BEST Pressure Washer For Car Detailing Period!!! | AR RCA3-PRO | Review & Testing

Today we try out what might be the best pressure washer for detailing and the accessories that come with it. Is it that good and is it worth the price? Watch to find out and don't forget the bloopers at the end.
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DISCLAIMER: This video and description contain affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission on a purchase without additional cost to you. If you do purchase through my affiliate links, thank you so much for your support!
Incredible Suds - www.diydetail....
Discount Code CARSWITHKEAV for 10% off
Products in Video:
RCA3-Pro - arblueclean.co...
Digital PSI Meter - amzn.to/3ViBFsy
Scale - amzn.to/3UsnxME
Pin Gage set (Measure Orifice) - amzn.to/3QcdB7q
Amp Meter - amzn.to/3TKFvsQ
MJJC Pro V2 Foam Cannon - amzn.to/4gF4lo3
My pIcks for a setup:
AR 630 TSS - carsupplieswar...
MTM SGS28 - amzn.to/43gn1UA
Active 2.3 Amazon - amzn.to/3RQpHnA
Active 2.3 (Active Website)- shop.activepro...
CARSWITHKEAV23 for 10% off the Active 2.3
Fixfans Retractble Pressure Washer Hose Reel - amzn.to/4c8Kawp
Blushield Kevlar Hose - amzn.to/48TnOfh
Walmart Bucket Dolly - walmrt.us/47rHyaQ
Detail Factory Tire Brush - amzn.to/3Xs1h5R
McKee's Drying Towel - amzn.to/3MNcvgg
Eley Sprayers & Quick Connects - www.eleyhosere...
Car Supplies Warehouse Affiliate - carsupplieswar...?sca_ref=5739083.sTKGe2v031
Obsessed Garage Affiliate Link - obsessedgarage...
Active Affiliate Link - shop.activepro...
Sliplo - HEIDI at or 15% off sliplo.shop/ca...
Items On The Wall Setup:
WaterDrop Spotless - amzn.to/3ZyUSWX
Flow Meter - amzn.to/3ENhE41
CR Spotless DIW20 - amzn.to/3BV2GXz
Carbon Filter 1 Micron - amzn.to/3t4XpMD
Chloramine reduction carbon filter - amzn.to/3tbh4dS
Active 2.0 from Amazon - amzn.to/43q4vZ9
SGS28 Swivel Spray Gun - amzn.to/3dTuKPh
Pressure Washer Hose - amzn.to/3O1HDYp
3 foot Jumper Hose- amzn.to/46BAQxz
MAD Car Care Nozzle Holders - madcarcareprod...
3/8 female QD coupler - amzn.to/3xj224e
1/4 Female Quick Disconnect Set for Wall - amzn.to/48EDMuT
Blueseal Garden Hose Retractable Reel - amzn.to/3RHqdox
Fixfans Pressure Washer Hose Retractable Reel - amzn.to/3LKlZc9
Essential Washer Hose - amzn.to/46z7PCH
Flexzilla Swivel Hose - amzn.to/45urvqp
Brass Garden Hose Angles - amzn.to/3YQ848y
Ridge Washer Nozzles - amzn.to/46cNbbE
15 inch heater hose - amzn.to/46rSP9o
Blue Monster Tape - amzn.to/3ZArFep
Union Valve - amzn.to/3jSv2wI
Union Fitting- amzn.to/3E7ZMRs
Washing Machine - amzn.to/3K7rktU
Products I use
Active Short Gun - shop.activepro...?sca_ref=2600661.YNbljSrmHt
Cart - amzn.to/3jNalzz
Solo Battery Powered Sprayer - amzn.to/3u6IxKe
Kingkast Waterproof Gloves - amzn.to/3oGitnZ
Syphlid Waterproof Garden Shoes - amzn.to/31Cdhc9
Awesome Multi Tool "Wonder Wrench" - amzn.to/3ghAOTM
De-Ionization - amzn.to/3yNH8bZ
VE52 Pressure Washer - amzn.to/3fWWqp9
VE52 Pressure Washer Alternative (Same unit different cosmetics) - amzn.to/2WrBNK6
MJJC Foam Cannon - amzn.to/3v00rO6
MJJC Site - www.mjjc.com/c...
Firehose Nozzle - amzn.to/3d9SKLv
Brass Garden Hose Shutoff valve De-Ionization - amzn.to/3d39O93
Small EZ Detail Brush - amzn.to/3i72Qzu
Tire Brush - amzn.to/3ARRh9X
#carwash #pressurewasher #carwashing

