Sun Joe SPX3000 2030 Max PSI 1.76 GPM 14.5-Amp Electric High Pressure Washer, Cleans Cars/Fences/Patios, 15.6 x 13.5 x 33.9

If your pressure washer completely stopped working, read this!

I had bought this pressure washer just over 2 years ago for one job lasting about 4 hours total. At the time, i put the unit away and forgot about it for 2 years until i needed it this summer. When i took it out and fired it up, the pump ran for about 5 seconds then ‘died.’ i tried for days to get it to work with no luck. I was one week over the 2 year warranty, so i was pretty ticked off i was stuck with this hunk of junk.

Then talking with a guy at work he mentioned you’re supposed to use a pump protector lubricant after each time you use the pressure washer. I read up on this a bit, and the leftover water in the unit can cause the pumps internal gaskets to seize up. This might be due to the minerals in the water, i don’t really know. I was considering buying a different unit, then thought i’d take a shot at using the pump protector liquid on my ‘dead’ pressure washer.

At wall mart i bought ‘powerfit 3oz power washer pump protector’ in the tools isle. This $5 liquid brought my pump and pressure washer right back to life!! You actually screw the plastic threads on the bottle into the threaded garden hose inlet on the pressure washer. Then just squeeze the bottle a bit. I didn’t realize if i was doing it right because i couldn’t tell if the liquid was actually going in. About 10 minutes later i connected the hose and the unit worked.

Hope this helps some people!

Update 5-21-18 – another easy fix for dead unit 🙂
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this week i had an issue with the pump not starting, that the power wash pump protector liquid trick didn’t fix. I tried different outlets thinking it was an electrical issue. It turned out to be an electrical issue within the gfci plug of the power washer unit (likely from me leaving it outside in the rain a few days last year.) with the unit unplugged, take a phillips screwdriver and take the cover off of the unit’s gfci plug. With the cover popped off, if you see lots of moisture that’s been trapped in the plug, that will prevent it from running.

I bought a replacement plug at my local hardware store. You can find the same replacement plug i used successfully to fix my pressure washer by typing this into the amazon search bar: ‘leviton 16693 15-amp, 120-volt, grounded, compact automatic reset right angle gfci’

it’s about a 5 minute job.. Just reconnect the wires to the new gfci plug (black wire to gold connector, white to silver) and turn the screws to secure the wires in place. Screw down the ‘u’ shaped stress clamps that come with the new plug, they hold the wire in tightly. Then attach the new cover, and you’re good to go.

Update 7-20-20 – maintenance on quick connect spray nozzles
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5 years later my sun joe washer is still going strong. After your pressure washer has been around a few seasons, it’s possible that the very fine holes in the quick connect spray nozzles will get some corrosion. Any little corrosion can affect the amount of water that can pass through, and i found will often prevent the pump from running and shut the pump off. If your pump turns on and runs with no spray nozzle attached to the wand, but does not work with the nozzle attached that’s a clear sign you need to do some maintenance on your nozzles to reopen the holes in the nozzle.

What i did was take a bowl and fill it with vinegar. I just used vinegar because i had it in the house, there may be other good methods to get rid of the corrosion. I soaked all the nozzles in the bowl for about 3 hours. Then i took a sewing needle and poked around the hole to clear out any corrosion. Soaked them for a couple more hours, and then rinsed them off under some hot water. Then i dried them off and sprayed each nozzle with little olive oil cooking spray to help prevent any more corrosion before storing them. There are lots of corrosion inhibitors on the market i just used something i had around. This method worked well as it opened 3 plugged nozzles for me.

Snow joe 2030 gpm test spx3000

no tip .30 sec for 1gal.
Soaper .30 sec for 1gal.
40 deg. .51 sec for 1gal.
25 deg. .51 sec for 1gal.
15 deg. .51 sec for 1gal.
0 deg. .51 sec for 1gal.

Real life test shows your actually getting 1.176 gpm with the 40, 25, 15, 0, deg. Nozzle’s, not 1.76

..if you were to include the soaper tip and no tip test results, you could get closer to the claim of 1.76 gallons per minute.

