Husky is a brand sold exclusively in Home Depot. With over 80 years of experience they have used that to produce everything from Husky tool storage ,every type of hand tool set you can think of all the way to Husky portable air compressors and their accessories.

Some where they decided to try their hand at selling Pressure Washers, which I give them credit for since most of the other tools they have made are very popular with DIYers.

Many of the Husky hand tools even come with a lifetime guarantee and a hassle free return policy.However, for this gas pressure washer oddly they decided to only offer a 90 day warranty. Very worrying don’t you think ?

So what do you need to know about this Husky Pressure Washer?

Well, first things first is the 2,600 P.S.I. and 2.4 G.P.M. knocking out 6,240 Cleaning Power Units. This means it is a VERY capable machine for around the home.There’s not much dirt that can get in this pressure washers path that it wont be able to blast away.

How about the engine ?

Since the main reason someone would buy a gas pressure washer over an electric is its portability and extra cleaning power you really need to make sure you are getting something that will live up to this.

The engine on this pressure washer has two possible options. You had the choice of purchasing either a robust Honda or an economical Kohler engine to power this machine.

It cost about $399 to get the Honda GVC160 overhead cam engine layout compared to the Kohler which came in at around $299.

What do you get for the more expensive Honda ?

Its much quieter than its cheaper cousin the Kohler but if your expecting it to make the same level of noise as say an electric pressure washer you are out of luck.By their very nature they are louder but this is the quietest of a loud bunch.

Another feature is its ability to start maybe 95% of the time within the first pull of the cord.

At $399 these are a huge reason to buy this machine over its competition .Honda really do know how to make a small engine.Anything I’ve used with a Honda inside has purred like a kitten for years after I got them. They just work.

How about the cheaper Kohler ?

As for the Kohler. Its a very reliable engine in its own right.I mean its $100 cheaper than the Honda for a reason. Which is not to say its a terrible engine because its not. 

This brand is very popular to be used in many outdoor tools like chainsaws, tillers, portable air compressors and most often you’ll fine them powering your gas driven lawn mower.So its not like your getting some cheap copy from China that’s only going to last you a few hours and possibly deafen you in that time as well.

What about the brains of the machine – The Pump ?

It was going well up to this part wasn’t it ! 

Somewhere in the planning stages of this they must have put a lot of work into designing it to look nice ,deciding to use a good quality engine and choosing to mount it on a strongly constructed frame.

Some where they did not put any effort into was planning the pump.

A quick search online for other Husky Pressure Washer Reviews will show hundreds of angry customers all complaining about the same problem.

Some complaints range from the pump ceasing to function on its trial run to it seizing up completely dead on the 8^th use ( if you were lucky to get it to last that long that is )

Perhaps there is some happy customers, I don’t know since usually angry people are more motivated to leave a comment than a happy customer but you can’t ignore the amount of people all talking about the same problem ….. The Pump.

As I have mentioned in my post about Electric Pressure Washer Reviews the pump is the most important part of a washer next to the motor or the engine. You simply cannot have one without the other. It seems though, Husky attempted to with this Gas Pressure Washer.

But cant I just get a replacement I hear you cry ?

Sure you can , but it will just break again as many other users can testify to and then as soon as that short 90 day warranty expires your on your own.

Now I should mention that some people have said they got a replacement pump that was similar but of a much higher quality but this is only really an option if you bought the thing in the first place….. also if you don’t mind shelling out another $100 for a new pump and shipping and then whatever a technician will charge you to take out the old pump to replace it with the new one.

Is there anything else to discuss

Not really, This is normally about the time I talk about the accessories you get with the washer and talk about how to best use the features that come with it but these Husky’s are a real dud. I don’t think there is much more to discuss here.

Which is so strange since Husky is a signature brand for such a huge company like Home Depot….. it’s like nobody bothered to do any trials before shipping them to the stores around the country.

Its even gotten so bad that Home Depot have removed these pressure washers from the shelves at their stores which is something at least, but little consolation for the people who have already spent their cash on these pieces of expensive scrap metal and more than likely turning them off Home Depot for a very long time.

If your still considering buying a Husky Pressure Washers after all this can I please show you some of these magic beans I have for sale ?

If you are considering buying the Simpson PS3228-S Powershot 3200 PSI Gas Pressure Washer you are probably someone who has a large amount of area to clean and want to do it fast ,not sitting around for a puny electric pressure washer to clean 1 square foot per hour.That’s why today I’m doing this pressure washer review, to give you a better understanding of why you might want this machine and if its for you.

