Stanley SHP2150 2150 PSI Electric Pressure Washer Review

We bought the Stanley SHP2150, and tested it against the competition with a rigorous testing metric, analyzing its performance at cleaning, portability, noise production, and ease of use. The Stanley SHP2150 is an electric pressure washer that consistently provided an acceptable result across all our metrics. What sets it apart from other models is its emphasis on universal onboard storage, providing storage space for every one of its appendages on its frame.

Performance Comparison

Cleaning

Accounting for 45% of our total score, our cleaning metric is drawn from the speed it cleans a soiled carpet, how much force it excises on a specific point, and the empirical calculation of the device's cleaning units. The Stanley SHP2150 performs alright across these tests, performing consistently but not exceptionally.

Our first test is to identify how well and quickly the Stanley SHP2150 cleans a carpet stained by activated charcoal. Both attempts performed consistently, falling in the low seven minutes to provide a clean result. While not as good as higher-performing models, the Stanley SHP2150 nonetheless performs noticeably better than lower scorers in the cleaning metric.

Paired against our homemade bocce ball test, the Stanley SHP2150's concentrated force was able to keep a ball suspended at nearly three feet, a middle-of-the-road performance. Our last facet of the Cleaning metric is empirical testing of this pressure washer's cleaning units. Attaching a pressure gauge, we took a pounds per square inch measurement of 1475 and gallons per minute result of 1.02 The product of these two measurements produces a cleaning units score of 1504, about 600 units less than the average of our models.

Portability

Our portability metric accounts for 30% of the final score, and the Stanley SHP2150 is an all-around middle-of-the-road performer. We take into account the weight, ease of storage, and how easy it is to maneuver this pressure washer.

The Stanley SHP2150 is a remarkably light pressure washer, and comes equipped with an adjustable handle, like that of a suitcase. However, the adjustability works best for storage, as taller users will continually find it somewhat uncomfortably low. We did find the button to adjust is easier to operate if you wiggle the handle. Despite coming equipped with two small wheels, our extensive pushing and pulling on the Stanley SHP2150 found that it works the best on paved ground, but even then, it does not offer a smooth ride. The wheels suffer a lot pulling through grass, with the base of the Stanley SHP2150 providing cumbersome drag; this pressure washer is practically impossible to push through the grass.

Noise

The Stanley SHP2150 performs best in our Noise metric, which constitutes 15% of the final score. This model is one of the quietest pressure washers we tested.

We calculate our Noise metric by taking two measurements with our SPL meter, taking one sample right beside the Stanley SHP2150, and another twenty-five feet away. Alongside this pressure washer, we recorded measurements averaging 73.3 decibels. Twenty-five feet away, our SPL meter recorded an average of 65.5 decibels. To help make some sense of this data, the average decibel count right next to a vacuum cleaner is roughly 70 decibels.

Ease of Use

The Stanley SHP2150 shines again in our Ease of Use metric, which accounts for 10% of the final score, outperforming most other models we tested. Our tests aim to subjectively rate how well the pressure washer accommodates connections, hose and power cord storage, and various other necessities.

Although it lacks quick connections, the Stanley SHP2150 offers plenty of room to hook up hoses. The pressure and garden hose hookups are on the same side, but there is no interference when connecting thanks to adequate space between them. This pressure washer lacks a wide base and only offers moderate stability. However, the convenient lack of a gas engine, and the subsequent no maintenance, cannot be understated.

The Stanley SHP2150 offers up a robust offering of onboard storage options, for its hose, power cord, nozzles, and soap spray bottle. The 24.5-foot hose has a medium-sized hook on the back of the pressure washer. The 35-foot power cord also comes equipped with several hooks near the top of the machine, with perhaps slightly too much room, as we found ourselves with a messy wind up several times. A slight nitpick we have is that there is no good place to place the plug. The spray nozzle has easy and convenient storage on the wand, and the rubber holder was secure throughout our testing. Lastly, the soap spray bottle, although separate from the machine, has an onboard designated storage spot. With measurements on the side, it is a solid product, with our only complaint being a slightly too small opening, with likely spillage during filling.

Value

The Stanley SHP2150 is a very appropriately priced pressure washer. There are definitely better and worse models, but the Stanley SHP2150 would be a good investment for whoever needs a pressure washer now and then. If you frequently use one, however, we would recommend a higher-scoring one.

Conclusion

The Stanley SHP2150 is a consistently middle-of-the-road pressure washer. It neither achieves the incredible highs nor the sinking lows of other models, but consistently offers an acceptable job. Despite its faults, this would be a great pressure washer for those doing cleaning work around the house and want the convenience of an electric pressure washer.