Should You Buy the Clean Force 1400 Electric Pressure Washer?

If you need an entry-level, light-duty pressure washer and you've got a tight budget, consider the Clean Force 1400. It's lightweight and will do the job of lightly spraying off the gunk in small areas. For uses above and beyond this, it's best to opt for a higher-power gas model pressure washer. We'll take a look at the strengths and weaknesses of a low-priced pressure washer like the Clean Force 1400.

Electric vs. Gas Pressure Washer

Before buying a pressure washer, decide if you need to have a low- or high-pressure unit. Then, you can buy a model accordingly. Electric models are typically much lower in pressure than gas-powered models. Electric pressure washers are easier to handle and you won't need to maintain or fill up a gasoline-powered engine. You just plug in an electric pressure washer and you're ready to go.

There are numerous cords to any pressure washer. Lines connect water supplies and an additional electrical cord can add weight to the machine. A power cord also inhibits how far you can move around your property with the pressure washer. As an example, the Clean Force 1400 has a 35-foot long power cord and 19-foot long washer hose.

Pros of the Clean Force 1400

The price point of the Clean Force 1400 is commensurate with its lower power level, but the machine does have a few good points. If you want an auxiliary power washer, then this could be a good choice for three main reasons, besides its low price point.

It's Compact

The Clean Force's tiny size, which takes up no more than a couple of square feet of floor space, is ideal if you have little storage space for machines like this. The nozzle, wand, hose, and electric cord also can store fairly neatly on the machine, which also helps with streamlined storage needs.

It Does Have Some Oomph

The machine can do a few important jobs around the house, both indoors and out. It can lightly spray out embedded moss, mud, and dirt from walkways, decks, and patios. It can even clean the siding of a one-story house. It's also powerful enough to chew up soft wood and even strip paint. Indoors it can work well cleaning shower tile.

It's Convenient

The machine has an onboard detergent tank that can automatically mix the detergent with the water. Just turn the detergent flow on or off by sliding the end of the sprayer wand in or out. The sprayer wand can also adjust from a fine needlepoint to a wide spray.

Cons of the Clean Force 1400

There are some specific weaknesses in the Clean Force 1400. With a 1,400 psi (pounds per square inch) delivering 1.4 gallons of water per minute, the Clean Force 1400 pressure washer is one of the least powerful pressure washers on the market. Though it's low in pressure, it also has three other problems.

The Plastic Coupling

The unit may not last as long as more costly pressure washers for one major reason. The threaded coupling that accepts the water supply hose is made of plastic, which means it can wear down fast by shredding the threads. A durable and longer-lasting coupler would be made of brass.

It Cleans Slowly

A more powerful machine can knock out junk from 20 feet of concrete in five or 10 minutes. A low-power pressure washer does the same job in about 30 minutes. That's because only the most concentrated stream will blast away embedded dirt, and the stream of the Clean Force 1400 only covers about 4-square inches which makes it slow.

It Tends to Tip

The Clean Force 1400 has a tough time standing up. The machine tends to tip because of the vibrations caused by blasting the washer on and off. There are reports that users brace the machine against a vertical surface when using it to ensure it would not tip over.