Although I have always coveted pressure washers, I have always resisted the temptation to get one. There’s already too much stuff in my garage, and I couldn’t justify taking up space with something with wheels that I can’t ride. So, I relied on my garden hose, which has good pressure, and a sprayer attachment. However, the Worx Hydroshot Ultra cordless power cleaner has won me over.
The two initial big positives for me are that the Worx Hydroshot Ultra is easy to use and requires little storage space. The unit is powered by a pair of 20-volt 4.0Ah lithium-ion batteries, and the pump motor is integrated into a hose between the power nozzle and the water source. With the unit weighing in at just over nine pounds, pretty much anyone can handle it. Once you’re done using it, the array can hang on a wall while the batteries recuperate in a charger.
Assembling the Worx Hydroshot Ultra for use was child’s play—which means I did it with the manual’s assistance. My past performances with assembly are mixed, though mostly poor. In the case of the Hydroshot Ultra, I put it all together without a hitch—a small miracle.
Opening the box, the first order of the day is to get juice to the pair of Worx 20-volt batteries—the charger is included. These are the same 20-volt units Worx uses in its battery-operated power tools. Okay, that was easy.
Now it’s time for is the assembly of the pieces. The owner’s manual is decent. The downside is that all the illustrations are in one part of the manual, with the explanations for the drawings in another, so Worx can save pages in the multilingual manual. Be prepared to page back-and-forth along the way, unless you’re mechanically minded. In the latter case, you’ll figure it out without Worx’ help.
To start the assembly process, you install the “pressure cleaning lance” onto the power nozzle—the main unit. I didn’t push hard enough on the first try, as I didn’t want to break it. However, a bit more muscle was applied, and it clicked right into place. It’s worth noting that Worx greases the connection at the factory—nice.
Next, the multi-spray nozzle gets attached to the lance. This took about a second, with another couple of seconds to figure out how it works. No big deal—you simply spin between four detents to select sprays ranging from 40-degrees to a pinpoint.
Finally, the pump motor is attached to the power nozzle—a refreshingly easy task, and it locks together satisfyingly securely. Now, it’s time to go outside and clean something. Fortunately, test rider Ben Karsian went to the great effort of presenting me with a suitably mud-caked Honda CRF110F.
I hooked the Worx Hydroshot Ultra up to my garden hose—just thread it on. The Hydroshot Ultra offers up to 725 psi, depending on your hose pressure. I’m sure I was working with the full 725 psi, as my garden hose has impressive flow. Oh, and there are two power settings, though you didn’t buy this to use the Eco setting, now did you?
I didn’t spray any cleaner on the CRF, as I wanted to see how well the Hydroshot Ultra would do on its own. I started with the 40-degree spray setting, just to be safe.
The 40-degree spray knocked down the low-hanging fruit, but didn’t make the muddy CRF110F spic-and-span. Turning the multi-spray nozzle to 15 degrees stepped things up considerably, with the 0-degree/pinpoint doing the detail work admirably. The upside is that the pressure from the Worx Hydroshot Ultra isn’t excessively powerful, so stickers, bearings, seals, and other sensitive pieces aren’t damaged. However, the CRF110F needed some more work.
I trotted out the VP Racing PowerWash Moto Formula Spray, which is designed to work on a wet motorcycle. I sprayed it on and waited the recommended two minutes or so. I returned the multi-spray nozzle to 40-degrees and went at it again. This made a huge difference. Only a little wiping here and there was needed to finish the job. Mark me down as impressed.
When you don’t have a garden hose at the ready, an included attachment allows the use of the Hydroshot Ultra with a still water source—bucket, swimming pool, or pond, for example. I filled a pail up and used the unit to wash some mud off my truck. The Hydroshot Ultra did a fine job with the bucketful of water. This provides you with the ability to bring the tool to the track and clean your bike up on-location, as long as there’s some access to water.
While you can’t use soapy water as a source—Worx says it gums up the works—the company will sell you a wide array of accessories to expand the Hydroshot Ultra’s capabilities. Among them are brushes and a soap bottle.
Highly portable and easily storable, the Hydroshot Ultra fits into my moto-lifestyle perfectly. It does a great job of cleaning up dirt bikes, and works on street bikes without worrying about damaging paint or other vulnerable parts. The twin batteries last as long as I’m willing to spend spraying. Overall, the Worx Hydroshot Ultra makes one of the less-glamorous jobs in motorcycle maintenance much less of a hassle, while getting the desired results.
Worx Hydroshot Ultra Cordless Portable Power Cleaner Fast Facts
- Rated pressure: 725 psi
- Flow rate: 1.1 gallons per minute
- Battery voltage: 40 volts (2 x 20 volts)
- Battery capacity: 4.0Ah
- Unit weight: 9.1 pounds
Worx Hydroshot Ultra Price: $299 MSRP