Sun Joe SPX3000: A Detailed Look at Its Performance and Usability

In terms of power ratings, electricity-powered machines usually produce 1500 to 1800 PSI, as that is pretty much the maximum power that users willget from a 15-amp electric motor.

A gas-powered machine is much more powerful, and the range of power that it can deliver is also much broader. You can expect to have from 2000 to 4000 PSI. But do you realy need this much PSI? Before deciding which model is the best suited, I would recommend that shoppers identify their potential uses for the machine first.

The best pressure washer in the world is the one that fits your needs and your budget the best. If you are not looking for devices with industrial-strength cleaning capabilities, an electricity-powered machine like the Sun Joe SPX3000 pressure Joe 2030 PSI should be good enough. Our detailed review will help you make a well-informed decision.

Pros and cons

Unlike other reviews which only praise the products they are evaluating, our experts at The King Live provide readers with unbiased and thorough product reviews that include both strengths and weaknesses of any products that we look at.

These honest reviews will help our customers make the right decision. Given this, let’s see what the pros and cons of this Sun Joe power washer are:

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Pros

• Lightweight and affordable

• Versatile thanks to five spray nozzles

• Two wheels are large and sturdy

• Easy to operate

• Has onboard wand storage

• Dual cleaning tanks

• Low noise level

• Can be used indoor

• 2-year warranty

Cons

• Lack of onboard storage for the hose

• Replacement parts are not easy to find

• The 20-foot hose is a bit short for outdoor cleaning

Sun Joe SPX3000 Review

Specifications

Shoppers only need to spend around $149 to get a well-rounded Sun Joe washer with:

• Dimensions: 15.6’’ x 13.5’’ x 33.9’’

• Weight: 31 pounds

• 14.5 amp/1800 watt motor

• 2030 max PSI

• 1.76 GPM

• Five nozzles

• 20-foot hose

• Two detergent tanks (0.9L each)

• 35-foot cord

• GFCI plug

• Safety lock switch

Sun Joe SPX3000 has a well-thought-out design that effectively deals with accumulated dirt and grime on cars, trucks, driveways, patios, and many more areas. I will analyze how this machine's design makes it easy for small to medium-duty cleaning tasks later. Let's first take a look at its measurements and weight.

Dimensions and design 

The Sun Joe PSI electric pressure washer SPX3000 comes in a combination of three colors: green, black, and blue. This machine's dimension is 15.6 x 13.5 x 33.9 inches, and it weighs 31 lbs, which means you can push it around the house with little effort.

Sun Joe SPX3000 Via: Amazon

Why spend a few hundred dollars on a heavy washer that gives you back pain after each pressure-washing session? Many standard pressure washers can be too bulky for small spaces, so choosing a small and portable washer like the Sun Joe SPX3000 is a wise decision. This Sun Joe is lightweight and compact, making it a perfect fit for small households without much storage space.

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Assembly

The assembly of the Sun Joe pressure washer SPX3000 is not tricky, but it takes time. You will need 20-25 minutes if you follow the five below steps:

• First: slide the trigger gun holder onto the side of your washer’s body.

• Second: install the handle onto the body of the washer. The locking tabs should match perfectly with the tabs on the top of the unit's body. Next, mount it in and secure it with the four provided screws.

• Third: you can mount the detergent tanks onto the handle. The tank's groove will go onto the top of the handle, while its tab will fit in the cut-out on the bottom of the handle.

• The fourth step is to install the wand protector on the left side of the unit. This step should be easy as the wand protector is positioned next to the left wheel.

• The final step is to connect the end of the spray wand into the trigger gun and twist it tightly. Then you can attach one end of the spray hose to the other end of the wand. Now the pressure hose is ready to be installed to the back of your unit.

Power and performance

When I evaluate the power of a pressure washer, I usually look at its PSI and GPM. For first-time buyers or infrequent users, these terms might be confusing, so I’ll provide a quick explanation here:

PSI (pounds per square inch) indicates how much pressure your machine spray on different surfaces. Put differently, it is the strength of the water stream that a washer can produce. The higher the PSI, the more effectively it will tackle gunk and grime.

Professional cleaning services usually have pressure washers of about 2,000 to 3,000 PSI. For home-use, a machine of 1500-2000 PSI is more than enough.

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GPM (gallons per minute) tells you the water flow rate that goes through the nozzles of your pressure washer, and this water volume is measured by the minute. In other words, GPM is the rinsing power of your machine. Therefore, GPM indicates how fast you can clean. The GPM of commercial pressure washers ranges from 2.2 to 10, whereas the ideal GPM for domestic machines should be around 1.5 to 2.

