Briggs & Stratton 20553 Review

(Rated: 4 / 5) Review by Frank Lowery
Noise
Ease of Assembly
Maneuverability
Balance And Handling
Result Quality
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Tough cleaning jobs seem to always be springing up when you own your own home. There is vinyl siding that needs to be cleaned of mold and dust, brick walls that need to have organic detritus blasted off of them, and windows and screens to keep clean. And that’s just on the house itself. Decks get discolored over the years and need a thorough scrubbing now and again; sidewalks can turn gray and dirty, and your garage floor has probably seen its share of oil and grease stains. Then there is the car to wash, yard equipment to keep clean, and the grill and lawn chairs to wash down. The list goes on and on, and it can seem like a lot of work. But with the right pressure washer on your side, you can cut down on the workload quite a bit. The Briggs & Stratton 20553 is the perfect pressure washer to do this.

Review Summary

The Briggs & Stratton 20553 is the kind of serious pressure washer you need for dealing with big jobs around the house and garden. It is well equipped to take on a variety of different jobs, because it has a low maintenance axial cam pump that is supported by a powerful engine. That engine is built by one of the best manufacturers in the industry, and is backed up by a solid and well deserved reputation for quality. Because of that, you know that you will be able to count on the Briggs & Stratton 20553 to take care of tough jobs over the long term.

The Briggs & Stratton 20553 is built of solid, durable materials and can deliver a high pressure spray that will be blasting grime and dirt off of any surface you could turn it on. With this pressure washer in your garage, cleanup jobs around the house just got a whole lot easier. There is no end to the variety of different applications the Briggs & Stratton 20553 has. This pressure washer is very easy to operate, and it has the kind of high pressure and flow rate that you need to tackle lots of serious cleanup jobs quickly and efficiently.

Specifications

The Briggs & Stratton 20553 is a gas powered residential pressure washer that weighs 55 pounds and has overall dimensions of 25 x 22 x 24 inches. It has a Briggs & Stratton overhead valve engine with a displacement of 158 cubic centimeters. The engine drives a maintenance free axial cam pump.

The pump on the Briggs & Stratton 20553 provides a pressure of 2200 pounds per square inch and a flow rate of 1.8 gallons per minute. That gives the Briggs & Stratton 20553 a cleaning power rating of 3960. It has cold water spray only, with a pro-style spray gun, three pressure nozzles, and a PVC plastic hose that is 25 feet long.

Description

Pretty much as soon as you get it out of the box, the Briggs & Stratton 20553 is ready to start cleaning. All you have to do is attach the hose and fill the fuel tank, and you are ready to go. The hose has solid brass fittings, as does the intake connector, which ensures that you will not be dealing with leaks the way you might have to with a cheaper pressure washer with plastic fittings. The Briggs & Stratton 20553 is a powerful pressure washer that is designed to be compact and lightweight, and because of that, you should have no problem taking it where you need to tackle big cleanup jobs.

The Briggs & Stratton 20553 has the kind of solid pressure that allows it to support an above average cleaning power rating in spite of the fact that it is so compact and lightweight. This is in part because of its axial cam pump, and in part because that pump is supported by a high quality, powerful Briggs & Stratton engine. There is one thing that Briggs & Stratton does better than just about anyone, and that is manufacture solid small engines for yard machines. And the Briggs & Stratton 20553 is no exception to that.

Because of all of that power, you are going to be using the Briggs & Stratton 20553 for more cleanup jobs than you can imagine. Soon you might be eagerly looking to clean things you never thought needed it before, just to see what the Briggs & Stratton 20553 is capable of. The answer is that it’s capable of quite a lot – from blasting tough stains out of concrete to cleaning delicate surfaces, the Briggs & Stratton 20553 consistently performs better than most pressure washers in its class. This is a solid pressure washer – and it has a great price, too.

Pros

There are a lot of outstanding features on the Briggs & Stratton 20553 that help to make it one of the best small pressure washers you can find on the market today. With a powerful pump that requires no maintenance, a Briggs & Stratton engine, and a high PSI and flow rate, the Briggs & Stratton 20553 has tons of applications around the house. It is not difficult to operate, and you can use it to clean just about anything.

