Greenworks-1800-PSI-Pressure-washer-featured-image Reviews

Greenworks 1800 PSI Electric Pressure Washer (GPW 1803): Product Review

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GPR RECOMMENDATION

Ease of Use:
Quality:
Performance:
Final Thoughts

A nice entry-level, PWMA Certified pressure washer that provides good value for the money.

Overall Score 4

Available from Lowe's

Buy It

There are so many different electric pressure washers on the market these days. Which one do you choose? In this review I looked at the Greenworks 1800 PSI Electric Pressure Washer (GPW 1803). Let’s give it a test and see what we find out.

SPECIFICATIONS

  • Pressure: 1800 PSI (Pounds per Square Inch)
  • Water Consumption: 1.1 GPM (Gallons Per Minute)
  • Operating Water Temperature: Cold water (less than 1040 F)
  • Pressure Hose Length: 25 feet
  • Electrical Cord Length (with GFCI): 35 feet
  • Motor: 13 Amp electric
  • Wheels: 8” diameter, plastic
  • Nozzles: 250, 400, Turbo, Soap
  • Nozzle Cleaning Needle: Yes
  • Soap Tank: Yes (integrated into the pressure washer frame)
  • Certification: PWMA (Pressure Washer Manufacturers’ Association)

PACKAGING

This unit is specifically made for Lowe’s and was hand delivered by a local store. It arrived in a moving truck and was hand carried by the moving crew to my garage. The box had no damage whatsoever and all the contents arrived unscathed.

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The box came through without a dent or scratch

The boxed components were packed tightly with plastic wrapping and air inflated bags to protect the machine’s finish and make for a secure ride in transit.

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Plastic bags and inflatable cushions protected the unit from scratches and shipping damage

Before I assemble anything, I always check to make sure that all the parts are included, along with the Owner’s Manual and any other information pertinent to the machine. Everything was accounted for.

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All the parts were included along with the Owner’s Manual, assembly instructions and accessories placard

ASSEMBLY Instructions Could be Clearer

The written assembly instructions for this Greenworks pressure washer weren’t very helpful. The picture diagrams were better, but not great.

The written instructions don’t clearly say which pieces are included and where those pieces are supposed to go to properly assemble the unit, so I mostly relied on the diagrams when putting the unit together. Although I’ve assembled a lot of pressure washers, I still had to look very closely at the diagrams and keep rechecking them to make sure all the different screws went in the right holes. My big concern was using the wrong screw in the wrong hole and stripping the threads.

The assembly process included:

  • adding the two 8″ wheels,
  • assembling the front panel and spray wand “gun” holder,
  • adding the electrical cable and high-pressure hose hangers, and
  • installing the handle bars into the lower stanchion tubes of the pressure washer frame.

I then hung the electric cord on its dedicated hook and did the same with the high-pressure hose. I hooked up the high-pressure hose to the pressure washer pump, assembled the spray wand gun and hooked the other end of high-pressure hose to it. I finally clipped the gun into the gun holder located on the handle bar frame.

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Here’s what the back of the pressure washer looks like upon full assembly. Note the neatly coiled high-pressure hose. This is the way it came out of the box. Coiling and unwinding problems started once I began using the unit (see below).

 

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Here’s the front of the pressure washer when fully assembled

FOUR PRESSURE WASHER NOZZLES

Cleaning power and the speed at which you can clean an area with a pressure washer is a function of water flow (measured in gallons per minute, or GPM), nozzle spray pattern, and pump pressure (PSI). If I wanted a machine that cleaned large areas fast, then I’d be looking at a semi-commercial or professional model – which can costs hundreds of dollars more than a machine like the Greenworks 1800 PSI Electric Pressure Washer GPW 1803.

There is a misnomer that just because you have the same PSI means that you have the same cleaning rate. You may use the same spray pattern nozzle and have the same pressure, but the water flow rate for a commercial brand will be much higher, thereby giving you the ability to clean faster.

The Greenworks 1800 PSI (GPW 1803) is a good entry-level electric pressure washer. With its included array of nozzles (below) it can do a wide range of cleaning tasks, from washing cars to stripping paint (at a slow rate).

