The 7 Best Pressure Washers in 2024

A pressure washer is one of the most important outdoor cleaning equipment you can get for your home. You can use it to wash away tough stains, dirt and grime from your house siding, patio, walkway, driveway, your car and even outdoor equipment like lawn mowers.

If the water pressure is strong enough and if you use the right nozzle, a pressure washer can even be use to strip paint from furniture or can even cut through materials as strong as bricks. That’s why you must be careful and make sure to read through the instructions from the manufacturer before using one.

Choosing the right pressure washer can be daunting. There’re many factors to consider such as its source of power, whether it’s electric, gas-powered or battery-powered. The amount of pressure it produces, the water flow rate, the noise level, size of the machine, how frequent you’ll be using it and even the brand or manufacturer producing it.

Having considered these factors, I’ve put together a list of the 10 best pressure washers you can use to clean your outdoor space, whether you need it for personal use or for commercial purposes.

If you’re in a hurry, you can scroll down to the list below to see my reviews. If not, you can continue reading from here.

How Pressure Washers Work

A pressure washer is made up of 3 major components. A gas engine or an electric motor, a pump and a spray wand with a nozzle attachment.

The pressure of the water flowing through a garden hose is not enough to wash or clean dirty surfaces like your pavement, your swimming pool and decking. That is why a pressure washer is used to increase that pressure which is usually betwee 40 to 60 PSI (pounds per square inch) to over a thousand PSI, so that the pressure of the water alone dislodges all the dirt from the surface you’re trying to clean.

To achieve this, the engine or electric motor powers a pump which pushes the water at very high pressures through a small nozzle or orifice.

The more water the pump pushes through the nozzle, the more the cleaning power of the machine. The smaller the nozzle, the higher the pressure generated if the same volume of water is pushed through it per minute.

How To Choose The Right Pressure Washer

Here’s what you should consider:

Frequency of Use

One of the main factors that should determine the type of pressure washer you choose or buy is the frequency of use. That is, how often will you be using it in a year?

As a home owner trying to maintain a single property, it’s expected that you’ll not use it more than twice a year, maybe once every 10 months or so. You might clock say 50 to 60 hours out of it in one year.

For this type of use, you should go for a unit not too big, like 2000 PSI and above, depending on what you can afford. But I don’t really advice going below 2000 PSI, unless you just want to wash cars with it.

On the other hand, if you’ll be using it for commercial washing projects, then you’ll be using it on a more regular basis, like weekly or even daily.

A big powerful gas unit producing over 3500 PSI and above will do the job, but go for as big a gas unit as you can afford. Electrical models will not be ideal for this type of use.

Pressure

Talking about pressure washers, there’re two technical specs you should watch out for when making your choice. The first is pressure measured in PSI short for Pounds Per Square Inch.

This is like the amount of water pressure or the amount of force at which the water hits your pavement or how many times the machine multiplies the pressure of the water coming from your garden hose.

You should always check for the amount of pressure produced by the machine you choose. This will determine how fast you’ll be able to wash that grime off your concrete pavement or how long it will take you to wash that dirty grill.

More pressure means less time spent, while less pressure means more time spent.

Water Flow Rate

This is another important technical spec you should look out for when shopping for a pressure washer. The water flow rate is measured in GPM short for gallons per minute.

It’s the amount of water or volume of water that passes through the nozzle in one minute. The water flow rate also determines how fast a pressure washer washes a surface.

More GPM means more water flowing through the nozzle, and with more water being pumped through, a larger surface gets washed.

If two power washers, A and B pump water at the same pressure, but B has twice the GPM of A, then it will clean twice as much surface as A.

So, when making your choice, make sure to check the GPM or volume of water the machine is able to pump per minute.

Cleaning Units

The cleaning units of a pressure washer is the product of its pressure and water flow rate. Cleaning units = Pressure x Flow Rate (CU = PSI x GPM).

Before choosing a pressure washer, it’s very important that you calculate its cleaning unit. This will tell you how powerful that washer is compared to similar washers.

For instance, if you’re presented with 2 washers A and B that have same GPM 3.5 respectively but different pressures, then calculating their cleaning units will tell you the one that’s most powerful among the two.

So, if washer A has a pressure of 2000 PSI and B has a pressure of 3000 PSI, then A’s cleaning unit will be 2000 times 3.5, which will give you 7000.

B’s cleaning unit will be 3000 times 3.5 which gives 10500.

This means B is more powerful than A and will help you clean away dirt and stains more than A, because A have a cleaning unit of 7000 and B have a cleaning unit of 10,500, even though both have the same GPM of 3.5.

Knowing this will help you make a good choice if you’re looking for a more powerful machine for your cleaning projects.

Power Source

Pressure washers can either be gas powered or powered with electricity from your outlets at home. Gas powered units are usually bigger in size and produce more PSI and more GPM, allowing you to clean faster than corded or electric units.

They’re also easier to use, because you don’t have to worry about finding an outlet or getting limited by the length of your wire cord. It’s gas powered, which means you can take it with you wherever you want to clean, and it will still operate.

