It quickly became apparent that not all washers had a hose reel or a way to wrap cords. The only unit with a hose reel, the AR Blue Clean, had a completely unusable design. Some machines had a set of interchangeable spray tips, while two models only had a “cleaning tip” and a weaker tip for pre-soaking or adding detergent. Something odd happened with the Ivation pressure washer when we first used it. It kept getting into odd 3-6 second sprints when the motor would just keep running on its own when we weren’t pulling the trigger. It was a little bit concerning that the motor was running when we weren’t using it.
One is for normal, high-pressure cleaning and the second is a low-pressure mode, likely for just pre-soaking areas. You activate by pulling the trigger twice and holding on the second pull, although just like the other electric models, this can take some experimenting to figure out. Surprisingly, the water supply connection on this unit is significantly higher-quality than the three other electric models we tested. The others had noticeably poorer quality connections, lower-quality materials and more wobbly knobs.
Westinghouse clearly had its top engineers design this unit; from top to bottom, this pressure washer is packed with features. The Briggs & Stratton has a 35-foot power cord, which, actually, is one of our few complaints. With the 25-foot inlet hose in tandem, we found it to be cumbersome to keep them from tangling every time we wheeled the pressure washer to a different spot. The pistol has an easily accessible lock and trigger release, but the connector for the inlet hose is too close to the trigger and was tricky to secure. Excellent cleaning power, high quality components, and a well-engineered motor made this pressure washer a great pick for most home owners.
It’s the only one we’ve been able to just push in to attach with an auto click and lock system. Perhaps the others have more solid designs because of the higher power they provide. Ironically, this machine didn’t generate enough force to chip any paint off the board in our test. We thought we were shipped the wrong item when The Force – 1800 arrived in the mail.
The ePX3000 comes with a 25-foot nylon braided hose while the SPX3000 is equipped with a 20-foot hose. One area where the SPX3000 wins is in extension wand length- 34” vs 17.5” on the Westinghouse. But the ePX3000 has a length advantage where it actually matters- the hose. You’re getting similar performance in a much more compact package, which is a massive win in my book.
Detergent tank ensures you can easily apply detergent to whatever you’re cleaning by attaching the black quick connect nozzle to the spray wand. Note however, that you should only use recommended detergents which will not damage the unit in any way. When it comes to doing medium cleaning jobs around the home such as cleaning small driveways, decks, grills and patio furniture, you can’t go wrong with an electric pressure washer. It comes with a 1.6 L soap tank that allows you to apply soap on the surface you’re cleaning. Just attach the soap nozzle to the spray wand and you’re good to go.
The extension cord that comes with the unit is 35 foot long, which is very good because you can always work far away from where the power outlet is. The unit is equipped with a 20 foot hose for conducting the water, and a 34 inch spray lance for applying the pressurized jet of water at longer distances. Though I think the 20 foot hose is actually not long enough, you can always upgrade the hose to the length you desire. It’s equipped with 5 different spray nozzles for channeling the water at different angles and to offer versatility on the types of jobs that can be tackled.
A pressure washer isn’t quite as powerful as those industrial water cutters but it still packs enough force to eat through a leather boot within seconds if you equip the Red tip. If you want to use detergent, you will have to employ the external bottle which doubles up as a foam generator. Internal soap tanks are nice for convenience but on some pressure washer models like the ePX3000 you have to calculate exactly how much soap you need.
As far as value, you won’t find a better overall generator than this WGen7500 series from Westinghouse. For starters, Westinghouse has been in business since 1886 so they know how to make generators, among other things. Champion Power Equipment For 2022, this is the best 7500 watt generator for homeowners looking for emergency backup power. Decisions, decisions, I know; it’s overwhelming trying to choose the best portable power station in 2022.
Equipped with a Honda GC190 engine, the Simpson MSH3125-S pressure washer boasts power that you’ll not find in many other models. Not all models had onboard detergent tanks, but they all had a way to use detergent. Some units had the bottle suspended on the machine somewhere or the ability to siphon from a detergent bottle on the ground. We observed features, product design and considered all individual components when we used each pressure washer. Parts were inspected visually as we set up each unit and hoses and their connectors stood out as we prepped to wash. Another issue, which we noticed on the Ivation only during the first minute or so of use, was that The Force repeatedly loses pressure while you use it.