So which one is more important, GPM or PSI? Most contractors and professional cleaning services pay more attention to GPM since they use chemicals or powerful detergents to do all their cleanings. However, for home use, I would suggest that shoppers consider both PSI and GPM carefully as the best pressure washer in the world should have the correct combination of PSI and GPM to deliver the ideal level of pressure for all of your cleaning jobs.

If you use a high-PSI machine (those with 3000 PSI or more), its intense water pressure may damage certain surfaces. More importantly, the more pressure your washer can deliver, the more physical strength it requires from the users. Therefore, an overly powerful machine can be more challenging to use.

The Sun Joe 2030 PSI 1.76 GPM, true to its name, delivers 2030 PSI at 1.76 GPM, which is ideal for most homeowners. This power rating of the Sun Joe pressure Joe 2030 PSI electric pressure washer is higher than many other consumer-grade electric units on the market.

For example, Greenworks GPW1501 is a popular washer for many homeowners, and it only has 1,500 PSI. Similarly, Ryobi RY141612 is also a top choice of many washer users, but it produces only 1,600 PSI. Another well-known name in the small-sized electric washer market segment is Briggs & Stratton 20680, and it has only 1,800 PSI.

Usability 

As briefly mentioned above, this Sun Joe power washer is well-designed, making it easy to use for any family members. So if you're parents of teenagers who want to get your kids the responsibility of keeping the house clean, then this compact machine is a great choice.

Many features contribute to this device's user convenience, and I will review all of them below, one by one.

• Well-built wheels 

I am a big fan of this Sun Joe's large and sturdy wheels. They are roughly seven inches in diameter, making this unit easy to move around, even on grass surfaces or the like. Plus, the wheels are covered in pliable rubber, providing a better grip on smooth surfaces.

• Five quickly-connected nozzles 

Sun Joe SPX3000 is installed with 5 colour-coded nozzles 0-degree(red), 15-degree (yellow), 25-degree (green), 40-degree (white), soap (black). While other home-use washers only have three nozzles, the availability of all five nozzles makes this Sun Joe pressure washer stand out from others on the market.

Five nozzles of the SPX3000 Via: Amazon

The 0-degree nozzle produces a small but concentrated water stream. It is ideal to remove tough stains like oil, glue, dried gum, or mildew from concrete and metal surfaces. Sun Joe advises their users not to use it on wood, siding, and other soft surfaces as it can cause serious damage.

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If you only use this Sun Joe pressure Joe 2030 PSI electric pressure washer to clean your home’s interiors and exteriors, chances are you will not use this nozzle frequently. Therefore,I would recommend you to leave this nozzle aside to prevent unwanted injuries.

The 15-degree nozzle works excellently on rust, paint, and dust, while the 25-degree nozzle is great for general cleaning of debris and grime on most surfaces. I have used this all-purpose nozzle quite often in my house as it is strong enough and does not produce an overly powerful water stream.

The white 40-degree nozzle is designed to clean fragile surfaces such as blinds, cars, flower plots, and windows as it produces a wide and gentle pressure spray. I also use this nozzle to rinse off detergents. The black nozzle pulls detergent from the tanks quickly as it is the one with the largest orifice among five nozzles.

All five nozzles of Sun Joe SPX3000 can be neatly stored onboard, making it handy when you are pressure washing. Besides, keeping it right on the unit also prevents them from getting lost.

• Removable detergent tanks

The Sun Joe pressure washer SPX3000 has two detergent tanks. So you can fill them with two different types of cleaning solutions to clean multiple surfaces with ease. These two removable tanks make this compact washer more usable, as emptying them is a breeze.

Switching between these two tanks is simple as you can turn the detergent selection dial left or right, depending on which tank you want to use. There is a little arrow on the dial, and if it points to the center, it shuts both tanks off.

2 detergent tanks and the selection dial Via: Amazon

Better yet, this dial is positioned right at the center of the tanks, making it convenient to use. This knob is also changeable, giving you the freedom to control how concentrated your soap should be, depending on the dirt or mold you are cleaning.

• Long power cord

This lightweight washer's power cord is 35 - feet long, so Sun Joe gives us plenty of lengths to work with for our cleaning tasks. With 20 feet on the hose and a 34-inch spray wand, you can reach even further. Now you would not need to climb ladders to clean the second floor or gutters.

Moreover, the cord is labeled as a 14mm gauge cord, and it does feel highly flexible. So you can be sure it gives you the flexibility and durability you’d expect.

