PowerStroke PS80946 Review

(Rated: 4.3 / 5) Review by Frank Lowery
Noise
Ease of Assembly
Maneuverability
Balance And Handling
Result Quality
Check Price
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There seems to be a million cleaning jobs around the home that constantly need your attention year round. Vinyl and aluminum siding needs to have mold and fungus washed off of it. Brickwork needs dust and dirt blasted away. The deck could always use a good scrub down. And storm windows get spotty every time it rains. And that is just on the house. In the yard and garage there are dozens more things that need your attention. This can seem like an overwhelming task – but it does not have to be. If you have the right pressure washer on your team, you can finish most of these jobs in a small fraction of the time it would otherwise take. A pressure washer like the PowerStroke PS80946 can quickly and efficiently get big jobs done fast. This is one of the better residential pressure washers out there – and it has a great price.

Review Summary

The PowerStroke PS80946 is almost in a class all by itself – it is really a one of a kind residential pressure washer that blows a lot of the competition right out of the water. The PowerStroke PS80946 has an engine manufactured by one of the top German engineering companies, which means you are going to be getting a lot of power in a compact design. That engine is backing up a maintenance free axial cam pump that can deliver more PSI than similar models can. The PSI and flow rate on the PowerStroke PS80946 combine to give it one of the highest cleaning power ratings you can find in its class.

All of those features add up to make the PowerStroke PS80946 one of the best residential pressure washers on the market today. This is a versatile, powerful pressure washer that you will soon be using to cut the amount of time your weekend chores take in half. And because it is durable and well made, the PowerStroke PS80946 is going to last for many years of intense use. Best of all, you get all of this power and performance with a price tag that is considerably lower than you would expect.

Specifications

The PowerStroke PS80946 is a gas powered residential pressure washer that weighs 61.1 pounds and has dimensions of 23 x 20.5 x 37 inches. It has a Subaru EA190 Series OHV engine that provides serious horsepower and torque to its axial cam pump. The pump supplies a pressure of 2700 PSI at a flow rate of nearly three gallons per minute.

As a result of that PSI and flow rate, the PowerStroke PS80946 has one of the highest cleaning power ratings you can find on a residential pressure washer, at more than six thousand units. It is equipped with a pro-style spray gun that has four nozzle options. Its hose is 25 feet long and made of steel-reinforced, non-marring rubber.

Description

You will probably be surprised by how light and compact the PowerStroke PS80946 is when you first get it out of its box. It comes almost completely assembled, and all you have to do to finish getting it ready for use is to attach the outflow hose and spray gun, fill the fuel tank and select the pressure nozzle you want to use. The PowerStroke PS80946 comes with four pressure nozzles that range from zero degrees to forty degrees, and include a soap dispenser option. Those pressures ramp all the way up to 2700 pounds per square inch, which is enough power to strip loose paint off of most walls, and should be plenty for whatever jobs you may have around the house.

The reason the PowerStroke PS80946 is able to pack so much cleaning power into such a lightweight and compact unit is because it has one of the best engines you can find on a small yard machine today. It is made by Subaru, an engineering firm with an outstanding reputation for quality design and manufacturing. The engine provides more torque and horsepower in less space than other designs are able to do. That mean you get plenty of power from a fairly small machine. It’s small enough that you can easily find storage space for it and even fit it into the trunk of your car – but it packs a real punch.

The PowerStroke PS80946 is a very durably built pressure washer, too, which means it can hold up to rigorous and frequent use over many years. It has a durable steel frame, solid wheels, and a hose that is made of non-marring rubber and reinforced with steel. This pressure washer is rarely going to need maintenance to keep it running well, and there is no cleanup job that is too big or small for it.

Pros

There are several somewhat unique features that combine to make the PowerStroke PS80946 one of the better residential pressure washers I have reviewed. This pressure washer manages to pack a solid cleaning power rating and one of the most high performance engines into a very compact, lightweight package. Not only does the PowerStroke PS80946 perform very well, it also has the kind of price tag that makes it a real bargain. Let’s take a look at some of its best features.

