How To Choose Between Ryobi And DeWalt's Surface Pressure Washer Tools

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If you want to keep your yard looking neat and well-maintained, you need a lot of tools at your disposal, including weed whackers, edgers, and lawn mowers. For driveways, patios, or decks, a surface pressure washer is another useful tool that makes materials look refreshed and removes dirt and debris. When you have so many tools to choose from, trying to do research for all of them can be tiring. In the end, you may just want to stick with a tried-and-true brand to reduce your research time, but this may not be the best method.

For example, both DeWalt and Ryobi are respected, popular brands. However, not all of their products meet the high-quality standards consumers might expect. Even if you're a fan of one particular company, it may be worth checking out other high-quality brands when considering a new tool. Their surface pressure washers illustrate this point well. Both are worth considering, but each comes with its own pros and cons. No tool is perfect, which is why it's important to understand potential flaws — similar to what you'd research before buying DeWalt's pole saw tree trimmer.

Ryobi's model offers less power but earns better reviews, while DeWalt's has lower ratings yet provides stronger cleaning for tough surfaces. The key to picking the right one is to figure out which one has issues you can live with and that best fits your needs.

Ryobi offers several lawn care tools that homeowners often rave about, and its surface pressure washer could be another solid addition. It features a 12-inch surface, a ¼-inch quick connect, and pressure up to 2300 psi. It also includes two nozzles, delivers 1,500 rotations per minute, and weighs less than 3 pounds.

Ryobi's 12-inch surface pressure washer can be purchased directly from the company's website, Amazon, or Home Depot. Across all three sites, it holds an average rating near four out of five stars. "This product is easy to use and does a great job. My driveway had collected a lot of dirt over the past two years and looked awful. The surface cleaner removed all of the dirt in a third of the time it usually takes me. The driveway is now sparkling white and has my neighbors asking how I got it so clean," said one five-star review on Amazon.

Of course, no tool is perfect. Another reviewer reported one of the problems they faced: "This is my second time purchasing this product. And both times the same thing happened — it broke on first use." They stated that a small rubber gasket inside the pressure washer head broke the first time they turned the machine on.

DeWalt has many great products that are reliable and well-loved, such as their fan-favorite fence building tool. But their surface pressure washer, while not the worst, doesn't seem to meet the high standards customers are used to expecting. This surface pressure washer is readily available on pretty much the same sites. You can find it on Amazon or at Home Depot. You can view the product on DeWalt's website, but it isn't available for direct purchase. DeWalt's surface pressure washer has a higher max psi of 3,000. Like the Ryobi, it is 12 inches. It also weighs less than 3 pounds, has two nozzles, and a ¼ inch quick connection. It can handle up to 1.7 gallons per minute.

Unfortunately, despite the stronger pressure and other benefits, it seems DeWalt's tool option isn't as liked. It has between a three and a four-star rating on Home Depot. It also has far fewer reviews — fewer than 300 across all three sites compared to Ryobi's nearly 4,000.

However, it does seem like this tool just has some faults. One reviewer on Amazon said they are usually a fan of this brand, but did not enjoy DeWalt's power washer. "This unit is embarrassing for the company's reputation. I have never seen such a terrible product. Shoots water at you the whole time you use it and does a terrible job. I bought one locally but lost my receipt. If you buy this item, you will truly regret it." For most homeowners, Ryobi's balance of price, reliability, and performance seems to make it the smarter buy — even if DeWalt packs a little more punch.