[@diydetailofficial]

Great review. Making your own , looking forward to that.

[@CarsWithKeav]

Thank you, will be a fun journey.

[@CCMINC]

@CarsWithKeav I have a very similar setup with my North Star pressure washer, Item# 1571103 with total stop. It's rated at 3000psi and 2.5 gpm but that may be slightly overstated. My test gauge does read low compared to other people I've seen on KZbin that have tested some other pressure washers I have had in the past, Kranzle 1122 tst, Active 2.0 and AR630tss. I did a quick test on my KZbin channel on my North Star unit and I was impressed. I was also going back and forth between the 5.5 and 6.0 tips like you were with this pressure washer you tested in this video. I do love this North Star unit plus it can be bought locally at Northern Tool right now for only $1,349 vs $1,599 regular price. It is a 230v pressure washer but that wasn't a deal breaker for me because I had easy access to my breaker panel to add the 230v outlet. You should test this North Star unit next plus it's on sale now cheaper than I've ever seen it. I love watching your channel and keep up the awesome content!

[@CarsWithKeav]

@@CCMINC Thanks so much I have been looking at the North Star machines. Did the one you buy have the auto start/stop I know Most of them don’t have them. 230v is the only way to get the big numbers and keep the amps down.

[@Vectorr66]

Looks cool! I am still thinking at this point the Active 2.0 is the most cost affective 15 amp basic at this point. We need more at this price point in my opinion. In time I am sure.

[@CarsWithKeav]

Absolutely it is the most cost effective you can get for the performance. The reason is because of that patented 5 piston pump. Nobody else can get that water flow on their pumps in that price range.

[@ThisOldDetailingDude]

Great review! I agree 100% with you Keav. I just want the pump/ pressure washer. Maybe the cart. AR what are you thinking? Keav if you make your own? Count me in to make my own as well. Based on your videos. Thank you 🙏 keav.

[@CarsWithKeav]

Should be a fun journey to make my own piecing this stuff together.

[@DeltaKilo77]

It sounds like you will but I'd be interested in how you'd improve the whole kit. What casters you might upgrade to. Hose upgrade and so on. Thanks for the nice review. It's the pump I want.

[@CarsWithKeav]

I just want that pump like 90% of everybody out there. They are losing some great sales by making it kit only.

[@jaydstewart]

Can we comment on the fact that your garage lights flickered every time you pulled the trigger with the initial setup?! That thing is a beast and sucks some serious amps!! Excellent review!

[@CarsWithKeav]

For some reason just about every pressure washer does in the garage even though they are on separate breakers. It does suck serious amps and the outlet is 20AMP, but there is a 30amp breaker for it. Main problem is my meter doesn’t show initial amps only after a few seconds so I don’t see the initial draw. I need to find something that shows the initial draw.

[@Notdb1gabe]

Can you do dual riobys lmao for under 230$ you get the same ar630 numbers

[@CarsWithKeav]

@@Notdb1gabe You’ll actually get better numbers than an AR630. It would cost more than $230 though, but way less than an AR of course you’ll still be stuck with two Ryobis that will only have so much lifespan and not rebuildable. You would need some good quality adapters and backflow preventers as well plus you would need two separate electrical outlets both on their own breaker. Chem X did something similar on their KZbin channel. kzbin.info/www/bejne/mKLFopqteddpns0si=DziE95twmOrdZfIS

[@AndreasKontodimas]

american spec is just too little for europe use.. what is 3gallons max ? at 1000 psi it means 70bars? just to little for the money. you can buy a kranzle with this money that delivers 3much as this

[@CarsWithKeav]

No Kranzle on a 110v in the U.S. can touch this machine. They can barely deliver 2 GPM. This is the most powerful you can buy on the American market for our 110v power grid. You can add a 240v to your garage to get more power, but most don’t have that or it’s difficult to install based on the garages location.

