We know power cleaners aren’t as strong as pressure washers, but they have their uses and have been catching on with DIY brands. If that’s the case, why would a professional brand such as DeWalt make one? We’re taking a closer look at the DeWalt 20V Max cordless power cleaner to find out.
Pros
- Much higher water volume than competitors
- Higher pressure than most
- 2-speed selection
- Onboard nozzle storage
- Runs on any DeWalt 20V Max or FlexVolt battery
Cons
- Heavier than most competitors
- No gasket on the battery door
DeWalt 20V Max Cordless Power Cleaner Performance
The DeWalt DCPW550 is capable of producing 550 PSI using the 15° nozzle that comes with it. Using that same nozzle, you get 1.0 GPM. However, you can actually get up to 2.2 GPM with lower pressure and that’s more than twice what most power cleaners offer.
That’s great, but if you’re new to power cleaners, that might not mean much.
Just like it is with pressure washers, it’s the combination of pressure and flow that make for efficient cleaning. Pressure knocks gunk loose and water flow washes it away. The fact that DeWalt is near the top in pressure and at the top for water flow means this gives you more efficient power cleaning than any of its competitors.
That said, you’re not going to be pressure washing your driveway with this tool. Instead, this is a great tool for using more pressure than you can get from a hose nozzle to clean things that a pressure washer might be too strong for. Here are a handful of things you can safely clean (but there’s a lot more!):
- Vehicles
- Boats
- ATVs/UTVs
- Muddy boots
- Wicker or outdoor furniture
- Bikes
- Screens
DeWalt 20V Max Cordless Power Cleaner Design Notes
Size and Weight
Power cleaners such as the DeWalt DCPW550 aren’t much bigger than a pressure washer wand. From tip to tail, this one measures 40.5 inches.
Its weight is on the heavier side for this class of tool—7.4 pounds with a 5.0Ah battery. As a two-hand tool, it’s not that burdensome. For the way we’ve been using it, we’d much rather have the higher performance DeWalt offers than to trade it off for a little less weight.
2-Speeds
This is one of only a couple of models to have multiple speeds. High gives you the best performance and low extends your runtime. We have plenty of DeWalt batteries, so we don’t worry too much about conserving the battery and run in high all the time.
No Pressure Required
One of the great benefits of power cleaners is that they don’t need a pressurized water source to operate the way pressure washers do. DeWalt includes a 20-foot siphon hose with both the bare tool and kit. Drop it in a bucket of water, drum, rain barrel, or even the lake. As long as it’s a fresh water source, you’re good to go.
You can still work with a standard hose if it’s more convenient and there’s a quick adapter in the package for that.
Nozzle Storage
DeWalt makes an unusual move by working with standard pressure washer nozzles instead of the rotating nozzles that come on most power cleaners. We’re totally good with that call, especially since you can store 3 spares on the tool itself.
It comes with 15°, 25°, 40°, and turbo nozzles, so with one on the wand, you have everything you need right there if you need to make a change on the fly.
Water + Electricity
The idea of running a tool like this and splashing water around sounds like a bad idea for the batteries. DeWalt takes care of it neatly with a battery cover to protect it. There’s no gasket around it, though, so it’s really just a splash guard.
We checked batteries all the way up to a 12.0Ah FlexVolt pack and they all fit just fine.
Additional Features
- Soap bottle included
- Storage bag included
- Compatible with all DeWalt 20V Max and FlexVolt batteries
DeWalt 20V Max Cordless Power Cleaner Price
The bare tool (DeWalt DCPW550B) is $149 and the kit (DeWalt DCPW550P1) is $199. Either way, you get the siphon hose, nozzles, hose adapter, soap bottle, and storage bag. The kit adds a 5.0Ah battery and charger to the mix. When we first saw the pricing, we assumed the kit had a 2.0Ah battery, so we’re pretty excited to see the 5.0Ah in there instead.
The Bottom Line
There are a ton of uses for the DeWalt 20V Max cordless power cleaner from cleaning up on the job to cleaning up on your next adventure. Keep in mind what a power cleaner is designed to do compared to a pressure washer and it’s a valuable addition to your home or business. Considering what the competition has to offer, DeWalt has the best overall cordless power cleaner currently available.
Check out more DeWalt outdoor power equipment here.
DeWalt 20V Max Cordless Power Cleaner Specifications
- Model: DeWalt DCPW550
- Power Source: DeWalt 20V Max or FlexVolt battery
- Max Pressure: 550 PSI
- Max Flow: 2.2 GPM
- Speeds: 2
- Length: 40.5 inches
- Weight: 5.6 pounds bare, 7.4 pounds with 5.0Ah battery
- Warranty: 3 years
- Price: $149 bare, $199 kit with 5.0Ah battery
