Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I thought I should post a review to offset some of the out-of-date information I read in the reviews that made me hesitate to buy the MSH3125-S. Fortunately, none of them turned out to be true for the version of the machine that's currently shipping. I've had the MSH3125-S long enough to put about five hours on it, and I've used it on wood decking, stone walkways, painted steel, painted wood siding, painted steel siding, plastic window trim, and concrete. One of the reasons I picked it was because it has 10" pneumatic tires, and my property is "challenging" for anything less. Although they might be fine on a nice, paved driveway or regular urban or suburban property, the brands with solid plastic tires and lightweight frames wouldn't last long here. The frame the Simpson is built on looks very sturdy, balances the Honda engine very well, and is very easy to pull across difficult terrain, including gravel drives, uneven stepping stones, and dirt paths. It has a solid, 5/8" axle that will make replacing the wheels/tires easy when the time comes. I read that some users felt the handle is too low; I didn't find that to be a problem, but instead of pushing the machine, I walk beside it and pull it along with one hand. That works much better. The handle is at the right height and the tires manage the bumps and ridges much better than if I were to try to push it. Simpson seems to have solved the problem with the spray nozzles vibrating out of the holder on the machine. That hasn't happened to me. Draining the oil isn't a problem if you use the correct drain plug. The important thing to realize is that there are two drain plugs on the Honda GC190, one on the same side as the oil fill (don't use that one!), and one on the opposite side on the fuel tank- and air cleaner-side of the engine. It's the latter that Simpson intends for you to use, and they've provided a cut-out in the mounting plate to drain the oil into a pan placed beneath the machine. You can make oil changes even more convenient. I recommend getting a Drainzit HON1012 12mm Oil Changing Aid for Honda GX240, GX270, GX340, GX390, GC160 (it also fits the GC 190) to replace the drain plug before you add the oil to the engine the first time. You can route the hose inside the frame (see photo) and drain the oil right into a container placed in front of the machine. I found myself using the 15-degree spray nozzle--which most of the other brands of pressure washer I considered don't include--more than any other size. It was the best size to clean the moss off my stone walkway and concrete. The 25-degree wasn't powerful enough, and the 0-degree was too powerful and too narrow to be fast. I didn't find the lack of a detergent tank to be a drawback, but a plus. For one thing, most detergent tanks are too small to really be much help. This pressure washer, like most, uses one gallon of detergent for every seven gallons of water. The detergent tanks on most pressure washers aren't large enough to last very long. They also must be emptied at the end of the season and cleaned, which wastes some detergent, makes a mess, and is yet another maintenance job. With the MSH-3125-S, I can use a much larger container, or just use the container the detergent came in. However, the bottom line for me is that I don't even need detergent. The MSH3125-S is powerful enough that it performed all the cleaning jobs I needed with water alone. The high-pressure hose the Simpson comes with appears to be very well-made and I didn't have any problem with it kinking. I'm sure you could make it kink if you pulled hard enough on a loop (which you aren't supposed to do with a high-pressure hose, anyway), but if you lay the hose out before you start work like you're supposed to, it works very well. The slippery cover means it's easy to pull behind you and easy to rinse off when you're done. Another nice thing is that the Simpson comes already assembled. Other than the typical set-up tasks like oil, fuel, etc. pretty much all you need to do is turn the handle around and check the tires' air pressure. Finally, I like the fact that the Simpson is compatible with a variety of aftermarket accessories, and that original parts for it are easily available here on Amazon and at your local big-box hardware store. If you need a sturdy, reliable, powerful pressure washer, especially if you live on a rural property, don't hesitate to buy the Simpson MSH3125-S.