[@FineDetailingAZ]

I want this so bad.....but they can keep all the extra junk. Can you dissemble it from the stand and just mount it like the Active 2.3? I might be willing to spend the money and just sell the extra stuff. ORRRR AR if you see this please just sell this solo!

[@CarsWithKeav]

Yeah it has the same kind of mounting footing as say an AR630 it just weighs more and has a wider footprint than the 2.3 or 630.

[@FineDetailingAZ]

@@CarsWithKeav Good to know. I'll give them some time to see if they decide to sell this solo.

[@69HemiRoadrunner]

I spent about 15 minutes on the phone with one of the team members from AR who was on the team that built it trying to find out if I could by just the pressure washer. They have no intent on selling it separately at least for the rest of this year, he said they may reevaluate in 2025. I tried to explain how dump this was as most people looking for a unit like this already have all of the accessories.

[@FineDetailingAZ]

@@69HemiRoadrunner Good to know, they are missing out on so much revenue keeping it this way. Price it similar to the Kranzle and it will fly off the shelves.

[@69HemiRoadrunner]

@@FineDetailingAZ that's what I thought so I started the journey of building my version of it. I'm calling it the OG Krenzle killer. Hoping for 3-3.25 gpm at 1100-1200psi

[@holdensherman7830]

I'm happy to see your opinion on this one. The casters on mine are even worse, and only two of them lock in place. Did you modify the garden hose inlet? Mine has a metal fitting that's slightly leaky, not the blue plastic one. The TSS system failed on my unit after only 6 washes ,AR was easy to deal with over the phone and sent replacement parts. Looking forward to your build and seeing how you fine-tune this machine. Will this be your daily driver for a while? Thanks again for the great content

[@CarsWithKeav]

AR seems to be great when you call them, but they are out of touch not selling this pump separate as an option. The casters just came in another branded box like they came from Amazon. I’ve heard others are gray as well. It might end up on the shelf if it will fit and not be too heavy.

[@HeBeGB501]

I picked up one of these and reviewed it a couple weeks ago. I had the same exact spray issue with my 40 degree nozzle. My problem ended up being a piece of red thread locker or sealant that was blocking the nozzle orifice.

[@CarsWithKeav]

Strange especially with the size nozzle most things that would block say a Ryobi nozzle would block these so it’s pretty good size chunks.

[@thorodinson7996]

I made something similar for my Kranzle. I purchased a welding cart, put the Kranzle on the botton self and mounted the hose reel on the top shelf.

[@CarsWithKeav]

Very nice the options to create your own setup are limitless at this point.

[@bales]

Sorry for being a pedant, but i came across some vids on the Eley site where the family pronounces it "e-lee"

[@CarsWithKeav]

No need to be sorry being detailed is always a good thing. Problem is once I pronounce it the way I see it almost impossible to train myself to say it any other way. 🤣 I get comments about Ryobi being Ree-obi or Griots pronounced Grios.

[@_mikeey_7828]

We need a review on the clean product line by Pan the Organizer. Especially the coatings

[@CarsWithKeav]

They are on the way Pan is sending them for me to test out. Coatings are shipped I’m just waiting for everything else to try them out in a full process. They used THOR to distribute so might take some time with their orders being delayed.

[@Mo-nj4yi]

I bought pressure water for the first time last week, I didn't know that they don’t work well by water container 😭

[@CarsWithKeav]

Yeah, not many will work with a container except some battery powered ones and Kranzle. Most will work if you have a good gravity feed if not will need a pump.