Hey remember they’re advertisements for your eyeballs, and your finger to purchase with a click.

Test details:
using a sacrificial rag over the nozzle which will have a hole blown through it by the nozzle pressure, inserting that into a shop vac hose, and then going into a funnel, that is going into an empty 1 gallon milk jug container. I was able to get accurate water flow, without all the air flow created from the high-pressure tips.

I dare anyone to take the high-pressure tip and stick it into an empty milk jug and pull the trigger, lol!

Test remarks:
i was very surprised when testing higher, and higher pressure tips that the pump was able to maintain the gpm flow exactly, i expected gpm to drop down slightly with each higher pressure tip change test. (nice pump)

the spx3000 unit rated pressure is 1450 from page 4 of the user manual.
Download the pdf and look for yourself.

I need this pressure washer to work with other attachments at rated line pressure & gpm flow. So facts are important, gimmicks are not. I am using a universal wand with universal adapters ( power care gun/hose 100664072 rated 2000 psi) , to run a karcher 250 surface cleaner. (yellow one, & yellow nozzle tips)
i wish this unit would deliver 1.76 gpm, the results could only be even more amazing.
.. But, with 1.176 gpm the results are very good.

As a result of consumer testing, i believe the public, we will find that all the manufacturers have all tweaked the numbers and facts, so each competitor can look better than the other. Lol.

Conclusion: spx3000 still best unit.
I will highly recommend this unit on it’s own merit, it is simply the best electric washer i have used so far, and has a 2 year warranty to back it up, i don’t appreciate the deceptive numbers, enough said.
Knowing what i know now, and having used it, i would buy it all over again.

I am going to update my test results, to also include the line pressure on each tip.
Fluid filled pressure gauge with quick connect, should be here in about 2 weeks.

…update 4/5/2014
plan on using a generator?
Wattage test spx3000

no tip 850 watts avg.
Soaper 850 watts avg.
40 deg. 1435 watts avg.
25 deg. 1435 watts avg.
15 deg. 1450 watts avg.
0 deg. 1450 watts avg.

Psi pressure test spx3000

static line pressure 165 psi avg.
No tip 0 psi
soaper 0 psi
40 deg. 1250 psi
25 deg. 1250 psi
15 deg. 1275 psi
0 deg. 1275 psi

[…]

I always wanted a power washer and i can definitely say this power washer worked and came in handy. I used my power washer to clean my deck and remove the old paint. It worked so well my sister purchased the same one for her house especially her deck and dog poop.
The power washer price was nice, quality is nice. I would definitely recommend to read the instructions and store in a nice place removing any access water so the line won’t freeze in the winter/cold weather.

Couldn’t be happier – we wanted a simple all-purpose pressure washer for everything from cleaning pavement to spraying down the cars. It’s not super powerful like some gas powered models, so you do need to be a little closer to whatever is being cleaned.

It’s easy to assemble out of the box, and has some great convenience features, like storage for the power cord, tips, and the high pressure hose.

I rented gas washers for months before i got so sick of it i ordered this overnight. It’s so great!!! Just as powerful, half as heavy, and a fraction of the price of gas washers. I use this thing very often as i do landscaping and handy work in the pnw. This will stand up to all weather, tough moss, old stained concrete, and the toughest fence stain.

Not mechanically inclined, but managed to get it together except for one plastic piece on side. Didn’t seem to click in place. Other than that, it works great so far. We used it to clean off mold on the house siding and it really did work! Next, we used it to clean off the steps and even used the wide nozzle for washing the cars. Next spring, we will attempt to do the pavers. Worth the money so far.

Worked like a horse right outta the box, easy to put together, did a great job on the garage floor, driveway and sidewalk. Worked like a bomb on the siding and window. Do wish it had a longer wand, rolled easier, and it does leak a little bit when you attach the hose. Otherwise 5/5!!!