• Sturdy pressure washer wand

The front is a metal tube while the back is made from plastic, and so is the trigger. The connecting point of the front and the back of this wand can swivel, allowing users to turn the spray pattern quickly. The high-pressure hose can be removed promptly from the wand by merely unscrewing the fitting.

The pressure hose is made out of rubber, which means it is flexible and of decent quality for this unit's price point. Sun Joe SPX3000 is probably the best Sun Joe pressure washer when picking an affordable yet reliable machine.

• Onboard storage space for nozzles and tools

In the back of the unit, you can see that five nozzles are neatly stored right above the detergent tanks so that they will not get lost. In the middle of the unit, there is storage space for tools or wrapped power cord. You can also find extra space at the bottom of the unit to keep other necessary items for your cleaning jobs.

• Low noise level and Total stop system (TSS)

Electricity-powered machines are significantly quieter than gas-powered devices, and the Sun Joe SPX3000 is not an exception. It has a low noise level that allows you to talk over it while you are pressure washing. Besides, thanks to the Total Stop System (TSS feature), the motor stops running when you are not washing, which means it is silent until you start it up again.

TSS is a safety lock switch designed for users' safety.  It automatically shuts the pump off when the trigger is off. This feature saves energy, while also preventing possible damage or injuries. More importantly, it will also prolong the life of your unit's pump.

Alternatives

1- Sun Joe SPX3500 - A more robust machine with one detergent tank

If you’re interested in the Sun Joe SPX3000 but still reluctant to click the purchase button because you are thinking twice about the size of its detergent tank then the Sun Joe SPX3500 is worth your consideration.

The SPX3500 has only one tank, and its capacity is 1.2L (~0.32 gallons), whereas two tanks of SPX3000 can contain up to 0.9L (~0.24 gallons). So if you're looking for a simplified design, the SPX3500 is probably a better choice.

Sun Joe SPX3500 Via: Amazon

With a 13amp motor, it produces 2300 PSI and 1.45 GPM, which is stronger than the SPX3000. Sun Joe SPX3500 is equipped with an induction brushless motor that requires less current to generate power thus, it is more power-efficient and rugged. Better yet, these types of engines do not produce lots of heat, a feature that will eventually prolong the lifespan of your machine.

Another plug point of pressure washers operated by an induction motor is that it runs at higher speeds and creates less noise than those with universal motors. However, induction motor washers are usually heavier than their universal motor counterparts because they are made of copper, steel, and aluminum. The SPX3000 weighs 31 lbs, whereas the SPX3500 weighs 46.5 lbs.

2- Sun Joe SPX3001- Another alternative with one soap tank only

A useful Sun Joe SPX3001 review would be the one that includes a comparison with a few others to give customers various options to consider. The Sun Joe SPX3001 is an upgraded version of SPX3000, with a larger tank. Let’s look at their similarities first before going into their differences.

Both SPX3001 and SPX3000 produce 2030 PSI at 1.76 GPM. Also, they both have five nozzles, giving users versatility in different cleaning jobs. Besides, they both have sturdy wheels, allowing you to carry it around with ease. In terms of weight, they are both lightweight machines, but the SPX3001 weighs 32 pounds, whereas the SPX3000 only weighs 31 pounds.

Sun Joe SPX3001 Via: Amazon

While SPX3000 has two detergent tanks of 0.24 gallons, the SPX3001 only has one tank. However, this tank can contain up to 0.32 gallons.

3- Sun Joe SPX4000 - An excellent alternative with a more stable base and pressure setting

The Sun Joe SPX4000 is equipped with the pressure-select technology, which means it is an adjustable machine, giving you the flexibility to choose between two cleaning settings: 1450 PSI to work on small to medium-duty cleaning tasks and the higher setting of 2030 PSI.

Sun Joe spx4000 Via: Amazon

Aside from 5 nozzles - red, green, yellow, white, and black, the Sun Joe SPX4000 is also equipped with a Turbo Spray nozzle that lets you clean 40% faster than a standard one. Cleaning stubborn dirt, grime, mold is now much more manageable thanks to this powerful nozzle.

Moreover, the SPX4000 has a sturdy frame around it, giving this device a more stable base than the SPX3000. Also, the SPX4000 has one tank of 0.42 gallons instead of two tanks like the SPX3000.

Conclusion

I hope that my Sun Joe SPX3000 review has equipped you with ample information to help decide whether this washer is the right choice for you or not. It is the best Sun Joe pressure washer for home use thanks to its affordability and usability.

If you’re looking for several alternatives, scroll up to our three briefly reviewed models. I carefully picked them to provide you more options to choose from.