The AR Blue Clean AR383 is a low-cost washer, but after testing it, we can’t recommend it. We didn’t like the hose reel, wrapping the cord for storage was a tedious process, the machine tended to tip over, and the wheels were tiny. The cordless Ryobi RY40PW01DG9 usually costs about $500, nearly twice as much as Champion Power Equipment the considerably more powerful Ryobi RY and DeWalt DWPW2400 . The cost of the cordless model is understandable, given the two 40-volt batteries that are included along with the washer, but the machine’s abilities don’t match the investment. The little RY1419MTVNM had less power than the other models we tested.
We later encountered this on future uses and it goes away after a minute or so of use, so it seems to happen by design. The only way to really avoid it is to switch to a gas-powered washer. In her role as Chief Technologist and Director of Engineering at the Institute, Rachel Rothman has overseen pressure washer testing for more than a decade. She has personally tested more than two dozen models in recent years.
As for features, the Ryobi gas washer shares a lot of characteristics with its electric counterpart. It has the same easy-to-use Velcro strap for hose storage, the same giant wheels, and the same metal roll-bar handle . The sun joe spx 3000 overall look and feel is nearly identical between the two models, and the design is as successful on the gas washer as it is on the electric version. With the larger washer models, doing such things is far more difficult.
1800 watt universal motor coupled with the 5 piston pump gives an output of 3600 cleaning units. With a maximum peak pressure of 1800 PSI and flow rate of 2.0 GPM. Once you take the ePX3000 out of its box, assembly is incredibly easy. There are plastic attachments that you just slide on to pre-cut rails within the main chassis, and there are locking tabs that keep them in place.
We didn’t have a way to calculate the actual PSI, but instead, we devised a method to compare the relative pressures between the tested models. We started with a kitchen scale, accurate down to 0.05-ounce measurements, and placed it in a resealable plastic bag for protection from water. Then we used a dinner plate and duct-taped it to the bag to prevent sliding and without putting any extra pressure on the scale. To measure pressure, we sprayed each wand at the dish from a distance of 12 inches and recorded the readout in pounds.
If you have an extremely high velocity but not a whole lot of mass, you’ll punch through dirt but only in a tiny area. Too much mass and not enough speed means you’ll cover a giant area but get nothing done. Sometimes high GPM is better because the stains are mild and spread over a large area. That’s why you get different spray tips- so you can adjust your water jet depending on what you’re cleaning. For vehicles and windows you don’t want more than 1500 PSI, and the nozzle shouldn’t be narrower than 25°. For concrete and stone you want at least 2000psi and a 15° nozzle.
Since power washing and pressure washing are used interchangeably in most cases and both have the power needed for residential use, we treated them as synonymous in this review. Karcher Plug ‘n’ Clean lets you insert and remove detergent without having to bother with filling a tank. However, you need to use Karcher’s proprietary pressure washer detergent bottles. With internal soap tanks you must clean out the tank before you’re ready to use the pressure washer normally. Say you fill the entire tank with soap but only use half of it to clean the concrete on your driveway.
Whether you want to maintain the look of your home or your business, Sam’s Club carries the cleaning solution you’re looking for. Check out our home promotions for all your cleaning and improvement Champion Power Equipment needs. Look for the DWYM seal for products that are the best in the category. Every product purchase comes with lifetime technical support, please submit a support request if you need assistance.
The high-pressure hose on this felt extremely high quality — we actually thought we mixed it up with one of the hoses on the ~$400 gas-powered units. The hose itself has a fabric-like texture on it with good-quality connectors at the ends. There’s a block on the bottom of the spray wand you push over to the other side to lock, which feels very secure.
The particular wood deck we cleaned had not been maintained or cleaned for at least five years so it was pretty caked on, but it would have taken a very long time to finish cleaning with this unit. This pressure washer has a well-engineered carbon-brush motor that delivers a surprisingly intense water stream. It comes with three quick-connect nozzle tips plus a turbo nozzle for washing large areas, such as siding, garage floors, and driveways.