These Ryobi Pressure Washers Can Clean Vehicles, Homes, and Driveways

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Ryobi offers an impressive lineup of gas and electric pressure washers designed to help homeowners looking to wash their home’s driveways and vehicles. The brand’s pressure washers range from powerful gas models for cleaning concrete to corded electric pressure washers for lighter-duty jobs, like washing a car or patio furniture. 

We tested five of the brand’s top pressure washers and found the Ryobi RY142012 Electric Pressure Washer with Foamer to be the best all-around model for homeowners, largely thanks to its user-friendly design and powerful output. Whether you’re in the market for the best pressure washer for cars and general cleaning tasks around the house and garage, or you’re after the best pressure washer for larger, more intensive projects, Ryobi may have a tool for you.

1. BEST OVERALL: Ryobi RY142012 Electric Pressure Washer with Foamer
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2. BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK: Ryobi RY141803 Electric Pressure Washer
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3. BEST GAS: Ryobi RY802925 Gas Pressure Washer
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4. BEST ELECTRIC: Ryobi RY143011 Electric Pressure Washer
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5. BEST CORDLESS: Ryobi RY40HPPW12B 40V Cordless Pressure Washer
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Product Comparison

Our Top Picks

Ryobi offers dozens of pressure washers for sale, so shoppers must choose from all the options, some of which have overlapping abilities. After reviewing the tools, we selected the following models as some of the best Ryobi pressure washers for specific uses, because each unit offers a good range in versatility and value within the category.

Our Ratings

The RY142012’s size and power make it a good pressure washer for a variety of cleaning efforts around the house. Weighing 22 pounds and sitting on two wheels, this Ryobi electric pressure washer is very easy to pull around. It also has a small footprint, so it doesn’t take up much space in the garage. 

We used the RY142012 to clean a dirty pickup truck. The foamer attachment produced a lathery foam that, while not quite as thick as you’d see with a foam cannon, produced ample suds. The RY142012 comes with a 15-degree nozzle and a Turbo nozzle. The Turbo worked well for rinsing the truck, producing enough power to remove dirt without any risk of damaging the finish. The 15-degree nozzle is suited for tougher jobs, like cleaning concrete. However, at 1.2 GPM, it really lacks the water flow for bigger jobs, like cleaning an entire driveway. 

The Ryobi has onboard storage for the nozzles and a front compartment for the foamer attachment, which helps prevent these accessories from getting lost. The hose also fits nicely into a back compartment. Unfortunately there isn’t really any thought given to storing the long power cord, which we had to wrap around the handle. It’s a well-equipped power washer for washing cars, cleaning small sections of siding, or freshening up walkways and patios. 

What our tester says: “This pressure washer offers that just right pressure and flow to wash cars, clean walkways, and clean siding.”—Tony Carrick, Product Reviews tester and writer

Get the Ryobi RY142012 electric pressure washer at The Home Depot.

Our Ratings

Ryobi’s corded compact electric pressure washer can save you money and space in your garage. At its $100 price point, it’s one of the most affordable pressure washers we’ve seen. And yet, this handheld pressure washer is not lacking in power. 

We used it to wash a car and found that its max of 1,800 PSI offered more than enough water pressure to blow dirt and grime away. That lower pressure also meant we didn’t have to worry about damaging the finish by using too much pressure. The pressure washer comes with a soap applicator, which offers okay performance. It capably added suds to our car—though nowhere near the thick lather we got with other foam applicator attachments. 

The pressure washer also did a good job of removing mildew and algae from our concrete driveway. However, its low 1.2 GPM really limits it to cleaning walkways and smaller areas. While not impossible, it would take a long time to clean an entire driveway with this pressure washer. 

The RY141803 is about the size of a lunch box and weighs just 14.4 pounds, which made it easy to carry around while cleaning, and small enough to store on a utility shelf in the garage. With the brackets on the base, it even mounts to the wall. It’s a great budget-priced pressure washer that’s suitable for a variety of lighter-duty pressure washing jobs. 

Get the Ryobi RY141803 pressure washer at The Home Depot. 

Our Ratings

If you want max power for cleaning large concrete driveways or whole homes, this gas-powered pressure washer is the way to go. It combines high PSI and flow rate to deliver cleaning power you won’t find with the brand’s electric power washers. 

As with any gas pressure washer, starting it up is the hard part. It took us three back-straining pulls to get the RY802925 up and running. But once chugging, the difference in cleaning power was apparent. With its max 2,900 PSI pressure and 2.5 GPM, we were able to clean a four-car driveway using a surface cleaner attachment in about 45 minutes of work. The results were impressive. Our pick for best gas pressure washer cut through years of dirt and grime build up with relative ease, allowing us to move quickly over the surface. With that powerful gas engine, we didn’t experience any lagging in pressure for the entire testing period even when using the spray wand and full bore for several minutes in a row. 

This Ryobi gas pressure washer weighs close to 60 pounds. However, its large wheels and sturdy frame design made it easy for us to wheel around a driveway. It also comes with a full contingent of nozzles, including a 0-, 25-, and 40-degree nozzle, as well as a soap nozzle. This allowed us to back off that pressure to safely clean more delicate surfaces like a car or vinyl siding. 

What our tester says: “With its raw power, you can clean hundreds of square feet of dingy concrete in under an hour.”—Tony Carrick, Product Reviews tester and writer

Get the Ryobi gas pressure washer at The Home Depot.

