Pressure Washers Reviews

After using my 2401 power washer for ONLY three minutes, oil and water started puking from the pump oil fill; the motor quit running. After contacting Porter Cable, I was given the address of two places that "supposedly" work on this machine. I took it to the first place on their list. After three weeks, I went to get the washer. Then I was informed that they put a new seal kit in the pump, but the motor wouldn't start; they ONLY work on the pump, not the Honda motor. After driving 60 miles to a place that Porter Cable told me works on Honda motors, I'm informed that in fact, they don't; that Honda makes it too hard to be a service center. When I looked up this unit and the warranty, nothing was said about having separate warranties on the pump and the motor. All in all, I would NEVER, EVER buy something like this again........what a pain.

Even though it is really for the homeowner, we have used this washer in a commercial application, for a total of about 250 hours over a six month period. It was reliable and worked well. Plenty of power for anything you would do around the house. Recently the pressure has begun to drop off, so I'm thinking the pump is wearing out. If that is it's useful life, that would be fine for the average homeowner using it occasionally. We used it to wash down about 10,000 square feet of concrete every morning. Now I'm buying a bigger unit.

Most of the reviews I read regarding porter cables model 2401 sugested it was junk. I found exactly the opposite. Mine works like a champ all parts were in the box, instructions were clear and concise, I have no complaints. However I know that there
are lemons out there, and I believe that most of the reviews written about products are from dissatisfied buyers, therefore these reviews dont mean a hoot. Im sure there are alot more happy buyers than not. Sorry to you guys that got a lemon, or just dont have any mechanical ability better luck next time

This is very easy to use and does a great job around the house for the price.

i finally did it right for mom. I have for years given her flowers, candy, clothes, perfume, yada yada yada. I got my first pressure washer a year ago and loved the thing, so i figured what the hell, lets get what for mom for mothers day. this one is perfect, it is light so she can move it wherever she likes, and strong enough to clean to my mothers standards, which are tought to say the least. I for once was more loved than my two kid brothers. i hope the old man likes it too, cause he is getting the powerwasher1750!!

This machine is perfect for me as i take a pressure washer up to my lake house weekly to clean off the back deck and front porch. This machine still packs a punch despite its size and is easy to move. It has performed beyond my expectations.
I was reading the reviews on the big machines by powerwasher and apparently they have only been selling on amazon for 10 weeks, so i would not take to much stock in the negative reviews.

If zero stars was available, I would give it to Porter Cable this time. Honda though, deserves 5 stars.

I had trouble getting the powerwasher to work. I called Porter Cable's "customer service". Better bring a book with you. After an unreasonable length of time, I was finally able to talk to a living customer representative. She could offer me no technical support, but said i had to take the unit to a warranty service center. I called the center she recommended. They said they could fix the pump, but if there was a problem with the engine, I would have to pay for it. I explained to them that the unit wasn't working, so i didn't know if it was the engine or the pump causing the trouble. Once again I called Porter Cable customer service. I asked how it makes sense to have a warranty service center for powerwashers that support only the pump part of the powerwasher. No explanation was available, but the customer rep said I must contact another
warranty service center. I did. They said that 7 years ago, they used to support Porter Cable, but no longer do. I called back Porter Cable. They called the warranty center. The Porter Cable rep told me the warranty center had made a mistake, and i should call them back. I did. They said they could look at the powerwasher in two weeks. (Two weeks??!!) Another warranty center was recommended. This one was so far away, that the cost of travelling there and back (twice) would exceed the price of the powerwasher. I asked Porter Cable to pick the powerwasher up. I this point, I didn't want anything to do with it anymore. Porter Cable said i had to contact Amazon to return it. I did. Amazon said it couldn't be returned, because it might contain combustible fluids. Though it was perfectly ok for Amazon to send the unit to me, it was not ok for me to send the same unit back to them. For this I give Amazon a 1 star.

so, I contacted Honda. The call was answered by a knowledgable human being, who helped me get the powerwasher working. It took about 3 minutes of discussion with the Honda rep, and about 1/2 hour of my time to get the powerwasher running.

The box was severely damaged, it was dropped off upside down, parts inside were moving all about, part of the bracket to hang the hose on has protruded through the box and subsequently scraped up, parts inside caused several large scratches across the front plate of the handle, oil had leaked everywhere (even though there wasn't supposed to be any oil in the machine), some small parts were loose in the box and easily could have fallen out, and there is a miscellaneous plastic part that I have no idea what it's for and it's broken, and it looks like there's a screw missing near the oil port - but I'm not sure. I haven't tried starting the machine yet. This is un acceptable packaging and shipping for a $400 item. If I didn't mind scratches I would have bought a used one. And if I didn't need it this weekend I'd return it.

