MegaShot

Well, like others, I note that the packaging leaves a lot to be desired. Of course, Mr. FedEx tipped it on its side during the ride to my house, and even though it doesn't come with "oil" there's definitely oil present because the side of the box had a great big stain. Having read all the reviews, I followed the instructions to the letter, but also located the source of the leak and checked the air filter which was unaffected. One thing I'm doing is only using non-ethanol gas. It's still available here in NY, but you have to know what stations carry it and pay a premium price for it. I've found that it's totally worth it for all my small engines. It cuts down drastically on the issues. I was careful to run all of the air out of the water line before I pulled the cord. The Honda motor started on the 3rd pull and runs like a champ. I've used it for 5-6 hours, now and will change the oil before I use it again, as recommended. I've noticed, as others, that there are 2 drain plugs. One has a hole cut through the deck below it, so you can drain into a pan. I've had no issues so far, other than those already mentioned. The spray tips DO rattle out of the "holder". I put them in a ziploc bag and clipped that to the handle. The power of the thing is amazing. I cleaned a Trex deck that had become blackened (we live in the woods) with dirt and mildew stuff, and this thing really made it look great. I used the green tip, which you have to be careful because it will etch Trex and wood if you get it too close. Amazing. The unit is light and easy to move. My wife started it for me a couple times, and it cranked right up. One thing I noticed after about 4 hours of running. It's leaking oil. I'm not too concerned because I can see where it's coming from. The motor unit is dry, but the drain plugs are either not seated fully, or the washers are defective. Either way, I'm not too concerned, since that's an easily correctable issue. I'll edit this if I find out different when I change the oil but I suspect that they were purposely not overtightened at manufacture, and the heat of running may have loosened them up further. I'm not sure about the oil leaks others have experienced but if this is it, then it's not a biggie. Only 4 stars, since there are longstanding issues that Simpson seems to be ignoring (tips, oil leaks, packaging/mailing). I would suggest that they address the tip holder, solve the oil leaks and PROMINENTLY MARK their shipping boxes. One or two tiny this-end-up arrows on a big and heavy cardboard box is apparently not enough for the shippers to notice. It took me a while to find them and I was looking for them. Performance-wise, it has worked real well. I have yet to try all of the spray tips, change the oil, and use it for a more extended time, but so far, so good. Edit 9/27. Oil change was easy. I tightened up the two oil drain plug bolts when I was done. (There's one on each side of the motor. One has a hole in the deck cut under it for easy oil drainage). This stopped the slight oil leak, as I suspected would be the case. I've used for another 8 hours, and it hasn't skipped a beat. I'm using it to clean my house of cobwebs and dirt and it looks brilliant. You have to be careful because it WILL strip paint if you're not careful. I'm very pleased with this investment. No problems so far other than those stated above. I think the oil in the box was a non-issue, but I'd still like to see Simpson take care of it. The extra nozzles must be kept in a bag. I'm going to hang a string bag from the handle to take care of that issue. Edit 10/2021 This thing has been very good. I'm going to up my review to 5 stars. Caveats to buyers: I keep the trigger pulled 98% of the time I'm running this. I do not let it run against itself for more than a minute at a time. I always start it with the trigger pulled. I got this tip from another user and nothing's leaking, everything's working after 5 solid years of ownership. Also, I have put nothing except ethanol-free gas in it from the get-go. I do this for ALL my small engines, but it works. ALWAYS ETHANOL FREE. That little Honda starts first or second pull every time with next to no babying. Also I always empty the hose before storage. It's been a good unit. My only complaint is that the little tip storage rack is worthless. I just put mine in a bag zip-tied to the handle. Also, the machine vibrates enough to walk. They need to include some sort of wheel stops. I recommend this machine IF you are willing to do basic care with the above stuff.

