How to Choose a Pressure Washer: 5 Questions From a Detailer
Well, the pressure washer marketing machine wants you to believe that a bigger PSI number on the box is the only thing that matters. Is it? I've been running a mobile detailing business out of a Sprinter van for 12 years, and I've owned three washers that taught me the hard way. The ~$99 electric that stripped its own gears, the gas Ryobi that made me curse every time I pulled the cord, and now my Simpson Megashot that's been running strong for four years. I've sprayed everything from daily drivers to 40-foot boat hulls, and I can tell you straight up: the box lies. Here's how to actually pick the right one.
| Product | Price | Why it won | Why it lost |
|---|---|---|---|
 Simpson Megashot (B004MXKUCY) |
~$450 | Honda engine, CAT pump, detergent system actually works | Stock hose is just passable |
 Sun Joe SPX3000 |
~$120 | Cheap, works fine for light jobs, draws soap properly | Axial pump, dies after two years |
| Ryobi 2300 Gas | ~$299 | Home Depot special, starts and runs, gets the job done | Hose kinks, wheels are useless, pump is meh |
 Kärcher K5 |
~$300 | Good pressure for an electric, great customer service | Plastic gun feels like a toy, cheap fittings |
 Westinghouse 2500 |
~$350 | Quiet, reliable, better build than the price suggests | Not the most powerful |
The 5 Questions I Ask About Every Pressure Washer
1. What's the Real GPM, Not Just the PSI?
Here's the thing that took me years to learn. PSI is penetration. It's the number on the box that sells units to guys who don't clean for a living. GPM is what actually strips the grime off a driveway. A ~$150 washer with the right nozzle and decent flow beats a ~$500 washer with high PSI and weak flow, every single time.
When I'm looking at a unit, I check the spec sheet for gallons per minute. You want at least 2.0 GPM for anything serious. My Simpson pushes 2.5 GPM at 3200 PSI, and the difference between that and my old Ryobi at 2.3 GPM is noticeable. The driveway job that used to take me six hours with the cheap electric took maybe three with the Ryobi, and now with the Simpson and a surface cleaner, it's thirty minutes. That's not an exaggeration.
2. Does the Detergent System Actually Draw Soap?
Half the units out there have a siphon tube that stops drawing after ten minutes. You fill the soap tank, start spraying, and then the detergent just stops. It's not hard to make a tube that draws soap. But manufacturers keep putting cheap plastic fittings on there that crack or clog.
The Simpson's detergent system works. I've run it with everything from car wash soap to concrete cleaner, and it siphons consistently. The Sun Joe SPX3000 also draws soap properly, which is more than I can say for some ~$500 units. But I've had washers where the siphon tube just gives up mid-job, and you're left spraying plain water wondering why the grime isn't lifting.
3. Is the Stock Hose Worth Keeping?
No. Just no. The stock hose on most units is garbage. It kinks no matter what you do, it's too short, and the fittings are plastic where they should be brass. I've replaced the hose on every washer I've owned.
Budget ~$60 for a 50-foot Flexzilla before you even think about the washer itself. That's not negotiable. The Simpson's stock hose is passable, not great, but I replaced it anyway. The Ryobi's hose kinks no matter what you do. The Sun Joe's hose is short but manageable for a car and a small patio.
4. What Kind of Pump Is Under the Hood?
If it says "axial pump" on the box, run. That's a countdown timer. It'll work for a season or two, then it'll blow a seal and you'll be buying a replacement for the price of a new unit. I watched my ~$99 electric die exactly that way, plastic gear stripped, and I still have the piece.
The CAT pumps and AAA pumps are what the pros run. They're more expensive, but they last. My Simpson has a CAT pump, and after four years it still sounds like the day I bought it. The Ryobi's pump is meh, and the Westinghouse has a decent pump for the price.
