Customer Reviews

AR Blue Clean AR383 1,900 PSI 1.5 GPM 14 Amp Electric Pressure Washer with Hose Reel

5 star:		(98)
4 star:		(56)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(22)

 

 

Pros:
The unit is lightweight and easy to move. It has a variety of included attachments to tackle almost all jobs around the home. One nice feature is the adjustable spray tip on the wide-angle wand. The unit has a lot of power for an electrical pressure washer -- more than enough to clean driveways, decks, grills, mowers, etc.

Cons:
As mentioned in many other reviews, the plastic hose adapter leaks water, right in the middle where the two washers meet. The leaking is so bad as to make the unit unusable, unless you enjoy being sprayed with a torrent of water while you work. The solution: go down to your local hardware store and buy a brass male-to-male hose adapter for 8 bucks. Now you are in business.

The high-pressure hose that runs from the unit to the spray-gun is made from a stiff plastic that tangles easily and is hard to manage as you move around. I am currently researching buying an after-market hose made from high quality rubber to avoid this problem.

Also, don't bother storing the hose using the built-in reel. It is fussy work trying to get the hose on and off, and bending the hose in tight circles makes it that much easier to tangle when you use it. Simply coil the hose loosely and drop it around the top of the handle. This will save you lots of time.

Final thoughts: This unit provides a good value among other electric pressure washers, if you don't mind upgrading the hose adapter and dealing with a slightly annoying hose.

The pressure washer does its job beautifully. It has a really long electric cord which was one of the requirements for me since I didn't want to mess with extension cords. The hose is actually pretty long too, so you don't have to drag the pressure washer around when you wash your car for example. Just set it in one place and the length of the hose will be enough reach all around.
The pressure washer comes with 2 wands. One has a rotating tip and the other one has a tip that can be adjusted for different spray angles so you don't really need to buy any extra tips. It also has a bottle for cleaning chemicals.
All accessories, electric cord and hose have their place right on the unit and they fit quiet nicely.
Don't forget, it has 1900 PSI which is really pretty high pressure for non-commercial pressure washers. I don't know what's inside the unit, but it just feels sturdy and solid.
I don't usually write reviews but what made me do it is AR North America's customer service. After testing the unit, I ordered an extra accessory from them directly (flat surface cleaner to clean cement surfaces). They have phone #'s and email addresses of their entire staff listed on their web side, so I asked few questions which were answered immediately. So I placed my order and couple of days later they informed me that the part I ordered was on back-order, so they offered to refund the money if I didn't feel like waiting. You know, usually companies will make you wait even if it's couple of weeks. I asked them how long I'd have to wait and they told me about a week which wasn't a big deal for me at all, so I was prepared to wait. The next day I received another email from them saying that they would send me a $90 surface cleaner instead of $30 one I had ordered...get this... at no extra charge. I buy stuff on-line very often and I have never seen anything like that before.
Great product, great customer service. It's very comforting to know that a company stands behind their product in case you need it and most importantly, easily accessible.

I did a lot of research on electric power washers and this brand seemed to have really good professional reviews. I chose this particular model because of the long power cord and the long high pressure hose. As extra bonuses you also get 1900 pounds of pressure and everything wraps up nice and neat on the unit. My only concern is the plastic connection for the hose. I wish they would have used brass or steel like what they have on the high pressure connection. I've tested the unit for about three hours. I washed a couple of windows; did a great job. I cleaned my tiled patio; got the dirt out of the grout. I cleaned my car; got most of the dirt, but even a 3000 psi unit can't get it all, it's just a basic fact you have to use some elbow grease to get road scum off. I also tried it on my fence to clean off dirt and moss build up; didn't do such a good job but then again it is a 1900psi unit and for wood you really need at least 2600psi. For that you need a gas unit and I really don't want to deal with the mess, the loud noise, and the maintenance. I'm really happy with this unit so far, I just hope it doesn't break after a couple of uses like I heard from reviewers of other brands.

I purchased the AR383 from a local retailer for $120. I have used the pressure washer for a few hours and here are my observations:

I find the shut-off feature to be really nice. When you release the trigger handle on the wand and stop washing, the motor shuts off. No worries about burning up the pump. The pressure available is what I expected: not nearly what a gasoline powered washer will do, but fine for an electric. Serious power washing will require a gasoline powered pump, but for small, short duration jobs, like blasting a lawn mower, vehicle, or small deck, it's really fine. And using an electric pw is light, quick and mess-free. Haul it out, hook it up, do the deed, and then put it away.