Even though though they’re more powerful and allow you more freedom to work or more portable, gas powered units can be noisy and require more maintenance. Their engines make use of oil and fuel, that means maintenance is needed.

On the other hand, electric units work rather quietly and require very little maintenance, because they make use of electric motors.

So, the difference is clear and the choice is yours. Electric units are good and advancing tech has increase their performance in recent times that they’re even producing larger PSIs and GPMs now just like Gas units. But gas powered units are still the most powerful and portable.

That’s why if you ask me, I’d say go for a gas powered unit. It will make your work faster due to the added power, and you don’t have to look for electric outlets or drag around messy cords along with already difficult-to-handle water hoses.

Here is our list

Here are the 7 best pressure washers we recommend for both commercial and home use.

1. Simpson MSH3125-S Gas Pressure Washer

Gas-powered pressure washers can be very noisy, but they’re very powerful. If you are not worried about the noise, one of the best ones I’ll recommend for you is the SIMPSON Cleaning MSH3125-S shown above.

It’s capable of pumping and spraying water at a max pressure of 3400 PSI at a flow rate of 2.5 GPM. For the average homeowner, that’s very powerful. Even if you have a second floor, you can use this to wash the siding right from the ground level.

If you’re thinking about starting a pressure washing business, you can also go for something like this. It’s powerful and can help you get the job done, quick and easy.

Although it’s quite heavy, it’s comes with 2 rugged pneumatic wheels which makes it portable and easy to roll around. It comes with 4 nozzles. A 0 degree, 15 degree, 40 degree nozzle and a black soap nozzle you can use to dispense soup.

Everything about this SIMPSON Cleaning MSH3125-S looks and feels well-made, including the wand. The whole machine is well-built and I think it’s something that will last for a long time if you maintain it properly. Gas-powered machines require routine maintenance. You need to check the oil level regularly and make sure to change it from time to time.

I’ll recommend this SIMPSON Cleaning MSH3125-S for you if you’re looking for a very powerful machine that will be able to clean sidings on the second floor without any issues. You can use it to wash your car, your driveway, patio and any other area or thing you want to wash outdoors.

2. Westinghouse WPX3400 Gas Pressure Washer

With up to 3400 PSI of water pressure flowing through the nozzle at a flow rate of 2.6 gallons per minute, the Westinghouse WPX3400 generates a cleaning unit of 8,840.

This is more than enough for any homeowner looking for a powerful machine to clean months or even years of dirt from the driveway, patio, swimming pool and other outdoor equipment.

If you’re a homeowner looking for a very solid and powerful gas pressure washer to get your cleaning tasks done as easily as possible, this Westinghouse WPX3400 is more than ideal.

Running this machine is a 4 cycle OHV horizontal shaft engine with a 3.3 liter fuel tank. The engine is powerful and reliable. With good maintenance, it will definitely serve you for years.

When you get this unit, you don’t have to apply soap separately. 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.

To switch from spraying soap to clean water, just remove the soap nozzle, and attach any of the other 4 nozzles that come with it, and it will start spraying clean water.

A maintenance free axial cam pump ensures you can focus on using the machine instead of spending time on pump maintenance.

Mobility is not an issue with this unit. You don’t have to carry it or worry about weight because it comes equipped with two 12 inch no flat tires to enable you roll it along with you.

The 25 inch abrasion-resistant hose coupled with an EndraGrasp spray gun proved very useful because the hose is long enough, so you don’t have to move the unit all the time. You can just leave the machine in one place and move around with the spray gun and lengthy hose.

Rating this Westinghouse pressure washer, I’ll give it a 9.6 out of 10. It’s got good pressure and flow rate, more than average cleaning unit, it’s gas powered, and thus a very good option any home owner can use for cleaning different types of dirty surfaces like concrete, brick, stone, aluminum, wood and even iron.

3. Craftsman CMEPW1900 Electric Pressure Washer

If you need a small portable electric pressure washer for washing your car, driveway, patio and other areas around the home, this Craftsman CMEPW1900 is a very good option I’d recommend.

It’s an electric pressure washer which is not as powerful as a gas-powered unit. However, it’s a very good option if you’re not looking for a noisy gas-powered machine. It will wash your car and driveway thoroughly.

You can even wash your house siding with it, but I think it will not be very effective for the second floor.

It’s capable of spraying water at a maximum pressure of 1900 PSI with a flow rate of 1.2 GPM. It comes with 3 nozzles which include a turbo nozzle, one yellow high pressure nozzle and one black soup nozzle.

There’s an integrated soup tank which comes very handy when washing a car. You can add liquid soup and spray directly with the machine when you attach the black spray nozzle.

The power cord is 35 ft long which is very good, because it allows you to cover a wide area without even using an extension cord.

I’ll recommend it for you if you’re looking for a small, portable and easy to maintain pressure washer to deal with small cleaning jobs around the home.

4. Generac 6565 Gas Powered Pressure Washer

With the Generac 6565 pressure washer sitting in your tool shed, you have a capable machine you can use to rid off the dirt and grime off your outdoor space.

The Generac 6565 is a professional grade unit that blasts water at a rate of 4 gallons per minute and at a pressure of 4200 PSI to leave whatever you’re washing, clean and spotless.