This is a borderline commercial pressure washer.So be sure you really need it as it doesn’t come cheap.There isn’t many stains this cant remove.I believe at this price range you should be looking to increase the gallons per minute or G.P.M and not the P.S.I. as anything over 3,000 P.S.I will have to be extremely stubborn to avoid this amount of power.

The high G.P.M is what really makes cleaning fast on the Powershot and is the real factor to look at to determine how efficiently you can clean something ,where as the with the high P.S.I you need to make sure you don’t damage anything you are cleaning.Once you get over 3,000 P.S.I there isn’t many stains that can resist this much pressure

Having said that, if you don’t mind spending this amount of money on a pressure washer you will be getting a seriously strong and reliable machine, I would say unless you are doing this professionally there is not much more you need than this and that says a lot about the price.Your getting a ton of power for a really good price.

Firsts things first, this washer pumps out 3,200 P.S.I of water at 2.8 G.P.M to give you 8,960 cleaning power units. I have not researched all the machines on the market today but I’m going to say that its the highest C.P.U anywhere near this price range.

Engine 

The most important point about this washer is the Honda engine.Ever since I went on a motorbike trip a few years ago using a Honda I got to know just how much of a workhorse they are… This engine will live longer than any other part on the pressure washer, which is good because its also the most expensive part. That’s doesn’t mean they don’t need to be taken care of. This is not an electric motor, it still needs a little bit of love now and again to ensure you get to use it season after season. Properly taken care of there is no reason this engine should not last over a decade.

Like a lot of engines like this they won’t come with much oil inside them when you first get it. So you’ll need to make sure you top it up before turning it on.Whenever doing this always pour in slowly as sometimes when they get near the top the drain is very small and can over flow onto the ground very quickly.

Also in the instructions they mention to ALWAYS hold the trigger on when starting the machine to let any air out that is stuck inside the pump.This is to make sure it doesn’t get damaged. Also you should never turn any pressure washer on if there is no water going to the pump.

Pulling the cord on this engine is really easy.You don’t need to be a strong man to yank it.Very often the first pull should start the engine right up.

Also on this engine is an oil alert, another one of the many fail safes to ensure you have a long happy life with the washer.

The Pump

The pump on the Simpson is a Triplex design.This is one of the cheapest pressure washers you can get your hands on that comes with a triplex pump.These are more reliable and long lasting than a regular axial pump.The main reason is the general design of the pump but also here you have a thermal relief that will knock the pump off if the water gets too warm inside.If it was to get too warm the heat would damage the pump.

Does that mean its fine to leave your pump running for 10 minutes without water passing through it ? NO ,it certainly doesn’t, however it does give you extra piece of mind if you were to forget.

Also the heat control can be attributed to the use of ceramics inside the pump.Just like the ceramics that are used on a sports cars brakes to reduce heat, well the same principle is applied here.I’m not 100% sure on this but the pump alone on this washer costs upwards of $300.

Another point to remember is these pumps are repair friendly.Very often you can find someone to repair one of these as opposed to an axial pump where the costs to repair are in line with the price of a whole new machine.

Watch this to give you an idea of how quickly it can clean and also how quiet the Honda engine is.

Operating the Pressure washer

With the way they have designed the frame it means its very stable but also means its a little on the low side for people over 6 foot. However it should still be easy to move around as it comes with proper air filled 10 inch tyres. No cheap plastics here ! I’m 6 foot and I found bending over to lift it onto its wheels a little annoying but after a while you get to know how far the hose can reach and where to park the washer.

When you move the unit, especially if its been on for a few minutes be careful none of the tips have not fallen out.I found that one of them had vibrated itself loose from its holder near the handle.Speaking of tips, you get five tips included ranging from pencil thin to remove ingrained stains up to wide rinsing tips that are mostly used to rinse.

The hose is 25 feet long, unfortunately its not rubber.It would have been nice to get a rubber hose at this price but the hose is still a higher quality than what you normally get with an electric pressure washer.On the hose itself are brass connections so they can stand up to more punishment than regular plastic quick connectors.

With all gas driven pressure washers there is a problem where the hose may lean against the hot engine during use and melt a hole into the hose.When this happens its best to get a new hose.To remove this problem its best to use cable ties or tie wraps to keep the hose away from the engine and guide it along the frame.

Some things to be aware of.

There was a few mentions relating to a smell of gas coming from the box. Simpson has said this is as a result of testing back at the factory.

Also some people have mentioned when they needed servicing it was very difficult to find a service center willing to do work on it. Its worth while remembering that very often small engine mechanics are able to fix these washers also.

