REASONS TO BUY
Highly portable
Inexpensive
Quiet
REASONS TO AVOID
Disappointing cord and hose storage
Limited cleaning power
Ryobi discontinued the RY141612.
Ryobi RY141612 Review
The compact RY141612 is great for light work but can't compare to the cleaning power of top models for heavy-duty applications
By Austin Palmer ⋅ Senior Review Analyst ⋅ November 27, 2019
Contributions From: Ross Patton
RELATED: The Best Pressure Washers
Our Verdict
If you are looking for a compact pressure washer for light-duty cleaning projects, then the Ryobi RY141612 is a solid choice. It's easy to use and easy to clean but can't come close to matching the top-tier models when it comes to cleaning power. If you are looking for a pressure washer that can strip paint or stain or remove years' worth then this isn't the machine for you, but it should be more than capable for routine cleaning tasks, like keeping your home, camper, or patio furniture in tip-top shape.
Our Analysis and Test Results
This machine is also one of the most portable units we have tested to date, making it a good choice if you are constantly lugging your pressure washer around to various places. It doesn't take up a ton of space and is so light and easy to carry around that we didn't miss its lack of wheels.
This compact unit from Ryobi is good for light-duty cleaning but can't match the power of the larger models.
Credit: Ian Pearman
Likes
It is mainly the compact nature and ease of use that sets the lightweight Ryobi 141612 apart from the rest of the group. It is easy to carry and move around but the wand can be a bit cumbersome and bulky, depending on how you strap it on.
The Ryobi RY141612 is one of the easiest to carry.
Credit: Ian Pearman
The 141612 weighs in at a measly 15.6 lbs and doesn't take up a huge amount of floor space, with the main unit only taking up a little more than a square foot. The hose and wand take up a bit more space, but you can always disconnect the wand and hang it above the since the quick-disconnect makes it easy to take on and off.
The Ryobi 141612 is also one of the more hassle-free pressure washers to use. There is plenty of room to hook up the garden hose — though it doesn't have quick-disconnects. It does have some decent built-in storage for the hose and cord with a velcro strap but it still can get a bit messy.
We liked that the RY141612 offers ample room for your hand when tightening the hose connection.
Credit: Ross Patton
The 141612 is also one of the quietest units of the entire group, with our sound level meter only registering 77.6 decibels of noise if you are right next to the machine and a little more than 65 decibels if you are 25' away. This is an electric pressure washer so it only requires minimal maintenance to keep it running properly.
This Ryobi model didn't do the best in our cleaning power tests.
Credit: Ian Pearman
Dislikes
We found the cleaning power of the Ryobi 141612 to be the biggest disappointment with this product. It just can't match the raw power of the top models with its meager 1609.2 cleaning units, derived from a measured 1490 PSI and 1.08 gallons per minute flow rate. For reference, this is less than half of the cleaning units of the most powerful models.
It also took us much longer to remove the activated carbon from the carpet in our cleaning speed test, usually taking us around eight minutes to accomplish the same task that it took four minutes with the top products. However, we were slightly impressed with the performance of the Ryobi at the testing tough with the bocce ball. It lifted the ball 3.6' up the trough — it's not the best, but we thought it would do quite a bit worse given its earlier performances.
The RY141612 lifted the bocce ball about half as high as the most powerful units.
Credit: Ross Patton
Aside from its lacking cleaning power, our only other complaints with this machine are its so-so storage options and fairly lackluster nozzles. It doesn't have a dedicated spot for the wand, though you can use the velcro strap to hold it with the cord and hose. However, this does get quite messy. The included nozzles are fine but overall we thought they seemed a bit cheap to us.
Overall, we weren't particularly impressed with the included nozzles on this machine.
Credit: Ian Pearman
Value
The Ryobi 141612 is a so-so value option, costing a little bit more than some of the other light-duty electric models. However, it would be a solid option if you find it on sale — even a slight discount would make this a strong contender for those shopping on a tight budget.
Conclusion
The 141612 is a so-so pressure washer that is compact and easy to move but is a bit of a letdown when it comes to cleaning things. It is quiet and decently convenient to use but other models cost a bit less and perform almost identically — if not better!
—Austin Palmer and Ross Patton
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