Pressure Washer Hire in Devon: Yards, Plant and Patios

If you need pressure washer hire Devon-wide for a farmyard, a loading dock, a fleet of machinery or a mossy patio, our Brendon 35KPE mobile power washer is built for exactly that kind of outdoor work. It runs on a Honda petrol engine, so it needs no mains power at the point of use, and it can be delivered from our Okehampton depot to most of Devon and Cornwall on the same day, subject to availability.

The Brendon 35KPE: what it is and where it fits

The Brendon 35KPE is a mobile, petrol-powered high-pressure washer. It appears across three of our ranges because it is genuinely useful in all of them: on our agricultural equipment page for farmyards and machinery, in warehouse and cleaning for docks, yards and facility upkeep, and in construction for plant and surface preparation.

Being petrol driven makes it ideal for remote barns, yards and sites where there is a water supply but no convenient socket. The trade-off is exhaust fumes, so it is an outdoor machine. Do not run it inside a closed building, shed or container.

Pressure washer hire Devon: the typical jobs

Farmyards, sheds and livestock buildings

Spring clean-outs, between-batch washes in calf and poultry sheds, and scraping back yards after a wet winter are the jobs we are asked about most. Devon’s heavy clay soils, including the Culm country around Holsworthy, Hatherleigh and north of Okehampton, mean mud gets carried everywhere on tyres and boots. A high-pressure lance shifts caked dirt from concrete and steel far faster than a brush and hose.

Tractors, trailers and plant

Washing down a tractor, telehandler or excavator before a service, a sale or the end of a hire saves time and money. Clean machines are easier to inspect for leaks and damage. If you have hired plant from us, returning it clean also avoids a cleaning charge under our standard terms.

Loading docks, yards and forecourts

Warehouses and food distribution sites use pressure washers for dock levellers, bin stores, external walkways and vehicle wash bays. Oil spots, tyre marks and algae on north-facing concrete all come up with the right technique.

Patios, driveways and paths

Homeowners from Exeter to Plymouth hire pressure washers to bring tired slabs and block paving back before summer. Take care on softer surfaces: a narrow jet held too close can etch sandstone and blow jointing sand out of block paving, which then needs re-sanding.

Run-off: where the dirty water goes matters

Washing produces contaminated water, and in Devon that water does not have far to travel before it reaches a stream. Yard drains and road gullies are very often surface water drains that discharge straight into a ditch or river. GOV.UK’s pollution prevention guidance for businesses is clear that only clean water should go into surface water drains, and that contaminated washwater from activities such as vehicle washing and yard cleaning needs to go to a foul sewer with your water company’s permission, or be collected and dealt with another way. Check the current guidance for your situation.

On farms, washwater from livestock areas carries manure, so it generally belongs in your dirty water or slurry system rather than a clean water drain. Practical steps:

• Know which drains on your site are foul and which are surface water before you start. Drain covers are not always marked.
• Wash on an area that drains to a foul system, a collection sump or your dirty water store.
• Scrape and sweep loose muck first so the washer is only dealing with what is stuck on.
• Avoid detergents unless you know where the water ends up. Many interfere with oil separators.
• Never wash concrete mixers, oily plant or chemical sprayers where run-off can reach a watercourse.
• Block or cover nearby surface water gullies when washing patios close to the road.

Technique: getting a better result in less time

A pressure washer cleans through a combination of pressure, water volume and the angle of the jet. A few habits make a big difference:

1. Start wide, go narrow. Begin with a wider fan and only move to a tighter jet on stubborn patches.
2. Keep your distance. Hold the lance far enough back to clean without gouging, especially on timber, render and soft stone.
3. Work top to bottom on walls, machines and sheds so dirty water runs over areas you have not cleaned yet.
4. Overlap passes on flat surfaces to avoid striping, and work in the direction you want the water to drain.
5. Keep the jet off electrics, radiators, seals, bearings and air filters on machinery.