1. Maintenance free axial cam pump : The pump on the Briggs & Stratton 20553 is an axial cam design, which means the pistons are arranged in a circle around the center of the pump. This is a great design, because it means that while it is a bit larger than other pumps, it can provide reliable high pressure sprays without requiring any maintenance to keep it running. You won’t ever have to tinker with the pump to keep it running well for many years.
2. Plenty of applications : You can use the Briggs & Stratton 20553 on dozens of different cleanup jobs around the house. When you are buying a new pressure washer, you do not want to be stuck just using it on one or two cleaning jobs – for it to really be worth the money you should be able to use it for lots of different applications. And with the Briggs & Stratton 20553, that is exactly what you will be able to do. This pressure washer is ready for anything.
3. Easy to operate : Lots of pressure washers are needlessly difficult to operate. But this is not the case with the Briggs & Stratton 20553. It has Easy Start technology to ensure that you can get it going on the first pull of the recoil cord. Its pressure nozzles take just seconds to change out. And it has a convenient soap dispenser nozzle for use on tough jobs. Plus, its controls are very intuitive and easy to use as well.
4. High PSI and flow rate : The pressure – measured in Pounds per Square Inch, or PSI – and flow rate, measured in Gallons per Minute, or GPM, are the two most important specs on a pressure washer. They are going to determine the power rating of the machine. And you want that to be high, because that ensures that the pressure washer will be able to tackle tough stains as easily as it can clean dust or mold. The Briggs & Stratton 20553 has a cleaning power rating of 3960.
5. Powerful OHV engine : The overhead valve engine on the Briggs & Stratton 20553 is a powerful one, and it is made by one of the best small engine manufacturers in the industry today. It has a total displacement of more than 150 cubic centimeters, which is what allows the axial cam pump to provide such high pressure. And because it is made in-house by Briggs & Stratton, you know it is going to be providing reliable power for many years to come.

As you can see, there is a lot to like on the Briggs & Stratton 20553. This is a well designed, compact pressure washer that packs a lot of power. It has a reliable, powerful engine driving its maintenance free axial cam pump, which means you will be getting high pressure sprays for a very long time. You can use the Briggs & Stratton 20553 to clean just about anything around your home and garden, and you will find that using it for cleanup jobs has never been easier.

Cons

With all of those great features, you might be surprised to learn that there are a few areas in which the Briggs & Stratton 20553 is not quite perfect, but it’s true: there is a bit of room for improvement. That said, it is still one of the best compact residential pressure washers you could find. And I do not think these few minor drawbacks can take away too much from its high power rating and outstanding engine and axial cam pump.

1. Only three nozzle tips : The industry standard for nozzle tips is usually five, including the soap dispenser. This is a good amount because it gives you more options for selecting the pressure you will be using. While having access to a very high pressure is certainly great, you also want to have lots of lower pressure nozzles for use on more delicate jobs. With the Briggs & Stratton 20553 you only get three options including the soap dispenser, which is a bit limited.
2. Not CARB compliant : Even though the Briggs & Stratton 20553 is a compact machine with a well designed Briggs & Stratton engine under the hood, it is still not compliant with California Air Resources Board carbon emissions standards. This is not really a problem – although the exhaust means you should not use the Briggs & Stratton 20553 in enclosed spaces. But it is a shame due to the fact that residents of California or any other States that enforce CARB regulations will not be able to purchase the Briggs & Stratton 20553.
3. Cold water only : On gas powered pressure washers, one of the best features they can offer that electric models usually can’t is a hot water option. This is especially a good feature when they have limited overall power rating. Unfortunately the Briggs & Stratton 20553 only has a cold water spray option, which is a bit of a letdown. Of course, it should not affect its performance in any major way, but it would be nice to have the option.
4. One year warranty : The industry standard for warranties on residential pressure washers is usually two years; on the Briggs & Stratton 20553 the warranty is half that long. Of course, because it is made by Briggs & Stratton – a company with a solid reputation for making quality yard machines that last for many years – the warranty should not really be an issue. But it would be nice to have it covered for longer, just in case anything does go wrong.
5. PVC plastic hose : Hoses made of PVC plastic are fairly common on residential pressure washers; the design allows them to support the kind of high pressures the pumps on these machines produce without cracking or developing microscopic leaks. But it also means that the hose will be rather stiff and prone to curling back on itself, which can be a bit of a hassle. But overall this will not affect the performance of the pressure washer at all.

