I hope you won’t disagree with me when I say: “Powerful pressure washers make cleaning so much more fun”.
And if you have the most powerful electric pressure washer, then congratulations! You are having even more fun. But if your worried you could be having even more fun, that is to say, even more power… read along. 
TLDR: Please just give me a button to the one I’m most likely to buy:)
Priority is power, then quality:
Priority is quality, then power:
[amazon table=”1124″]
So I’ve spent 13 hours searching and researching the most powerful electric pressure washers, and I’m happy to share the fruits of my labor. So, without further ado let’s jump right in.
What is “Most Powerful” in this area?
At some point in time we seem to realize the garden hose and bucket aren’t enough any more. Then we get a pressure washer. Likewise, though we’ve fallen in love with the ease of a pressure washer, some cleaning projects still require more. So we decide we want an extremely powerful machine that wreaks havoc on the persistent spots.
To determine this for electric pressure washers, we need to talk about cleaning power. Cleaning power is measured in cleaning units(CU), which is the product of GPM (gallons per minute ) X PSI (pounds per square inch). It takes both of these, not just PSI to increase the amount of work your pressure washer can handle.
An example might be your electric heater or even light bulb. Higher wattage means the more heat that will be produced. A 100 watt light bulb is brighter than a 60 watt light bulb. Watts are determined by multiplying voltage times amperage.
CU’s are the pressure washer equivalent of wattage (though your electric pressure washer has wattage too, this isn’t the best indicator of how much work it can accomplish to clean).
PSI & GPM Calculation examples:
- 2 GPM, 4000 PSI electric pressure washer will have 8000 CUs of cleaning power
- 4 GPM, 3000 PSI pressure washer will have 12000 CUs of cleaning power.
So despite all these acronyms, its actually pretty easy… The higher the cleaning units, the more powerful that pressure washer is in terms of cleaning power. You just need to multiply the GPM and PSI. The math will do the rest. There you have the basics. Now let’s get down to the facts.
Please read the full discussion. But in case you’re in a hurry, here are the top picks.
[amazon table=”1124″]Do You Really Need This POWER?
I know you want your house and the dirtiest places to shine like new. Also, you want the job done quickly, you only have so many Saturday afternoons. So having one of the most powerful electric pressure washers will be awesome!
This kind of powerful pressure washer can remove those age-old stains and grime with ease. Grease, oil, mud, mildew nothing can withstand this pressure. But, let me warn you with great power comes… you guessed it, great responsiblity. There are situations where this power can cause damage. It’s easy to get in the cleaning groove, because pressure washers are so effective, and then start washing something we have no business washing with a pressure washer. Then our Saturday afternoon cleaning project becomes a Saturday night repair project.
That means if you are washing your car or patio with this pressure washer, you have to be careful enough not to damage any rubber or the color coating of the car or patio. You may need to switch the pressure washer nozzle and/or maintain a safe distance from the vehicle.
So now that your determined to be uber careful, let’s look at the chief targets of your cleaning angst…
What You Can Clean With Powerful Pressure Washers?
I know you have something in mind already that you want to do with a heavy duty pressure washer. But just to make things clear, here is a bunch of things(not limited ) that you can do with your new toy:
1. Cleaning Walls: Brick, concrete wall cleaning has always been a challenge. Not only you, for mankind too. But as you need a greater flow of water for this cleaning purpose, a 3000 psi pressure washer can be the answer to that. With a greater reach and power, you can do the cleaning in minutes.
2. Concrete Driveways: I have seen people just brushing their driveway hour after hour, just to remove a few grimes. It is never going to work properly. Just a waste of time and detergent. Make this work super easy with a powerful pressure washer.
3. Heavy Equipment: If you have some heavy equipment caked up with mud, switch to a big pressure washer. Equipment working for a farm or on a job site tends to face situations like this. For one or two pieces of equipment, one pressure washer is OK. But if you have a bunch of them, then you’ll probably want to gets some bids from professional pressure washer contractors.