Safety checklist

A high-pressure jet can cut skin and drive dirt into a wound, so treat the lance with respect. Wear eye protection, waterproofs and safety boots. Never point the lance at a person or animal. Keep the hose clear of vehicles and moving machinery, and never run the petrol engine in an enclosed space. Refuel only with the engine stopped and cool.

Before you start, tell us about your water supply when you book, whether that is a mains tap, a tank, an IBC or a bowser, so we can confirm the washer will suit it. We will run through start-up and shut-down at handover if you are new to it.

Water supply: mains taps, tanks and bowsers

A pressure washer can only deliver what its water supply gives it. Before you arrange pressure washer hire Devon farms and remote sites in particular should think about where the water is coming from, because yard taps at the far end of a long, narrow pipe often cannot keep up with a petrol machine running flat out.

Mains taps

Check the tap gives a steady flow with the hose fully open. A simple test is to time how long it takes to fill a bucket of known size, then tell us the figure so we can compare it with the machine’s requirement. Use a hose of a sensible bore and avoid kinks.

The Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations require protection against backflow, so that dirty water cannot be drawn back into the public supply. If you are unsure whether your tap or yard supply has suitable protection, fill a tank and draw from that instead, or ask your water company.

Tanks, IBCs and bowsers

On remote barns, field shelters and building sites without a tap, an IBC or bowser filled in advance is often the practical answer. Keep the outlet higher than the washer inlet where you can so water feeds freely, keep debris out of the tank, and fit a strainer if the water has been sitting. A big wash can empty a 1,000 litre IBC, so plan how you will refill it.

Hose runs

It is usually better to leave the washer on clean, firm ground and run the high-pressure hose to the work than to move the machine through muck. Ask us about hose length when you book, and keep the hose out of vehicle routes and away from sharp edges and gates.

Detergents, disinfectants and what is safe to use

Plain water at pressure handles most mud and muck. Detergents help on oil, grease and algae, but they bring their own considerations:

• Read the label and safety data sheet. Wear the gloves and eye protection it calls for, and store chemicals away from livestock, children and food.
• Biodegradable does not mean harmless. A biodegradable degreaser can still kill fish if it reaches a stream before it breaks down.
• Disinfecting livestock buildings: for disease control, Defra keeps a list of approved disinfectants with approved dilution rates. Your vet can advise which product suits the situation.
• Check the machine first. Ask us before putting any chemical through the washer, as some products can damage pumps and seals. Applying detergent separately with a sprayer and then rinsing is often the safer route.

A livestock shed wash, step by step

Here is an illustrative method for cleaning a calf or sheep shed between batches, the kind of job we often supply a Brendon washer for in mid and north Devon.

1. Remove all bedding and muck with a loader or by hand, right down to the concrete. A pressure washer is not a muck shifter.
2. Scrape or brush walls, feed barriers and floors to remove loose material.
3. Soak heavily soiled areas with low-pressure water and let them sit for a while. Dried muck lifts far more easily once wet through.
4. Wash from the top down, starting with roof sheets and purlins where you can reach safely, then walls and gates, and the floor last, working towards the drain or collection point.
5. Pay attention to corners, joints and the underside of feeders, where muck builds up and pathogens survive.
6. Disinfect if required, following the product instructions for dilution and contact time.
7. Let the building dry before re-bedding. Good ventilation and a breezy day help a lot.

Washwater from this kind of job belongs in your dirty water or slurry system, as covered above.

Washing down plant and machinery

Cleaning a tractor, excavator or telehandler properly is quicker with a method:

• Park on a wash area or hardstanding where run-off can be collected or drains to a suitable system, with the engine off and cool.
• Knock off heavy clods with a scraper or spade first, especially from tracks, buckets and wheel arches.
• Wash undercarriages and tracks from both sides, then the bodywork from the top down.
• Keep the jet away from radiators and coolers at close range, as the fins bend easily. A wider fan from further back is safer.
• Avoid aiming directly at electrical connectors, dashboards, breathers, air intakes and bearing seals.
• Grease pivot points afterwards on machines you own, as pressure washing can push water past seals.