[@JeepJL]

Keav breaking the bank on this one! For your own built, just get a 240V run to the garage. It’ll pay for itself in smiles, and so much less frustration.

[@CarsWithKeav]

I plan to give a few options many of these motors can be run on 110v and 240v so you can see the difference just have to oversized the pump.

[@1stfrompuertorico568]

First!!!

[@CarsWithKeav]

Exactly where you should be. 🏆

[@s2kologist]

They need to sell this separately, I already have everything else. I guess I could get this and put my old pressure washer on it and sell it like that but no way I will recoup the $ I already paid to get the ar in a kit.

[@CarsWithKeav]

They are missing out on so many sells doing this maybe they will wise up unless they are trying to make sure the AR630 still sells good.

[@whitegoodman7465]

idk why they forcing you to buy all this crap with it when literally everyone interested in buying 20amp 3gpm machine already has ALL the accessories. We dont want that junk, just sell the pressure washer.

[@CarsWithKeav]

Exactly! They are so out of touch with their market audience.

[@sethlover6498]

Would buy this tomorrow if i could buy the washer alone... Also the website says its sold out...

[@CarsWithKeav]

It was sold out for a bit then I saw it available and bought then it was sold out again the next day. They need to sell this separate unless they have too much inventory in all these accessories and this is there plan to sell them.

[@Mr.SparkleOG]

Wow!!! This thing is badass!!! Just wish I could afford it!! 😢

[@CarsWithKeav]

If sold separate it’s much more affordable. Should be $1k, but I think you could build one very similar for $750 which I plan to do at some point.

[@ns7w386]

@@CarsWithKeav Canpump has some nice models around $650-850. If possible step up to a 230V model. A lot of houses have EV plugs in the garage now.

[@CarsWithKeav]

@@ns7w386 Some of the cheaper can pumps I don’t think can do this type of GPM of course I don’t have the funds to try them all out. 🤣 I will most likely use a can pump for the one I want to build as they are cheaper. Hardest thing is finding the right pressure switch unloaded valve combo. For sure 220v is the way to go if you want more power.

[@Ray-Chien]

I like that it's built on the the cart and the hose reel, but everything else seems redundant to me

[@CarsWithKeav]

Yeah, they should have given options on what you want instead of this whole kit.

[@theunkownmr.562]

2.7 gallons for a big ole pressure washer like that isn't enough. I'd need at least 3.0 gpm to switch to something like that.

[@CarsWithKeav]

Plenty out there just need a 220v outlet to get that kind of performance. This might be the most you can absolutely get on a single outlet on a 110v. You can take multiple pressure washers to combine the flow, but you need multiple dedicated outlets.

[@theunkownmr.562]

@@CarsWithKeav if I make an investment into 220, at that point, I'd rather go dual Kranzle.

[@mundymulligan665]

Hey Keav, I am curious (I have never looked it up.) Is there any possibility that the 5/16" hose restricts flow on that pump? I know it doesn't on smaller pumps. I was just thinking about it. Loved this review. I want one, I just want the pump unit, no stand, no hose, no rell, no gun or accessories, just the pump with motor!

[@CarsWithKeav]

Yeah, just give me the motor, pump and don’t forget the pressure switch. I might try with a different hose to see if anything is different. 5/16 should not have a problem with that flow even Active is making their new hose at that width. I did have restriction on the comet 1700 pressure washer where my setup got more psi and GPM at much less amps.

[@mundymulligan665]

@@CarsWithKeav That makes sense. I asked because of what you saw with the Comet. I truly enjoy what you do. Thanks again.

[@CarsWithKeav]

@@mundymulligan665 Appreciate that!

[@FlightRobXIII]

Hi Keav! I have a general question for you: When I take the "wand" off my Westinghouse electric pressure washer and put the MJJC 3.0 in place of it to run it, it seems to run okay but in the middle of foaming the pressure washer will die down/struggle and I have to completely stop/shut it off and wait. What could be causing this? Does not happen if I just run the wand as usual, even for 30 mins straight. Love your vids, thanks!