While there are a few areas in which the Briggs & Stratton 20553 could stand to see some minor improvements – extra nozzle tips, a hot water option, and a longer warranty – for the most part none of the Cons I could find were really at all serious. The Briggs & Stratton 20553 remains an extremely effective compact residential pressure washer. You should enjoy plenty of cleaning power for a very long time with it. Overall, it has everything you need.

Product Comparison

While Pros and Cons lists can tell you a great deal about a particular product, the best way to figure out whether that product is the best one for you is by doing a bit of comparison shopping. That way, you can find out not only how well a pressure washer like the Briggs & Stratton 20553 stacks up to the competition, but also what is standard in its class. The following table compares product specs of three models.

	Briggs & Stratton 20553	Generac 6024	Brute Power 20426
Type	Residential	Residential	Residential
Dimensions	25 x 22 x 24	17.6 x 27.1 x 20.6	21 x 24 x 27
Power	Gas	Gas	Gas
Engine Manufacturer	Briggs & Stratton	Generac	Briggs & Stratton
Engine	158cc OHV	212cc OHV	675 Series 190cc OHV
PSI	2200	3000	2400
GPM	1.8	2.7	2
Power Rating	3960	8100	4800
Pump	Axial cam	Easy-access axial cam	Axial cam
Cold/Hot	Cold	Cold	Cold
Spray Gun	Pro-style	Ergonomic	Ergonomic
Nozzle	3 (0°, 25°, soap)	4 (0°, 25°, 40°, soap)	3 (0°, 25°, soap)
Hose	1/4-inch x 25-foot	1/4-inch x 30-foot	1/4-inch x 25-foot
Hose Material	PVC/plastic	PVC/plastic	PVC/plastic
Wheels	10-inch pneumatic	10-inch solid	8-inch never flat
Weight	55 pounds	77 pounds	53.6 pounds
Warranty	1 year	2 years	1 year

As you can see, the Briggs & Stratton 20553 is one of the more lightweight and compact models among the three, yet it manages to support a fairly competitive overall power rating. The Generac model has a power rating that is twice that of the other two models, but for residential use that kind of rating is a bit overbearing. The Briggs & Stratton 20553 generally compares well in the categories that count – and it has a competitive price, too.

Conclusion

By now you should know everything you need to in order to know that the Briggs & Stratton 20553 is one of the bets compact residential pressure washers out there. But before you decide to buy it for your own house, let’s take one more quick look at the Pros and Cons lists, just to be completely sure.

Conclusion Pros

1. Maintenance free axial cam pump.
2. Plenty of applications.
3. Easy to operate.
4. High PSI and flow rate.
5. Powerful OHV engine.

The Briggs & Stratton 20553 is a well designed, high performance residential pressure washer with all of the features you need to take care of big jobs fast. It has a solid pump backed up by a powerful engine, and it is easy to take care of lots of different jobs with it quickly and efficiently. Overall it is a solid pressure washer.

Conclusion Cons

1. Only three nozzle tips.
2. Not CARB compliant.
3. Cold water only.
4. One year warranty.
5. PVC plastic hose.

There are a few areas with room for improvement, but overall the Briggs & Stratton 20553 compares very well to similar pressure washers in its class. It would be nice if there were more nozzles as well as a hot water option. But at the same time, the Briggs & Stratton 20553 should be able to handle lots of different jobs very well.

Final Word

When you have a big cleanup job to take care of around the house and garden, you definitely do not want to have to do it by hand – that can take hours or even days in some cases. You want to have a compact, lightweight pressure washer that is going to be able to blast dirt, grime, or stains out of a variety of different surfaces. It should have a high cleaning power rating and be very easy to operate. And it should be built with the kinds of components that will ensure it will last for a long time even when faced with tough conditions.

The Briggs & Stratton 20553 has all of these features and more. This is a great little pressure washer that is designed to be ready for a number of different jobs around the house. It has a solid pump, high power rating and outstanding engine made by one of the very best companies in the industry. And best of all, it provides all of those features at a very competitive price.

Best Price

There is a lot to like on the Briggs & Stratton 20553 – but more than any other feature, one of the most attractive is the pressure washer’s price tag. Gas powered pressure washers that have solid engines and high cleaning power ratings can get to be very expensive rather quickly, so it is nice to find one that has an above average performance ability at a below average price. The Briggs & Stratton 20553 is very reasonably priced, but you won’t just be saving money on purchasing it. Because it is so low maintenance and has an engine and pump that will last for many years, you will be saving money over the long term as well.