4. Wooden Surfaces: Bet you felt the horrible pain cleaning the porch, deck, even patio. But, look no further if you want that done in half the time and effort. A powerful pressure washer is an answer for you. A deck covered with filthy mildew can easily be cleaned with a properly adjusted pressure washer. I said properly adjusted as the wooden surface may be on the softer side. You just need to be a little choosy here with the nozzle. Use a nozzle that creates more acute angle and you need to keep more distance between the wand and surface.
Most Powerful Electric Pressure Washers Reviewed
I know when it comes to power, gas pressure washers get all the attention. But electric pressure washers can still be very powerful, and with out the head aches of gas engine maintenance. In fact the first one is monster of pressure washer (though mostly for reference as you will see). And next you will find some more practical 3000 psi electric pressure washers reviewed.
0. Shark BRE-505007C: 5,000 PSI Best Industrial Pressure Washer
This shark brand pressure washer is a very powerful electric pressure washer at 5 GPM. One of the most powerful, but least practical power washers. This brand is owned by Karcher. But first, why most powerful?
So applying our CU math, we get: 5,000 PSI X 5 GPM = 25,000 CU. That is an insane amount of power!
Really, the Shark BRE-505007C 5,000 PSI 5.0 GPM is probably the highest PSI electric pressure washer around.
Now for the bad news, this is 3 phase 480v machine and so only a few readers will be able to put this beast to work. Generally speaking, mostly just industrial locations will have access to this kinda power. But there are a few garages out there that have phase converters and 3 phase generators to run specialized wood lathes, planers ect… So if that’s you, then just maybe the strongest electric pressure washer is worth considering (and yes I’m aware of the irony of using a gas generator to run an electric pressure washer instead of just buying a gas pressure washer 😉 but everyone’s situation is different)
PROS
- Insane power
- Durable
- Very good motor
- Cage frame for protection
CONS
- Obviously, it is heavy
- Risk of damaging items (if you do not maintain a safe distance and use the correct nozzle)
- 3 Phase 480v
- Thirsty power consumption
This machine comes with a portable roll cage frame for great support and movement. It is going to be a bit heavy as it comes with an industrial Baldor motor at 20HP Electric 460V 26amp 3phase for extra power!
This electric pressure washer might not be a good fit for your house. This 5000 PSI giant machine is great for industrial facilities and few other specialized locations. So, lets talk about some more practical examples.
1. Sun Joe SPX3000-MAX: 2800 PSI Brushless Induction Electric Pressure Washer
I know, I know… it’s not even 3000 psi. How can this one be number one. Unfortunately this past year has seen the big electric pressure washers drop like flies. Between shipping nightmares, low margins, and admittedly stressed engineering parameters to squeeze 3000 psi into a plastic case electric pressure washer that runs on standard household power, the 2800 psi is the recent winner.
Fact is the high psi electric washers consistently have a lower reviews than the lower psi pressure washers. It seems the sweet spot for these light weight electric pressure washers is around 2000 psi. Which is why previously we broke it down:
Priority = power, then quality:
Priority = quality, then power:
Both options are Sun Joe, who have built a great deal of trust around their brand. Their recent brushless technology is great although they have a good history of electric pressure washer manufacturing.
Remember our criteria above? PSI x GPM tells us the real work that the machine can do. You’ll notice on this model that SunJoe upped the psi by reducing the GPM. A little bit of a cheat if you ask me but the 2800 psi is still fairly powerful.
PROS
- Built-in holster for spray wand storage
- Total stop system
- Consistently works well
- Sturdy Handles
- 35 foot power cord
- Onboard detergent tank[/su_list][/su_box]
CONS
- Low GPM makes the higher PSI a wash for many applications
- Needs improvement on the connectors
Hose length is fairly long to work with. Total stop system is available in most electrical systems now a days. So, there’s nothing to brag about it.
Here’s a list of 5 more sun joe pressure washers that might be interesting for you.
2.Greenworks 3000 PSI (2.0 GPM) TruBrushless Electric Pressure Washer (PWMA Certified)
Ok, this one comes in second place primarily because of price point. Despite what I said about lower rated reviews for the 3000psi power washers, this one is an exception. But it’s priced accordingly. To be clear, most home projects don’t need the highest PSI pressure washer power, and for that once in while job you can always rent. But if you do find yourself regularly needing maximum pressure (and don’t want gas), then this is your unit!