5. Will I Use This for a Full Driveway Without Cursing?
This is the real test. A pressure washer should make the driveway look new, not make you wish you'd hired someone. If you're doing a full driveway with a 15-degree nozzle on a cheap electric, you're going to be there all day. That's why the surface cleaner is the single best ~$80 you'll spend. It'll turn a six-hour driveway job into a thirty-minute one.
I spent six hours on my driveway with a 0-degree nozzle before I bought an ~$80 surface cleaner and redid it in thirty minutes. I felt like an idiot. Now I tell everyone: skip the wand, buy the surface cleaner first.
The Specific Units
Simpson Megashot (B004MXKUCY)
The stock wheels are cheap. On gravel, they're not great. That's the first thing you'll notice, and it's the main complaint in the reviews. But you're not buying this to race it.
The Honda GC190 engine starts first pull every time, even after a winter I forgot to winterize. That was a ~$150 pump replacement I don't want to talk about, but the engine itself never complained. The CAT pump is what the pros run, and the detergent system actually works, which is rare.
Mine's been going for four years. It still sounds like the day I bought it. The stock hose is passable, not great, not garbage, but I replaced it with a Flexzilla anyway. If you're going to spend money on one washer that'll last, this is it.
Sun Joe SPX3000
It's cheap. It works. It'll die after two years. At ~$120, you got your money's worth. That's the whole story, and both sides of it are true.
The pressure is fine for light work. The detergent system actually draws soap, which is more than I can say for some ~$500 units. The hose is short but manageable. If you're washing a car and a small patio, this is fine.
But if you're doing a driveway, you're going to be there all day. The axial pump is a countdown timer, and the plastic fittings crack. The reviews are full of people saying "great for a patio, garbage for a driveway," and that's exactly right. A ~$120 Sun Joe that dies after 2 years is ~$60 a season. A ~$450 Simpson with a Honda engine that runs 8 years is ~$56 a season. Do the math.
Ryobi 2300 Gas
Home Depot special. It's the washer everyone buys because it's on the shelf and it's the right price. The reviews are mixed, with "fine if you're not a heavy user" being the consensus.
The hose kinks no matter what you do. The wheels are useless on anything but flat concrete. The pump is meh. But it starts, it runs, and it'll get your driveway clean if you're patient.
My first gas unit was a Ryobi, and it did the job. I just got tired of fighting it. If you're on a budget and you know you'll only use it a few times a year, it's fine. But if you're going to use it more than that, save for the Simpson.
Kärcher K5
Overpriced for what you get. The plastic gun feels like a toy, and the wand rattles. The fittings are cheap, and the brass where the hose meets the gun is plastic. Mine broke in two weeks.
Customer service is great, but you shouldn't need to call them. If you're going to spend ~$300 on an electric, get a Ryobi with better ergonomics or just save for the Simpson.
Westinghouse 2500
Surprisingly good for the price. Quiet, starts easy, decent pressure. The reviews call it "a sleeper," and that's accurate. It's not the most powerful, but it's reliable and the build quality is better than the price suggests. If you see one on sale, grab it.
The Honda Engine Debate
I've seen people argue that the Honda engine is a waste of money, that a Chinese engine will do the same thing. They're wrong. The Honda GC190 is the workhorse. It starts, it runs, it doesn't die. The GX160 is the gold standard, and you'll find it on pro-grade units that cost ~$2,000.
Anything with a Honda is worth the extra ~$150. I've had the cheap engines sputter and bog down on a hot day. My Honda runs like it's got somewhere to be. That's not marketing. That's twelve years of pulling cords.
My Honest Bottom Line
I don't track prices day to day, so I won't pretend to know next week's deals. But I know what lasts and what doesn't. The Simpson Megashot with the Honda GC190 is the sweet spot. It's not the cheapest, not the most expensive, just the right machine for anyone who wants to wash their driveway without replacing it every year. If you're only washing a car and a small patio, the Sun Joe will do. But if you're doing anything bigger, skip the mid-range electrics entirely and go straight to the Simpson. You'll thank me in four years.