We were able to test it despite its kinked hose. Here’s what we thought

Ryobi is a well-known and respected brand devoted to making electric household goods, though they do have a few gas-powered items such as generators. From power drills to fans to pressure washers, Ryobi’s goods are typically more affordable without sacrificing quality. 

That holds true with the Ryobi RY141802VNM Electric Power Washer, which the BestReviews Testing Lab put to the test. We thought it was an excellent pressure washer for homeowners who want to clean and maintain outdoor surfaces and large items such as cars. However, it simply wasn’t powerful enough to handle tough messes.

Why we like it

• The 35-foot power cord and 20-foot hose help you clean hard-to-reach places.
• Its compact size takes up little storage space.
• There is onboard storage for the two included nozzles.

What we don’t like

• Only the 15-degree nozzle was effective in our tests.
• The soap-applicator attachment doesn’t mix the water and soap well enough to be effective.
• It doesn’t have enough water pressure to clean tough messes.

The 60-second scoop

The handle makes this lightweight pressure washer easy to move. You can even carry it while you clean.

Product Specifications
Maximum Pressure: 1,800 psi | Dimensions: Approx. 11” W x 8” D x 10” H | Weight: 16 lb | Hose Length: 20’ | Gallons per Minute: 1.2

This Ryobi electric pressure washer is a low-cost, medium-powered tool. We found it worked best when cleaning lightly soiled objects rather than trying to deep-clean caked-on grime. It has an exceptionally long power cord, and the 20-foot hose length is a standout. Together, these help you work far away from both the outlet and water source to target anything you need to clean. Another useful maneuverability feature is the carrying handle. 

This pressure washer comes with two main cleaning nozzles: 15-degree and Turbo. We found the Turbo nozzle to be too broad, with pressure too low, to get much cleaning done, though it was good for rinsing. The soap-applicator attachment was also disappointing because it didn’t mix the soap with the water well enough to make good suds.

Price and where to buy

The Ryobi RY141802 Corded Electric Pressure Washer retails for $139.99. You can find it on Ryobi and Walmart.

Setup

The hose comes packed so tightly that it takes time and effort to get it to lie straight.

Setting up the Ryobi is extremely easy. Start by taking the parts out of the box and screwing on the handle. Unwrap the hose (it’s very tightly wound and wants to stay that way) and attach it to the body of the washer and the spray wand. Be careful you don’t scrape your knuckles (like we did) when attaching it to the wand. Assemble the rest of the wand and attach the nozzle. Attach your garden hose, plug the pressure washer into an outlet and you’re ready to clean.

Cleaning performance

The Ryobi electric pressure washer did best on light messes.

We thought the Ryobi performed best on lightly soiled objects, such as dusty fences, chalk-covered driveways and dirty cars. In our tests, it didn’t have enough power to deeply clean things like rust or strip old paint.

Design

You might need an extension cord if your exterior plugs are protected by a box. The plug on this pressure washer is huge.

The Ryobi’s design is straightforward. The power cable attaches in the back and the water hose attaches in the front to help avoid tangles. The handle on top makes it easier to move. The washing handle and spout are standard for pressure washers. It shares the same pale-green color found on most Ryobi products.

How does it compare to other pressure washers we tested?

The Ryobi electric pressure washer’s performance made it one of the best we tested.

We found the user experience to be excellent, among the best of all the electric pressure washers we tested. We also found its cleaning performance to be somewhat effective. That’s not to say it was ineffective; it was very effective on light messes, but the low water pressure prevents it from cleaning off very stubborn grime.

Soap application

The testing team found the soap-applicator attachment did not mix the soap and water as intended.

The Ryobi includes a soap-applicator attachment that is intended to mix the pressure washer detergent with the water coming through the hose. In practice, we found the two barely mixed, if at all. It would be better to mix the soap and water and apply it with a spray bottle, then pressure wash with the Ryobi.

How we tested the Ryobi RY141802 Pressure Washer

The testing team used the Ryobi electric pressure washer to clean a brick wall, rusted metal bed frame and cast iron chair.

We tested the Ryobi by cleaning several surface types.

Surfaces tested

We tested against five surfaces.

• Wooden fence: It took about two minutes to clean the dust and dirt buildup from two slats of a wooden fence from top to bottom using the 15-degree nozzle.
• Window: It took 30 seconds to clean dust and grime off one standard window with the 15-degree nozzle.
• Cast iron chair: We spent one minute cleaning a small patch of the chair with the 15-degree nozzle. It didn’t remove any rust, but it cleaned off a light layer of dust.
• Brick exterior: Cleaning a square-foot section of a brick wall took one minute with the 15-degree nozzle. It cleared off dust, but it didn’t remove older stains.
• Rusted metal bed frame: No nozzle was effective in cleaning the rust off the bed frame, though the dust was removed from a small patch after 30 seconds.

Navigating around obstacles

Thanks to its extra-long power cord, light weight and handle, we didn’t have much trouble moving this pressure washer around, but the tightly wound hose proved to be a problem. You shouldn’t have much issue moving the washer around obstacles, but you’ll need to watch the hoses.

The final verdict

While it’s not the best for stubborn, caked-on messes, the Ryobi electric pressure washer did a solid job during testing.

We think this is an excellent addition to Ryboi’s line of electric appliances. It doesn’t have the power to clean much more than light messes, though, so only use it for maintaining an already relatively clean home.