PROS
- Light weight and very portable
- Real PSI and GPM (all numbers independently verified)
- 25′ hose length and kink resistant
- Delay to pump off when trigger release (nothing more annoying than constant pump cycling everytime you take a breath)
- Various nozzles and on board soap dispenser
CONS
- Price point, one of the most expensive electric models
- Cord and hose can be a bit clumsy to manage at times
- Can at times deliver low pressure lag before pump engages
So in a category that is plagued with a race to the bottom where metrics are more advertising than actual results, this unit stands out.
But it in all reality it is filling a small niche. For those who really prioritize pressure, you’ll probably want a gas model. For those who want the convenience of electric, most will find the value vs power equation to lead them to:
Sun Joe SPX3001 2030 PSI 1.76 GPM 14.5 AMP Electric Pressure Washer with Hose Reel, Green
But for those who want to maximize power while staying electric, this is your unit!
3. Buyer Beware: WHOLESUN 3000PSI Electric Pressure Washer 1900W High Power Washer 2.6 GPM
Ok, why am I including a product that I do not recommend in this review line up? It’s harder and harder to find 3000PSI electric pressure washers so products such as this one will float to the top and it’s a good example of how to find and avoid the bad apples.
- This product is advertised as 3000psi
- This product has a high review count
- This product has a high review rating
Sounds good, until you peel back the layers. Multiple reviewers, in a position to compare PSI between other pressure washers and this one remark that its drastically underpowered.
Multiple reviews are for a dog chew toy.
The company selling the unit (not just the brand) is located in China.
Lets clarify the last point first. Made in China is not necessarily bad. The device you’re reading this on is probably made there. A Chinese seller is not necessarily bad either. But you do have to be more discriminating. A foreign company with no interest in building a brand reputation is less likely to invest in quality control, more likely to cut corners as prices go up.
Maybe some units had poor pressure and slipped through the cracks. But it is the dog chew toy reviews that are the most telling. Why the market place facilitator allows this to happen, I do not know. But some companies will build a product listing on top of an old product listing that has been discontinued. They do this to bump up the product review count and review rating. This intent to deceive is the most unforgiveable though and exactly the kind of seller and product we want to avoid and not patronize.
So, again: BUYER BEWARE.
4. NEW COMER! PowRyte Elite 4000PSI 3.0GPM Electric Power Washer Review
Update July 2022: This unit is out of stock and seems to be another example of steadily declining quality control. This category is filled with similar examples unfortunately. I’ve left the rest of the review here for reference and warning example of the care one needs to take when assessing a new product.
So this is a newcomer to the high power electric pressure washer arena. It just started selling on Amazon.com and is climbing the charts fast. We don’t know how they did it but they claim 4000PSi with 3 GPM which gives you 12,000 CU’s (almost double that of our Top Pick in the chart above)! and it still plugs into a standard 20 amp receptacle!
To be clear, this is early days yet. The reviews are stellar (4.9 stars), but there are only a handful of them so far. But, our Amazon listing research software (estimated results) is telling us that only after a few weeks sales are already higher than any of the other pressure washers listed in this review. It shouldn’t be long before we have some more reviews to back up any purchasing decisions.
Keep an eye on this one, we sure are!
🙁 In 2021 this one was top of the list. Sadly they’ve been outta stock for a while now… former #1: Powerhouse International 2.2 GPM: Best 3000 PSI Pressure Washer
This unique model electric pressure washer is rocking the market with its 3000 PSI mark. How much power does that mean? 3000 PSI X 2.2 GPM = 6600 CUs of cleaning power. That is going to be a powerful pressure washer to play around with.
