So last month my old pressure washer finally kicked the bucket right when I needed to clean the driveway. Total nightmare. Couldn't afford a new one, so I went hunting for a cheap used hot water pressure washer. Here's exactly what I did step by step:

The Hunt Begins

Started scrolling Facebook Marketplace like crazy every morning. Typed in "hot water pressure washer used" and filtered under $500. First few days? Absolute garbage. Saw listings that looked like:

• Blurry photos where you couldn't even tell if it HAD a heating coil
• Guys claiming "lightly used" but the thing was rusted to hell
• No model numbers or specs - just "pressure washer works good"

Felt like hitting dead ends constantly.

Getting Sneaky

Changed my search terms after wasting a week. Instead of "hot water pressure washer," I searched:

• "commercial pressure washer"
• "cleaning business equipment"
• "pressure washer trailer" - figured maybe someone was selling just the machine

Boom! Found an ad saying "Retiring from power washing - selling gear." No photos, just a phone number. Took a risk and called.

Scoring the Deal

Turns out it was this old guy closing his carpet cleaning biz. Drove 40 miles to some rural shed. Saw this beastly 3000 PSI machine hooked to a propane tank. He hadn't even listed it as hot water! He fired it up - steam poured out. Tank was corroded but the pump sounded strong. Here's how the convo went:

Me: "How much?"
Him: "$350."
Me: heart pounding "Would you take $250 cash right now?" Held my breath. He shrugged: "Get it outta my barn by sundown."

The Gory Aftermath

Learned why it was cheap REAL fast. Home Depot trip next day:

• $89 for replacement hoses
• $12 for Teflon tape after finding a pinhole leak near the coil
• Three hours scrubbing mineral deposits from the tank

Total cost? About $400 with gas and parts. Still saved a grand over new. Works like a champ now. Moral? Don't search for bargains - hunt where the desperate sellers hide.

Nearly lost a finger tightening the fuel line though. Swore loud enough to scare his chickens. Worth it.