Yard Tools
Corded or cordless pressure washer: which should you buy?
One runs forever within 35 feet of a socket. The other goes anywhere for half an hour. The published numbers make this less of a toss-up than it looks.
Affiliate disclosure: we earn a commission if you buy through our links, at no extra cost to you. It never changes which product we rank first — here is how we're funded.
We have not tested these units. Every spec on this page comes from the manufacturer's own documentation and is linked to it. Every computed figure is arithmetic you can redo. Prices are checked daily — last verified January 1, 1970. Here is exactly how we pick.
Pressure washers are the one yard tool where the corded option is still genuinely competitive, and the reason is simple: a pump running continuously is a much easier engineering problem than a pump running off a battery. The published figures reflect that, and not in the direction most people expect.
The short answer
Comparing them properly: cleaning units
PSI on its own is a bad way to shop. Pressure lifts dirt off a surface; flow carries it away. Multiply them and you get cleaning units, which is the figure that actually tracks how fast a surface gets clean. We set out the full reasoning in the pressure washer buying guide.
The middle line is the interesting one. Greenworks' Eco mode lands within 10% of the corded machine's full output. In other words, the cordless washer detuned to save battery is about as capable as the corded washer flat out — and that is the mode most routine work needs.
The published specs
| Spec | Greenworks 60V cordless | Sun Joe SPX3000 corded |
|---|---|---|
| Max pressure | Up to 3000 PSI | 2030 PSI (max) |
| Max flow | 2.0 GPM | 1.2 GPM (certified rated) |
| Cleaning units at max | 6,000 | 2,436 |
| Reduced mode | Eco: 2200 PSI / 1.0 GPM | None published |
| Runtime | Up to 30 min | Unlimited (mains powered) |
| Power source | 60V battery, dual-battery kits available | 13 A motor |
| Nozzles | Not published on this page | 5 quick-connect (0/15/25/40/soap) |
| Detergent | Not published on this page | 2 x 0.9 L removable tanks |
| Hose / cord | Not published on this page | 20 ft hose, 35 ft cord |
| Safety | Not published on this page | Total Stop System trigger |
From the Greenworks 60V and Sun Joe SPX3000 product pages, checked 3 September 2026. Cleaning-unit figures are our arithmetic. Sun Joe lists this model at both 13 A and 14.5 A across variants — confirm the amperage on the exact SKU before buying.
The specification that usually decides it
Neither pressure nor runtime is the constraint for most households. Reach is.
Measure that against your actual job before you compare a single PSI figure. If the far end of the driveway, the fence line or the boat on the drive sits outside 55 feet of a socket, the corded machine is not a cheaper version of the cordless one — it is a machine that cannot do the job.
#ad Check the Sun Joe SPX3000 Electric Pressure Washer price on Amazon — how we're funded.
What 30 minutes actually covers
Thirty minutes sounds short next to unlimited, and in trigger time it is less restrictive than it sounds: pressure washing is intermittent work with long pauses for repositioning, soaping and scrubbing. What it does rule out is a continuous session — a whole driveway in one go, or a long fence run.
Two mitigations are published. Eco mode at 2200 PSI and 1.0 GPM halves the flow, and Greenworks notes dual-battery kits are available. If you buy this machine for a big job, buy it that way.
#ad Check the Greenworks 60V 3000 PSI Cordless Pressure Washer price on Amazon — how we're funded.
Which one, by situation
- Driveway, patio and car within 55 feet of a socket: corded. Unlimited runtime, five nozzles and two detergent tanks published, and nothing to charge.
- Anything at the far end of a property: cordless. This is the entire reason the category exists.
- You already own Greenworks 60V tools: cordless. The pack is already in the shed and the washer ships tool-only.
- You want the highest output available: cordless, on these two. 6,000 cleaning units against 2,436 is not close.
- Long continuous sessions: corded. Thirty minutes is thirty minutes, however you split it.
What we cannot tell you
We have not run either washer. Pump durability, how close real output sits to the rated maximum, how long a trigger-time half hour lasts in practice, and how either machine copes with a poor water supply are all beyond what these pages publish.
Greenworks also sells several 60V washers at different pressures — check that the SKU in front of you matches the PSI you think you are buying. And on the corded side, confirm the amperage on the exact model, since Sun Joe lists this one two ways.
