Pressure Washer Review

Introduction to Pressure Washers

Even the least expensive pressure washers offer at least 15 times the water pressure of a regular garden hose. This makes washing cars, bicycles and lawn furniture faster and easier. Pressure washers also use only about a fifth of the water a garden hose would use to do the same job. While gas pressure washers are the most powerful, cheaper electric models are fine for spraying off cars and sports gear.

Money magazine has the best, most comparative review of pressure washers, where five electric models are tested head-to-head. Popular Mechanics hasn't reviewed electric pressure washers since 2003. Consumer Reports' coverage is more than three years old, and editors chose electric models so different in power that we can't consider the results conclusive. Consumer Reports also tested ten gasoline-fueled pressure washers, but many of those models have now been discontinued.

We found good information on a retailer website called PressureWashersDirect.com. Another specialty retailer, The Power Washer Advisor, doesn't recommend specific pressure washers but provides detailed information on how to evaluate the parts used. Owner-written reviews at six other retailer sites not only provide more details about specific pressure washers from a homeowner's point of view, but also report valuable information about reliability, durability and customer service.

There are quite a few electric pressure washers available in the $100 to $150 price range, but some appear to be better built and more reliable than others, and experts say that better quality parts can make a big difference. For example, the Campbell Hausfeld PW135000AV (*est. $90) gets mixed reviews from owners at Amazon.com, some of whom note that the plastic connectors seem to be a weak point. Replacement parts aren't available, so once one thing breaks, the whole pressure washer is a throwaway. We found better reviews for the Sistema GT11 (*est. $125), which costs $35 more but uses a better induction motor instead of the cheaper universal motor used in the Campbell Hausfeld pressure washer.