Our Ratings

Ryobi’s electric pressure washer is among the most powerful electric models we tested, boasting a max pressure of 3,000 PSI. It was capable of removing dirt and grime from our concrete driveway using the included Ryobi pressure washer surface cleaner attachment (albeit at a noticeably slower pace than the gas-powered model we tested). It took us several passes to fully clean each area. We cleared a 400-square-foot area in about 45 minutes. 

With its mix of nozzles, it worked well for car washing and power washing a tile patio. It’s important to note that while the RY143011 has a high max pressure, its comparatively low 1.1 GPM flow rate limits just how quickly you can cover larger areas. This mix of high pressure and low flow rate showed up in a slight delay in intermittent pressure lag before amping back up. 

The RY143011 comes with several user-friendly features, including a single nozzle that rotates into four different positions. This allowed us to change spray patterns on the fly without having to stop and switch nozzles. This model also has a built-in soap tank, making soap application easier. The RY143011 has a sturdy feel with a heavy-duty steel frame and sits on two large wheels that make it easy to move around. 

Get the Ryobi RY143011 pressure washer at The Home Depot. 

Our Ratings

This Ryobi cordless pressure washer is a compact option for lighter-duty cleaning jobs. It puts out a max pressure of 1,200 PSI, a max flow rate of 1.0 GPM, and comes with three nozzles: a 15-degree nozzle, a soap applicator, and a Turbo nozzle. It’s powered by a rechargeable 40-volt battery that gets 20 to 40 minutes of runtime depending on whether you use its max speed or Eco setting. It runs off a standard garden hose and also comes with a siphon tube, so you can use it with a bucket of water. It doesn’t have a soap tank. Instead, it uses a tube that you can put into a detergent bottle. 

It’s important to note that this Ryobi cordless pressure washer is a light-duty cleaning machine. We used it to wash a car, and it performed well. We were able to wash a small SUV in about 20 minutes, which is about how much time we were able to get off a single charge. That said, the lower pressure meant we had to do more hand scrubbing to remove more stubborn grime. The soap dispenser doesn’t provide the thick lather of soap we got with corded Ryobi power washers. The water pressure is also significantly lower than corded models and far beneath what gas models offer. You won’t be cleaning concrete with this power washer. 

This 40-volt model is very compact, with the base about the size of a large lunch box. It’s easy to store on a shelf, and, since it’s cordless, it can tag along with you to serve as a pressure washer for cleaning. 

Get the Ryobi 40V cordless pressure washer at The Home Depot.

Jump to Our Top Picks

How We Tested the Best Ryobi Pressure Washers

We included a broad range of Ryobi pressure washers, ranging from lightweight cordless models for lighter-duty jobs like washing cars and patio furniture up to powerful gas models for cleaning concrete. Our list includes some of the best electric pressure washers, gas pressure washers, and cordless pressure washers.

We began our tests by evaluating how easy each model was to set up, as well as how easy it was to roll around and start. Once set up, we set about using them to wash various surfaces you can clean with a pressure washer, including two vehicles, siding, a patio, and a concrete driveway. We carefully evaluated water pressure and volume, noting how quickly and easily we were able to clean different surfaces. We also noted the variety of attachments each pressure washer came with, including nozzles and soap applicators.  

Our Testing Scores

FAQs

Shoppers have a lot to consider when selecting the best Ryobi pressure washer, and each user has a unique set of needs. Therefore, questions may linger about owning or using a Ryobi pressure washer. Keep reading for more tips and answers to some popular questions about these tools. 

Q. How long will a Ryobi pressure washer last?

Ryobi offers a range of pressure washers with different capabilities and components. The most common equipment wear-and-tear failures include the hoses, connectors, and, finally, the pump. With average use and care, these units usually last 5 years or more.

Q. What is a good PSI rating for a pressure washer?

It’s important to match the PSI rating to the task. If most of the intended projects involve sensitive surfaces that are painted or made of wood, choose a pressure washer in the 1,000- to 2,500-PSI range. For more aggressive cleaning and paint removal, pick one rated 3,000 to 4,000 PSI or higher.

Q. How much PSI do I need to clean my driveway?

Asphalt and concrete driveways get covered with caked-on dirt and algae. For best results, use a pressure washer rated at a minimum of 2,500 to 3,000 PSI

Q. Who makes the engines for Ryobi pressure washers?

Ryobi is a part of Techtronic Industries, which makes many of the gas engines used in Ryobi pressure washers. Some premium Ryobi models use Honda gas engines.

Q. What kind of gas do you put in a Ryobi pressure washer?

Ryobi gas pressure washers use regular unleaded 87-octane gas that contains no more than 15 percent ethanol. 

Q. Do I need fuel stabilizer for my pressure washer?

Yes, if you have a gas-powered model. Fuel begins to degrade quickly, so you should add a fuel stabilizer if you plan to store the pressure washer for anywhere from 2 weeks to 6 months. If you won’t be using the washer for longer than 6 months, it is best to drain the fuel entirely before storage.

Q. Are Ryobi pressure washers adjustable?

Yes, you can adjust the pressure on a pressure washer by changing the nozzle. Adjust the pressure and spray pattern on a Ryobi pressure washer by changing the spray tip. For conventional spray tips, the smaller the “degrees” rating, the narrower the fan pattern and stronger the pressure. Adjust a five-in-one spray nozzle by simply twisting it to the desired setting.

Meet the Tester

Tony Carrick is a freelance writer specializing in home improvement, landscaping, technology, home security, and design. Carrick has conducted rigorous product testing on everything from power tools to home security systems to backyard grills. With each review, his goal is to help readers determine whether a product meets their needs and if it is or isn’t worth its price tag.

Additional research provided by Mark Wolfe.

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