[@CarsWithKeav]

Possibly the orifice nozzle in the foam cannon is too much for the machine or something lodged in the orifice opening causing the machine to overheat. That is all I can think of as an issue. Except maybe the filter is clogged up and not along flow through causing stress on the machine.

[@FlightRobXIII]

@@CarsWithKeav I’m thinking the first piece as it happened when everything was all brand new. You’re the man! Sorry for the general question on an unrelated video but I was desperate, lol!

[@CarsWithKeav]

@@FlightRobXIII All good always glad to help.

[@chausonharmon693]

Keav is on a cut good job on the weight loss

[@CarsWithKeav]

Thanks so much! A little at a time is adding up.

[@AntLive29]

Do you think Matt would consider it the best?

[@CarsWithKeav]

If sold separate and if it fits his website he will. Which most likely it won’t as it’s too close in price to his Kranzle and he has the AR630 as the more budget friendly version. He would rather sell you a dual AR630 setup I would think.

[@rhsab1]

Excellent review Keav! Keep up the good work

[@jarmago7750]

Awesome review, brother! Cheers!

[@CarsWithKeav]

Thank You

[@border056]

Wow, that thing looks insane.

[@CarsWithKeav]

It is for sure especially on a 110v

[@wescat2]

Gosh what a great PW. Marketplace all the accessories 😅

[@CarsWithKeav]

You won’t get much except for maybe the cart. Might get $250 for the accessories.

[@wescat2]

@@CarsWithKeav slap a Chemical Guys sticker on it. They'll eat that up. Probably pay double.😅

[@CarsWithKeav]

@@wescat2 🤣🤣🤣

[@unreviewed]

Cool looking unit.

[@CarsWithKeav]

Agreed it sure is.

[@Ole_Lige]

Just get a ar630 tss

[@CarsWithKeav]

That’s a great machine, but this machine is so much better if they would just sell it separate. It’s a 630 on steroids.

[@Ole_Lige]

@@CarsWithKeav it’s about 850.00 for the 630, how much are you thinking for the rca3-pro stripped down ? I agree the added stuff is basically junk, and things people already have

[@CarsWithKeav]

@@Ole_Lige if you base their pro 630 cart is $1650 and this one is $1780 I think it would be $1k to $1100. You can grab a 630 at car supplies warehouse free shipping for $780, but it’s $899 on the AR website.

[@Ole_Lige]

@@CarsWithKeav 1100.00 at the most sounds good..lol

[@FrankoDetails]

wow, that’s a lot of water! you’re right it’s a shame it isn’t sold without all the extras 😜🐿️💨

[@CarsWithKeav]

AR many times I have seen they are out of touch with their customer base in the U.S.

[@contactcr]

Probably ditch the extension cord and meter on something like this and use a clamp multimeter directly at the plug or with a special plug that splits the wire

[@CarsWithKeav]

I usually always do directly in the plug just easier to see in the video this way. I had already test led directly and got the same results. The extension cord was well within what I thought was enough at 12awg and only 50ft. I do probably need a better way to measure amps. Biggest problem I have with my current meter is it shows the draw after a few seconds so I never see the initial bigger draw when it starts up.

[@contactcr]

@CarsWithKeav gotta get a HVAC style clamp meter with peak hold. Does the motor have a sticker or anything with more info?

[@69HemiRoadrunner]

@@CarsWithKeav Keav, Which unit are you using? I am currently using the PN2500 as its rated for 25 amp, I got off of Amazon, it reads really quick and holds the peak current reading and also has an app for your phone so you don't have to be in direct line of site to read it.

[@CarsWithKeav]

@@69HemiRoadrunner Mine is just a cheap $11 one from Amazon. 🤣 I do think the 5/16 Uberflex hose might be restrictive cause a bit more amps. Going to try a 3/8 hose to see if I can alleviate some amps.