Alright folks, grab some sweet tea 'cause I went down the pressure washer rabbit hole here in Fort Worth, and it's a ride! My old deck looked like a sad, splintery mess after this brutal summer heat, and my garage floor? Forget about it. Gotta do somethin'. So off I went, huntin' for a washer without blowin' my whole budget. Let me walk you through it.

The Great Treasure Hunt Begins

First stop? Hit up the big box places. Drove down to the big Home Depot over near White Settlement Road. Place is packed, naturally. Wandered over to the cleaning aisle – whoa. Choices everywhere. Started pickin' up boxes, checkin' prices. Saw this little electric guy, Greenworks I think, sittin' right there at $119.99. Thought "Hey, cheap! Might do the trick." But then I remembered my fence still needin' powerwashing last year when I borrowed Bud's dinky electric washer – took forever. Nah, needed more muscle.

Spotted a beefier SunJoe electric next to it, thinkin' it might be the middle ground. Tag read $159.99. Not bad, but reviews on the box said it struggled a bit with concrete stains. Flipped to the gas models. Instantly felt the wallet wince. Husky gas washer right in front: $349.99. Ouch. Found a name-brand Simpson one tucked behind – $399.99. Gah!

Quick List of What My Eyes Saw & Wallet Felt:

• Dinky Electric Jobs: $119.99 - $179.99
• Mid-size Electric ("More Muscle!"): $159.99 - $259.99
• Gas Packers ("Good Lord!"): $349.99 - $529.99+

Left Home Depot feelin' kinda deflated. Budget screamed "Electric!". Experience whispered "Gas, you dummy." Needed another angle.

Fishing in the Used Waters

Hopped in the truck, pulled out my phone. Figured I should check the online yard sale spots. Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, the usual haunts. Started typin' in "pressure washer Fort Worth". Bang! Options popped up.

Saw an older Craftsman gas washer listed for $75 near Arlington Heights. Messaged the dude immediately. "Still available?" Got a "Yep" back. Drove over faster than rush hour on I-30. Got there, ol' boy fires it up. Thing rattled like my Uncle Chester's dentures and leaked more water than it sprayed. Nah. Thanks anyway.

Found another one next day on Marketplace – a Troy-Bilt for $120. Picture looked alright. This time up in Keller. Went lookin' hopeful. Dude hands me the hose, pulls the starter cord. Starts second pull, sweet! Spray felt strong. Hoses looked cracked though, and the tires were bald like Uncle Chester's head. Haggled him down to $90 on the spot. Told him cash only, right there. Threw it in the truck bed. Took the gamble.

Gas vs. Electric: The Fort Worth Dust Up

Here's the lowdown after all this legwork, 'cause I wrestled with this too:
Electric: Way cheaper to buy, lighter (those gas tanks ain't light!), quiet as a mouse, plug 'n play mostly. Perfect for cars, patios, light stuff. But for thick grease, mold on driveways, big fences like mine? Gotta work harder, longer. May feel a bit weak-kneed on tough jobs.
Gas: That power kicks! Tears through grime faster than I can finish my Lone Star. More portable 'cause no cords – awesome for the back alley fence cleanup. HOWEVER. More upfront coin, noisy like angry bees, gotta buy gas/oil 'n do basic maintenance, smells like fumes. More complex beast.

Used gas seemed the only way to hit "powerful" without "broke". Got my $90 Troy-Bilt home. Needed some TLC.

Got the Beast Home... Now What?

Dragged my used score into the garage. First thing – checkin' the oil. Dipstick was grimy black. Pulled my old oil drain pan from under the truck. Drained the ugly stuff out, poured fresh SAE 30 in. Didn't know the exact oil capacity? Found a blurry sticker near the engine. Followed that roughly.

Took a gamble with the hose connections – old washer used the same quick-connect type. Shoved 'em together, sprayed a little soapy water – no bubbles! No leaks! Small win!

Filled the tank with fresh regular unleaded (no ethanol mix I could find, hopefully better for it). Double-checked the hose connections were tight. Grabbed the spray wand. Took a solid five pulls before she sputtered to life – sweet music! Went straight for a test patch on the greasy garage floor spot where my truck parks. Grease? Gone. Just… gone. Bam. Best $90 gamble I ever made!

So yeah, folks, pressure washing ain't cheap if you want real power off the shelf here in Fort Worth. Electric can work if you got patience and light jobs. But if that driveway or fence looks like Fort Worth dirt had a barn dance on it? Used gas is the budget warrior's path. Just expect to hunt hard, haggle harder, and maybe fiddle with some oil changes. Hope this messy adventure helps ya find your own sprayin' power!