1. Lightweight and compact : It can be hard to find a pressure washer that packs a lot of power into a compact, lightweight package, but it’s important to look for. Not only does it mean that that pressure washer will be much easier to find enough storage space for as well as maneuver around your property, it also says something about its overall design. A smaller but equally powerful pressure washer is more efficiently designed than a bigger one, so it’s a good indicator of quality.
2. Solid power rating : The PowerStroke PS80946 has a cleaning power rating that is slightly above six thousand units, and that is pretty much where you want it to be on a compact residential pressure washer. It means that you will be getting a fairly high pressure spray – but one that is also broad enough to allow you to tackle a big area in less time. Since the whole point of a pressure washer is to save you time, that is what you want to see.
3. Subaru engine : I bet that you did not know that Subaru does not just manufacture cars, but also makes small engines for yard and home appliances. Because it is a German car company, you know that you can rely on Subaru to provide a high quality design and outstanding manufacturing. The EA190 Series Subaru engine in the PowerStroke PS80946 is one of the best on the market – it’s guaranteed to provide reliable performance over many years of use.
4. Very user-friendly : A lot of the time, I find myself reviewing pressure washers that have all of the power and performance you need for big jobs, but for whatever reason are not designed to be very easy to use. So it is always refreshing to find a pressure washer that is user-friendly and has intuitive controls and overall design features. The PowerStroke PS80946 is just that kind of pressure washer – setup and use is easier than ever with this machine.
5. Outstanding price : Best of all, the PowerStroke PS80946 provides all of those great features at a price that is extremely competitive. I will go into more detail about this at the end of this review, but suffice it to say that I was rather pleasantly surprised when I found out what the PowerStroke PS80946 costs. This is an above average residential pressure washer with a decidedly below average price tag. And what’s not to love about that?

As you can see, the PowerStroke PS80946 manages to pack all of the cleaning power and high quality performance design and into a very compact package – and one that has a very reasonable price tag, too. This is the kind of pressure washer that is downright enjoyable to review, because it has so many great features, a wonderful overall design, and the kind of reliable engine and parts that you will be able to count on for a very long time.

Cons

Even with its high quality Subaru engine, solid cleaning power rating, and great price, there are a few issues that I had with the PowerStroke PS80946. I should point out that none of these Cons are the kind of serious problem that points to a substandard design or overall lack of care in manufacturing it. For the most part they are minor annoyances that do not take away from its performance at all. But I think they are important to discuss.

1. PSI is not very high : Although the PowerStroke PS80946 has a very solid, above average cleaning power rating, its pressure – in PSI – could be a bit higher. 2700 PSI is plenty, I’ll admit, and it does place it in the upper echelons of residential pressure washers. But a few hundred more PSI could really knock the cleaning power rating on the PowerStroke PS80946 up quite a bit, which would make it one of the very best models on the market today.
2. Cold water spray only : This is a chronic issue on residential pressure washers, and it is one that I really wish could be corrected. While a high pressure cold water spray will certainly be able to knock out just about any stain you could encounter rather quickly, I see no reason why a hot water option is not more common. With a gas engine, it would not be hard to incorporate, and it is another feature that would really make the PowerStroke PS80946 outstanding.
3. Four nozzle options : This is the only Con that I think does deserve to be corrected. While four nozzle options should be plenty to allow you to tackle a lot of different jobs that need varying degrees of pressure, more would be nice. Five or six nozzle options would greatly increase the precision with which you could pick your pressure level, and that would further enhance the overall versatility of the machine. Still, it’s not a huge issue.
4. Not CARB compliant : When you are dealing with a yard machine that has an overhead valve engine, it really does not matter who the manufacturer is – you probably won’t have an engine that is compliant with the California Air Resources Board carbon emissions standards. Those standards are strict, and it is hard to find a gas pressure washer that is compliant. But the main Con here is the fact that California residents will not have the opportunity to buy and use this great machine.
5. Starter is not easy to use : The PowerStroke PS80946 – like many other gas powered residential pressure washers with overhead valve engines – does not have an electric starter option. You have to pull on a recoil starter cord to get it going. This can take a lot of effort, and some users may find that they have a bit of difficulty getting it going, which can be a bit frustrating. Of course, this is not really a major Con, but it is a design issue that could stand to be corrected.

