Generac 5995 Review

(Rated: 4.3 / 5) Review by Frank Lowery
Noise
Ease of Assembly
Maneuverability
Balance And Handling
Result Quality
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It really does not matter a whole lot whether you are looking for a new pressure washer to use around the home exclusively on projects like cleaning your siding and washing your car, or trying to find a solid machine to add to your tool kit for use on a job site.

Either way, you will be looking for a pressure washer that can deliver a lot of power, a high pressure spray, and stand up to the kind of rough treatment that it may be subject to. In either case, the best bet will often be to get a commercial pressure washer.

These machines have the highest PSI and flow rates of any pressure washers on the market, and they are built to withstand the rigors of daily use. The Generac 5995 is one such pressure washer, and as you will soon see it is designed for tough use over the long term.

Review Summary

The Generac 5995 is the kind commercial pressure washer that is designed to have a wide range of applications, and whether or not you are looking to use it as a subcontractor, landscaper, or remodeler it will definitely serve your needs well. It provides the kind of high cleaning power rating that is above average for commercial pressure washers and much higher than just about anything you could hope to find in the residential pressure washer aisle.

Not only does it have a very high PSI and flow rate, it is also designed to stand up to serious, tough use day after day. It has a powerful engine and durable design, and its pump is specially made so that it will last longer without breaking down or needing repairs. In fact, most of what makes this commercial pressure washer so special is what is going on behind the scenes. But at the same time, its ability will be very apparent the very first time you start it up and get to see the kind of high powered spray it is capable of delivering to any surface. This is one outstanding pressure washer, no matter where you decide to use it.

Specifications

The Generac 5995 is a commercial pressure washer that has dimensions of 28 x 28 x 33 inches, which while large is not overly big. It has a Generac 5995 made engine with a displacement of 302 cubic centimeters and an overhead valve design, which allows it to deliver more power in a smaller space.

The easy-access axial cam pump provides a max pressure of 3300 pounds per square inch with a flow rate of 3.2 gallons per minute. Its professional grade spray gun produces a cold water spray and has five nozzles for plenty of choices. Its steel-reinforced hose is 35 feet long. It weighs 145 pounds.

Description

Assembling the Generac 5995 is not very difficult, and you will be able to get it all put together in a matter of minutes using only regular household tools. Once you have it all set up, you simply have to fill the gas tank, make sure the oil is at the right level, and hook it up to a water supply, and you will be ready to go. The Generac 5995 has the kind of design that will make it fairly easy to use – all of the controls are right at your fingertips, and the axial cam pump is designed to be easy to access: it is high off the ground, so you will not need to get down on your hands and knees to access it.

Start up the Generac 5995 and set it to the max pressure: it is a full 3300 pounds per square inch, with a flow rate or 3.2 gallons per minute. That is high enough to strip loose paint from walls, and it will be more than enough to take care of just about any cleaning job you could want to use it for. That is true whether you intend to use it on the job site or around the house. The Generac 5995 is tough enough for commercial use but also has enough variety to use in residential settings as well.

If you are a subcontractor, there is no limit to the uses a machine like the Generac 5995 has – you can cut your labor costs down considerably by using it instead of a work crew on a lot of tasks around the job site. And if you are using it for cleanup jobs around the house, you will soon be amazed by the variety of chores the Generac 5995 can take care of quickly and efficiently.

Pros

There are plenty of reasons why the Generac 5995 is such an outstanding machine, and it was a bit difficult to narrow down the list to just five Pros. But I think that these features are what combine to make this one of the better commercial pressure washers on the market, and you will probably agree. With a solid cleaning power rating, outstanding design and durable parts, this pressure washer has all it takes to deal with tough jobs.

