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I've never owned a Pressure Washer and just borrowed an Electric AR Blue Clean 142S from a friend to simplify cleaning up my black walnut harvest.

Had only around 60 nuts collected so far (the trees will be raining nuts any day now) for my test run. First put all the de-hulled nuts in a 5 gallon pail full of water and agitated them with a drywall mud paddle on a drill which took off some of the gunk and separated the no-good "floater" nuts. Then put all the good ones in a milk crate and blasted them with the PRESSURE WASHER for a few minutes ... it did a great job of cleaning the rest of the gunk off and was much faster & easier than the hose & scrub brush method I did last year with around 300 nuts.

Anyway, this is a cheapie ... $90 Pressure Washer (1.4 GPM / 1500 PSI / 12A) ... he's had it for a few years and put a lot of hours on it and has been really happy with it's performance.
https://www.arnorthamerica.com/produ...-washer/ar142s


I definitely don't want a GAS one so thinking I would pick up something similar but "a little" more powerful and am looking at a few different ones under $150.

SUN JOE SPX3000 is 1.76 GPM / 2030 PSI / 14.5A … $150 in stock at local Menards (currently ON SALE for $130).
https://www.snowjoe.com/products/sun...ressure-washer
They give a lot of details on their site including pump life expectancy of 300-500 hours.

AR Blue Clean 240S is 1.4 GPM / 1700 PSI / 13A … $120 from Amazon or special order at Home Depot.
https://www.arnorthamerica.com/produ...-washer/ar240s
Web site claims they are one of the oldest PW companies and they build only quality pumps … but no real specifics or Q&A's like on Sun Joe site.

Craftsman CMXTPAV1800 is 1.2 GPM / 1800 PSI / 13A … $120 in stock at local Menards
https://www.menards.com/main/outdoor...3578415&ipos=6
This has an AR pump and the exact handle assembly and other features as the AR 240S, which makes me think AR is making this one for Craftsman. Model is not listed on Craftsman site.

SUN JOE also makes a model with similar specs to the above two (SPX1501 1.8 GPM / 1800 PSI / 13A) ... $98 from Amazon or special order at Walmart.
https://www.snowjoe.com/products/sun...1-8-gpm-13-amp

The AR models have a 1 year warranty, the SUN JOE and Craftsman are 2 year.

I'm leaning between the Sun Joe & Craftsman that are available at Menards … just waiting to hear back from Craftsman on details such as a copy of the Owners Manual and pump life expectancy.

I think I will find lots of uses for this around the house besides walnuts … siding and deck on the north side of my house for starters !!

Anyone have any feedback on any of these models or any other electric pressure washer ??

Thanks,

Doug

Sorry but my links in my post above do not work !!

Doug

Doug.
You are doing things the hard way.
Find a friend with a cement mixer
toss them in the mixer about 1/2 full of water and let them clean themselves
the wash water is good for your garden and the "gunk" is excellent feed for composting.

I just went to Lowes.com and picked up a Greenworks lunch box sized washer and surface cleaner device, all for under $100 shipped free. Really works nice, turbo tip is a good device and it also has the standard plug in spray tip. Vets discount with them helps a lot too. I have a big old Craftsman gas powered machine but this electric washer is ten times handier, and uses half the water.

tom3 said:

I just went to Lowes.com and picked up a Greenworks lunch box sized washer and surface cleaner device, all for under $100 shipped free. Really works nice, turbo tip is a good device and it also has the standard plug in spray tip. Vets discount with them helps a lot too. I have a big old Craftsman gas powered machine but this electric washer is ten times handier, and uses half the water.

Click to expand...

I looked at both that model as well as Ryobi's similar model and the "1 star" reviews on Lowes & Home Depot sites were a huge turn off. Every product gets a fair share of bad reviews, but what I was reading made me think that there were legitimate gripes and likely due to cramming it all in such a small package. Plenty of "5 star" reviews stating these units are wonderful too … the Ryobi RY141612 was on sale a week ago for $90.** (vs. $119 regular) plus I had a 10% off coupon I was going to use which would have made it around $86 out the door; but then I could not ignore the bad reviews so I started looking at other models.

The AR 142S (unit I borrowed) is at Fleet Farm … which if I really wanted this model I've got a $10 off of $50+ purchase coupon which would make it $84 out the door. Having the opportunity to try it out I see it's shortcomings of being on the cheaper end, so as I said originally I want to spend a bit more for a nicer and more powerful model.