The washer is very good and easy to operate .
The only problem is with the shipping because the
shipping company plays very rough during transport and
damages the washer . This creates problem which take time to
resolve .
Helmut Kade

This is an old version of the Generac Pro Series 3500psi 4gpm unit. It does NOT come with the good CAT pump like the newer model does.
Stay away from this, no savings in the old type pump.

I OWN ONE OF THESE ALTHOUGH IT WAS PURCHASED AT A LOCAL STORE IT IS THE GENERAC PRO 3500 PSI 4.0 GPM UNIT JUST AS THIS ONE AND IT DOES HAVE THE CAT PUMP ON IT I ASURE YOU AND OUT OF THE THREE PRESSURE WASHERS I OWN IT IS UNDENIABLY THE BEST. GREAT BUY

I've owned this washer unit for about 1.5 years. Never had a problem with it. It always starts on the 1st or the 2nd pull. Very easy to find parts (air filter) for it.

I have had this washer for a couple of years. It did a good job for the things I needed, including cleaning a large deck which took hours.

Just this week, something new happened. The plastic part to which the garden hose connects broke off a couple of inches inside the washer. This happened while I was using it, with no special force on the hose, though we do have about 125 psi water pressure. In brief, this is what the two closest service centers told me:
1) We don't repair that model, it is too small.
2) That happens a lot. The repair costs $70.

That seems expensive for a plastic part, but perhaps it is a lot of work to swap it out. I will probably pay for the repair, but if it happens again I'll take the loss and try to find a sturdier washer.

It's a great little machine, compact, all accessories fit on unit, and easy to wheel around. Cleans all the yard equipment and tools easily and quickly. Underneath of lawnmower looks like new but got too close and took some paint off the snowblower finish. Use a detergent and spray on my yellow vinyl siding, wait, then rinse off the dirt maybe twice a year. Beautiful job. Cleans the deck and concrete driveway fantastic. Gets the oil and tire marks off the garage floor. Cleans the gutters in a snap with the gutter spray wand but I had to get two extensions also. Hardly any backpressure and handles securely with one hand. Great for cleaning the spoke wheels on your car. Perfect for light home use.

I bought this from a garage sale for $10. Lady said her husband didn't like it. Brand new in the box, was never put together let alone used. Hoses and power cord were still banded perfectly as from the factory. It even had the bill of sale from Sears inside. I noticed a Craftsman gas power washer in the garage, maybe $600? Their house and yard is half the size of mine. Guess the husband likes the sound of power.

For the type of clean-up I do, this power washer works great. It has a long lead cord, plenty of preassure for cleaning cars, RV's, and yard equipment.
I can see where it may be underpowered for commercial applications and electrical power may not always be available on job sites where needed. But for the typical home owner and person with small acreage, this washer will give you all the clean-up power you probably need.

I was given this item as a gift. I received the item, but due to poor packaging the item had been extensively damaged in transit. I returned the item for replacement, then received another unit a week later. Again, upon opening the box, the unit had been damaged in transit. These are packaged in a cardboard box with no protective foam, bubble wrap, etc. The unit just sits in the box loosely with all of its pieces, vounerable to any mishandling by the shipper. I can't say whether this item works well, but I would not risk purchasing one solely because of the way it is packed and it's likelyhood of getting damaged in transit.

Received the unit in good shape, and assembled same and water
sprayed out around the wand and trigger. Called Sustena and
explained what happened, they sent a new O ring but that was
not the problem so they sent a new hose and trigger. WOW the machine worked better than I expected. The new part arrived three
days after I called and beleive me that is fast shipping to Hawaii.
If the washer will last a couple of years I sure would order another one. A good lite washer for home use.

Arrived quickly and as promised. Minimal assembly. Worked great used it so far to clean sidewalks and 18 pairs of old dirty shutters for my house. Would purchase again.

Unit arrived with no marks on packaging but the unit inside had a broken case in three places. After a call to warrantee service I as issued a return authorization and the unit was repaired and returned.

The assembly of the unit was hard due to cheap molded parts.
The handle was hard to install and the wheels kept falling off.
Finally I used the machine without the wheels.
The pressure washer itself does a nice job, if only all the parts would stay together.
Roger in Olympia, WA.

