Snap-on 870552 Review

(Rated: 4 / 5) Review by Frank Lowery
Noise
Ease of Assembly
Maneuverability
Balance And Handling
Result Quality
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Cleaning jobs around the house can take up lots of time over the weekend if you do not have the right tools to take care of them efficiently. It does not matter if you have a smaller job like washing your car or cleaning your grill, or a major one like washing your siding or deck – if you do not approach it with a tool that can do it right, it is going to take you a lot longer than it needs to. That is the main reason a tool like the Snap-on 870552 is perfect for cutting down on the amount of time you have to spend on household chores. This little guy is extremely lightweight and very portable, but it packs the kind of serious cleaning power you need to knock out all your cleanup jobs more quickly than ever. Get your weekend back with the Snap-on 870552.

Review Summary

The Snap-on 870552 is specifically designed to be one of the most portable and easy to use residential pressure washers on the market today. It weighs less than just about any other model out there, and it is so small you could store it on a shelf or in a tool cabinet without any problems. But even though it is a rather compact machine, it is so well designed that it packs more power than even many standalone residential models that are much larger and weigh a lot more. That means that with the Snap-on 870552 you are getting all of the cleaning power you would with a bigger machine, but you have the added bonus of being able to take the Snap-on 870552 with you wherever you go.

The Snap-on 870552 has a specialized pump that is the main reason it is able to pack extra power into a compact space. It has a number of other innovative features as well, such as an adjustable jet dirt blaster spray gun. This design allows you to change the pressure level without having to swap out one nozzle for another, as you would have to do on most other residential pressure washers.

Specifications

The Snap-on 870552 is an electric hand-carry residential pressure washer that weighs 18 pounds and has a footprint of 10.2 x 12 x 20 inches. It is equipped with a 120 Volt / 60 Hertz motor that powers a direct-drive axial pump, which provides a max pressure of 1600 PSI at a flow rate of 1.5 gallons per minute.

Because of its above-average PSI and flow rate, the Snap-on 870552 has a cleaning power rating of 2400, which is comparable with what many 2-wheel residential pressure washers can offer. It provides a cold-water spray through its ergonomic spray gun, which has an adjustable jet nozzle. It has a 20 foot PVC plastic hose and a 30 foot power cord.

Description

When you first get the Snap-on 870552 out of its box, you might be a bit taken aback by how light and compact it is. It weighs less than twenty pounds and it is not much bigger than a breadbox. But don’t let that give you the wrong idea about it: the Snap-on 870552 still packs more power than many other residential pressure washers, even models that are considerably larger and heavier. With a PSI that is above average for a hand-carry pressure washer and comparable to two-wheeled models, it is ready to blast the toughest stains out of virtually any surface you might encounter.

The pump on the Snap-on 870552 is a direct-drive axial design, which is a unique style that is the main reason it is able to offer such a high pressure spray in a relatively compact package. Direct-drive axial pumps offer many advantages: not only are they more efficient at producing higher pressure in a smaller space, they also never need any maintenance to keep them running as well as when they were brand new, even after hundreds of hours of use. That is the kind of serious dependability you are going to want from your pressure washer.

The reason serious dependability is so important – even after hundreds of hours of use – is because after you see what the Snap-on 870552 is capable of, you won’t want to use it just to wash your car or deck. You are almost guaranteed to be eagerly looking for new applications for your Snap-on 870552, and before long you are going to want to use it for all kinds of different jobs. The good news is that the Snap-on 870552 is going to have no problem tackling just about anything you could think to use it for, and in a lot less time, too. And that is why this is the pressure washer that is going to give you your weekend back.

Pros

There is a lot to like on the Snap-on 870552 – this is one of those rare pressure washers that is absolutely packed with great features that will help make your job a lot easier. Not only does it have the direct-drive axial pump and compact overall design, but it has thoughtful design notes that help you take care of a wide variety of cleanup jobs faster than ever before. Let’s take a look at the top five.