Summary

Is this pressure washer for everybody ? No probably not ,with the added maintenance of a gas engine and the price ,it will probably turn many people away and that’s fine because this gas pressure pressure isn’t made for everybody.

If you have a large area that needs cleaning regularly and you want to do it quickly with the least amount of fuss and effort this is the machine for you.This machine will really eat through any dirt you can throw at it in record time.

Part of the reason for the high price is the top quality you get from the Honda engine.With all the features considered this is probably the cheapest washer you can find. The price is very good when you consider the quality of parts you’re getting.

When I bought this pressure washer it was with a $620 discount from Amazon , I bought it from Amazon because they were the cheapest and the quickest to deliver.

I often say to people to go half and half when buying one of these pricier washers. It’s not like you’re using it everyday and it really lowers your initial investment.You can split it between 2 or 4 people,its up to you.Just make sure everyone agree’s on how the machine should be operated.

Overall I doubt you’ll be able to find anything in a regular home this can’t remove.

Is there anyone out there that doesn’t enjoy in depth pressure washer reviews about a compact, user friendly, dirt busting electric washer that is also great value for money.

So that’s why I though it was about time I review the AR Blue Clean AR 118.

Ar 118 Pressure washer review.Photo courtesy of  AR blue Clean

 So what is there we need to know about this machine ?

 Well despite its small size it still manages 1,500 P.S.I at 1.50 G.P.M of high pressure water giving it 2,250 Cleaning Power units.As with all machines in this price range it comes with an axial pump.AR are a very well know brand in high pressure pumps and this is still the main focus of their business so you can feel relaxed knowing there is quality pumping away inside.

While I agree that doesn’t sound very much ,its important to remember the whole washer weighs around 12 pounds and with 20 feet of hose and 30 feet of electrical cord everything in the home should be within reach.Which is what really set this machine apart from its competitors.

At 2,250 cleaning units it is still strong enough to do most household tasks like cleaning decking and fencing or sidings.You shouldn’t expect too many miracles as its not meant to compete with a big gas driven pressure washer like the Generac 6022 but then again you certainly can’t find any gas powered models anywhere close to the price of the AR 118.

Some people complimented the assembly saying that machine was so small it was easy to locate where everything was meant to go but I will also add that some other people have criticised the poor instructions.Some complained the wrong paperwork was included.

For example the hose connector,some people received a clear and black with blue connector while others got an all black connection in the box.If your unsure the clear connector goes onto the machine with the black and blue connector connecting to the garden hose.In the case of the all black connector it will be labeled on the part itself where it is meant to go.

At this point I always add that teflon tape can be used to seal up any leaks and if unsure you can take the connector you got in the box down to a hardware store and buy a new brass connector.Its good to take it with you to make sure its the right one as there is many variations.

When I first used this I had my doubts if it could produce enough power from a small package to really be able to clean anything but I was really impressed when I started going over some decking out my back.Not only was it able to clean a years worth of grime away but I noticed that some of the wood was slightly gouged and im sure if I was less careful I would have caused more damage to the decking.

It is also nice with the trigger that as soon as you release the trigger the pump will stop there by making things quieter and more importantly saving wear and tear on the pump.

Some niggles I did notice with the cord was that its hard to coil all of it back onto the area where its meant to go,it can be done but it takes careful planning to make it all fit, instead what I did was coil some of it onto the cord holder and the rest of it onto where the high pressure hose was meant to go.As with all washers of this price range the hose is made from plastic and if you coil it to much it will stay kinked which makes using the hose cumbersome so with the hose I just round it up into my hands and lay it to the side.

The machine also includes a reset button if you were to have any problem with the electrics.This is a useful feature though as it adds an extra fail safe to the washer.If for some reason you find the machine not working try pressing the reset button before calling customer service…… that will save you from an embarrassing moment.

Something to be very careful of is the sequence in which you turn everything on with this pressure washer.In the instructions they say you must pull the trigger on the wand first before turning the electricity on.Im not fully sure what would happen if you do it the wrong way and I don’t want to find out but I imagine it would cause the pump to over heat as there would still be air inside and not water.

Accessories

Included is a small soap bottle to help spread detergent you might wish to use.

Now,as with most pressure washers of this price range you are only able to use accessories from that manufactor.So, before purchasing any extensions or surface cleaners make sure its compatible.

Summary

While quite a few people said the machine was strong but felt it could be stronger, its a fair point ,you are not going to be able to get rid of deep pitted stains……….. but I should mention that in this price range and size with a well known brand building it nothing matches this little pressure washer.

I’ve had mine a few months now and all my family have used it since its so easy to pack up inside a bag and transport it.My brother even likes to travel with it and use it while washing his fishing boat to get rid of the salt water.