The products discussed
Specs are the manufacturer's own and linked to the page they came from. Prices come from a live daily check; where we have no verified price we say so rather than print a stale one.
Greenworks 60V 3000 PSI Cordless Pressure Washer
Greenworks · Greenworks 60V · Our score 8.2/10
#ad No verified live price right now, so we show none rather than a stale one. How we're funded.
3000 PSI and 2.0 GPM with no cord, and a published Eco mode that trades pressure for the runtime you actually need.
Published specs
| Max pressure | Up to 3000 PSI |
|---|---|
| Max flow | 2.0 GPM |
| Eco mode | 2200 PSI / 1.0 GPM |
| Runtime | Up to 30 min |
| Power | 60V battery (dual-battery kits available) |
Source: 60V 3000-PSI 2.0 GPM Electric Pressure Washer, greenworkstools.com
What the numbers favor
- Highest published pressure of the two washers here, by nearly 1000 PSI
- No cord -- works anywhere on the property
- Eco mode is published with real numbers (2200 PSI / 1.0 GPM), not just a label
- Shares the Greenworks 60V pack with the rest of that platform
What they don't
- 30 minutes of published runtime against a corded washer's unlimited
- Greenworks publishes several 60V washers at different pressures; check the SKU matches the PSI you are paying for
you wash a driveway twice a year within reach of an outlet. You would be buying 60V packs to solve a problem an extension cord already solves.
How it scores
Scores are our editorial weighting of the published specs above, not a test result. They are deliberately kept out of this page's structured data.
Sun Joe SPX3000 Electric Pressure Washer
Sun Joe · Corded 120V · Our score 7.9/10
#ad No verified live price right now, so we show none rather than a stale one. How we're funded.
2030 PSI rated with five nozzles and a 35 ft cord -- and no battery to size, because it does not have one.
Published specs
| Rated pressure | 2030 PSI (max) |
|---|---|
| Rated flow | 1.2 GPM (certified rated) |
| Motor | 13 A |
| Nozzles | 5 quick-connect (0/15/25/40/soap) |
| Detergent tanks | 2 x 0.9 L, removable |
| Hose / cord | 20 ft hose, 35 ft cord |
| Safety | Total Stop System trigger |
Source: Sun Joe SPX3000 Electric Pressure Washer, shopjoe.com
What the numbers favor
- Runs indefinitely -- no pack to discharge, no runtime figure to reconcile
- Five nozzles included rather than sold separately
- Two removable detergent tanks
- Total Stop System shuts the pump off between trigger pulls
What they don't
- Corded: a 35 ft cord plus an extension is the real working radius
- Sun Joe lists this model at both 13 A and 14.5 A across variants -- confirm the amperage on the exact SKU before buying
- Not on any battery platform, so it shares nothing with the rest of your yard kit
your working area is beyond easy reach of an outdoor outlet. A cordless washer trades runtime for the ability to walk away from the house.
How it scores
Scores are our editorial weighting of the published specs above, not a test result. They are deliberately kept out of this page's structured data.
Where to buy the tools on this page
Every link below is an Amazon affiliate link. We show no price we have not verified today, so where there is no live figure the link says "check price" and takes you to the listing to read it there.
Best cordless
Greenworks 60V 3000 PSI Cordless Pressure Washer
Greenworks · Greenworks 60V
Best corded value
Sun Joe SPX3000 Electric Pressure Washer
Sun Joe · Corded 120V
#ad As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. How we're funded.
Common questions
Is a cordless pressure washer worth it?
What are cleaning units?
How long does a cordless pressure washer run?
Is corded more powerful than cordless?
What is the real working radius of a corded washer?
Which is better for a driveway?
Sources
Read next
- Yard Tools
The tools you buy third and fourth. This is where a platform choice pays off or bites.
- PSI, GPM and cleaning units: how to choose a pressure washer
Cleaning units computed for every washer here, plus gallons per charge on the cordless one.
- Best pressure washer for a home yard
PSI x GPM is the cleaning-power number. Corded and cordless compared on both.
- Corded or cordless: where a cord still wins
Duty cycle decides it. The two jobs where a cable still beats a pack, on published numbers.
- Best cordless tools for storm cleanup
Saw, pole saw and blower on one battery family, with the energy budget for a cleanup day.
- Watt-hours explained: the one number that compares any two battery tools
Volts x amp-hours = watt-hours. Every pack in the registry converted, and why max volts overstates it.