Are you a homeowner or have the need for a small portable pressure washer? If so you have to check out the Ryobi RY80940 as it’s one of the best pressure washers we’ve tested. Now I am not saying it compares to the commercial units we have tested such as the Dewalt, while the PSI is close, the pump is much different. Another big difference is the price tag. This unit only retails for about $400. You may remember we did a review of the Homelite UT80432A and you may notice both these units resemble each other. Well that’s probably because they are made by the same company, TTI. As of now it looks like TTI no longer make this unit under the Homelite name and it is exclusive to the Ryobi name. My guess is marketing reasons, but who cares this pressure washer rocks. By the way if you talk to Dan ask him what happened to his Homelite unit. It was a very sad day for me, but he made it up with the Ryobi. Now he is the one shedding tears and I have the smile.
One thing I have noticed over the last few items we reviewed from Ryobi is the quality. While Ryobi has always had a great name and made quality products, the new line of tools seem much better in regards to quality, features and performance. Some companies sit back and don’t worry about improving on a good brand, not Ryobi. I have to take my hat off to them as they took a quality name and made it better.
The first thing you will notice about this pressure washer is the motor. Ryobi decided to go with a quality engine and use a GCV190 – 187 cc Honda Motor, which is very appealing. I hate to admit it, but Honda makes the best small engines and that’s just a fact, well okay a personal opinion. In the past we were burned by going cheap and buying a no name pressure washer with a no name engine. The Powerwasher turned out to be a piece of junk and a waste of money. So now I believe in paying a little more for something that will run for the long haul. The Honda engine along with the maintenance free aluminum axial pump puts out 3100 PSI and a 2.5 max flow rate which is more than enough pressure for a homeowner or contractor. Which makes it great for cleaning decks, fences, siding, concrete and more.
The unit has some very nice features starting with an idle down feature which idles the unit down when in standby mode and helps save gas and also makes the unit quieter when idling. On the accessory side the unit has a 5 in 1 nozzle. Just turn the nozzle head to the desired spray pattern and you’re set. No worries about losing nozzle heads or taking them on and off. The unit is also equipped with a 25′ PowerFlex hose. Unlike other rubber hoses, this one flexes a lot easier and doesn’t fight you when you move away from the unit. I have to say I really like this hose design much better than some of the other units we have used. Easier to handle, easier to roll up and easier to deploy.
Some of the other notable features are the on-board detergent tank. While most of the other detergent lines never seem to work, this one on the Ryobi works great, plus it’s easy to take off and clean. There is also an on-board accessory storage system. You can easily store your wand and your hose. While we never tested the run time on one tank of gas, which is 1/4 of a gallon, it surely does seem to run a long time for such a small amount of gas. The large wheels in the back are great which means it’s easy to roll over your hose or other objects and not get caught up.
We used this pressure washer to clean Dan’s truck, my brick patio, a fence, clean peeling paint off a garage and more. Time and time again this pressure washer performed great. The idle down feature works great. I am sure it saves on gas with the idle down feature, but for me I love the noise reduction.
Not that I have any complaints about this unit, but if I did I would really like to see a 50′ hose. I know it is designed for the homeowner and a larger hose means more pressure loss, so it’s not a big deal.
Overall this is a must have pressure washer. The RY80940 is a quality unit. The Honda engine means you will have a reliable engine for years to come. The accessories are top notch with a great hose system. Backed by a 30 day guarantee and 3 year warranty, how can you go wrong? This is one of the best pressure washers we have tested for the homeowner so far.
Great writeup Eric, I have gotten a lot of experience with this pressure washer since my neighbor just bought it and I have pressure washed her driveway and all of her rentals. This is definitely the best one I have ever used! It has started on the first pull every time. My only cons are: no tip storage, short hose, small fuel tank, but otherwise it is great!
Thanks for the feedback and great points.
You sold me! Well you sold me with your Homelight review. This confirms it. Well written review also. Have you guys thought about putting links to where we can buy the tools. I think Amazon has an affiliate program where it can be of benefit ($) to you. I don’t think it would interfere with your unbiased reviews. Just trying to help you guys.
Thanks. We have some affiliates on the site, but should add more.
I have always liked RYOBI TOOLS. For the home owner and DIY person their products
are great. Have been holding off on getting a pressure washer till now.
Great review think I will check this one out.
Thanks again Dan & Eric for another great review.
Avoid this pressure washer.
The pressure pump is not reliable. Used it 4 times for really small jobs ( 1/2 hour run times) then the pump quit. The Repair shop fixing it under Warranty have had it over 5 weeks. I think the problem is getting the replacement pump from Ryobi.
The Honda engine is an easy start and performs well.
Another issue is that the gas tank is far to small.
3 uses for me. Twice. First time the four pump mount bolts sheared off leaving the pump lying on the ground.
Second machine, third use, my Water-Pik is better.
I can’t even get a service center to return a call.
Ouch, that sucks!
This is my second power washer and even the first model got great reviews and worked well, This Ryobi GCV 190 is much better for only a few dollars more. My Nissan Pathfinder was involved in a wreck, so before I took it to the repair shop I needed to wash it off. I cleaned the damaged areas thoroughly and what I noticed is that while washing, the paint was being removed. This area was going to be repainted anyway, so I’m certain that it save someone a great deal of time sanding. If anything, the power needs to be considered while washing a car. This might be a complaint, but it did demonstrate just how much power is available if needed.
Joe
Where i can find the pressure pump part for my gvc 190 3100 psi
Most any axial pump will work
I have this pressure washer but needed longer hose. I bought the Simpson 25ft extension hose. Will not draw the soap with extension . Is it possible to make some kind of pressure adjustment so that I can use the extension or am I stuck with the 25ft?
Very disappointed in the Honda engine. Gcv 190. Had a stuck valve so I had to take the entire engine apart. Found the following
Loose muffler bolts.
Loose pull starter bolts
Second ring was stuck because the piston grove was not milled properly.
With 30 hours of use I will be skipping Honda engines from now on.
SAME exact problem. Stuck exhaust valves on TWO of these. Since I have for over a month I can’t return so buying 2 new ones and selling on Craigslist for $300 instead of the $550ea I paid!!! WTH happened to Honda engine reliability?!?!
@Eric, Do you still like the idle down feature? Have you had any problems with the idle down feature?
I gave it to my neighbor and I know he is still using it and loves the pressure washer. I am in Chicago so spring is here and he will be using it for his patio furniture so I will give you an update in a couple of weeks but so far, so good.
I have about a 5 year old Ryobi 3100 with Honda Engine. I treat it with Kid Gloves. I spend inoridinate amout of time cooling the engine off once I have finished power washing.
I would never purchase another one. This unit continually fails to perform. I have used the unit twice since it was in the shop. Today, after choking the engine it became stuck on low power and would not kick into high power. Nothing I did was able to kick the engine into high power.
I am undecided whether to take it to the shop again or throw it out and purchase a new one. Of course, it won’t be a Ryobi!!!