If you have ever tried to use a pressure washer to clean a house using a ladder then you will know how awkward , tiring and just downright dangerous it is then you will understand how useful an accessory like this can really help you out.That’s why I’m writing a review today as I believe this to be one of the most helpful items out there.

A really handy pressure washer accessory.Photo courtesy of  General Pump

Maybe you tried to clean your 2 story home or perhaps your thinking about washing something that’s just that little bit out of reach.

That’s when you need a wand extension.As much as an extension makes cleaning quicker the main reason for using one is for safety.Thousands of people every year fall off ladders causing life long injuries so anything to reduce this is great idea.You can read Here for more information about ladder related injuries.

This particular model goes from just over 6 feet to 18 feet long so it can be used for a lot of different applications from a cleaning a high dirty wall that is just slightly out of reach or right up to the gutters on your second story home.Also,there is a 6 feet to 24 foot long version available for those really hard to reach jobs.

As soon as you pick it up in your hands you can feel the quality even though its made from a lightweight aluminium.It is able to take a max psi of 4000 with either hot or cold water.

It is very important of course to make sure it will fit what ever machine you have.This extension will connect to any 3/8 hose coming from a pressure washer that will connect to the spray gun that is going to be in your hand as you can see in the picture.

And you have two choices in connection it to your washer of which both are included in the pack.

One of the adapters has a 3/8 male thread and then a M 22 male threaded end or you could use the 3/8 male thread and a 3/8 female quick connect to get the high pressure hose from your pressure washer to the extension.

On the other end of the extension you can connect any of the color coded tips you will probably already have in your collection.You can play around with which ever one suits you best.

Something I recommend is the extra gutter cleaner you can get.It doesn’t cost much extra ,can be used for other applications and its curved in such a way to get the water into the gutters and dislodge any crud that’s built up over time.

Now something I should add is this extension will be useless on those $50 pressure washers some people buy. There is two reasons for this.

• The water going into this extensions needs to be at least 2500 PSI to be strong enough to travel up and remove any dirt and grime
• And most likely the hose from those pressure washers won’t even fit on to the connection to this gun.

Most people would agree this is a really useful tool to have but some people have mentioned that the further away from your body you use the extension the harder it is to control it. An example is when its extended to its full length.

For this problem I recommend that you squeeze the trigger on the ground and work your way up the wall .Always start from the top of coursed clean down to avoid streaking.

As you can see from the video here,if used correctly its really simple to use…… Even one handed.

 The other way to help you is to get the extra back belt.

However, I don’t recommend this,the back belt comes with quite a few unhappy reviews and while in principal seems useful the reality is that it causes more problems than it fixes.

But the easiest way to use it is to always hold it with a wide ,strong stance with your right hand far behind the trigger ( Depending if your right or left handed ) and your left arm up as far as you can put it. Basically you are trying to get as much of the extension between your hands as possible.

Over all ,using this this still takes time.Its not a complete miracle in time saving but it is still much faster than climbing a ladder ,washing the top , climbing back down again and moving the ladder and then finally climbing the ladder back up again to start all over again.

So in the last review I talked about what I believe to be the Best Electric Pressure Washer at the moment but today I am going to be giving you a review on what I see as the best pound for pound gas powered pressure washer that money can buy.

Company history

Generac have a long history in producing by far the most popular home generators in America,they even say they sell more generators than all other brands combined.

They have carried over their experience of producing top quality small engines in the generator market to now produce power washers with a lot of credibility.

The generac pumps out 2,700 PSI of water at 2.3 GPM to produce 6,210 cleaning power units of raw dirt hating power to remove a whole host of household stains that you can throw at it.

For me the most important number above is the 2.3 GPM. This can really speed up cleaning time so you’ll actually be running the engine for less time as you’ll be able to clean a whole lot quicker.It’s when you have a smaller GPM that you put a lot more hours on your engine,motor and or pump and this is when the machine suffers a premature ending.

Its rare to find this level of GPM on a model in this price range, this is reason alone to buy this machine.

The Engine

What really sets this washer apart from the others is the engine. Generac have made a very good top quality engine here.

Quite a bit of effort has gone into making this engine as easy to use as possible which is a concern for most people and keeps them away from buying a gas powered pressure washer but as engines go this is very easy to use.

To make operating it a little easier it even includes a step on the bottom of the unit to rest your foot on it to stabilize it when pulling on the starter cord.

Then there is the shut off feature to make sure fuel or oil does not get into any parts of the engine that they don’t belong to.This kicks in whenever you tilt the machine past a certain angle such as when you need to move it from one place to another.