I rent a gas pressure washer every year for various projects around the house, i have used gas pressure washers to remove chipping paint from the cinder block foundation in preparation to repaint, but mostly i use it yearly to clean my concrete walkway, driveway and patio. I have always been pleased with the results. Due to a recent injury i am unable to lift heavy items, so this year i decided to look at electric pressure washers. I did my homework, i went to home depot and lowe’s and i searched the internet and watched you tube videos and read all the reviews. The sun joe spx3000 always stood out from the rest in all the reviews i read. I ordered one from amazon.com. It was temporarily out of stock, but had the best price i could find including free shipping. About two weeks later i had my new pressure washer.

It took about thirty minutes to read the instructions and install eight items:
1. The handle, (four screws)

2. The trigger gun holder, (just pops on)

3. The spray wand protector- (one screw and a pop in tab)-this was a little tricky, the tab did not want to lock in, but it finally did)

4. The detergent bottles- (they were already in place but needed to be ‘seated)

5. The hose holder (slides in place and is held on with one screw)

6. Connect one end of the high pressure hose to to the rear of the unit and the other end to the trigger gun. (one end is made for the trigger gun and the other end is made to connect to the unit.)

7. Attach the wand to the trigger gun.

8. Attach the plastic water inlet coupler to the front of the unit-(this is what most people complain about where leaking occurs. Mine leaked too. I just removed it and carefully re installed it making sure it was not cross threaded and there was no more leaking. It did start leaking again after about an hour of usage. I had to remove the coupler again, this time i removed the small black washer or o-ring and turned it over. I made sure it was seated correctly, then re installed the coupler. It has not leaked again.

The power plug on this unit is huge. It has a built in ground fault circuit interrupter built in for safety. The plug is so large it would not fit into my outdoor outlets so i had to use a short 5 foot extension cord designed for portable air conditioners. This worked fine. I tested the ground fault and it too worked fine. You must not use a common house hold extension cord with this unit. You must use the proper gauge extension cord with this unit if you do not want to burn up the motor. Consult the owners manual for the proper extension cord.

So now i am ready to use my pressure washer:

1. I double checked to make sure everything was put together securely
2. I hooked up my garden hose to the front of the unit (make sure the hose is not kinked). I turned on the water faucet all the way. (that is when i saw the first water leak and had to re install the coupler) .
3. I plugged in the power cord (using my short a/c extension cord) and made sure it would not get wet by hanging it up on a plant hook on my patio.
4. I snapped in one of the quick connect nozzles. (i did not know which one would work best for my application)
5. I released the safety lock on the trigger.
6.. I squeezed the trigger which allows water to flow through the system.
7. I turned on the machine.

It works!!

I played around with the different nozzles. I wanted to clean my concrete walk way. The green nozzle 25 degrees worked best. I was amazed at the power of this little machine. It cleaned my concrete as good as a gas pressure washer. I used this for about five hours straight. I was very pleased. The unit is quiet compared to a gas unit, but i still wore ear plugs to protect my hearing. When you release the trigger, the machine simply cuts off and there is no noise. Occasionally the unit would pulse with very low pressure on restarting, but releasing the trigger and pressing it again immediately corrected the problem.

I did not use the detergent bottles, so no comment.

As far as longevity, that remains to be seen. I usually use a pressure washer once a year so i hope to have mine for a quite some time. Sun joe warrants the machine for two years.

Bottom line. This is a very powerful electric pressure washer and is almost as good as a gas unit. This machine can clean concrete with excellent results, you can clean vinyl siding, wood decks, patio furniture, gas grills and more. And yes you could possibly damage something if you do not use caution.

I am very pleased with my sun joe spx3000 and highly recommend it for those who do not want to be bothered with a gas powered pressure machine.

This pressure washer is great and easy to use. It is very easy to assemble and so light to carry around for all our outside needs. It worked great and we even bought a few more attachments to use it for cleaning windows and our siding. Would recommend.

The nozzle sizes are a plus. Used on stone patio. Keep hose to nozzle untangled. When you turn the dial to start the pressure washer the motor starts for 1 second and you may think you have blown a fuse/breaker but the motor shuts off unless the nozzle handle is pressed. I initially thought it was tripping my gfci or breaker until i read that part in the instructions while looking for troubleshooting information.
Worked great, easy to maneuver.