I have recently purchased the Simpson Megashot 3100 PSI pressure washer. Today I got around to trying it out. This is my first pressure washer so I do not have anything to compare it to. My motivation for purchasing this was to clean my cement patio. We have recently built a new house and the back yard is not landscaped it is still dirt and weeds. We have a house dog that tracks mud onto the patio after a rain storm and over time it gets pretty dirty. We decided to invite some friends over for a BBQ and I needed to wash the patio. I got out a bucket of soapy water and a scrub brush and went to work. Exhausting! Enter the Simpson Pressure Washer. I also purchased the Yamaha 15" Surface Cleaner to make the job easier. This did a great job on my patio. I used the soap nozzle to spray a solution of Simple Green on the patio. I started by using the green nozzle to wash off all the leaves and surface crud. (No leaf blower needed here) Then I hooked up the Surface Cleaner and went to work. Excellent! It literally took me longer to move all the BBQ equipment, Grill, Patio Furniture, planters etc and back again than it did to wash the patio. I could easily see the difference between where I had washed and where I hadn't. I also had green algae accumulating that it cleaned well. It did not remove the organic stains that were imbedded in the concrete even with using the other stronger nozzles. I may have to experiment with some type of cleaner. Next I tried it on my Hardy Board siding. Still using the green nozzle as I did not want to strip the paint off I had to get closer to the siding to remove some dirt stains that had accumulated. Remember the closer you are the more pressure you have. I did peel one small spot of paint off of the trim so I backed off a little. It did a good job once I got the hang of how close I needed to be. I was able also to clean some bird poop off my that had hardened on my siding. Then I decided to wash my pickup. I sprayed it with a solution of Meguires car wash soap using the soap nozzle then I put the green nozzle back on and went to work. It did not clean the grime off as I was hoping for but I will need to try getting closer and more concentrated and see if that will work. I am sure it would do a good job of cleaning mud off after a 4x4 mudding excursion! It did however clean those nasty bug splats off my bumper, headlights, and the back of my mirrors. Yea! If you have ever tried scrubbing those off you will know what I mean it is impossible to get those clean. By applying the pressure up close it peeled them right off. Some observations: None of the fittings leaked. I did not have any problems with the nozzles vibrating out of their holders. For a Honda Engine this thing is noisy. Wear ear plugs. The holder for the wand is not real well balanced. The wand should be a few inches longer and have something to catch it on the front tube. The tube frame looks and feels very sturdy and well made. This unit does not come with a soap dispenser. You have to use a bucket and attach the suction hose. It works fine. If you do not relieve the pressure through the wand it will create back pressure in the pump and will not start. Easy to move around. Overall I liked this pressure washer. It worked great for my application and was easy to use. 5 stars!

I recently purchased the Simpson MegaShot MSH3125 pressure washer, and it has been a game-changer for my outdoor cleaning tasks! With a robust 3200 PSI and 2.5 GPM, powered by a reliable Honda GC190 engine, this machine tackles everything from driveway grime to patio mold with ease. 🏡🧽 The setup was straightforward, and the included accessories—such as the 25-foot MorFlex hose, five quick-connect nozzles, and ergonomic spray gun—made the initial use a breeze. The 10-inch pneumatic tires provide excellent mobility, allowing me to maneuver effortlessly around my yard. 🚗💨 One standout feature is its cleaning power. Whether I'm washing the car, cleaning the deck, or prepping surfaces for painting, the MegaShot delivers consistent and impressive results. The adjustable nozzles offer versatility, ensuring I can switch between tasks without hassle. 🎯🧹 While the machine is slightly heavier than some electric models, its performance more than compensates for the added weight. It's an investment that has significantly improved the efficiency and quality of my outdoor cleaning routine. 💰🔧

I purchased this MSH3125 MegaShot Gas Pressure Washer because I needed a washer that can reach the second level of my house from the ground. The pressure washer arrived on time and in excellent condition (clean and undamaged). The unit was packed well with pillows made of expandable foam that filled the box interior… well done! I didn’t use the included 10W30 oil. Instead, I used MaxxOil Pro-Max full synthetic 10W30 oil in the Honda engine, because I use it in my Honda lawn mower and snow blower and really like it for small engines (it has a VERY good high temp performance). I have read many reviews where people had excessive vibrations that would literally shake the pressure washer apart. So I also ordered a Briggs & Stratton 195294GS Engine Mounting Hardware Kit. This engine mounting kit is a nice vibration isolation mounting kit. I only had to slightly open the mounting holes with a 25/64” (0.39”) drill bit to get the isolator mount studs to fit. It was simple to do and now my pressure washer has rubber isolation between the engine/pump and frame like many of the other pressure washers in this class. Much of the excessive vibrations are now gone. There are also several reviews where people say the oil drain on the engine is too close to the frame and that makes it difficult and a mess when draining the oil. The frame engine mounting plate has an opening below the drain plug on the unit I received, making the oil change fairly easy to do. I have only run this pressure washer for about 20 minutes washing 2 cars. It performed very well. The only thing that needs to be pointed out to someone new to operating gas pressure washers is that the high-temp/pressure relief valve on the pump will expel very hot water if the pump/engine is left idling for periods of time. My 30 year old son learned that the painful way while he was standing near the washer when it expelled hot water onto his leg. Even though we feed the pump cool tap water, it will continue to gather heat when being continuously cycled thru the high pressure pump… a squeeze of the trigger on the wand occasionally will keep the relief valve from “relieving” because of the cool water entering the pump. I am giving it 4 stars because it doesn’t come with the isolation engine mounts like many of the other pressure washers in this class. EDIT 7/11/2019: I used the pressure washer for 5 tank-fulls of gas yesterday (all day) without it overheating or any other issues while cleaning the front of my house, driveway and stripping the 15 year old mildew stains from my wooden porch. This pressure washer has met or exceeded all of my expectations. My porch was in such rough shape with mildew stains that I was dreading the expense to replace it. 3200 psi and a few tanks of gas and the porch now looks new again! The washer has already paid for itself 3x over in just the first few days of owning it! EDIT 1/23/2020: Since my last edit on July 11, 2019 I have run this pressure washer to restore a 20 year old cedar fence, washed three porches, washed two houses and used weekly washing our vehicles. The cedar fence took me two full weeks of running the pressure washer 6-8 hours a day. So, I estimate that I have over over 100 hours on the pump and engine now. I winterized the pump by filling the pump with the more expensive pink RV antifreeze (Absolute Zero) which is good to -100 degF. I have changed the oil in the Honda engine twice and I will change it again this spring when I get it ready for another season of cleaning. I only wish that the pump was able to have its oil changed, because that pump really works very hard and fresh oil is NEVER a bad thing to do.