Now at first this feature sounds like a pain but keep in mind it is there to preserve the life of your investment and even then if it does switch off this engine is so easy to start up again.

Some users have even said it started up on the first pull of the cord straight out of the box.

While I’m discussing gas I will also mention that this generac comes with a slightly larger gas tank than usual so you won’t need to fill it up as much.As always though make sure to use fresh gas and not gas that has been sitting around in your garage for a few months otherwise you will be cursing your engine and not the real culprit.It is also possible to extend the life of gasoline using a fuel stabilizer.

Another point I should make is there is no fuel gauge on the tank so make sure its full before each use by looking inside to save trips back and forth to the garage.

I have found this to be a quiet machine but some people may not agree.What is important to remember is an electric machine will be a lot quieter period …and to compare electric and gas powered engines is wrong .As far as small engines go this is a quiet machine that should not cause you to scramble for ear defenders.

Also as I covered already the engine is very easy to start but some people have encountered problems involving the position of the choke affecting start up.To solve this all you need to do is move it from the close to open position or vica versa.

While on the subject of difficult to start ,something I encountered is that if the engine fails to start more than a few tries, pressure will eventually build up inside the pump preventing it from starting up.Easiest way to fix this is to hold down then trigger to release any water inside the pump but be careful as this water will still be under pressure so be sure to spray somewhere safe.

This video doesn’t explain a whole lot but at least you get to see the washer looks like.

Operating the pressure washer

People often get put off from purchasing a gas powered washer as they think it requires a degree in engineering to operate.As gas washers go this is a very easy machine to run and once you learn the basics of maintenance you’ll be set.

The wand comes available with changeable tips.Usually when you buy the cheaper washers you are forced to use accessories from that company but with this generac you can use use a whole host of accessories from numerous brands to make cleaning more efficient.

Included in the box is 4 nozzles and lucky for you these 4 are the most common.

Also you get a very comfortable handle that has an easy trigger to squeeze.No vice like grips are needed here.

The machine weighs in at around 83 pounds depending on how much fuel you have inside. This sounds alot but don’t forget it does have wheels so its really easy to move however the wheels are not the highest quality but certainly are not the lowest either.

The Pump

And what would any review be without talking about the pump.The pump on this washer is from a well respected brand in the pump industry so it should be able to stand up to a lot of punishment. A really nice feature I liked is the connections for where your garden hose meets the pump is very easy to access.You can even purchase a 90 degree connector so that it is even easier to access.

Some “niggles” I encountered

I did notice when I was using this machine that if your not careful it is very possible for your hose to curl up and rest against the hot engine parts.Obviously this would damage your hose so what I found best was to use cable ties or tie raps to guide the hose along the frame to avoid any potential problems.

I don’t use the soap dispenser fitting that comes included all that much but I did notice as the detergent starts to empty from the reservoir it is inclined to curl up and stop sucking up any of the liquid so you can either keep it topped up or use a nut to weigh down the end of the suction hose that goes into the detergent.

Something important to keep in mind is that before using this machine you will need to fill up the oil reservoir as the unit is shipped without any oil inside it. Luckily for you there a bottle of oil included for you to use.

Just be very careful when filling it, if you pour too fast the oil cannot drain into the sump fast enough and before you know the oil will spill out.So just pour it in slowly and you should be fine.The bottle comes as 20 oz and the amount generac say is needed is 20 oz.

All gas power pressure washers can suffer from these problems and most of the times these problems can be solved through experience. It is not something you can really escape from initially if it is your first gas pressure washer but a little bit of common sense goes a long way.

Although ,while this sounds like a lot of work ,if a gas powered machine breaks its easier to repair than an electric machine.Sometimes its cheaper to buy a new unit instead of repairing it ,this usually is not the case with gas powered as the price dictates that its cheaper to repair than to purchase a brand new machine.

And Finally,

One last point I will mention is that a few people have mentioned their engine stalled after a few minutes of running. The most likely cause of this is a faulty gas cap.It seemed to only happen to a few people but Generac have been helpful in sending out a new gas cap to remedy the problem.I think once you make it known that you believe the cap is causing the problem then they are willing to help since it saves them a lot of time.

Is there better pressure washers available ? Yes…..

Are they as cheap as this one ? ….. No

This is one of the best value washers available pound per pound and that includes electric washers. Once you learn what needs to be done in regards to maintenance and removing any small problems and by the way the review you just read pretty much sums up all the small problems then you will have purchased one of the best machines on the market today.

In another review one guy even said he went out and bought a portable generator from generac he was so happy .I think this sums up well how good it is.