steam jennies

[Charlie M]

Couple of steam jennies coming up at a farm action not far from me. I've never used one or seen one being used. I'm under the impression they are a great tool for cleaning up grease and dirt from equipment as part of prepping for paint. Are they any better than a pressure washer and degreaser? How do they heat water - electric. If so I'm assuming 240 volts. Do they actually use steam or just hot water? If you could get a working one for the right price would you get it. Inquiring minds want to know.

 

[casecollectorsc]

Steam cleaners do a heck of a job on grease and dirt. Have to make sure they actually work.

 

[kencombs]

Most of the older ones used diesel to heat the water and yes it is usually steam, not only hot water.

Had one years ago and used it to clean parts at Dad's salvage. Worked well.

 

[Janicholson]

If it can be demonstrated as working, they are good. Parts are likely an issue. Jim

 

[JD Dave]

Great machines for cleaning because the water is super hot. We had one a looong time ago when I was a teenager. They are a pretty simple machine. Just make sure the water coil in the boiler isn't rusted out.

 

[Cash4Toys]

Great machines for cleaning because the water is super hot. We had one a looong time ago when I was a teenager. They are a pretty simple machine. Just make sure the water coil in the boiler isn't rusted out.

I have one here that I used years ago, but don't use it anymore and would never own another. A "good" high pressure washer works so much better it's ridiculous. A litte soaking of dried out grease build up with a good degreaser, pressure wash then hit it with Purple Power and wash again and it's so clean you can dang eat off it. Steam heats the grease and smears it all over, plus it's a narrow nozzle so take twice as long.

 

[tractorford]

reminds me to get an extra one of these puny knock-off clone brand newer toys for the field rigs--

as i havent come across anything of such vintage yet as that beefy steam jenny

 

[Fritz Maurer]

Unless you can get it for next to nothing, I wouldn't bother with it unless you can see it pump water.

Regardless of the brand, the coils are going to start around $ 500. All it takes is one freeze and the coil will split.

If it turns out to be water-tight, it might be worth it if the burner doesn't work , they're pretty simple if they are the actual Jenny brand, while some Hotsys used a furnace burner, but still easy to work on.

If you are looking at a full time live steam cleaner , remember they are not maintenance-free like a Home Depot pressure washer. They will have to be de-limed periodically with muriatic acid depending on how horrible your water is.

A used hot water pressure washer is also a hard thing to buy, as after a certain age the inside of the coil gets rusty and little flecks of rust will constantly plug up the tip will have to be knocked out after removing the tip. The coil needs the acid treatment to get the inside of the coil down to clean metal.... again, is doable at home, just some potential problems you may encounter.

 

[Phill Tibbetts]

Around here farm auctions are where people take their junk to get rid of it. IMHO

 

[used red MN]

Around here farm auctions are where people take their junk to get rid of it. IMHO

Wouldn’t a more correct term for that be a consignment sale? I am also not saying that if it is a farm retirement auction that everything is cherry. The washers I am familiar with are the Hotsy brand, I am not sure if they are considering steam cleaners. I just know after you ran it 5 or 10 minutes you wouldn’t hold on to the hose very long with your bare hand. I agree with everything that was said about the cost to repair such a unit.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

Is it a "Stem Jenny" or a "hot water pressure washer?"

If I'm not mistaken, the old Steam Jenny produces actual steam and aren't really high pressure washers; they just shoot steam at a few hundred PSI. Hot water pressure washers make 140 degree F water; they produce a 4000 PSI stream of water.

 

[JOCCO]

I would go with high pressure good brand pressure washer, unless there is some compelling need for steam. Next beware if the heating coils have frozen up (winter).

 

[Welding man]

I have Karcher that I have had for over 20 years. It is cold, hot or steam. fires on kerosene or diesel and 115v electric. I used it yesterday. I also have a gasoline powered pressure washer. Each have their uses. You can't beat the hot water for grease. We have a local company that makes the best cleaner I have ever found ( Blue Wolf Degreaser). I put it in a garden sprayer and spray it on, let it set for a few minutes and blast it off.

 

[GChief]

Cryogenic Blasting is the way to go if you have access. All of our "steam cleaners" went bye bye when we started blasting with ice.

 

[showcrop]

I agree with others, "steam cleaners" went out when TVs came out. I have had a hot water pressure washer for 25 years. Heat makes a H U G E difference at braking down grease!!!! One important point about pressure washer construction is that you want a brass not aluminum pump.

 

[DPittman]

My brother had one in his shop when he was township commissioner. Worked well on a 53 UB Moline that probably had never seen a cleaner of any kind. Had on a face shield and could have used a rain suit

 

[560Dennis]

I’ve used stream cleaner for industrial equipment. Work very good . You need to purchase have quali PPE or you will get burnt .
I have a Ryobi pressure washer , does as good as the steam for my needs .
i recommend you not by Steam because becau my coworker got burnt, lost two months of work in an accident.

 

[Fixingfarmer]

Same experience as above I wouldn’t buy one if you don’t wear ppe you will burn yourself you can burn yourself even on the wand pretty good if you touch the metal. It works well it is very fast. A good hot water pressure washer turned all the way up will do almost as good a job on oil and grease and you can see what you are doing better. And is safer burn wise there are other hazards but generally that’s why people switched to pressure washer one of the places I worked at after they switched it was still called the steam bay since that’s what had been there. We have a used propane fired Aladdin electric drive one in the shop works great cleaning oil off we even thawed out a cattle waterer yesterday outside to replace it by running the long hose out it worked slick. Warmed it up nice you could work on the wiring and water pipe without gloves and peeled the whole thing off the slab without chipping any ice off.

 

[Mcrafty1]

In my experience steam is good on anything you want to strip bare, other than that just hot water pressure...even then you need to be VERY careful of decals/ painted surfaces that you want preserved, hot water does a serious number if the pressure is high along with it.

 

[caterpillar guy]

I don't now how a person burns them selves like that using a steam cleaner. I worked for a guy back about 40 years ago that had one I liked it would clean engine blocks so good on the outside and would need to immediately oil the bores or they would rust before you got it back inside. IT would clean things very well. Never had a problem with it but he also didn't keep it for a lot of years but then I think he brought it home from somebodies road side garbage before the truck came along.