First of all..i went back & forth about ordering this machine. I’m a 63 yr old lady, but, i needed some way to clean my dirty little house i live in so i thought i’d take a chance and order it. There was an issue with delivery. It didn’t arrive as promised due to hurricane ian, which i understood, so my schedule got pushed back a bit. Putting it together was easy. Only took about 15 minutes. Got everything together, hooked up the hose, added the cleaning solution, plugged it in, turned it on…and…nothing.
It wouldn’t run. Checked the outlet, unplugged it, did everything the book said to do and still…nothing.
So i called tech support and the gentleman i spoke with was great. He talked me through some things to do, and within minutes the machine was up and running.
Four hours later i had my little cottage completely cleaned.
For all you guys out there who only will use gas powered washers..you’re missing out, because little machine really had the power. I even cleaned my patio furniture and the walkway stones that had some mildew buildup on them.
I almost can’t wait for spring so i can get out there and get my cleaning done again with it!

This unit got high marks in all the reviews i’ve read, and i can agree for the most part. It’s not ideal for the dirty patio that my maple leaf residue as left behind. It’s just not powerful enough on the 25 degree nozzle, and the most powerful nozzle has such limited spread i’d be there all day. So buy it if you have a typical dirty or muddy application and this unit looks well make enough for those applications.

I just spent a couple hours playing with this washer. I cleaned two cars (water only), sidewalk/driveway, house siding/gutters, and a very moldy outdoor wood railing.

I’ve never had a pressure washer before, so wasn’t exactly sure what to expect. I thought it would be a bit more powerful. It’s not terribly underpowered, but i thought it would be more.

Cleaning cars: this is the main reason i bought the washer for. I had a ton of really baked on bugs on two cars, i thought it would be a good test. I used the 25deg head for this. The first car i soaked with water and let sit for a while to loosen the bugs a bit. From about 12′ away i got about 50% of them off, at about 4′ away i got another 30% off, and at 1′ i got another 15% or so, leaving a very stubborn 5% left which i had to break down and use a textured sponge to remove. Not too bad i guess. This was on the whole front end obviously, windshield, bumper, and hood. I found some tar in a few places and was able to remove the majority of it, but i think a sponge and some solvent would be needed to do a proper job. The second car i manually sprayed on a strong bug remover chemical and let sit for 30sec, then sprayed with the washer. This time i used the 15deg head and i was able to get nearly all of the bugs off with the washer. I just had a few places where i used the sponge. Not bad. I have newer cars and the paint is intact and strong. I might not be so inclined to get so close with older cars/paint. I could see it getting under a chip or bubble in the paint and removing a bunch of it. I’ve ordered a foam cannon attachment to soap the cars properly, seems like i’ll still need to use that sponge quite a bit as the washer doesn’t get the fine dirt on the paint, even at close range. I feel a bit neutral about the unit for cars, i was hoping for it to work better.

Cement sidewalk/driveway: i live where there is a lot of moisture around and my sidewalks and driveway turn black every year. I was spraying watered down bleach to get rid of it but that is not very environmentally friendly, and some of my plants would die! I didn’t really buy the pressure washer for this but since it’s a popular thing to use it for i gave it a shot. I used the 15deg head and had to be about 2-4′ from the cement to fully clean it. This means cleaning a 2′ strip at a time, it takes a while to do a large area! I was very surprised how well it cleaned cement, very nice! I’m more excited to use it for this than washing cars.

