Two "OTC" sub-$200 Pressure Washer Mini Review

[SpoolinNoMore]

Just in case people were looking for an "OTC" pressure washer from Lowe's/Home Depot, I figured I should throw up a little mini review of the 2 pressure washers I bought from both stores so you don't have to go through the same hassle as me.


Shop Greenworks 1700 PSI 1.4 GPM Electric Pressure Washer at Lowes.com

Pros:
Dual detergent tanks (to me this didn't matter since I don't use the built in detergent tanks on PWs since it doesn't work under pressure like a foam lance, not even as good as the garden hose foam cannons)
Sturdy construction, feels solid when wheeling it around
Easily stow away the handle
On-board storage for 4 nozzles (the unit comes with a 40, 25, 0, and detergent nozzles, along with a rotating "turbo" nozzle which is good for wheels and tires)
Built-in hose reel for the wand
Longer 25' pressure hose
Lower body stance, better stability to pull hose from unit without worrying about tipping over

Cons:
More expensive
No reel for long power cord, just a strap of velcro to hold your looped power cord
Detergent bottle leaked out on first use (not so much a con for the unit since I may have received a defective unit, but it speaks towards the quality of the unit)
Weaker motor has trouble keeping up with even shorter duration of use (loss of pressure after a few seconds of use)
The lower horizontal body stance that gives it better stability also causes it to take up more ground space, something to consider if you're budgeting the square footage of a mobile trailer/van
100 psi less output and .1 GPM less flow, which may not seem like much, but it was an instantly noticeable difference compared with the more powerful unit


1,800 psi 1.5 GPM Axial Cam Electric Heavy-Duty Pressure Washer-CF1800HD at The Home Depot

Pros:
More power! Very noticeable compared to the Greenworks unit
2 independent reels for the pressure line and extension cord
On-board storage for 3 nozzles (comes with 40, 15, and detergent - better assortment over the Greenworks since 15 degree tip works much better than the 25, and there is little to no need for a 0 degree tip)
On-board single detergent tank, easily removable to clean, does not leak! (again, this makes no difference to me due to the lack of pressurized foaming)
Can be stowed vertically or horizontally
Less expensive
Easily stow away handle, no extra wand holders that hang off the side (wand holster is built in on the back of the unit)

Cons:
Shorter 19' pressure hose
Less stable when used vertically, have to hold unit to unravel hose so it doesn't tip over
Handle for pushing around likes to come loose (uses plastic toggle latches to lock in place that like to come loose under pressure)

All things considered, it's a no-brainer to go with the Home Depot Cleanforce model. It's more pressure washer and less leaky pointless detergent tanks. If it had a longer pressure hose, it would be perfect. I know I could change it out but the built in hose reel doesn't look like it could handle a much longer hose. Hope this helps.

[Chas]

Awesome review, been thinking about picking on up lately and this definitely sold me. Thanks for writing this!

[Dan]

Nice review, keep us posted on the long term durability.

[DDN79]

Really interested in seeing if the second one has adapters to put a foam cannon on the end of it.

[MCA]

Thanks for the review! OP/thread viewers - something to also take into account is the fact that these two pressure washers come standard with quick-connect wands. You don't see very many entry-level, consumer electric PW's with this functionality. Of course you could purchase it later, but that will add another $20-$40 dollars to the total cost...

[SpoolinNoMore]

You beat me to it... Both units have the standard quick disconnect wand tip so normal accessories designed for pressure washers will fit. I've got the cheap $20 "G" foamer from Home Depot and I have one of the foamers like the one AG sells on the way to compare it to. So far the G foamer is pretty awesome, but we'll see.

[Shawn F.]

SpoolinNoMore, are you using this pressure washer on a daily basis? I need something temporarily for about a year until I can afford to buy a nice $1000 electric unit. Maybe even 6 months if business stays as busy as it's been lately...

[Darkstar752]

I used that exact Greenworks model last summer. It is completely a piece of trash. It's been a while, but I went through 4 units in less than 3 months. Some would constantly trip the circuit, which I've never had a problem with even with commercial grade steamers/extractors/blowers. All of them broke down, lost pressure, and one the engine exploded and was leaking oil or something. None of them lasted more than 3 weeks, and the guy at Lowe's said they were exchanging them like crazy due to an enormous failure rate.

Avoid at all costs. It blows my mind that they even still carry the line.

[SpoolinNoMore]

It was going for 2-3 times a week for a few weeks until I was short notice deployed, but it was still operating perfectly when I left! I think a lot of times that these consumer pressure washers fail is that people don't prime the pump by running water through the wand for a little bit before applying pressure, but they are also made cheap and most likely won't last you a lifetime, but that's what the replacement plan is for!

[MCA]

.....I think a lot of times that these consumer pressure washers fail is that people don't prime the pump by running water through the wand for a little bit before applying pressure, but they are also made cheap and most likely won't last you a lifetime, but that's what the replacement plan is for!

^^^This^^^

I have seen so many people turn on their machines with no water in the system, or they attach the hose but forget to swing open the shut-off valve before they switch on the unit.