I've had several pressure/power washers before, and this is a great one. When you're shopping for power washers, make sure you look at the flow (amount of water it pushes) as well as the pressure (force at the tip). Most will advertise on the pressure, but the flow will be a small thing off to the side if advertised at all. The flow is how you get debris out of the way and is a pretty important part of using it to clean effectively and quickly. Pros: The power and flow are great, far better then the 'high power' electric ones I've used (those mostly have good pressure but terrible flow), and seemingly on-par with the other gas ones I've used. Engine is a Honda and will likely outlast everything else, easy to start, runs well. Make sure to use the right kind of gas for it and it will last. This one wants E10 or below, but in most small engines I use non-ethanol gasoline because its better for the seals and prevents vapor lock in carborated engines. Cons: The wand holder kinda sucks, its just two bent pieces of metal, if the wand is left attached to the hose, which is not a quick-connect, it will constantly try to flip backwards out of the holder, it needs something to keep the head of the unit from flipping up, which should be pretty easy to make with a piece of metal or bailing wire. Neutral: Folks complain about there not being a soap bottle, this one comes with a hose for that, and if you primarily use this as just a pressure washer, its not a big deal anyway. That is just another piece of plastic that you need to worry about rotting off of the machine, so in my opinion not a big deal unless you really need that feature. Hose is a bit grippy, will snag on things a bit, but you can change/upgrade that later if you like, its not a terrible hose, just not the greatest either.

So like almost anything I buy I always read the reviews first and I have to admit that after reading some of the negative reviews on this pressure washer I had my concerns. With that being said I also realize that some of the complaints had less to do with the actual product and more to do with shipping or packing issues and I think some buyers not understanding the product, how to use it or take care of it. So despite the negative things I read I bought it anyway and I’m not disappointed that I did. When the pressure washer arrived on my front step I immediately noticed the box was a little banged up so I was a bit worried I would find something damaged inside but thankfully that wasn’t the case. The next thing I prepared myself for was for oil to be everywhere inside the box. Many people complained of this issue and again I was pleasantly surprised that I saw almost no oil in the box or on the machine. I opened up the air filter and I found it to be clean and free of oil which was another major complaint of some buyers. Now either I got lucky or maybe Simpson is doing things differently but either way I have no complaints about oil leakage. I found the machine to be packed pretty well and thankfully everything seemed to be in tact. The limited amount of things to assemble went smoothly, I added the oil and off I was to start my first pressure washing project. Like a few people mentioned, the pull start cord is in a slightly inconvenient location however that’s a minor inconvenience. The fact that this machine has a Honda engine was a huge selling point for me so I certainly won’t let the location of the pull start cord discourage me. The handle on the machine is a little low as others have mentioned and if you are really tall I could see this being an inconvenience, since I’m about average height the short handle was a minor problem for me. Do I think the handle should be taller, yes but again this has nothing to do with the performance of the machine. I got the machine started on the 2nd pull and I used it for hours, I ran it so long I used one full tank of gas. The pressure washer performed as good or better than I had expected. I did not have any issues with the machine jumping or rotating in a circle as some have mentioned. The machine was on my driveway and was sitting on a pretty flat, level surface and I didn’t find it to be jumping or vibrating more than usual. I did have the machine off to refuel and I was able to get it started again with no issue which is another thing I found that some had complained about. People had said the engine was difficult to start when hot but I didn’t experience this issue at all. I pressure washed a large concrete patio, some vinyl siding and some vinyl fencing and the machine worked excellent. All of my comments about the performance of the pressure washer are based on only one use so let’s see how this machine performs after multiple uses but I have no reason to believe this machine won’t hold up at this point. It has plenty of power to get just about any job done. The 25’ hose is a decent length but if you don’t want to move your pressure washer when doing big jobs you might want a longer hose. I have ordered an extension piece for the wand to make it longer for some jobs that are harder to reach and I’ve also ordered a turbo nozzle which is a great addition and will make almost any job easier. I also purchased the 3 year extended coverage plan for piece of mind, for the price it is honestly a no brainer. I’ll update my review if I have anything new to add but my advice is to go ahead and buy this machine if you are looking for a pressure washer. I am pleased with its power and performance.