1. Solid PSI and flow rate : The PSI and flow rate are perhaps one of the most vital specs on a pressure washer, whether it is commercial grade or otherwise. They will determine how tough the machine is, and also decide what its cleaning limits are. On the Generac 5995, the limits are quite high: it has a cleaning power rating of 10560, which is above average for commercial pressure washers, and simply blows residential pressure waters right out of the water.
2. Durable materials : Whether you are buying a pressure washer for the job site or to use around the home, you want to be able to count on it to stand up to tough use. Job sites can be dangerous places, and you want to be sure it will not break if it is accidentally bumped. While the home is a lot safer, the same criteria applies. Luckily the Generac 5995 has the kind of durable parts and materials that can deal with lots of abuse.
3. Easy access pump : Convenience is important when you are buying a tool for commercial use – the more time it saves you the better. The Generac 5995 has an axial cam pump that is mounted high up on the frame, so the intake valve will be very easy to reach – you will not have to get down on your hands and knees to find it. The pump has the kind of solid design that will last over the long term, as well.
4. Excellent design : The overall design of the Generac 5995 is really excellent, as well. It has a low center of gravity, but it is also protected by a durable frame that surrounds the entire pump and engine assembly, which further protects it. Once you position it somewhere, you will not have to worry about it going anywhere, because the design is meant to make sure it is sturdy and stays in place, even on very slippery surfaces.
5. Five nozzle options : When you have a very high cleaning power rating, there should be no limit to the different cleaning tasks you can take care of with a commercial pressure washer. But if you do not have plenty of options for different PSIs, you may find yourself with a machine that is too powerful for some jobs. The Generac 5995 has five nozzle options, which means you can get a tough or Gentle spray, depending on what you need.

Any one of these excellent Pros would be exactly what you want on a robust commercial pressure washer – even if you only had two or three of them to choose from. But on the Generac 5995, you not only get all five, but a raft of other great features as well. If I tried to talk about all of them, we would be here all day! All things considered, the Generac 5995 is a solid pressure washer.

Cons

Now, with all of its great features, it came as a bit of a surprise to me that there were a few areas in which the Generac 5995 was not quite perfect. Of course, I have yet to find a completely perfect appliance, pressure washer or otherwise. And most of these Cons are not the kind of drawback that would warrant a poor review in any way. But they are worth discussing, if only to be thorough.

1. Non CARB compliant : Lack of compliance with California Air Resources Board regulations governing emissions standards is a problem that continues to plague small engine machines. It does not mean that the engine was poorly designed, but it will mean that a lot of consumers – in California and other states – will not have access to it. This is the real shame, because commercial pressure washers that are as well designed as the Generac 5995 is are hard to find.
2. Large and heavy : It is not unusual for commercial grade pressure washers to be on the heavy side – it takes a lot of weight to support the kind of engine and pump apparatus that can produce a cleaning power rating above ten thousand units. But you want to make sure that it is easy to get on and off your work truck or fit in your garage. While the Generac 5995 is not compact, it should not pose much of a problem in these areas.
3. Produces a lot of fumes : This is also a common problem for small engine, gas powered pressure washers. When you have an overhead valve engine, it will produce a lot of power, but along with that it will produce a fairly high volume of fumes. What this means is that you will not be able to use it indoors or in an enclosed space without either making sure it is well ventilated or using respirators. Again, not a huge drawback.
4. Cold water spray only : On a gas powered, commercial grade pressure washer, there are certain options that are really nice to have. One of them is a hot water spray. Sometimes there are conditions in which using a detergent to get out tough stains is not ideal, and that is when having a scalding, high pressure spray can be really useful. At the same time, the high cleaning power rating on the Generac 5995 should allow it to take care of most stains with cold water only.
5. Engine is a bit difficult to start up : The engine on the Generac 5995 does not have a primer bulb, although it is a traditional recoil starter cord system. This can make it a bit of a chore to get it started sometimes. Of course, nine times out of ten it will start right up with one or two pulls, but if the gas tank is low or you haven’t used it in a while, it could take several more to get it going.

As you can see, none of these Cons really presents the kind of serious problems that limit the ability or performance of the Generac 5995. While it is too bad that users in California will not have access to it, this really isn’t the machine’s fault. The other Cons are either normal parts of owning a powerful, commercial grade pressure washer. I do not think they diminish all of the wonderful Pros that the Generac 5995 offers one bit.