Here’s what Greenworks includes with this package as far as nozzles:

  • 250 (green) – The “narrow fan tip” is a good nozzle for cleaning things like decks, house siding, walkways, driveways, etc.
  • 400 (white) – The “wide fan tip” nozzle is great for washing windows, outside furniture, boats, automobiles, landscape equipment, RVs, etc.
  • Soap (black) – The “soap spray tip” is used to dispense specialized cleaners onto to a surface prior to being pressure washed. The detergent (only use one that’s specifically formulated for pressure washers) is sprayed at low pressure and helps strip dirt and grime from the surface. The soap nozzle fits into the end of the spray wand just like any of the other nozzles.
  • Turbo (black) – A 00 to 150 spray pattern. A turbo nozzle sprays in a rotary pattern at approximately 3000 RPMs (Revolutions Per Minute). Its main advantage is that it can clean up to 50% faster than a conventional fan tip nozzle. With the Greenworks GPW 1803 pressure washer, the turbo nozzle also has a 00 to 150 spray pattern so you don’t need separate dedicated tips to do the jobs that need those more narrow sprays.

Be careful with the turbo nozzle; if it’s held too close to a softer material (like wood furniture) it can cut grooves into the wood.

A nice feature of this Greenworks unit is that the nozzles are labeled as to their application. For example, it clearly shows using a 400 nozzle for washing cars (this can include boats, RV’s and similar vehicles).

NOTE: Paint finishes, like those on RVs, cars, boats, etc. can be damaged when using the wrong nozzle or holding the spray nozzle too close to the painted surface.

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The nozzles are clearly marked for each application, but read the Owner’s Manual to familiarize yourself with which nozzle corresponds with which cleaning/stripping application.

SAFETY

There are several cautionary and warning labels sprinkled throughout the Owner’s Manual. Do yourself a favor and read the manual. It’s easy to unintentionally inflict harm on yourself or others.

Here are some basics (but not all of them):

  • Wear a pair of gloves and safety glasses with side shields or a face shield.
  • Never point the spray gun at a bystander or pet.
  • Don’t use in wet or rainy conditions (since this is an electric device).
  • Before changing the nozzle, turn off the machine, release any pressure in the high-pressure hose by pulling the gun’s trigger, and place the handle lock-out mechanism in place.
  • Hold the spray gun in both hands, one on the trigger handle and one on the wand. Don’t operate with one hand, as the blowback force can cause you to lose control of the gun.
  • Never perform maintenance without completely turning the unit OFF (and unplugging it) and releasing any pressure in the pump and high-pressure hose/gun.
  • Don’t leave the unit outside in freezing temperatures.
  • Read the Owner’s Manual completely for operation, safety and maintenance procedures.

HOOKING UP THE WATER SOURCE

Before I grabbed the gun and started my testing, I had to hook up the garden hose. It’s very easy to attach it to the hose adapter on the side of the machine.

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Hooking up the garden hose to the side of the pressure washer was no problem

CONNECTING THE RIGHT NOZZLE TIP

The first thing you have to decide is which nozzle to use. Once I made this choice I inserted it into the “quick connect” brass fitting at the end of the spray gun. All nozzles that come with the machine are quick connect compatible.

The important thing is to make sure the nozzle is seated properly into the quick connect brass tip at the end of the spray gun, otherwise, you’ll fire the nozzle off the spray wand and likely never find it again.

The key to seating the nozzle tip is to pull the brass quick connect collar back and slip the nozzle inside the collar. Pull the nozzle toward you as you push the brass collar (away from you) back over the nozzle’s male metal end. Give the nozzle a good tug to make sure it is locked in place. And that’s it, you’re ready to go.

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Inserting the nozzle into the brass quick connect is easy

HOW DID IT PERFORM?

Using the Soap Nozzle & Dispenser

I started with the soap dispenser nozzle and integrated detergent tank on the front of the unit. The 400 soap nozzle applies soap at low pressure (never apply soap with a high-pressure nozzle).

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The black nozzle is the low-pressure nozzle to dispense specially formulated pressure washer detergents

The soap tank on the front of the Greenworks 1800 PSI Pressure Washer GPW 1803 automatically mixes the detergent with water. That’s a big help; you don’t have to worry about diluting the concentrate and figuring out all the math to get the ratios right.

When buying pressure washer soap, I prefer the stuff that I don’t have to dilute. Just make sure to read the directions on the pressure washer detergent bottle before buying it. In some cases, concentrated soaps must be diluted before they are poured into the soap dispenser tank.

I like that the soap tank on this unit is on the front of the pressure washer, is easily accessible, and has a large cap (so it’s easy to pour in the detergent from a bottle without spilling).

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I like the large cap for pouring pressure washing detergent – it helps prevent spills. Another nice feature is a quick start guide (printed on the soap tank) on powering up the pressure washer.

