what’s the best budget electric pressure washer for mobile detailing
Disclosure- As an affiliate, I earn commission from qualifying purchases
1.
Westinghouse ePX3100v Electric Pressure Washer
The Westinghouse electric pressure washer comes in weighing only 18lbs, its mostly made of plastic construction with an overall product dimensions of 9.6″ L x 13″ W x 11.8″H. with a smaller size stature, it makes this unit perfect for mobile detailing, and a price point of just over $100 this would make the list for a budget electric pressure washer
The Maximum pressure is rated at 2100 pound per square inch and with a maximum flow rate of 1.76 gallons per minute, this unit is great for small to medium type of jobs other than detailing, such as residential window cleaning, light to medium concrete cleaning and of course car washing. This unit includes a 25ft. detachable hose, steel wand, 3 nozzle attachments, a soap cannon, and a 35 ft. extension chord with a built in GFCI.
This unit would fit perfect in the back of your detailing van or truck, its small and compact that it’s not going to take up too much real state, mounting it down with a couple tie down straps is all you’ll need to keep it secure, similar to other electric pressure washers, I would recommend switching out the house to a 50ft. I recommend a 50ft. flexila, bumping up to a 50ft. house helps you bring the hose around most vehicles with having to move your van or over stretch your hose, flexilla hoses are also super durable and kink free out of the box. I would also change out the pressure washer wand to a YAMATIC Pressure Washer Short Gun. This pressure washer gun has a swivel plug to help assist with hose kinks. Trust me you’re going to want to invest in the extra 20 bucks for the swivel function, there’s nothing like fighting with a kinked up hose in the middle of summer, this function also helps with keeping your hose from cracking or blowing.
Yamatic pressure washer short gun
Overall I think the Westinghouse ePX3100V is a great pressure washer for mobile detailing, it has a tough design and isn’t bulky at all. I like how it comes with a 3 year limited warranty to give me peace of mind just incase if it breaks down.
2. The Kärcher K1700
The Karcher K1700 seems to be another popular electric pressure washer for around the house and for use in the mobile detailing community, coming in at just over $105 on amazon. The unit does sit a little Higher and has convenient Wheels for easy maneuverability, this of course would only play a factor if your were taking this in and out at every job sight, Total weight 20 lbs. just 2 lbs heavier that the Westinghouse
-hose length 25 ft.
-extension chord standard 20ft.
-PSI 1700
-1.2 gallons per minute, this is more than enough for mobile detailing
-nozzles, 3 types 15 degree, turbo, and soap nozzle. honestly the soap nozzle I would toss out, because you should be upgrading to a foam cannon instead, if you’re going to be doing mobile detailing, This is the foam cannon of choice for my setup. FOAM CANNON its just over $20 thick plastic build and solid for everyday use.
– 2 year limited warranty
Bonus option- Kärcher Pressure Washer K1700 Cube
This Karcher pressure washer is around $50 more than the K1700, its 4.5 lbs lighter, its smaller but has a higher GPM of 1.46, so if you’re looking for a little more punch in water pressure, than i would definitely give this one a look. CUBE
overall the both the Karcher K1700 and the K1700 cube are good budget options for electric pressure washers if you’re planning on 3-4 cars a day, If you’re looking at servicing fleet vehicles, vans and trucks, with a work volume of around 8-12 vehicle a day, than I would look into a more industrial type pressure washer like the AR Blue Clean Pro, AR630 Pressure Washer
3. RYOBI 1,800 PSI 1.2 GPM Electric Pressure Washer, RY141820VNM
- The RYOBI 1,800 PSI 1.2 GPM Electric Pressure Washer
This pressure washer only weighs 16lbs, its built like a tank. Priced anywhere between $120-$140 this meets the criteria of a budget electric pressure washer. It comes with a 3 year limited warranty, which is pretty standard for Ryobi products, out of all the pressure washers in this article, the ryobi has the longest power chord of 35 ft. It comes with a 15 degree nozzle, soap nozzle and turbo nozzle. This is the smallest of the 4 pressure washers, the Dimensions are 12.5″ L x 10″ W x 9″H.
I have to say, I do have mixed feelings on this pressure washer, I’ve owned about 5 of these over the past 5 years, only because I change them out every 2 years on both of my vans, I run these guys about 6 days a week, averaging around 3 cars a day. The motor on these model seem to start acting up around the 2 year mark, but for just over $120 bucks, I don’t mind buying a new one and keeping one for backup, I did have 1 pressure washer start to leak on me after about 6 months, reached out to Ryobi, and they sent me out a brand new one. Over all I’ll keep on using these pressure washers because it meets all the criteria’s that I need, in order to run a mobile detailing business. On top of that there’s virtually no maintenance required for these pressure washers, Other than the occasional lubing up for the motor.