I am also pleased that the hookups for water input and pump output are metal. Aluminum I believe. Some consumer grade washers have plastic fittings at these locations and are very fragile. The wand and rotary tip supplied work great. And now for the nits to pick:

In general, a wand tip that offers "adjustable" spray pattern is a compromise. Fine for some, but nonadjustable tips that offer different spray patterns work much better. A significant criticism is the placement and specification of the pump output. The high pressure output is located in an area that is difficult to access for threading on the high pressure hose. It can be done, but I think it is too fiddly, and too easy to damage the threads in the soft aluminum. To make life easier, I thought I would purchase some quick connect fittings to modify the pump output and the hose input. Well...AR has chosen to use a 15mm pump/hose size, so none of the more common (in the USA) 14mm fittings will work. Naturally, if you are not bothered by no quick connect capability, this point is moot.

To be fair, I emailed the USA technical dept at AR asking about a quick connect adapter. Very quickly and politely I was informed that there was no provision for quick connect adapters but that my concern would be relayed to the engineers in Italy. Other technical info that I requested was offered as well. As far as quick and thorough answers to my questions, highest compliments to AR customer service!

At this point, as is my way, I stepped out of the normal consumer universe and decided to design and fabricate a device so that I could use the available quick connect adapters with my new AR383. A couple of dollars worth of brass tubing and a few minutes work at the metal lathe, and voila, I can now use the available quick connect fittings for the pressure hose hook up. Makes the pressure hose hook up much faster and less fiddly. I also use a quick connect fitting on the garden hose input. No special engineering needed for that, just visit your local home center for the adapters.

Given the limitations of a consumer grade electric power washer, I really like the AR383. Much better that the two previous yellow washers. Way less trouble than using a gasoline powered washer. And with my qc mod, I can use all my other hoses and wands.

I bought this washer due to the very positive reviews that others had written, especially people who said AR North had an excellent customer service department. I haven't had any issues to call them about, it's just nice to know they are there and are helpful.
Where I live we get a lot of mold on everything in the summer. I have washed my house (vinyl siding) and my driveway and sidewalk. There is a "Turbo-Wand" that comes with it ( makes the water spin as it comes out) that was great for cleaning some out door chairs that have vinyl tape on the seats and backs. They look brand new ! I also cleaned our bird bath, turned out great.
I would guess I have used the washer for 15-20 hours without a hitch.
I am 100% satisfied with the performance of the unit. If I compare its' cost with having someone clean my house and sidewalks it has paid for itself.
If it had a longer wand attachment with a right angle head I could have more easily reached the highest peak of the house.
I haven't checked to see if they offer an attachment like this.

<Update 1 year later... it is still working just fine. Sometimes I get a bit of spray where the hose screws into the washer, but a quick jiggle and it always stops.>

Our large brick patio was in need of a good washing and removal of the gunk and weeds between the bricks, so I was contemplating the electric SnapOn2000psi from Costco, but none of the stores near us had it in stock, so went on-line and did a ton of research.

Settled on this one and am not disappointed at all.

It is far, far better than the 1600 psi until I bought at Costco years ago and gave away a year later. The biggest difference is that the hose AND cord on this AR383 easily wind up onto the base so it takes up very little space in our basement and is easy to cart around. My previous one's hose was very stiff and had no location to wind up anything. The AR383s hose is far more flexible than many others.

It had plenty of pressure for my needs. Even our brick wall proved to be much dirtier than I realized. It had enough pressure to remove the paint from our wooden gate (oops -- I just needed to back up a bit and all was well.)

The hose does NOT need to be removed from the base in order to be wound up (but yes, the handle does need to be removed... the picture is a wee bit deceiving)

I had only minor issues with inserting the wand into the handle or turning just the nozzle. It is a small learning curve.

I have had no issue with leaks anywhere. There were washers in both side of the hose connection.

I had to switch hands every so often due to fatigue, but I did not notice any excessive vibration and a simple sweep back and forth, inching forward one half a brick at a time proved to be effortless.

I loved the auto-shut off. Especially when one wants to quickly silence the noise so you can hear your kids.

I would have liked to spend $40 less on the SnapOn and have the comfort of easy return, however one cannot buy/use what is not available, so I am quite happy with this purchase.

On the box, they show several attachments that are optionally available (a 75 degree angle head, some rotating brushes).

The pressure washer [AR383] is shipped from Montreal, Canada.

We used it to clean mold from our driveway, sidewalk, street curb, and all concrete-covered areas [altogether 5 hours of operation]. We also used it to clean mold from the bricks of our house exterior walls [again 5 hours of operation]. The amount of mold was huge: this is the Houston shore area, with atrocious heat and humidity, and the mold had been accumulating for 8 years.