House siding/gutters/wood railing: my house has an aged latex stain on it. The paint is very easy to remove with pressure, so i had to be careful. I used the 15deg head but really should have had a wider one on. I just moved back 3-4 feet or so when cleaning the siding so as not to damage the paint. I think i’ll stick to the joe-max/bleach for this task in the future due to my sensitive paint. My plastic gutters where terribly moldy! I got 2-4′ from them and it cleaned pretty well. If i was super anal i could have used a brush to get every last bit, but the washer did a decent job. I have a raw cedar wood railing on my porch which is extremely moldy! I had to get within 1′ and use a few passes to clean it fully, but the wood looks new now! Quite amazing

quality: the build quality of the unit seems ok. It feels/sounds kind of cheap. Some of the parts fit loose and it sounds like it’s really working hard when in use… Reminds me of what a vacuum sounds like when it binds on a rug end or string. My unit seems to have a variable output, at times it backs off the pressure for no apparent reason. Sometimes it doing more of a pulsing type thing and other times it’s more continuous. It also acts very funny if you release the trigger and press it again before it has stopped moving… It fails to start back up properly and you have to stop and wait a few seconds then start again. Strange!

Leaks: i was careful to check for leaks after reading all the reviews about them. At first there was a slight leak where the hose adapter (for connecting your garden hose) connects to the unit itself, this seems to be common. It’s very hard to hand tighten due to the tight space. The screw part also comes to a sudden tight spot so you don’t get the feeling it’s really going to hold. For my first round of cleaning it was fine being hand tight. However, some side pressure was applied to the garden hose and therefore the adapter it started leaking a lot! I tried to hand tighten again, but it wouldn’t be. Now understood the frustration people had. I used some channel locks to get it a little more snug, but it was leaking worse. I’ve seen this before, the rubber o-ring gets bunched up and fails to seal. The supplied o-ring is not very wide and i suspect it’s not sealing the landing surfaces correctly. I put in my own rubber o-ring which was 50% wider than the supplied one and it worked as i had supposed. Pretty simple fix.

Quick disconnect. I decided to get one of these to make connecting the garden hose easier. I stumbled upon gardena connectors. Wow, super cool. They’re just plastic but work awesome, highly recommend, they are worth the price.

Overall i’m pretty happy with the washer, it’s not exactly what i was hoping for, but i can definitely make use of it in a few different ways. I’m happy with the purchase.

Tldr: 4 stars for a very functional unit. Minus one star for cheap plastics.

I shopped for long time thinking i was going to need a stronger motorized unit because those were all i had ever used to this point and had been impressed with the results. However, at half (or even less) the price of those units, i decided i could give this unit a shot.

I use this unit to wash my cars with in conjunction with a cheap foam cannon i also bought on amazon. I used the green tip to give my car a rinse and it did a nice job of knocking off lots of the loose dirt. It is also more than strong enough to use with a foam cannon if it has a 1.1mm orifice.

I took it for a very small test run on some moss and dirt on the driveway and it did a decent job of knocking it off without any detergent.

I’m a believer that get what you pay for and in terms of functionality im very pleased. However the materials on the wand and washer that aren’t metal feel like they would break under any stress. This isnt a problem for me, except that the washer stands up so if it were to tip over i think some of the plastics would break.

The sound is quiet enough to not disturb the neighbors if that’s something you would need to worry about. This wasn’t a deciding factor for me, but its nice to not need ear protection.

I see some people use pressure washers and not prime the unit before they turn them on. This is hard on the pump because it is not designed to run dry. Before you turn it on, hook up the hose and turn on the hose. Then just pull the trigger of the wand (with the unit still off) until all of the air comes out of the hose. Then the unit is safe to turn on and should add to the life of the pump.

I know this is long winded but i hope these thoughts help someone.

Power wash 1 car and 1 pickup truck.
Also vinyl siding.

Small amount of water trips out from water connection.

This power washer fits all of my needs. It is easy to use, and is powerful enough to clean a deck, siding, lawn chairs, etc.. I have noticed some leaking where the water hose connects. This fitting is plastic and i would have preferred it to be less flimsy. But overall, i am happy with the purchase.

Works well but pressure is not as expected . I have a gas powered unit of the same advertised pressure and yours is much lower that said it is good for lite jobs

It’s alright, not really that strong. Pretty simple to put together, a little annoying if you need to move it around since it’s electric. It works okay for some use cases, but you need something remotely powerful, this isn’t it.

There were a few things i did not like about it it is super heavy and hard to move around sometimes and was a little tricky to put together overall great product so far