1. High PSI and flow rate : The PSI and flow rate are always going to be the first two features you should look at when you are trying to decide whether a particular pressure washer is the right one for you. That’s because these are the features that will determine just how much cleaning power the pressure washer has. On the Snap-on 870552, the max PSI is 1600 and the flow rate is 1.5 gallons per minute. That’s a lot of power on any pressure washer.
2. Direct-drive axial pump : The design of the direct-drive axial pump is what gives the Snap-on 870552 its ability to pack a higher cleaning power rating into a smaller machine. These pumps are more efficient than axial cam pumps, which tend to be more common on bigger pressure washers. Plus, a direct drive axial pump is designed to never need any maintenance or repairs in order to ensure it keeps providing the kind of reliable power you need to be able to tackle lots of jobs for many years.
3. Adjustable jet nozzle : On most residential pressure washers, the spray gun is designed in a way that requires you to swap out one nozzle for another whenever you want to change the pressure. This means you have to stop work, unscrew one (wet, slippery) nozzle and attach a new one. The Snap-on 870552 has an adjustable jet nozzle, which allows you to change pressures seamlessly. That saves you a lot of work and time.
4. Lightweight and compact : The Snap-on 870552 is meant to be as portable as possible, which is why it is one of the most lightweight and smallest residential pressure washers you can find today. It weighs just eighteen pounds and has a very small footprint. That makes it easier to store it and take it with you wherever you go. You can take it up a ladder with you for those out of the way jobs like cleaning your gutters or washing second story windows. And you can throw it in your car to take off-site.
5. Really affordable : With such a great cleaning power rating, high quality pump and excellent features designed to make your job easier, you would think that the Snap-on 870552 would have a premium price tag. But it doesn’t. The Snap-on 870552 is a surprisingly affordable pressure washer that has a very reasonable price. That means that you should have no trouble fitting it into your budget – and that means you can get all of the cleaning power you need.

I think you will agree that there are a lot of really attractive features on the Snap-on 870552. This is the kind of pressure washer that offers you a very high level of cleaning power, great accessories, and a very affordable price. That kind of combination is not easy to come by, and when you do find a pressure washer that offers all of that at once, you should snap it up.

Cons

Of course, there isn’t really any such thing as a perfect pressure washer. All of them have their drawbacks, and the Snap-on 870552 is no exception to this. But I think you will find that most of the Cons that the Snap-on 870552 does present are not the kind of serious problems that will take away from its great features. It still has an outstanding cleaning power rating, solid pump and great accessories. But let’s see where it’s less than perfect.

1. PSI could be slightly higher : While a pressure of 1600 PSI is certainly impressive for a hand-carry residential pressure washer, and should give you plenty of power to tackle all kinds of different jobs, the fact is that it could be a bit higher. An extra 200 pounds per square inch would kick the cleaning power rating on the Snap-on 870552 up to those that standalone pressure washers offer. Still, this isn’t a big problem.
2. Plastic connector fittings : The connector fittings for hooking up the hoses are made of plastic, which is a common problem on residential pressure washers. While they will be just fine for a while, the fact is that the plastic threading will eventually degrade, and the connector will develop a leak. You can avoid this by replacing the connector fitting with a brass one, which is neither that hard to do nor at all expensive. But it is a minor annoyance.
3. 20-foot PVC plastic hose : The hose on the Snap-on 870552 is just 20 feet long, and it is made of PVC plastic. Neither of these things are problems, really: you don’t need a lot of hose on a hand-carry pressure washer, and PVC is a solid material for high pressure hoses. But a few more feet could occasionally be useful. And PVC plastic hoses tend to coil back on themselves because they are so stiff, which can present a bit of a hassle while you are working with it.
4. Cold water only : I almost didn’t include this in the Cons list, because having a hot water spray is not particularly common, and in order to provide one the Snap-on 870552 would have to be a lot heavier. But because it does not have a super-huge PSI, having the hot water option would help with tougher stains. That being said, if you use the soap dispenser fitting you should be able to take care of stains that are giving you problems when you try to clean them with just water.
5. Could be more durable : The Snap-on 870552 is primarily designed to be lightweight, and for that reason the majority of its components are made of composite plastic materials. I for the most part, this should be just fine – but there is always the risk that if you drop it from a high ladder that it may crack or break. That being said, it would be difficult to lug a steel pressure washer around with you, so this is really the best solution to the situation.