It is able to operate this way because it’s equipped with a professional grad triplex pump which is powered by Generac’s 420cc OHV engine.

Needless to say, it comes with 5 quick connect nozzles just like some of the other models in its class.

It comes with a 0 degree, 15 degree, 25 degree, 40 degree and a soap nozzle, each of which varies the fan size of the water proportionately with the pressure in order to clean different types of materials or to apply soap as needed.

If there’s no oil in the engine, it will shut down, and won’t be able to restart until the oil is replaced. This is really good to safeguard the engine and keep it in good working condition through the years.

The Generac 6565 is a gas pressure washer. Thus, you have the advantage to be able to move it wherever you want to clean in your property. To aid this, it is fitted with oversized pneumatic tires to make movement easy even if it is through uneven terrain.

One more thing to mention about the Generac 6565 is that, some have complained that it’s hard to start. Actually, it’s not. If you don’t release the pressure in the engine before starting it, you will find it very difficult to start it.

So, what you need to do is turn the pressure regulator all the way down before starting it, then you can get it to start in one or two pulls of the start handle.

Or, you can squeeze the trigger on the spray wand when starting it. Squeezing the trigger also releases the pressure and makes it easy for you to start it.

Overall, the Generac 6565 is a very good pressure washer, definitely one of the best you can choose from. It starts easily, got good appropriate nozzles for every kind of job, and its portability ensures you can get any job done anywhere provided you have gas in the engine.

5. WEN PW3200 Gas-Powered Pressure Washer

When talking about power tools and outdoor equipment, WEN is a very familiar name to many. Whether or not you’ve used any of their power products or not, I think the WEN PW3200 pressure washer will surely impress you.

It comes with 5 quick connect nozzles you can use to vary the pressure and spray pattern of the water coming from the wand.

Power is not something that’s lacking in this unit. The 4 stroke OHV engine really delivers, spraying water at a pressure of 3100 PSI and at a flow rate of 2.5 GPM. Although gas engines are noisy, this one is not as bad as some I’ve operated.

The spray wand that comes with it is 42 inches in size and it’s very strong and sturdy, which is very necessary for it to withstand the volume of water going through it at high pressures.

Though it not the longest of hoses, the 30 foot reinforced hose that comes with it ensures that you can cover a wide area while cleaning.

There’s also an onboard soap tank that you can conveniently use to apply soap to whatever you’re washing with the machine.

6. Sun Joe SPX4000 Electric Pressure Washer

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.

Talking about electric pressure washers, the Sun Joe SPX4000 is one of the best ones you can get your hands on right now. No questions asked.

It’s equipped with a powerful 14.5 amp, 18 hundred Watts motor which is capable of pumping up to 1.76 GPM of water at a pressure of 1700 PSI, which is enough to accommodate all your medium cleaning jobs around the home.

At the top of the unit is a switch you can use to regulate the water pressure according to the task you’re undertaking. For easier tasks or dirt, you can switch it to 1450 PSI, while for hard or tougher tasks, you can wind it up to 2030 PSI to get the dirt flying off fast.

Like the gas models, it also comes fitted with 5 spray nozzles or tips (0, 15,25,40 degrees and a soap nozzle) that helps distribute the force of the water coming out of the washer so that you can clean both delicate surfaces that require less pressure and hard surfaces that require high streams of water.

The Sun Joe SPX4000 is equipped with easy glide wheels and a big handle in order for you to easily move it wherever you want to work.

To save energy and to prolong the life of the washer, the Sun Joe SPX4000 is equipped with a Total Stop System trigger that shots down the washer if the wand trigger is not engaged for some time.

Using the unit to dispense detergent is also very easy, because it’s equipped with an on-board detergent tank, so you can easily apply detergent to what you’re cleaning.

7. Stanley SLP2050 Electric Pressure Washer

If you really have to kick out the dirt and grime around your home, but you don’t want to deal with the high maintenance that goes with a gas model, then I seriously suggest you pick up the Stanley SLP2050 electric pressure washer.

With the Stanley SLP2050, you don’t have to deal with gas, the fumes, noise, the maintenance or any of the discomfort that comes with gas models.

It’s a medium duty pressure washer that you can use to clean off dirt from any of your outdoor power equipment like lawn mowers, your car, motorcycle, bicycle, patio furniture etc.

The Stanley SLP2050 has the capacity to pump up to 1.4 gallons of water per minute at a pressure of 2050 PSI, for you to clean off all the dirt around your home.

Portability is not an issue with the Stanley SLP2050 because it comes with a mobile cart with wheels you can easily use to move it wherever you want the work done. If you don’t dig the mobile cart, you can still use it as a stand-alone unit and carry it with the big rubber handle at the top.

5 quick connect nozzles (0, 15, 25, 40 and black nozzle) are attached to the SLP2050 so that you can easily switch to the nozzle that fits the task at hand.

An onboard 48 oz. 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. Try to use liquid detergents.

Overall, I think the Stanley SLP2050 comes equipped with all the features that you’re ever going to need in a pressure washer, and it’s definitely one of the best electric units out there.

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