Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I've had the WEN PW31 pressure washer for about a month now and I can say that I am very impressed. Could it use some improvement? Yes. But where it counts, this pressure washer is just fine. I've had power washers in the past, so I knew what to look for, when my old Troy Bilt washer bit the dust. In particular, I knew not to look only at the psi, but at the flow, as well. Pressure is measured in PSI (pounds per square inch). Flow is measured in GPM (gallons per minute). A lot of pressure, without enough flow to wash the dirt away will make for longer work on a particular job. Cleaning power is most often considered to be PSI x GPM. I also knew that I shouldn't get all wrapped up in the engine brand, because the first thing to fail on a power washer with an axial pump, is the pump. Even the cheapest engine will outlast the best made axial pump, even when the pump is maintained, as directed. In fact, if you are one who likes to repair things until they can no longer be repaired, you will probably go through three or more axial pumps, before a cheap and poorly maintained internal combustion engine finally fails. The point is, that it's not about the engine. It's about the pump. I happen to like Generac and Honda engines, myself. But WEN is a good company that has been around for a long time, so I expected that they would not use a junk engine in their product. I could have chosen to replace the axial pump in my old Troy Bilt, for less money than I paid for my WEN power washer. However, the Troy Bilt was about 8 years old and although I used to maintain my cars and motorcycles myself, I'm no longer into that kind of work, especially, when I could buy a brand new, more powerful pressure washer for for less than $270. The WEN PW31 is 3,100 PSI and pumps that pressure out, with 2.5 GPM flow, powered by a 208cc engine. That translates to a cleaning power of 7,750. So I didn't just compare the WEN to other approximately 3,100 PSI pressure washers. I specifically compared the cost of the WEN PW31 to that other pressure washers of similar "cleaning power". When I did that, it was a no-brainer. I also liked the fact that the WEN is *NOT* CARB-compliant, meaning that I would not be wasting money on an engine that included all the extra costs, just to meet some ridiculous California emission standards. I don't know what CARB stands for. But it must be something like California Association of Retarded Bureaucrats or something similar. Anyway, I was pleased to find out that the WEN is NOT CARB-compliant. It can't be sold or run in California, but for those of us who live in the real world, go for it. It's a great product. From the labels on the machine, it appears that both the engine and pump are products of China. But keep in mind that almost all axial pumps are of Chinese manufacture. The power washer engine is made to WEN specifications and WEN is a U.S. company of long-standing. I would prefer to buy U.S. made products. But in this market, it's difficult to find anything as good, at a competitive price. Maybe in a year or two, after Trump brings a lot of manufacturing back to the USA, things will be different. But this is how it is, today. Bummer… The engine does not have an automatic choke. So you have to set the choke, before you start it and then ease off on the choke, after it is running. This is probably a good thing for most people, since it forces you to let the engine warm up a little, before you put a load on it. With an automatic choke, you can start using the pressure washer right away, but you are putting an ill-advised load on the engine. You should always let the engine warm up a little, before putting a load on it - even a Honda or Generac. So what to some, may look at as a minus, I see as a plus. It "chokes" my impatience to get started. The power washer was packaged well, but easy to unpack. Setup was simple. I added the holder pieces for the spray wand and the front foot. That took a couple of tools and was extremely easy. The handle just dropped into place on the main frame and was secured by a couple of pop-out buttons. Those buttons mean that it can be easily collapsed for storage. Almost a quart of oil and some gasoline and I was ready. It's amazing what a difference 1,500 cleaning power points can make. There is a rust spot on our curb, that has been there, since construction of the house. Rather, I should say, the rust spot was there, till I got the WEN PW31. For 8 years, I had been working on that spot, with a pressure washer with around 6,100 cleaning power rating and yet, it was still quite evident. It took only a few seconds with this pressure washer to make it all but invisible. It's still there, but you have to know where to look for it. I was able to clean my 1,200 square foot driveway in about half the time that I was used to taking. The difference was that I could hold the wand a couple inches further from the concrete, achieving a wider spray path, and yet get the same cleaning power as I did with my old pressure washer. A wider spray path at the same cleaning power, equals fewer passes, equals less time. The PW31 has a detergent tank, but I have not found reason to use it yet. On the other hand, I've never heard of one that didn't work. As with other pressure washers, you have to use the detergent sprayer nozzle (no additional pressure), in order to draw detergent from the tank. That's because, like most household pressure washers, detergent is siphoned from the tank - not pumped into the flow. The hand grip is as comfortable as any that I have used. The hose is slightly larger than on most that I've seen at the hardware stores. But it's still some sort of plastic, rather like the PEX plastic that is used in most new-build homes, but somewhat more flexible. The hose attachments are easier to get to than on many others that I've seen. I heard one reviewer say that the hose couplings were too close to the hot muffler. I can't see that as making a difference, since in order to get the hose to touch the muffler, you would have to bend the hose almost to the kinking point. It's not an issue. I also noticed that the nozzles seem to be of somewhat higher quality than on my old Troy Bilt. But I have never noticed the nozzles on other pressure washers, so I can't compare them to others. The PW31 has larger wheels than most, which means that you can pull it across the yard, easier. It has a 30 foot hose, where most manufacturers only provide a 25 foot hose. It also includes 5 spray nozzles, instead of only 4. One of the really nice things is that it has a fuel shut-off valve, so when you are finished with it, you can turn off the fuel and wait till it starts to choke, before turning it off. This way, you don't leave fuel in the carburetor, when the machine is not in use. My old machine didn't have that and I did have to clean out the carburetor a couple of times over 8 years. I'm hoping that this shut-off will solve that issue. All in all, the WEN PW31 is a great bargain, for the price. To do better, you would have to go with one that has adjustable pressure, which is probably not worth the extra cost, for most people or move up to a commercial pressure washer, with a triplex pump, at more than twice the price. This is one of the best "residential" pressure washers that I've seen. Only time will tell if it will hold up and for how long. But if a pump or engine is going to fail, it will most often happen in the first couple of hours, if not immediately, and I've put this one through it's paces for about 8 hours, in the month that I've had it and it shows no signs of weakening. By the way, 8 hours is when you should do your first oil change in any small engine. After that, stick to the manufacturer's recommended schedule. Would I recommend the PW31 to a friend? I already have.