We know power cleaners aren't as powerful as pressure washers, but they have their uses and have always been popular with DIY brands. If so, why would a specialty brand like DeWalt make something like this? We're taking a closer look at the DeWalt 20V Max Cordless Power Cleaner to find out.
advantage
- Much higher water volume than competitors
- pressure higher than most
- 2 gear selection
- Onboard Nozzle Storage
- Runs on any DeWalt 20V Max or FlexVolt battery
shortcoming
- heavier than most competitors
- There is no gasket on the battery cover
The DeWalt DCPW550 is capable of producing 550 PSI with the included 15° nozzle. With the same nozzle, you can get 1.0 GPM. However, you can actually hit 2.2 GPM at lower pressures, which is more than double what most powerful vacuums offer.
That's fine, but if you're new to heavy-duty cleaners, it probably doesn't mean much.
Just like a pressure washer, it is the combination of pressure and flow that cleans efficiently. The pressure loosens the gunk and the water washes it away. In fact, the DeWalt has near the highest pressure and highest water flow, which means it will give you a more efficient power clean than any competitor.
That said, you won't be pressure washing your driveway with this tool. Instead, it's a great tool for cleaning things that a pressure washer might be too strong for, using more pressure than a hose nozzle. Here are some things you can safely clean (but there's more!):
- car
- Boat
- ATV/UTV
- muddy boots
- wicker or patio furniture
- bike
- Screen
DeWalt 20V Max Cordless Power Cleaner Design Notes
size and weight
Power cleaners like the DeWalt DCPW550 aren't much bigger than a pressure washer stick. From head to tail, this measures 40.5 inches.
It's on the heavy side for a tool of this class—7.4 lbs, with a 5.0Ah battery. As a two-handed tool, it's not all that cumbersome. For the way we've been using it, we'd rather have the higher performance that the DeWalt offers than trade it for less weight.
2 speed
This is one of only a few models with multiple speeds. High gives you the best performance and low extends your run time. We have plenty of DeWalt batteries so we don't have to worry too much about conserving battery and running on high all the time.
no pressure
One of the great things about electric cleaners is that they don't require a pressurized water source to work like a pressure washer. DeWalt includes a 20' siphon hose with bare tool and kit. Drop it into a bucket of water, drum, rain barrel, or even a lake. As long as it's a fresh water source, it's fine.
You can still use the standard hose if that's more convenient, and there's a quick adapter in the package.
nozzle storage
DeWalt made an unusual move by using a standard pressure washer nozzle instead of the swivel nozzle found on most electric cleaners. We're very happy with this call, especially since you can store 3 spares on the tool itself.
It comes with 15°, 25°, 40° and turbo nozzles, so if you need to make changes on the fly, you have everything you need with just one nozzle.
water + electricity
The idea of running a tool like this and splashing water around sounds like a bad idea for batteries. DeWalt neatly protects it with a battery cover. There's no gasket around it, though, so it's really just a splash guard.
We checked the batteries, all the way down to the 12.0Ah FlexVolt pack, and they all fit perfectly.
Additional features
- including soap bottle
- Includes storage bag
- Compatible with all DeWalt 20V Max and FlexVolt batteries
DeWalt 20V Max Cordless Power Cleaner Price
The bare metal (DeWalt DCPW550B) is $149, and the kit (DeWalt DCPW550P1) is $199. Either way, you get a siphon hose, nozzle, hose adapter, soap bottle, and storage bag. The kit adds a 5.0Ah battery and charger. When we first saw the pricing, we assumed the kit would have a 2.0Ah battery, so we were happy to see a 5.0Ah in there.
the bottom line
The DeWalt 20V Max Cordless Electric Vacuum has many uses, from job cleaning to cleaning on your next adventure. Keeping in mind what a power cleaner is designed to be compared to a pressure washer, it can be a valuable addition to your home or business. Considering what the competition has to offer, DeWalt has the best overall cordless power cleaner on the market right now.
See more DeWalt Outdoor Power Equipment here.
DeWalt 20V Max Cordless Power Cleaner Specifications
- Model: DEWALT DCPW550
- Power: DeWalt 20V Max or FlexVolt battery
- Maximum pressure: 550 PSI
- Maximum Flow: 2.2 GPM
- Speed: 2
- Length: 40.5 inches
- Weight: 5.6 lbs bare, 7.4 lbs with 5.0Ah battery
- Warranty: 3 years
- Price: $149 bare, $199 kit with 5.0Ah battery