I've got some Menards rebate cash so ...
Craftsman would be $118.83 out the door
and
Sun Joe would be $129.33 out the door

Will likely pick up one or the other on my way home from work tonight.

Doug

Hi Doug,

Some advice regarding electric pressure washers.

Avoid the models with the spray nozzles integrated into the wand. They don’t work very well and you can’t attach different accessories, such as a turbo (rotary) spray nozzle, surface cleaner and foam cannon. Get the type with the quick connect wand, and look for one that includes a turbo nozzle.

Avoid the models with the proprietary high pressure hose connections. Look for models that use standard M22 threaded hose connectors.

The best brand to buy is Sun Joe. They have widest selection of models and their customer service is the best. Register the product with Sun Joe, and they will replace any part during the warranty period for free. When you call them, an intelligent human being will answer the phone in less than a minute, and a few minutes later the replacement part will be ordered.

Don’t expect an electric pressure washer to match the performance of a gas pressure washer. The pressure and flow rates are much lower. Also, the rated pressures are maximums that drop immediately to much lower values as soon as water begins to flow through the outlet nozzle on the wand.

Make sure you use a dedicated circuit for the pressure washer to avoid tripping your home’s circuit breaker. These things can pull a lot of current. If you use an extension cord, it typically needs to be at least 14 gauge.

Avoid the models with the spray nozzles integrated into the wand. They don’t work very well and you can’t attach different accessories, such as a turbo (rotary) spray nozzle, surface cleaner and foam cannon. Get the type with the quick connect wand, and look for one that includes a turbo nozzle.

The AR & Craftsman are the integrated type, one nozzle has the adjustable spray pattern from point to fan and the other is a turbo type.
The Sun Joe has the quick connect wand and comes with 5 different tips (0Deg, 15Deg, 25Deg, 40Deg, & Soap), and a Turbo nozzle can be ordered separate ($17.10 on Amazon).

Avoid the models with the proprietary high pressure hose connections. Look for models that use standard M22 threaded hose connectors.


The AR & Craftsman are threaded at the unit but there is a QD at the wand, so a special hose for these.
The Sun Joe has a female threads at the unit and male threads at the wand ... replacement hose states standard 22-millimeter (M22) connections.


The best brand to buy is Sun Joe. They have widest selection of models and their customer service is the best. Register the product with Sun Joe, and they will replace any part during the warranty period for free. When you call them, an intelligent human being will answer the phone in less than a minute, and a few minutes later the replacement part will be ordered.

I think you've sold me on the Sun Joe brand !!

Don’t expect an electric pressure washer to match the performance of a gas pressure washer. The pressure and flow rates are much lower. Also, the rated pressures are maximums that drop immediately to much lower values as soon as water begins to flow through the outlet nozzle on the wand.

I've never used a gas model and as I said I was happy with the 1.4 GPM / 1500 PSI performance of the AR 142S, so I should be even happier with the 1.76 / 2030 PSI performance of the Sun Joe SPX3000.

Make sure you use a dedicated circuit for the pressure washer to avoid tripping your home’s circuit breaker. These things can pull a lot of current. If you use an extension cord, it typically needs to be at least 14 gauge.

I've got good / newer pro-grade 20A outlets all around the outside of my house / garage on various circuit breakers, many dedicated. All these pressure washers come with a 35FT cord and I've got a 50FT 12GA. extension cord that I would use if needed.

Thanks Mike, I hoped you would have some advice on the subject and you certainly came through and as I said above, you've sold me on the Sun Joe !!

Doug

I have a Greenworks 2000 PSI/1.9 GPM unit that I use for cleaning equipment. It works excellent, very pleased with it. I decided to go electric in this case so that I can stop washing for a few minutes without having to worry about the pump overheating. I wouldn't try cleaning the driveway with the Greenworks, but it's great for smaller jobs.

primerbulb120 said:

I have a Greenworks 2000 PSI/1.9 GPM unit that I use for cleaning equipment.

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I am curious as to which Greenworks model you have that is rated at 1.9 GPM. All the 2000 PSI models that I can find are only rated at 1.2 GPM. In fact, I have never seen an electric pressure washer of any brand or model that is rated that high.

have you considered Harbor Freight electric? No matter what you get it will have been made offshore so might as well get the HF model 'cause you know it's offshore.