PROS
- Very Powerful & Quiet Motor
- Beautifully Ergonomic and Mobile
- Extra Attachment toys
- Onboard Storage for Those Extras
- Automatic Safety System
- Extremely Manageable Power Cord Holder
- Long Pressure Hose for Greater Usability
- Good Customer Service
- Family Owned Business
- 1 Year Warranty
CONS
- Proprietary Hose Connections
- Built in GFI (which is good) can be bulky and a tough fit for some outdoor outlets
All right, now let’s get deeper. It takes power from a brushless and quiet motor. What’s cool about this is that when you release the trigger, the motor stops.
The system is called Total Stop System. This means when you release the pistol like trigger of the spray gun, it will automatically shut off the pump. This will help to reduce power and water consumption. The flexible 30 foot will be sufficient to use anywhere.
Compact and upright design with axle mounted wheels for good mobility. You are going to have a full set of interchangeable nozzles for versatile pressure washing job. In addition to that, they are packed with turbo nozzle too. This machine has a built-in safety lock system dedicated to saving energy and water.
I have written a full article on pressure washer water consumption data.
This extra long high-pressure hose will be an added advantage while washing boats or decks. That 2.2 GPM is the main point which in some cases might even be better than a gas pressure washer.
🙁 Another fallen champion – no longer in stock:( Former #3.PRYMAX Electric Power Washer 3000 PSI 1.85 GPM
So you have a huge garage with all the space you’ll ever need… yeah? me neither. If you’re looking for something that you can store easily, even in a crowded garage then switch to this one. Power without bulk! With 1.85 GPM this might not be the most powerful electric pressure washer reviewed here, but its compact design gives plenty of power per pound.
This electric pressure washer generates 3000 PSI with 1.85 GPM, which is impressive. You can get down to wash under a car. Even those hard to reach areas get easy to wash with the long spray wand.
This much pressure is enough for removing road tar, tree sap and insect splats from cars, grease deposits from concrete, oil, and rust. There is even an on-board detergent tank. This feature is perfect for removing dust and dirt from windows, cars, boats and many more.
PROS
- Value Option
- Super Light
- Built-in holster for spray wand storage
- Sturdy Handles
- 35′ Long power cord w/ GFCI
- Interchangeable nozzle adapters
CONS
- #1 Biggest Con, too many 1 star reviews (keep in mind this is also the cheapest machine reviewed here by a good margin) – makes me worry about QC. Be prepared to test and return if necessary, with in the 30 day return window. Sometimes it’s hard to distinguish between grumpy lazy consumers and real product QC issues…
- Another bulky GFI cord end, may not fit every exterior weather proof outlet.
- Conveniently located 4 quick connect nozzles… unless your actually swing this thing around and getting work done, in which case my be easy to lose or get hung up.
- Water intake is right between the wheels making it difficult to move around when hooked up.
One important thing with pressure washing is safety. And this machine gives you some safety. That is to say, this machine will automatically shut off the pump whenever the trigger is not engaged. Safety lock switch keeps you a step ahead in the race of saving power and water.
I loved the pistol style grip with trigger spray it offers. Great for firing pleasure! This spray wand ensures efficient washing with less water.
Sun Joe SPX3001 2030 PSI 1.76 GPM 14.5 AMP Electric Pressure Washer with Hose Reel, Green
A Video is worth a thousand words:
Here’s a video of how a 2800 psi pressure washer feels like working with.
How to Choose a Powerful Electric Pressure Washer?[Main Must-Have Features]
From the above listing of electric pressure washers, you have noticed there are some powerful pressure washers for home use(regular). Now, refer to the first option I discussed.
This is a premium heavy duty pressure washer. If you are still looking for something like this, you must consider some must-have feature before making the final choice. Here are the features you need to look for.
Thought the below model is gas ideal electric models will have some similar features, premium pump and engine, steel frame, industrial level tires, and longer power cord.
The Advantages of Powerful Electric Pressure Washers
1. Noise Level
Noise level is one of the main features of electric pressure washers. No matter how premium pressure washer you are using, no one wants to wear earplugs while working on a pressure washer (though headphones and your fav podcast usually make the job go faster:). An electric pressure washer has a minimal amount of noise to get you through that.