Returning hired plant clean helps us check it over quickly and avoids cleaning charges under our hire terms. Many contractors add the washer to the same delivery as their excavator or dumper for that reason.

Patios and block paving: doing the job properly

Domestic patio cleaning is a popular weekend hire, and it is where most surface damage happens. A few extra steps give a better finish:

1. Sweep and weed first. Pull out large weeds from joints rather than blasting them, which sprays soil everywhere.
2. Test a hidden area to find the right distance and nozzle before tackling the middle of the patio.
3. Keep the lance at a low angle and move steadily, working towards the drainage fall.
4. Rinse the slurry away as you go so it does not dry back onto cleaned slabs.
5. Re-sand block paving joints once the surface has fully dried, using kiln-dried sand brushed in, and compact it in where the paving manufacturer advises.
6. Leave any sealing until the paving is completely dry, which can take a couple of days in a damp Devon spring.

Remember the road gully. Washing a front drive straight into the road drain sends silt and algae into the nearest stream, so sweep up the residue and dispose of it with garden waste where you can.

What affects the cost of pressure washer hire in Devon

We do not publish hire rates because the right quote depends on the job, but it helps to know what moves the figure up or down so you can plan:

• Hire length. Daily hire suits a single yard or patio. Weekly hire usually works out better value per day for shed clean-outs or rolling cleaning work, and it takes the pressure off if the weather turns.
• Delivery distance. Delivery and collection are quoted separately from our depot near Okehampton. A farm near Hatherleigh or Launceston is a short run, while sites in east Devon, west Cornwall or Somerset cost more to reach. You can collect from the depot if you have suitable transport.
• Combining items. Adding the washer to an existing delivery of plant, such as an excavator or dumper, avoids a separate trip.
• Fuel and cleaning. The machine should come back with the fuel topped up and reasonably clean. Shortfalls and heavy contamination are charged under our standard terms.
• Insurance. Cover for hired equipment is not included. Check your existing policy or ask our partner insurance4plant.co.uk about plant hire cover.

Send us the details and we will give you a clear quote for pressure washer hire in Devon, Cornwall, Somerset or Dorset, with delivery shown separately.

When to book pressure washer hire in Devon

Demand follows the farming and building calendar. Spring brings shed clean-outs after housing, yard scrapes after a wet winter and patio cleaning before summer. Late summer and autumn bring post-harvest machinery cleaning and pre-housing shed washes. If you want pressure washer hire Devon-wide at those times, a few days’ notice helps us line up the delivery. Dry, breezy weather is best for anything that needs to dry afterwards, while light rain does not stop yard or machinery washing.

Frequently asked questions

Hire periods and planning a clean-down day

Most yard and machinery washes fit into a day or two. Larger farm clean-outs, multi-shed poultry units or a rolling programme of dock cleaning often justify a weekly hire, so you are not racing the clock or the weather. If you are booking pressure washer hire Devon farms will need around a busy time, such as before turnout or after harvest, give us a little notice as demand rises.

Plan the order of work so the dirtiest areas come first and you finish on the surfaces you want to leave cleanest. Have enough hose to reach the far end of the job without moving the washer through wet muck, and keep fuel in a suitable container away from the work area.

Do I need my own hose and fittings?

Tell us what you have when you book. We will confirm which connections the Brendon uses and what you need to link it to your tap, tank or bowser.

Can a pressure washer remove oil stains from concrete?

Fresh spills lift more easily than old, soaked-in stains. A suitable degreaser applied first, then washed off with the run-off collected, gives the best chance. Some deep stains will only fade rather than disappear.

Is it suitable for washing cars, vans and horseboxes?

Yes, with care. Use a wider fan, stand well back from paintwork, badges, rubber seals and window trims, and never aim the jet into wheel bearings or electrical connections. Wash on a surface where the run-off can be dealt with properly rather than on the road.

Book your pressure washer

Send us your postcode, dates, what you are cleaning and your water supply, and we will confirm availability and delivery. WhatsApp or call 07841 036064, Monday to Friday 7:30am to 5:30pm, or use our contact page for a written quote.