Product Comparison

Every savvy shopper knows that the very best way to figure out if a product is right for you is to do a bit of comparison shopping. This is a great way to find out not only how a given pressure washer stacks up to its competition, but also what is available on the market as a whole. The following table compares product specs of the Generac 5995 with those of two of its competitors.

	Generac 5995	DeWalt DXPW4240	Brute Power 20554
Type	Commercial	Commercial	Residential
Dimensions	28 x 28 x 33	30 x 25 x 27	22 x 22 x 23
Power	Gas	Gas	Gas
Engine Manufacturer	Generac	Honda	Briggs & Stratton
Engine	302cc OHV	GX390 OHV	850 Series 190cc OHV
PSI	3300	4200	2800
GPM	3.2	4	2.5
Power Rating	10560	16800	7000
Pump	Easy-access axial cam	Easy-access axial cam	Axial cam
Cold/Hot	Cold	Cold	Cold
Spray Gun	Professional grade	Professional grade	Pro-style
Nozzle	5 (0°, 15°, 25°, 40°, soap)	5 (0°, 15°, 25°, 40°, soap)	4 (0°, 15°, 40°, soap)
Hose	3/8-inch x 35-foot	5/16-inch x 25-foot	1/4-inch x 25-foot
Hose Material	Steel reinforced, non-marring rubber	High pressure poly-braided	PVC/plastic
Wheels	10-inch never flat	10-inch pneumatic	8-inch solid
Weight	145 pounds	129 pounds	65 pounds
Warranty	3 years	1 year	1 year

As you can see, the Generac 5995 falls right in between the other two models, one of which is a commercial grade pressure washer, and the other a residential grade. What this tells me is that the Generac 5995 will be the perfect pressure washer to have a wide range of applications in both worlds. It has enough power to reliably function on the job site, but it can easily be converted to home use as well.

Conclusion

Finding a new pressure washer is a difficult task – as is finding any new product for either your home or your business. You want to make sure that you are getting exactly the right one for your needs. Let’s take another look at the Pros and Cons list to be sure.

Conclusion Pros

1. Solid PSI and flow rate.
2. Durable materials.
3. Easy access pump.
4. Excellent design.
5. Five nozzle options.

With a very solid PSI and flow rate, along with a lot of nozzle options, the Generac 5995 will be adaptable to a lot of different situations. Its durable parts, high quality design and easy access pump will make it easy to use and guaranteed to stand up over the long term.

Conclusion Cons

1. Non CARB compliant.
2. Large and heavy.
3. Produces a lot of fumes.
4. Cold water spray only.
5. Engine is a bit difficult to start up.

It is hard to call any of these issues true Cons and mean it: most of them are basically what a commercial pressure washer is expected to have. The only real drawback is the lack of a hot water spray, and this is easily dealt with by the high cleaning power rating.

Final Word

It does not matter if you are looking for a new pressure washer to use around your home for a lot of different cleanup jobs, or trying to find one that can compliment your fleet of subcontractor appliances and tools. Either way, you want a machine that has the kind of high cleaning power rating, durable design, and solid pump and engine that it will be able to perform well over the long term.

With the Generac 5995, this is exactly what you are going to get. It has a powerful engine and a pump that is designed to last for many years and never need a repair while still delivering the kind of outstanding cleaning power you need. The Generac 5995 will be able to take care of just about any cleaning task you can throw at it – whether around the home or on the job site. It is backed up by a trusted name in the business, and it will be reliable over the long term. This is a solid commercial pressure washer.

Best Price

The price tag on the Generac 5995 is not a cheap one. It is about average for commercial pressure washers, which means it will not be inexpensive. But as everyone knows, you do get what you pay for. If you are serious about finding a commercial pressure washer that can deliver high performance and quality for many years, it does not make any sense to go for the cheaper models. You want one that is well designed, has durable parts, a high cleaning power rating, and is easy to use. The Generac 5995 is just that kind of commercial pressure washer, and I think that it is well worth the price tag.