2. Low Maintenance
Regardless of the size, electric pressure washers offer very low maintenance. Electric motors are made in such a way that you will never need to open the inside for maintenance. There’s no grease involved here as there is oil seal. Which means the maintenance is really really low. Yet, winterizing it remains an important step.
However, for some models, you’ll need to stop for a while and start again due to the heat generated while being in operation. Some manufacturers produce water cooled motor to speed up the cooling process and eliminating mid work stoppage.
Powerful Electric Pressure Washers-2020: Quick Review
- Shark BRE-505007C: 5,000 PSI 5.0 GPM
- Sun Joe SPX3000-MAX Pressure Washer: 2,800 PSI 1.3 GPM
- Powerhouse International: 3,000 PSI 2.2 GPM
- Carmen Electric Pressure Washer: 3,000 PSI 2.0 GPM
- Arksen Electric Pressure Washer: 3,000 PSi 1.7 GPM
Related: How do you maintain an electric pressure washer?
Best Sellers in “Pressure Washers”
[amazon bestseller=”pressure washers” items=”5″]Carmen 3000PSI Electric High Pressure Washer
This machine has everything you need to get for tough cleaning jobs at a much lower cost compared to other electric pressure washers. Its 3000 PSI and 2 GPM power are great for tough stains, which is 6000 CUs of power to be exact.
PROS
- Easy to use with adjustable wands
- Maximum cleaning power
- Large sized wheels for good mobility
- Includes bonus turbo wand
- Power cord managing reel
- Comes with a deck brush and fixed scrubbing brush[/su_list][/su_box]
CONS
- Lacks a male to male adapter for the garden hose
- Less pressure without the turbo wand[/su_list][/su_box][/su_column][/su_row]
Let me assure you, this machine is very powerful as the manufacturer promises. It generates up to 3000 PSI with the 2000-Watt motor. For this PSI you need to use the turbo wand. For the other wand, it will generate 1450 PSI.
The 2 GPM mark doesn’t make it the most powerful electric pressure washer but still manages to get those tough grimes or stains out. This machine comes with a tank for detergent making it a great choice if you are worried about cleaning.
I have talked with an owner of this pressure washer. He is very happy with the performance of this one. According to him, the motor runs smoothly without straining for a long period of time. He became a fan of it with the performance of its patio and deck cleaning.
In addition, you can use it for cleaning SUV too! It consumes a space of 35.1 x 14.4 x 13.3 inches and weighs about 27 pounds. And remember to use a 15-amp breaker just in case you are not a fan of running out of power in the middle of your job.
FAQ
1. Are electric pressure washers safe?
Absolutely safe unless you are not exposing yourself in front of a bear, willingly! These washers are eco-friendly in the sense that they do not emit harmful gas. The only safety issue can be a high amount of water pressure. This is something that you need to take care of by yourself. Always wear safety goggles, safety boots to save your feet and arm from the high water jet.
2. What kind of detergent to use in a powerful washer?
There is no limit. For the best possible result read the user manual or ask the community. But, for a quick tip, the concentration is important for a good solution. This differs brand to brand or model to model. This is why you will find your answer in the user manual.
3. What is the Highest PSI Pressure Washer?
Depending on the PSI and GPM I also consider popularity to determine this option. This Simpson Cleaning WS5050H is the highest one. With 5000 psi and 5 GPM, this Simpson washer is absolutely beast.
Bottom Line
WOW! That was a long journey for the quest for a powerful electric pressure washer. Let’s give it a break here and sum up.
If your still on the fence, maybe even ambivalent… I don’t blame you. Asking 3000PSI of an electric home use pressure washer is a big nut to crack. You very well may of decided that not any of the models reviewed here are a perfect fit. They’ve all got their pro’s and cons (even more so than normal tool shopping).
If this is you then I recommend letting the electric 3000 PSI industry mature a little bit and either:
A – Choose a lower PSI Electric Pressure Washer – reviewed here.
B – Choose a Gas Pressure Washer – reviewed here. Keep in mind, if Gas seems like a hassle to deal with, you can always pair it with a battery powered pressure washer. The cordless pressure washer is super convenient for most tasks and then you only need to bust out the gas pressure washer for those big tasks.
