CAT vs General Pump vs AR Pressure Washer Pumps

Three brands cover most of the pumps that come through our repair shop. None of them is bad. They are built for different owners.

Quick verdict

• AR (Annovi Reverberi): lowest cost, fine for light and mid duty. Cheapest to replace, less rewarding to rebuild.
• General Pump: the workhorse. Widest parts availability, easy rebuilds, best value for full-time contractors.
• CAT Pumps: longest life and highest price. Worth it on a machine that runs every day or on a hot water unit.

Lifespan under daily use

Roughly: AR 1-3 years, General Pump 4-7 years, CAT 7-10+ years, assuming oil changes and no cavitation. Running any pump dry or on low water kills it in minutes regardless of brand.

Rebuild cost and difficulty

AR: seal kits are inexpensive, but on the small axial and lower-end triplex models a rebuild costs a good share of a new pump. Many contractors replace instead.

General Pump: parts for every series stay in production for years. Packing extractors and kits are cheap. A competent tech does a seal job in under an hour.

CAT: kits cost more, but the pumps are designed to be rebuilt many times. Ceramic plungers rarely need replacement.

The mistake that beats every brand

Oil. Change it at 50 hours on a new pump, then every 300 hours or every season. Milky oil means water intrusion: stop and reseal now, not later.

Which one we put on our own rigs

General Pump for cold water direct and belt drive units. CAT on hot water skids. AR when a customer needs the lowest price on a light-duty unit.

Shop CAT Pumps, General Pumps, AR Pumps and Pumps Made Ready. Send us your pump's model number and we will match parts or quote a rebuild: (301) 519-9274.