They are not worth the extra cost if you do not plan on using it more or less every day.
Direct drive pressure washer vs belt drive.
The main downside to a belt drive pressure washer is the initial cost which can easily be a few hundred dollars more than a direct drive pressure washer.
A direct drive pressure washer will not work if you plan on having a trailer system or something similar for your pressure washer.
In addition to having a potentially longer useful life and being better suited for heavy workloads a belt drive pressure washer is required to feed water from a holding tank.
The pump is isolated from the heat of the engine or motor also.
And for that there are really two major options.
Heavy use pressure washer applications will demand a belt driven pump.
This combined with the lower rpm of the belt drive pump allows the pump to run much cooler than a direct drive pump.
That s because a belt drive system requires a gear reduction pulley system where pumps turn at a slower motion.
In direct drive pressure washer the pump is mounted directly to the engine whereas in a belt drive pressure washer the engine drives the pump by turning a belt.
Belts and pulleys also absorb vibration reducing pump fatigue.
But another integral factor that is often overlooked is the type of pressure washer.
Belt drive power washers tend to be quite expensive to purchase.
They are quite large and heavy due to the parts.
This reduces the heat and vibration and lessens the wear and tear associated with consistent use.
Because of these factors most heavy use pressure washer applications will demand a belt drive pump.
You d most likely find a belt driven pressure washer with our more heavy duty pressure washers.