MowerMike said:

I am curious as to which Greenworks model you have that is rated at 1.9 GPM. All the 2000 PSI models that I can find are only rated at 1.2 GPM. In fact, I have never seen an electric pressure washer of any brand or model that is rated that high.

Click to expand...

Typo. You are correct, 1.2 GPM.

SidecarFlip said:

have you considered Harbor Freight electric? No matter what you get it will have been made offshore so might as well get the HF model 'cause you know it's offshore.

Click to expand...

Too many scary reviews on the HF site for their electric PW.

Bought the Sun Joe SPX3000 last night at Menards.

Pros:
Sun Joe has metal inlet and outlet water connections, the AR models (as well as the Craftsman made by AR) has a PLASTIC inlet.

Sun Joe has M22 FM swivels on both ends of hose, and it is a much more HD hose than the AR hose.
(I had stated earlier that it was FM at the unit and Male at the wand in my post yesterday, but I was wrong)

Sun Joe has nicer wheels and a solid steel axle they mount to, the AR wheels are cheaper and snap to the side of the housing.

Sun Joe is just a much higher quality unit and it was a no brainer spending an extra $10.50 to get it over the Craftsman.

Register online and get 90 extra days of warranty coverage.

Doug

Pics of the Sun Joe vs my friends AR 142S ...

Gave the Sun Joe a test run yesterday afternoon.

Washed a section of my 1960 home concrete foundation. Re-sided the house in 2002 in nice Timber Oak Weathered Cedar Vinyl siding and there was green & brown paint splotches on the concrete below from sloppy painters prior to my purchase in 1991. This had always bugged me, so finally had the right tool for the job and all the paint is gone along with dirt that was not so obvious. Started on my front concrete steps and WOW, I guess they were dirty too !! Ran out of time so I'll finish the steps and the rest of my foundation another day.

Love this thing … 56 years old and this is my 1st pressure washer !!

Doug

Went to Menards this past weekend and picked up a Turbo Nozzle, a can of Pump Saver (winterizer), some car wash solution, and a bunch of other things as it was an 11% off week.

What stunk was instead of the SALE PRICE that I paid the week before going back to regular price for the 11% off sale as what normally happens they kept the $20 off price the same but are now calling it "clearance". So I brought in my receipt just in case they would do something for me. Customer Service counter was busy when I got there, but wide open as I was leaving so I went and talked to the gal. She agreed that keeping the sale price was not a normal practice, so feeling my pain she rang through a credit and then re-billed me so I got the $14.30 / 11% rebate. So with this rebate added my net price after tax and a prior $6.82 rebate check was now only $115.03.


Anyway, I had been using the 15Deg Fan nozzle for the final cleaning of my black walnuts (70-75 at a time = one layer in a plastic milk crate) … this weekend I instead used the Turbo Nozzle and what a difference that makes. With the Fan Spray, the walnuts did not move much within the milk crate, where with the Turbo Nozzle they jump around a bit for a much more thorough & quicker rinse. I had tried the "turbo lance" that came with the AR 142S, but felt the "fan spray" was more effective on that particular machine.

Instead of using the pressure washer for all the walnut cleaning as some people do, my first stage of cleaning is tossing them in a 5 gallon bucket about 1/2 full of water as I remove the husks. Once I'm done with 75 of them, I use a drywall mud mixer paddle on my cordless 1/2" Ryobi 18V Brushless Hammer drill (regular drill mode). Forward & reversing the drill motor really does a great job, and by the 3rd water change the bad "floater nuts" are obvious and the water is pretty clear / nuts are ready for pressure washing.


So THANKS MIKE for the tip on getting a Turbo Nozzle !!

Doug

Even a cheap high-pressure washer can work wonders. Once I needed a dress from ahem... your pet's poop. When I was picking them up from the lawn, my dog jumped on me from behind and I fell right on the poop. There was nothing funny, the steam cleaner didn't help, it just got worse. It's good that there was powerwashing near me and I ran there so as not to embarrass myself in front of people on the street. It was embarrassing, but I took my clothes with me. Those guys immediately cleaned the dress and I came in the spare clothes of the hosts, where we were visiting. This terrible adventure cost me $ 300 for a dress.