Trailer Jetter or Truck-Mounted Jetter?
Quick answer. Most one and two truck shops should buy a trailer jetter. It costs less used, moves between trucks, and holds value. Buy a truck-mounted jetter when you run it every day, need it set up in seconds, and can absorb the chassis cost and the resale hit of selling truck and jetter together.
See hydro jetting for sale near you
Side by side
| Trailer jetter | Truck-mounted jetter | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical used price | $12,000 to $45,000 | $40,000 and up, includes chassis |
| GPM range | 8 to 25 | 18 to 80 |
| Crew | One person, but backing a trailer takes practice | One person, fastest setup |
| Maintenance | Jetter plus trailer brakes and tires | Jetter plus a commercial truck |
| Storage | Unhitch and park it | Truck is the jetter |
| Resale | Sells alone, holds value | Sells with the truck, buyer pool is smaller |
| Winter | Antifreeze system on most units | Often heated enclosure |
When the trailer wins
- You have more than one truck and want the jetter to go with whichever crew needs it.
- You are buying your first jetter and want to limit the cash outlay.
- You do not jet every day, so the trailer can sit while the truck works.
- You want to sell the jetter later without selling a truck with it.
When the truck wins
- You jet daily and the minutes saved hitching, unhitching and staging add up.
- You work in tight urban sites where a trailer cannot follow.
- You need 25 GPM or more, which usually means a truck-mounted unit.
- You want an enclosed, heated body for winter work.
A note on skids and carts
A skid jetter bolts to a flatbed or slides into a van and costs less than a trailer, but it leaves the truck committed. A cart jetter under 4 GPM is a plumber's tool for indoor and small lateral work, not a substitute for either.
What the used market looks like
Trailer jetters are the most common used listings and turn over fastest. Truck-mounted units appear less often and usually come from municipal fleets and larger contractors, which means better records but more hours. Browse the hydro jetting category to see both, and read the price guide for the bands.
Questions buyers ask
- Can I convert a trailer jetter to a truck-mounted one?
- Some skid units are built for it, but a trailer jetter's tank, engine and reel are laid out for the trailer. It is usually cheaper to sell the trailer unit and buy a skid.
- What truck do I need to tow a trailer jetter?
- Most trailer jetters weigh 3,000 to 7,000 lb loaded. A three-quarter ton pickup handles most; check the trailer GVWR against your truck's tow rating.
- Is a truck-mounted jetter harder to maintain?
- The jetter side is the same. The difference is that you are also maintaining a commercial truck, and if the truck is down the jetter is down.
- Which holds value better?
- Trailer jetters, because they sell to any buyer with a truck. A truck-mounted unit sells to buyers who want that specific chassis.
Have one to sell? List it free and hand it off locally. Looking up a specific model? See specs and used prices by model.