Ryobi RACPWS6

Ryobi 2030 psi pressure cleaner (model RACPWS6) Replaced my 6-year-old Gerni cleaner with this unit. The Gerni was good but the Ryobi looked to be the better unit at this price point and the difference for me was the ability to use multiple pressure nozzles as the lance uses std. ¼ inch fittings. Various size pressure nozzles are readily available and relatively cheap – the Ryobi comes with a std. 15-degree nozzle and a rotating turbo nozzle, along with a foam sprayer for cleaning and car washing etc. and a rotary surface cleaner for use on concrete and paved floors.

The cleaner is rated at max. pressure 2030 PSI (rated pressure 1450 PSI). It is difficult to compare pressure washers on the pressure rating advertised. For example, this pressure washer advertises 2030 PSI pressure but that might be with a zero-degree small nozzle, real world rated pressure is 1450 PSI, which puts this cleaner in the place of capable of cleaning concrete and decking surfaces and usable for washing the car, at the same time being careful with the distance from the car. If you have bigger requirements for pressure you may need to look further.

Similarly, the machine is rated at 7 L/m max. flow but the rated flow is 6 L/m. You need to dig around for this information, the manufacturers will advertise the machine as the highest possible rating, not what it runs at in average operating situation.

The motor is 1800w and has enough power to run the pump, the noise level is around 87db and as is typical with these cleaners, a noisy clunking sound emits when the trigger is released. The power cord supplied is 5 metres long.

The cleaner comes compact as a kit in the box and some assembly is required – you do not need to be technically minded to assemble it, it is easy just by following the step-by-step instructions in the manual. The body of the machine is solid plastic, but I have to say that the handle and the hose reel are “soft” plasticky feel and does not seem all that robust, time will tell. The plastic cable reel is good, and needs some assistance to wind in the 7-metre hose. The pressure hose is ok, tangling when in use not a big issue. The 7-metre length is standard. The water inlet connector is hard plastic, not metal, we will see how that goes.

The weight of the cleaner is around 8kg which is good for mobility and moving it, but it does also have wheels on the base to transport it around. The lance is good with lockout on the trigger and the fitting of the hose and nozzles etc. is good with strong connection. The lance has a lock lever on the handle to prevent it turning as well. Clicking the hose into the front of the machine is good and the slide lock works in the right direction so you can pull the lever and disconnect with one hand easily.

Using the machine is very easy, and I have tested out the capability on rough concrete floor, rendered walls and exposed aggregate concrete floor with the surface cleaner and pool glass fencing. The cleaner does a pretty good job on all surfaces and the power is adequate for most jobs. The surface cleaner did a good job on aggregate concrete surface in the patio, but my aggregate is ground smooth, so not sure how the surface cleaner would good on rough exposed aggregate.

My only small gripe about the lance is that as a taller person, it is a little bit short – could have been about 50mm – 75mm longer. It is possible to buy some aftermarket lance extensions with std ¼ inch fittings. Ryobi sell a backwards compatible lance and adapter kit for extra reach.

All in all, a very good cleaner and good quality at this price point, and comes with std. 4-year warranty with additional 2 years extension if you register with Ryobi online, which is easy to do. If you have a lot of Ryobi tools you may already have them in your online Ryobi toolkit which makes it all very easy to manage and maintain.

Despite some little gripes, and opportunity to make a couple of improvements, this pressure washer is very good for what it aims at, versatile and capable of medium to heavy cleaning jobs, without overtaxing the budget. PROS: Compact cleaner, easy to transport around at 7.8kg; Good pressure and versatile for a range of applications; ¼ inch fittings are good – easy to buy extra nozzles and fittings after market; All connections snap and lock and feel secure.; The slide lock lever on front of the machine is just pushing action to engage pressure hose and one-handed operation on the slide lever to remove it; 1800-watt motor gives plenty of power to run the machine; Hose reel on top of machine is good to wind up the hose; The 15 ° nozzle, turbo nozzle, surface cleaner, and foaming attachment are good to get you started; 6-year warranty is good (4 years + 2 when you register on line with Ryobi)

CONS: Handle is a bit plasticky, but expected in consumer grade product to keep the cost down; The lance could be 50mm – 75mm longer, but apparently adapter kit is available to increase length;