What Is The Best Electric Pressure Washer?

Kranzle K1322TS

I’ve been using electric pressure washers for car detailing since 2012 and testing them since 2018. Any pressure washer you can think of, I’ve used it. After spending thousands of dollars and beating my head against the wall, I’ve narrowed it down to what I believe the best electric pressure washer is on the planet. 

Everyone (like me) is entitled to their own opinion of what the best pressure washer is - I like to stay away from opinions and share what my experience has been with a product. Many years ago when I started on this pressure washer journey, I knew buying pressure washers from some of these big box stores was going to be a huge mistake. What I wanted was a quality, high-end pressure washer that not only functioned well but one that was both durable and looked nice. I knew something like this existed; I just had to find it. Of course, being the professional shopper that I am, I came across a brand named Kranzle.

Kranzle pressure washers are by far the superior choice when it comes to transcendent engineering. Back in the day, I started out using the Kranzle K1122TST, which has been the highest selling portable pressure washer for Obsessed Garage to date. The one I owned (and sold) gave me 8-years of service. I parted ways with it and transitioned to our custom install solution where a curation of awesomeness exists in one package.

Looking through that list of products may seem a little overwhelming, but me and my guys have made it super simple for you just to make a single selection and purchase everything at once.

Reasons an Electric Pressure Washer Is Best for Car Washing  

  1. Quiet. No disturbing your neighbors with those early mornings or late night car washes like you would with a gas pressure washer.
  2. Pressure washer maintenance. I like to own things that are self-serviceable. An electric pressure washer allows us to fix and repair things without spending a ton of money or sending it off to the manufacturer.
  3. Auto-start/stop. This one sold me. Having an electric pressure washer that automatically starts/stops when the trigger on your pressure washer gun is pulled and released is so good. You don’t realize how important this feature is until you’re out in the driveway washing your car early on a Saturday morning while everyone is asleep.
  4. Lower pressure. You don’t need high pressure for car washing; you want flow. Why? Dirt doesn’t need a lot of pressure to come off, and you don’t want to blast your car’s paint with too much pressure running the risk of damaging it. Flow also helps carry the car wash soap away when rinsing, and it enables your foam cannon to foam at its fullest potential. I’ve found that 1000 psi (pounds per square inch) is the perfect amount of flow for washing your car through my testing. A life hack that I came up with was if the water flowing out of your sprayer or wand doesn’t hurt your hand, it won’t damage your paint. 

Obsessed Garage Kranzle K1322TS Custom Install Solution

Why You Don’t Want a Gas Pressure Washer for Car Detailing

  1. Loud. Gas pressure washers are just too noisy for car detailing. Don’t get me wrong, they serve a purpose (cleaning off the deck, deep-cleaning concrete, preparing siding for painting), but for washing your car, we want to stick with an electric pressure washer.
  2. Fumes. Many of our customers wash their cars inside of garages. Having the proper garage flooring and drainage system permits them to do this. What’s dangerous about using a gas pressure washer in an enclosed area is carbon monoxide build-up. You want to keep yourself and others safe when operating a pressure washer, which is why electric is the way to go.
  3. No auto-start/stop. As I mentioned above, you’re going to want this feature on your pressure washer. The first time I experienced pulling and releasing the trigger on my sprayer and my machine turned on and off almost instantly, I knew I never wanted to own a unit that didn’t do this.  
  4. High pressure. Remember me talking about hurting your hand by having too much pressure and damaging your car’s paint? Well, this is exactly what will happen with a gas pressure washer. There’s an appropriate time and place for using a gas pressure washer - detailing your car, isn’t it.
  5. More frequent maintenance. A gas pressure washer has a motor that will require regular maintenance like another engine. You’ll need to change both oil and gasoline filters annually. With my Kranzle K1322TS, I only need to change the oil every 50-hours after use. It’s nothing super difficult to do, but when we’re talking about low maintenance and convenience, my vote is going to be an electric pressure washer. 

The Best Pressure Washers 

#1 Kranzle KWS700TS

  • Best electric pressure washer out there
  • Designed for daily use
  • Gas PW performance but electric (high output)
  • Rebuildable/serviceable
  • Not full auto-start/stop (30-sec time delay)
  • High electrical demands
  • Best suited for a wash bay/custom install
  • Wobble plate design

#2 Kranzle K1322TS

  • Ideal pressure washer for most people (for car washing only)
  • Rebuildable/serviceable
  • Only needs 20-amp circuit with FC
  • Full auto-start/stop
  • Best suited for wall-mount installs
  • High flow, low pressure
  • Very Quiet
  • Designed for weekly use
  • Wobble plate design

#3 Kranzle K1122TST

  • Best portable electric pressure washer for car washing
  • Rebuildable/serviceable
  • Only needs 20-amp circuit with FC
  • Full auto-start/stop
  • High flow, low pressure
  • Very Quiet
  • Designed for weekly use
  • Wobble plate design

#4 AR630-TSS

  • Highest output compact electric pressure washer
  • Rebuildable/serviceable
  • Less expensive than a Kranzle
  • Full auto-start/stop
  • More versatile than the Kranzle (can adjust pressure more) can use 3.5 nozzle for high pressure, 5.0 nozzle for low pressure
  • Designed for daily use
  • Easier to maintain - cheaper, more standard pump design (tri-plex) so more people can work on them.
  • Better customer support
  • Needs 20-amp circuit

#5 Comet

  • Best “mid-range” electric PW option
  • Auto-start/stop
  • Comes with hose, decent reel
  • Best suited for wall-mounting, but can be made portable
  • Only needs 15-amp circuit
  • Serviceable, but not as easily
  • Louder than AR and Kranzle
  • Higher flow, low pressure
  • Lightweight

#6 Active 2.0

  • Best budget pressure washer
  • Great for wall mounting or portable applications
  • M22 14mm outlet connection
  • Better performance than a Kranzle at a much lower price
  • Not serviceable, but designed for 200 hours of life (double than the normal consumer-grade pressure washers)
  • 5-piston wobble plate design
  • Only needs a 15A circuit
  • Auto-start/stop

#7 Active VE52/56

  • Best budget pressure washer
  • Best suited for portable applications but can be wall-mounted
  • M22 15mm connections
  • Kranzle performance for less the cost
  • Not serviceable
  • Designed to a price point
  • 5 piston wobble plate design
  • Only needs 15-amp circuit
  • Auto-start/stop 

#8 Karcher K1700

  • The cheapest PW we are willing to recommend
  • Standard connections
  • Lightweight
  • Not serviceable
  • Designed to a price point
  • 3 piston wobble plate design
  • Auto-start/stop

No matter how great your electric pressure washer is, you’ll want to have the best user experience by adding in the essential accessories. Our sprayers, wands, hoses, and fittings are the absolute best on the market. They’ve all been vetted by both our community and me. 

What’s great about having these accessories is that they can go with you as you progress from basic to advanced and from advanced to ultimate. You’ll see that many of our custom install packages are branded basic, advanced, and ultimate. We want to offer you superior products at a respectable price point.
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