This is a nice machine. I don't usually buy things without kicking the tires so to speak but a buddy of mine brought one and really liked it so I thought okay, I'll try it out. I got this small cabin on a lake and I needed to get it ready for the winter. The wood siding has not been cleaned in years. Boy, it did a heck of a job. The place almost looks like new. I cleaned off my boat and several outdoor chairs. I even brought outside some old indoor chairs and washed them off. The brush was good for some cleaning of the big outdoor cement grill I got. I called there customer service to find out what detergent to use. Nice friendly people. I like the unit. Man, my buddies are gong to be impressed on how clean the place looks. I am going to use it on the deck back at the house next week. Great buy!!!

It worked well while it worked. It did a decent job and was easy to use although it did leak. However, it broke after 2 hours of use and it has been difficult to get it repaired.

I, like CMG, bought a 2400 psi, 2401 HB Karcher high pressure pump from Menards about the same time as him, in 2004. The person that I bought it from said if I didn't like it bring it back to the store in 30 days. I was having the same problem as this person was having. Like an idiot, I bought another one. This one did the same thing as the other one. Found the nearest service person in my area by going to the karcher website. He said he cleaned it out. It helped a lot. But I found the more I used it the slower it came back to pressure after I released the trigger, until finally it quit altogether. After trying everything I could think of I got it going again by taking the nozzle out, letting the water drain out of the wand, reinserting wand and squeezing the trigger. Once you release the trigger you have to go through the same routine again. Who wants to do that. What a piece of junk (in my opinion)

The Karcher Pressure Washer is a good tool. By using it, I was able to prepare my house for painting in just a couple of hours. The adjustable nozzle worked well on the siding, then I reduced pressure for the screens and windows. Effectiveness is enhanced using a liquid cleaner, those spider webs under the eaves are sticky, but the soap breaks them up. The length of the hose and cord are good, you don't have to drag the unit around. I've used a gas powered PW, but this one works fine for the average homeowner.
Amazon promised 7 day shipping, which was fine, but it came in 3!! Thanks for that.

After only 2 years of owneship and less than 25 hours of use time the mounting bolts broke on the pump..First one came out and then two more. The repair estimate was $329.00, 90% of the purchase price of the entire unit. The repair shop says the pump is shot and must be replaced. I purchased it from Lowe's, who was no help at all when I contacted them. Generac was even less help than Lowes. Naturally they said the warranty had expired after two years, yes...but less than 25 hours "RUN" time. I will buy another one but not Generac and not from Lowes. The 5.5hp Honda motor seems to be reliable, but it only has 25 or less hours also......I just got very much less than I expected from this unit. I would NOT recommend it to anyone.

My Generac Pressure washer, which I purchased a little over a year ago, has given me good service until now. But....I have only used it a few times and the pump is shot. I maintained it perfectly and followed all manufacturers recommendations. One of the bolts that mount the pump to the housing broke off and that was the beginning of the problems. It is now in the shop and they want 275.00 to fix it. I only paid 350.00 for it. Beware of these pressure washers. I have been told that most of them that are sold by Home Depot or Lowes are made to be used for a short period of time and that they are considered "throw aways" after that time. Very disappointed that Generac uses such cheap parts, knowing full well that they are destined to fail. No more "Generac brand" anything for me. Burn me once, shame on you. Burn me twice, shame on me. I would not be too quick to add this one to your shopping cart.

I was well satisfied with the performance of this unit during the first six months that I used it. The unloader valve started to act up after that time and the pump quit working. I contacted the manufacturer who suggested a service location to repair the problem. Although the unit was still under warantee, I was told that the unloader was not covered, for reasons unknown, and I was required to pay the entire cost of repair myself. The mechanic stated that they had a lot of problems with this particular part. About a month later the unit developed the same problem and quit working again. I have not used it since and refuse to pay another big repair bill. I have since contacted the manufacturer who has yet to get back to me.

We bought this unit for its small size and large performance. It cleans very well, has great on board wand/tool storage and rolls around quite well on lawns and gravel. The controls are laid out well and easy to understand. When we tried to wash our house with it after 35 minutes it stopped dead and was deamed "unrepairable" by the service center. The second(same) unit finished the other side of the house, however it would not work the next day for the car, prompting us to get a full refund.

It sounded great, cost allot & did not work. I threw it away & vowed never to buy an appliance online again.

I have owned this Sistema pressure washer since Christmas 2004 and have used it 4 times. It broke down two out the four times used. I had to send it back to the factory for repairs and received it back to find it would run 15 seconds and stop for 30 seconds and then run 15 seconds again over and over again. Needless to say I gave up on this unit and purchased a Karcher 1650 psi pressure washer and had NO PROBLEMS at all. The Sistema ProWash is cheaply made and falls apart easily. It says it's rated at 1750 psi, but the Karcher 1650 psi unit performed much better.