know CAT pumps. They are a well known name for reliable industrial quality pumps. The pump produces 3000 psi @ 3 gallons per minute. The wand is long and has 5 Quick connect nozzles: 0,15,25,40 and soap. Since this is a pro unit it comes with a 3/8-Inch, 50-Foot, 4500 PSI high pressure armor hose. The hose was flexible and really easy to maneuver.
The entire unit is mounted to a 4 wheel cart that looks well built and has pneumatic tires to conquer most any terrain. If you are on the market for a good quality heated pressure washer, take a look at the King Brute. It is designed to provide a long service life. For those of you that need an even tougher hose you can check out the Simpson Armor hose.
