Is Harbor Freight's Portland Pressure Washer Worth It? Here's What Owners Say

Harbor Freight has been a consistent favorite among handymen, DIYers, and everyone in between. Each location is full of power tools, hand tools, safety equipment, and so much more. Sweetening the deal, the store is rather cost effective, boasting multiple excellent finds for under $50. One such reasonably-priced piece is the Portland corded electric pressure washer, which runs $89.99. It features a 20-foot hose and adjustable nozzle, with a maximum pressure of 1,750 PSI. With that information alone, it seems like a decent buy, but is it truly worth the money? Many of those who've taken it for a spin have a lot to say about it.

Overall, most Portland owners are content with their pressure washer purchase, albeit not overjoyed by any means. "It's fine for washing the car and hosing down the deck every now and then. I'm not sure it would be up to the task of a serious pressure cleaning, though," wrote Redditor u/chaddgar, with u/MrPeterson15 claiming it's perfectly fine for occasional use. "Lots of car washes, several picnic table refreshes, and a deck. I'm not expecting it to last forever either – lots of fragile parts, but I don't regret buying it," added u/blazeorangeredneck in another thread about the pressure washer, giving a pretty modestly positive assessment of it. Meanwhile, some don't have much good to say about this Portland pressure washer.

While many have reported good experiences with the Portland 1,750 PSI pressure washer, there are numerous whose anecdotes lean in a more negative direction. For instance, u/BigRyRy84 wrote, "Well.. it worked for about 15mins albeit I kind of suspected something was not quite right as it would randomly lose pressure and smelt like a burning clutch. After about 15mins it just died and would not turn on after a few seconds." They even purged their brand new unit of water right out of the gate, but it made no difference. They ultimately chose to return the pressure washer to Harbor Freight. u/phobos2deimos also had their unit break down in short order, estimating maybe a full five hours of use out of it spread out over a year.

A now-deleted Reddit user also spoke on their bad experience with the Portland washer, detailing the key issues with it fresh out of the box. "1.) It was brand new and it already had a minor oil leak from the pump 2.)the gaskets/seals on the pump looked like they were melting(?) Or they were bleeding black into the pump oil, possibly made from incompatible materials? 3.) The GFCI plug on it sucks, change it out to a good one," they said. Nevertheless, they got a few years out of their unit before handing it off to their neighbor. Unfortunately, as evidenced by a separate thread by u/Mr_Elroy_Jetson, the oil leak issue isn't uncommon.

In the experience of several owners — and former owners — the Portland pressure washer isn't perfect. Thankfully, some have gone out of their way to share how it could be improved upon with a few tweaks. One of these individuals was Redditor u/Stefanskis_Basement, who went through the trouble of listing out a host of upgrades one can add to their Portland to have it working at its best. They linked to a better hose, a quick connect kit, a foam cannon, and more, which can come in handy if you're looking into the Portland as a means to clean your car, especially. In another Reddit thread, u/manuel_transmission recommended a new hose as well as a spray gun and extended spray wand kit.

So, is Harbor Freight's Portland 1,750 PSI pressure washer the be-all end-all of pressure washers? Apparently not, as there's potential for several different things to go wrong as soon as it's up and running for the first time, and the water pressure itself can leave much to be desired. For some, that's enough to instead shop for a unit by one of the many other major pressure washer brands. At the same time, if you end up with a unit that's free of leaks and doesn't output concerning smells, you'll likely find it's well worth the price. Implement some part upgrades or modifications, and shop during the best times of year for Harbor Freight deals and discounts, and surely that statement will only prove more true.