Review: Simpson MS60921 3,300 PSI at 2.4 GPM Pressure Washer

None of us enjoy the endless mud that works its way into every nook and cranny of a machine. It's the worst. If you live on the West Coast and play in the desert, we East Coasters envy you. For most of us, no matter how many hours we spend pointing a garden hose at a muddy machine, there will still be a lovely cascade of dirt falling from somewhere. That's where Simpson Cleaning has you covered. Simpson makes some of the best budget-friendly residential pressure washers on the market and we recently put one of the company's most popular models to the test.

The Simpson MegaShot MS60921 is a portable 3,300 psi pressure washer capable of 2.4 gallons-per-minute (GPM) output. When you’re considering a pressure washer for cleaning vehicles it’s important to set some expectations and rules right up front. Less is more when it comes to pressure, or psi. You’re not looking to strip paint, blow parts off the machine, or blast a hole through the ground. The 3,300 psi rating is honestly more than anyone cleaning UTVs needs. Most automotive detailers recommend pressures around 1,400–1,800 psi to avoid damage issues. Those numbers are smack dab in the electric pressure washer realm. In contrast, you want as much volume, or GPM, as you can get. Water is the mode in which the dirt is removed from the vehicle. The more water, the better. With that being said, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a low-pressure high-volume pressure washer at an affordable price. Electric units may have the safety of lower pressures but they generally lack water volume output. Luckily the solution is simple: Either buy a gas unit and stand further away from the vehicle, or find a unit with adjustable pressure regulation.

Our Simpson pressure washer came well-equipped with the venerable Honda GC190 engine and everything needed to get to work. The Honda unit utilizes an easy-to-operate on/off switch, an auto-choke system, and a light pull-to-start mechanism. Out of the box you will need to fill the motor with the supplied 10w-40 oil before your first start. The GC190 is coupled to an OEM Technologies axial cam pump with thermal relief for consistent output. The exhaust is rated at 63 decibels. The welded steel frame has been powdercoated for durability and corrosion resistance and integrates a holder for the wand, hose, and nozzles into the handle. Simpson includes a basic gun-type handle with M22 connection, quick-connect rated spray lance with five color-coded nozzle tips. A 25-foot-long MorFlex 1/4-inch high-pressure hose comes supplied to connect the pump to the gun. We noted a solid premium feel to the hose. The five quick-connect nozzle tips store in the frame handle for easy access; 0-degree, 15-degree, 25-degree, 40-degree, and soap. We generally use the 25-degree tip but recommend the soap tip for gently cleaning out the floor pans.

Dimensions (LxWxH): 34 x 21 x 24 in.

Weight: 66 lb.

Warranty: The made-in-the-USA Simpson MegaShot lineup offers a two-year limited warranty on the engine, one-year limited warranty on the pump, and five-year limited warranty on the welded steel powdercoated frame. The included accessories come with a 90-day limited warranty. Price: We paid $399.99 plus tax for our Simpson model.

Additional Notes: We liked the minimal feel of this unit thanks in part to the missing soap dispenser reservoir and compact frame. You do get a siphon hose in the box in case you want to suck some soap into your machine, but thanks to modern foam sprayers, the included soap dispensers are no longer needed when cleaning vehicles. If you do use the siphon hose, it'll pull at a 7:1 ratio. We opted for our quick-connect foam cannon. Additionally, the 10-inch air-filled tires are good for gravel driveways and rolling around shops.

Other Options: A harder-to-source Kohler-powered option is also available that bumps pressure up to 3,400 psi and volume up slightly to 2.5 GPM but still keeps you in Simpson's residential lineup. If you're looking to jump into the commercial line, we'd recommend the $799.99 PowerShot PS60869 for the upgraded Honda GX270 engine and higher 3.5 GPM rating. For those of you with no budget ceiling we'd point you in the direction of the $1,249.99 Simpson Aluminum ALH 4240 with its Honda GX390 motor and CAT cold-water pump. This thing pumps out 4,200 psi at 4.0 GPM.

We purchased our Simpson MegaShot MS60921 same-day at our local Tractor Supply store. They had four other boxes on the shelf, which tells us this model is readily available in most areas. Having plucked it from the shelf that morning, we were washing our new long-term Polaris RZR Pro XP 4 within an hour. A quick google search provides thousands of five-star reviews from happy customers, which helps to back up how popular this model is. The Simpson MS60921 pressure washer is affordable, easy to operate, and reliable to own. It’s a machine you won’t have to think about to support your UTV lifestyle. A tool that just works.