After applying the soap to my car and letting it sit for the manufacturer’s recommended time (be careful not to let it dry as it will leave streaks), I changed over to the 400 nozzle and began to wash the soap off. The detergent should do most of the work and work in conjunction with the nozzle. You can get in trouble with a pressure washer in a hurry if you’re just relying on the high-pressure nozzle to do the work (so, for example, don’t use a 250 angle nozzle for washing your car and other like vehicles).

Both the soap nozzle and 400 nozzle worked well. As far as car washing performance is concerned, the GPW 1803 it did a nice job and I was pleased with the outcome.

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Using the low-pressure soap nozzle, I dispensed soap to begin the car washing process

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After dispensing the soap, I change over to the 400 nozzle and started spraying the car down

Using the High-Pressure Nozzles

First, I tried the turbo nozzle. It worked like a charm cleaning up a moldy area of my concrete walkway. I was also able to blast small areas of peeling paint off outdoor furniture with the turbo nozzle.

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The turbo nozzle was super effective at cleaning my concrete walkway of mold

Next, I tried the 250 conventional fan nozzle on the moldy concrete. It too blasted off the mold effortlessly. It took longer than the turbo nozzle but did an equally effective job. It didn’t take off peeling paint though.

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The 250 nozzle did a bang-up job at removing mold from my concrete walkway

Using the 00 spray setting on the turbo nozzle, I was able to remove stains in hard to reach places, including crevices and areas that would’ve otherwise been out of reach.

Overall, I was very pleased with the cleaning results of the Greenworks 1800 PSI Electric Pressure Washer GPW 1803. It worked well washing my windows, cleaning the car, removing mold from my concrete walkway, stripping flaking paint from outdoor wood furniture, and even reaching second story areas with the 00 nozzle.

TANGLED AND KINKED HIGH-PRESSURE HOSE

Of all the pressure washers I’ve tested, I found this high-pressure hose the hardest to deal with. It was difficult to coil and uncoil (even when not attached to the gun). I used all the proper coiling techniques, like laying out the hose in a straight line and twisting the hose as I coiled it, but it simply would not coil easily. It also tended to kink a fair amount, particularly if I had a coil in the line and pulled the hose to my work area.

All of this happened despite the fact that I was using it at temperatures in the 800 F range, so the hose was nice and pliable.

I’d recommend substituting the high-pressure hose this unit comes with for the Flexzilla ¼” Flexible Hybrid Polymer Pressure Washer Hose.

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When getting ready for a job I had to take the spray gun off the high-pressure hose to untangle it.

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Even when I unhooked the high-pressure nose from the gun, it was still difficult to coil

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The high-pressure hose tended to kink

WARRANTY

The Greenworks 1800 PSI Electric Pressure Washer GPW 1803 has a three-year limited lifetime warranty against defects in materials and workmanship.

RECOMMENDATION

With the GPW 1803, Greenworks has a nice 1800 PSI pressure washer with some notable features. I like its compact size, maneuverability, easy to reach nozzles, large cap for the detergent container, and convenient hooks for both the high-pressure hose and electrical cord. Plus, it’s Pressure Washer Manufacturers’ Association (PWMA) Certified.

It does a good job powering through typical pressure-washing tasks, such as washing a car, cleaning a driveway, and stripping small areas of peeling paint (slowly).

However, I found the high-pressure hose difficult to deal with. To uncoil it, I had to disconnect it from the gun. To coil it up, I had to disconnect it from the gun and the machine and lay it out in a straight line. It also had a tendency to kink.

I’d replace the unit’s high-pressure hose with one from Flexzilla and be done with it. Yes, you’ll pay more money to make this conversion, but I found the convenience and performance of the Flexzilla hose made the Greenworks 1800 PSI Electric Pressure Washer GPW 1803 a much better machine.

WHERE TO BUY

This pressure washer (model GPW 1803) is offered exclusively at Lowes, where it currently sells for $179.00 with free shipping.

Note that the Lowe’s website says that the unit comes with 5 spray nozzles. It doesn’t. The GPW 1803 only comes with 4 nozzles (turbo, 400, 250 and soap). The very similar GPW 1800 (sold on Amazon ) does have 5 nozzles (it also includes a 00 nozzle).

You can purchase the Flexzilla ¼ Flexible Hybrid Polymer Pressure Washer Hose (25') on Amazon.

Last update on 2024-03-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

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