I think that it is pretty clear that the PowerStroke PS80946 is a quality residential pressure washer that does not really present any of the kind of serious problems that other models tend to have. Overall it is very well designed and should provide you with plenty of solid cleaning power on lots of different jobs. None of the Cons that I could find really detract from all of its great features in any way.

Product Comparison

Of course, Pros and Cons lists can only tell you so much about a pressure washer like the PowerStroke PS80946; if you want to find out how it stacks up to similar models, you will have to do a bit of comparison shopping. This is always an important part of choosing a new yard machine, since it allows you to really decide for yourself which is the best one. Let’s take a look at how these machines compare.

	PowerStroke PS80946	Briggs & Stratton 20553	Generac 5993
Type	Residential	Residential	Commercial
Dimensions	23 x 20.5 x 37	25 x 22 x 24	25 x 26 x 30
Power	Gas	Gas	Gas
Engine Manufacturer	Subaru	Briggs & Stratton	Generac
Engine	EA190 189cc OHC	158cc OHV	212cc OHV
PSI	2700	2200	3100
GPM	2.3	1.8	2.8
Power Rating	6210	3960	8680
Pump	Axial cam	Axial cam	Triplex pump
Cold/Hot	Cold	Cold	Cold
Spray Gun	Pro-style	Pro-style	Professional grade
Nozzle	4 (0°, 25°, 40°, soap)	3 (0°, 25°, soap)	5 (0°, 15°, 25°, 40°, soap)
Hose	1/4-inch x 25-foot	1/4-inch x 25-foot	3/8-inch x 35-foot
Hose Material	Steel reinforced, non-marring rubber	PVC/plastic	Steel reinforced, non-marring rubber
Wheels	12-inch solid	10-inch pneumatic	10-inch never flat
Weight	61.1 pounds	55 pounds	113 pounds
Warranty	1 year	1 year	3 years

As you can see, the PowerStroke PS80946 has a cleaning power rating that is not only rather high for a residential pressure washer, but actually quite comparable when you look at what the average commercial model has to offer. That means you will be getting solid cleaning ability in a very compact and lightweight machine. With that kind of efficiency, the PowerStroke PS80946 is going to provide everything you need to take on tough jobs with ease.

Conclusion

When you compare the PowerStroke PS80946 to similar models, it is fairly obvious that it is the superior pressure washer – especially as residential models go. But before you decide to purchase this great model, let’s take one more quick look at the Pros and Cons.

Conclusion Pros

1. Lightweight and compact.
2. Solid power rating.
3. Subaru engine.
4. Very user-friendly.
5. Outstanding price.

With a solid power rating and world class engine packed into a compact, lightweight overall design, it’s clear that the PowerStroke PS80946 is one of the best residential pressure washers on the market today. It is very user friendly as well, and it has a surprisingly reasonable price.

Conclusion Cons

1. PSI is not very high.
2. Cold water spray only.
3. Four nozzle options.
4. Not CARB compliant.
5. Starter is not easy to use.

Although a slightly higher PSI would elevate the PowerStroke PS80946 into a class all its own, for the most part it does not have any real Cons that can even begin to take away from all of its outstanding features. It has no real problems, and overall is a great pressure washer.

Final Word

The PowerStroke PS80946 is the kind of high-quality pressure washer that other models simply aspire to be like. This is really one of the more impressive residential pressure washers I have had the pleasure to test and review. It is really compact and quite lightweight, but it is so well designed that this does not even matter. The PowerStroke PS80946 is still able to produce a very high cleaning power rating in spite of its size.

It is able to do that because of the quality of its Subaru engine and axial cam pump. What it means for you, however, is that there are not going to be very many jobs that the PowerStroke PS80946 will not be able to handle quickly and easily. And because it is equipped with four nozzles with variable pressure, you will be able to use the PowerStroke PS80946 on lighter jobs just as well. All things considered, this is an outstanding pressure washer.

Best Price

I was frankly rather surprised to find out how much the PowerStroke PS80946 costs. When you take into consideration the quality of its engine and overall design – not to mention the cleaning power rating, which is comparable to those on a lot of commercial pressure washers – it would be reasonable to expect it to cost a lot more than it does. But the PowerStroke PS80946 provides plenty of cleaning power, versatility, and durability while maintaining a below average price tag. That will be good news to anyone on a budget – and if you are a savvy shopper, this price is hard to walk away from.