The washer worked great! The pressure was sufficient to clean the concrete, although at a pace somewhat slower than for a gas-engine washer. The pressure was just right to clean the house wall bricks [unsealed "insulation" bricks, very porous and rather brittle] without damaging them. In fact, the adjustable spray nozzle at focused stream grooved / spalled the brick surface, so we used the turbo-nozzle.

Weak points:
1. The recessed water supply inlet and the plastic hose connector [difficult to tighten the connector and to keep the hose from unscrewing itself].
2. Storage hose reel [rotating drum] diameter is too small, and fast / careless reeling can damage the pressure hose.
3. Winding path for the electrical cable cannot hold it; we extended the cable path to over the washer's handle.

However, these are minor issues. [And I notice them because I am an engineer.]


Side note: Contrary to what salesmen might tell you, the turbo-nozzle does NOT increase the spray pressure! It lowers the pressure, by extracting energy from the water in order to turn the turbine that moves the spray nozzle [thence "turbo-nozzle"]. To get peak pressure, use the adjustable nozzle at focused stream.

I spent a lot of time reading reviews of other units before buying this one, and I have not been disappointed. The connectors for the hoses are made of metal (brass and aluminum) with standard o-ring seals. This should mean that unlike plastic connectors they should be more durable, and the o-rings can be replaced for cents if needed down the road. The manufacturer makes a big deal that the pump pistons are metal not plastic like others. I am hopeful this will translate into more long-term durability. Maybe others who have owned for a long time could comment.

I have used the unit to clean a large composite deck and was very pleased with the performance. The wand is easy to use and having both a long electric cord and a long high pressure hose (ie the hose from the unit to the wand), means that I only moved the unit itself once or twice during the whole operation. The electric plug is protected with a large GFI (ground fault interrupter) which always makes sense when you are around water.

I also used the unit to clean the front and back board of a full-height basketball hoop. To do this I was standing on the top of a step ladder and using the wand. The long hose meant this operation was easy.

So far I am very pleased with the unit, and I like how both the hose and electric cord have a place to be wound up and stored on the unit, which makes it compact to store away.

From my experience so far I am very please with the unit.

This is my first home pressure washer purchase and I have to say I am glad I chose this model. I have run this unit for about five hours now and have cleaned brick, man-made deck material, windows, exterior walls, wooden fence and outdoor furniture. I agree with others that it is a quality product and relatively easy to use. I disagree with some critiques about excessive vibration in the handle, I found the gun to be easier to handle than similar washers I have used in the past. The adjustable wand is good for directing a pinpoint stream for extra high pressure, but I found the "turbo" wand, which twists the water as it sprays, is indeed faster for general cleaning of flat surfaces. Both the power cord and water hose are of reasonable length and don't seem to get in the way of the cleaning project. I dislike having to constantly tug on the hose or reposition the unit as I work, but I found this unit to provide adequate reach.

As others have stated, the tool rack/cord storage/hose reel configuration is lame. To use the cord storage and hose reel as designed, both cord and hose have to be disconnected from the machine. I don't bother, I just wrap each loosely and hang them over the top and it works fine. Seeing as how none of this impacts the units effectiveness as a pressure washer, I don't consider this a reason to lower the rating. It could use improvement, but the washer is an excellent product and does a fine job for what its designed to do. It runs smoothly and seems durable. FWIW, I did order the brass male to male hose connector from Amazon for six bucks and would recommend others do so, as well. The plastic connector the unit ships with seems a little cheap, although I didn't even bother to try it so I don't know for sure how it would work.

All in all, I would definitely buy this machine again. Contracting someone to do the work I have already completed would have cost as much as this unit, so it has effectively already paid for itself. And now I have the pleasure of using this to complete many more cleaning tasks, including home car washes, essentially for free. I consider this a great buy.

After purchasing and returning 2 other more costly electric pressure washers from the big orange home improvement store, I bought an AR unit based upon Amazon users' feedback. Pro's in order of importance: 1)The instructions are literate and logical. 2) The unit actually functions first time out if you follow the manual. 3) Very powerful; unit cleaned the oxidation off the wood deck of a utility trailer while I only wanted to rinse off rubbish leakage. Will see if it will remove the feathers off a turkey next hunting season. 4) Adjustable spray wand is very convenient and effective; makes short work of thoroughly cleaning a 54 inch mower deck. Con's: None. I permanently attached a brass quick connect to the hose input eliminating other users' source of complaint. The unit easily outperforms other more expensive so-called heavy duty units.