[dickmidnight]

i’m starting to set up my garage to be able to wash and detail my car at home. the first purchase i’m gonna make is the pressure washer.

i’ve seen karcher come up again and again when people are discussing budget friendly options that do a good job. both the k1700 and k1800, and their cube versions, are rated at 1.2gpm and cost $179

is there a reason karcher gets so much love when craftsman, ryobi, and greenworks all have pressure washers rated at the same psi and gpm for half the money?

[VegasG42]

Been wondering the same thing myself. I've been using the bucket and garden hose for many years.

Really want the high pressure and the foam cannon.

I don't know if it's just good marketing , but I've seen most of the hype surrounding the Sun Joe products, in regards to at home use electric pressure washers.

Hopefully we'll get some good feedback and first hand experience in this thread.

[Ohio Enthusiast]

I've had a Karcher before (sold for a long distance move), now have a Sun Joe. Can't say I noticed too much of a difference. So long as the GPM (important) and PSI (less important) are comparable, I doubt you'd see a difference, especially for car washing.

[dickmidnight]

i watched a few youtube videos of the <$100 pressure washers laying down thick, soapy foam. it seems like they should work fine. a few upgrades and they should be everything a weekend warrior detailer needs.

but agreed, looking forward to some first hand experience

[spazzz]

I bought a 1600psi Ryobi, 1.2 gpm 6 years ago and it is still kicking.
I added a 25' Flexzilla hose and a MTM pistol to make it perfect for what I want.
It does a foam cannon justice when the urge hits.

If it ever dies, I will buy another equivalent Ryobi.
I use the green nozzle for initial rinse and white for final rinse.

[M4Tejas]

Active is not bad from a user I know. Cat has one rebranded. Reviews are mixed.

https://www.amazon.com/Active-VE52-E...n%2C153&sr=1-4

https://www.amazon.com/CAT-Pressure-...zcF9hdGY&psc=1

[bosstones]

I picked up an Active 2.0 earlier this year and have been happy with it. It's only been used to wash cars as I have a gas pressure washer for other uses.

[E90convert]

Check out Obsessed Garage. He recommended Karcher K1700 as a budget setup, then Active 2.0.

[///MPhatic]

I have a Sun Joe, and I'm quite happy with it, although the tips have to be blown out after each use or they'll rust.

I don't use it for my car because we have very hard water, and I'm not going to buy a water softener any time soon, so I'll be looking at a different pressure washer that has a softener built in.

[Mautofied17]

Active 2.0 is the only correct answer. Performance of a $1k unit at a budget price point.

[dickmidnight]

Originally Posted by spazzz

I bought a 1600psi Ryobi, 1.2 gpm 6 years ago and it is still kicking.
I added a 25' Flexzilla hose and a MTM pistol to make it perfect for what I want.
It does a foam cannon justice when the urge hits.

If it ever dies, I will buy another equivalent Ryobi.
I use the green nozzle for initial rinse and white for final rinse.

this is the kind of firsthand experience i was looking for. i’m glad to hear the ryobi is working out well for you.

[dickmidnight]

Originally Posted by Mautofied17

Active 2.0 is the only correct answer. Performance of a $1k unit at a budget price point.

i started this thread because the active isn’t the only correct answer when you can get the same results at a price point 3.5 times less than the active.

that’s not to say it’s not an awesome unit. but at $350 for just the pressure washer, you’re talking closer to $500 all in when you factor in a hose, a gun, and a wand.

all of those things really need to be upgraded when buying the budget units as well, but at least they come with crappy ones so you can be up and running on day one for $100.

you can grab a new hose, a gun, wand, and foam cannon and still be in your setup for less than the sticker price of an active 2.0

[chris_1001]

My cheap old Kartcher was crap. It died, good riddance. I bought a Ryobi to replace it

got this one, so far so good.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/RYOBI-20...2022/313760964

[Joebie]

I have a sun-joe. I'm a bit underwhelmed with the flow rate but it does the job and it was hella cheap so id say it was a good purchase.

Dont even worry about the psi, its all a marketing gimmick. You want flow.

[335i54n]

I have had my Stanley for a while (2yr warranty). I think 150ish 1.2/1.3 gpm with a recognizable brand should be fine.

[Mautofied17]

Originally Posted by dickmidnight

i started this thread because the active isn’t the only correct answer when you can get the same results at a price point 3.5 times less than the active.

that’s not to say it’s not an awesome unit. but at $350 for just the pressure washer, you’re talking closer to $500 all in when you factor in a hose, a gun, and a wand.

all of those things really need to be upgraded when buying the budget units as well, but at least they come with crappy ones so you can be up and running on day one for $100.

you can grab a new hose, a gun, wand, and foam cannon and still be in your setup for less than the sticker price of an active 2.0

Where are you finding a pressure washer with 2.0 GPM for 3.5X less?

Also, it’s available with factory accessories at The Clean Garage for $350 and free shipping.

[dickmidnight]

Originally Posted by Mautofied17

Where are you finding a pressure washer with 2.0 GPM for 3.5X less?

you can’t.

but the craftsman, ryobi, and greenworks all tested around 1.5gpm with a 3.0 nozzle on them. unless you drive through a cow pasture, i’m pretty sure that will get everything off your car.

the real question is does that extra .5gpm get your car 3.5 times as clean as the budget units?

[Mautofied17]

Originally Posted by dickmidnight

you can’t.

but the craftsman, ryobi, and greenworks all tested around 1.5gpm with a 3.0 nozzle on them. unless you drive through a cow pasture, i’m pretty sure that will get everything off your car.

the real question is does that extra .5gpm get your car 3.5 times as clean as the budget units?

From Matt’s testing, none of them tested higher than 1.41, whereas the Active 2.0 tested at 2.12.

If you think you won’t notice a 50% flow increase, then by all means, go with the cheap option.

[///MPhatic]

Originally Posted by Mautofied17

Active 2.0 is the only correct answer. Performance of a $1k unit at a budget price point.

This kit looks awesome. Thanks for the tip!

https://clean-garage.com/active-2-0-...0-psi-2-0-gpm/

My car never really gets dirty, no cow pastures for me, so I need something light. Recommendations?

[louielouie]

OP is asking for info on a <$200 range PW and everyone's chiming in with how something double the cost is better...

I don't use the Karcher but my friends had one for 5 years with no issues. The thick foam can be achieves with a 1.1 orifice over the standard 1.25 if that's what you're looking for - I will note it doesn't inherently add any cleaning benefits. He also recently upgraded to the MJJC V2 and it foams way thicker than his previous general cannon even though both had 1.1 orifices.

[whofelt]

https://www.homedepot.com/p/RYOBI-18...1802/317623149

I have the above Ryobi, it's 1.2 GPM, got a nice reel and hose and gun and towels and soap/detailer spray and that's pretty much all you need. You're budget dictates what you're going to buy, there really isn't a need for other pressure washers unless you're an enthusiast. Save your $$$ for something else like good towels that'll absorb the water on the car as fast and easy as possible.

[Dochere2]

I'd take the Active 2 over most on that list, though the Ryobi's I've had experience with were decent units for the $. I recently went with a Giraffe Tools wall mounted unit and love it. I have it setup specifically for washing cars and I couldn't be happier. It's only a few months old so no long term testimony available from me just yet but if it lasts a year I'd buy another one. I have no idea what it's putting out but it's more powerful than the AR Blue it replaced. I use a gas unit for the heavy duty jobs around the house but that's overkill for washing cars. The convenience of ready to use, retractable hose, plumbed and wired just can't be beat. I find myself washing our cars for no reason, lol.