Most contractor pumps stop at 3,500 or 4,000 PSI. Above that, water stops cleaning and starts cutting, which is what coating removal, graffiti work and steel prep actually require.

The SXW series covers that band at 1,450 RPM on a 24 mm solid shaft: brass head, ceramic plungers, aluminium rods, 32 oz crankcase, around 35 lbs.

The SXW Series range

The SXW7G45N is worth a second look. It trades 1,000 PSI for nearly twice the flow of the SXW15.35 at almost the same shaft power. If your job is removal over area rather than cutting into a spot, that is the better trade.

SXW pump variants

• Left-hand shaft: SXW15.35-SX, for mirrored skid layouts
• Hot water: SXW15.35HT and SXW21.35HT
• With motor: SXW21.35-ET, pump and electric motor as a unit
• Hydraulic drive: HYD5550 drive kit for the SXW21.35N

Sizing a motor for SXW pumps

EBHP is GPM times PSI divided by 1,460. At 5,000 PSI the numbers climb quickly: 13.7 HP for the SXW15.35, 18.8 for the SXW21.350. Add 10 to 20 percent, round up to a standard frame, and you are on 15, 20 and 25 HP respectively.

This is a three-phase installation, not something you run off a shop outlet. Settle the electrical service before the pump.

What changes above 4,000 PSI

Everything downstream has to be rated for it, with margin: hose, gun, lance, swivel and every quick coupler. A fitting rated 4,500 PSI on a 5,000 PSI system is not a small compromise.

Operator technique changes too. At 5,000 PSI water removes material, and that includes material you did not intend to remove: mortar, paint you wanted to keep, softer masonry, and skin. Injection injuries at this pressure need immediate surgical attention and often do not look serious at the time.

Nozzle selection matters more here than anywhere else. A worn tip on a 5,000 PSI machine drops pressure and passes more water, so the machine feels weaker while working harder.

Where SXW pumps are used

• Graffiti and paint removal from concrete, brick and metal
• Heavy equipment degreasing in mining, trucking and rail
• Surface prep before coatings or sealants
• Industrial wash bays with genuine high-pressure requirements
• Marine and shipyard work on hulls and steel
• Oilfield and chemical plant washdown
• Municipal high-pressure sanitation

Servicing SXW pumps

Fully rebuildable, with kits for valves, pistons, water seals, oil seals and piston guides, plus dedicated hot water seal sets for the HT builds. Ceramic plungers are the reason these hold up: they resist the abrasion that ends steel plungers at this pressure.

Two habits matter more than the parts. Filter the inlet, because grit at 5,000 PSI destroys seats fast. And change the oil on schedule, because at this load the oil is carrying heat as much as it is lubricating.

If you need more

The SXWA line runs the same pressure class at 1,750 RPM with flows to 7 GPM, including corrosion-resistant and hot water builds. Above that, the RF and SHP series reach 5,800 and 7,250 PSI.

Send your target pressure, flow and available motor and you will get a model with the electrical requirement spelled out.