As I think you will agree, these are not the kind of serious issues that portend real problems developing with the Snap-on 870552. For the most part, they are slight imperfections that do not take away from al of the great Pros the Snap-on 870552 has to offer. Most of these are either quite common to residential pressure washers in general, and none of them should have any real bearing on the level of power and performance that the Snap-on 870552 will provide.

Product Comparison

Of course, Pros and Cons lists are only so useful. The best way to determine whether a pressure washer is the best one for you is to compare it to similar models made by its competitors. This way you will be able to get a good sense of how it stacks up to what else is on the market, and determine whether it is really the best one in its class. Let’s take a look.

	Snap-on 870552	AR Blue Clean AR118	Karcher K3.540
Type	Residential	Residential	Residential
Class	Hand-carry	Hand-carry	2-wheel
Dimensions	10.2x12x20	9 x 14.5 x 10	12x13x34
Power	Electric	Electric	Electric
Motor	120 V / 60 Hz	120 V / 60 Hz (induction)	120 V / 60 Hz (water-cooled induction)
PSI	1600	1500	1800
GPM	1.5	1.5	1.5
Power Rating	2400	2250	2700
Pump	Direct-drive axial	3 axial-piston wobble-plate	Direct-drive axial
Cold/Hot	Cold	Cold	Cold
Spray Gun	Ergonomic	Ergonomic	Pro-style
Nozzle	Adjustable jet Dirt blaster	Adjustable jet Foam dispenser	Adjustable jet Dirt blaster
Hose	1/4-inch x 20-foot	1/4-inch x 20-foot	1/4-inch x 25-foot
Hose Material	PVC/plastic	PVC/plastic	PVC/plastic
Power Cord	30-foot	30-foot	30-foot
Weight	18 pounds	11.7 pounds	27 pounds
Warranty	1 year	1 year	1 year

As you can see, the Snap-on 870552 has the higher cleaning power rating of the two hand-carry pressure washers, and it comes quite close to the one offered by the two-wheel model as well. It’s a bit bigger and heavier than the other hand-carry pressure washer, but that is a small concession for all of the extra power it has to offer. Of the three pressure washers, I think that it is pretty clear which one is the best model.

Conclusion

Now that you’ve seen how the Snap-on 870552 compares to similar pressure washers, you probably agree that it is one of the best models on the market today. But before you make your final decision to buy it, I think it is a good idea to take one more look at the Pros and Cons lists.

Conclusion Pros

1. High PSI and flow rate.
2. Direct-drive axial pump.
3. Adjustable jet nozzle.
4. Lightweight and compact.
5. Really affordable.

With a PSI and flow rate that rival those offered on two-wheel residential pressure washers, the Snap-on 870552 gives you all of the cleaning power you need in a much more portable package. It’s also a lot easier to use, has great design, and an excellent price. This is a solid pressure washer.

Conclusion Cons

1. PSI could be slightly higher.
2. Plastic connector fittings.
3. 20-foot PVC plastic hose.
4. Cold water only.
5. Could be more durable.

After testing the Snap-on 870552, the fact that these are the only issues I could find with it really show what a great pressure washer it is. While a bit more power or a longer hose would certainly be better, the fact is that the Snap-on 870552 really does not need much if any improvements at all.

Final Word

Once you get the Snap-on 870552 in your home and start seeing what it is capable of, you are never going to want another pressure washer, ever. This pressure washer packs all of the power and performance you need to take care of just about any job you could find around your house into a lightweight and compact case that is easy to carry just about anywhere. You will be able to take the Snap-on 870552 up high ladders with you, and barely even notice what it weighs. You’ll also have no trouble storing it. And because it has a great design that makes it easier to use, you are going to be looking around to find new uses for it everywhere you turn. This is the kind of outstanding residential pressure washer that every homeowner should have the opportunity to own.

Best Price

Best of all, the Snap-on 870552 provides all of those great features – high cleaning power rating, compact and lightweight design, great features and accessories – at a price that practically anyone will find very reasonable. This pressure washer is well below average for anything in its class, but it does not cut any corners in terms of design or manufacturing. It has a pump that is designed to run for hundreds of hours. It’s well built and easy to use. And yet it is less expensive than even a lot of inferior pressure washers. The Snap-on 870552 is a great pressure washer at an excellent price.