I bought mine in 2013 but we only use it once a year for about an hour so it has less than 20 hours on it. It worked fine the last time it was used but today it wouldn't build pressure. It builds pressure if the gun is off but after one very brief spray, the pressure drops to useless. I took the gun off and ran water through the system but it kept spurting as if air was in the line. I put the end of the high-pressure hose in a jar and ran water through the system (pump off) and it kept spurting bubbles forever. I've put a bolt in the detergent siphon hose which didn't help. So this unit is sucking air in somewhere. Simpson customer service told me it's a pump issue and it's $328 for a new pump. It's $398 for an entire new unit here (March, 2020). I won't buy another one of these. EDIT: I tracked the bubbles down to a loose detergent suction fitting. No more bubbles but still no pressure. I removed the pump from the motor and the woodruff key and the motor shaft were very worn. They still work but not for long. I was going to disassemble the pump but there's no point since individual repair parts aren't available, only the entire pump. I see a Crafstman washer is available at several stores. I may go that way if they still come with manuals that have assembly diagrams and a very complete parts list. But with the state of Sears, parts may not be available in the future. Argg. Amazon lists an almost identical unit to this one but it doesn't use a Honda motor: Tacklife. Probably has the same issues. EDIT (Dec. 2020): I found a replacement pump that is a quick fix. "PEGGAS - Horizontal Pump - 3/4“ Shaft - 3000-3200 PSI" on Amazon. I bought the 3000+ PSI model a while back for $70, it's now $86 (Dec, 2020). It's a direct replacement by removing & reinstalling only 4 bolts. However, I would recommend looking at the shaft key while it's apart. Mine was too short and it was the next thing ready to fail; it was beat up and barely holding. If you damage the engine shaft, it's game over unless you're REALLY determined. I bought a 1 ft. x 3/16" square key stock on ebay for $2. I cut that to fill the entire keyway on both shafts. I started by cutting it a bit too long and kept shortening it until the pump slid on easily with about a 1/16" gap (too long by 1/16"). I then tightened the 4 mounting bolts figuring that the key would mash into the sloping ends of the keyways. Maybe not the best method but it's all good so far. But then: I left it sitting for 4-6 months and it wouldn't start. Soaking the filter with gas (no luck) then acetone caused the motor to backfire through the exhaust AND the intake. Thinking the carb had gelled, I disassembled that, don't bother, it was perfect. If you have backfiring, especially through the intake, it's probably a valve issue. I found that the intake valve was stuck open (from YouTube, this seems common on Honda engines). It was really stuck but I got it to slide with vice grips. I won't go into details but YouTube is your friend here. It was running perfectly when I shut it off so I don't see why the valve would stick just sitting. I chalk it up to a random thing. The engine is Honda GC190 to help your searches. There are a vertical and horizontal model, the fixes are the same for both. This is not really important but I analyzed the failed pump. The spring on each (of 3) valve has a plastic cap on the valve end. The caps serve no purpose that I can see. These had disintegrated leaving a lot of debris, down to microscopic, which worked it's way between the valves and their sleeves. I disassembled and righteously cleaned everything with a final rinse with brake cleaner. The cleaned, failed pump ran fine for about 15 minutes. The smallest particle will seize a valve; it's a lost cause. So, it's working perfectly, at least for now. Hey, what else could go wrong?

This is a review of the Simpson model MSH3125-S with the Honda GC190 engine. The short of it is the unit’s easy to setup and use, starts easy (really, it’s just one pull) and has great cleaning power. The container of engine oil provided with the unit is just the right size, pour it all in the crank case, add gas to the large fuel tank and you’re ready to go. The Honda engine has tons for power and the unit is a blast (pun intended) to use. I’ve already used it to clean my patio, the eaves and house siding. I also purchased a soap lance to use while washing my cars which worked great. My wife was a bit skeptical when I told her I was buying a power washer but after seeing the result with the patio and eaves she’s sold. Definitely 5 stars, if you want to know why read on… I shopped around beforehand and looked a multiple brands, size units and features before deciding on this model. Boy, am I glad I did. If you plan to do any heavy cleaning of decks or prepping a house for painting stay away from the electric units or lower (2000) PSI gas units, you’ll want the 3000+ PSI this size engine puts out. I would also like to note that I read the reviews for this unit and saw a lot of complaints about poor customer service. I figured I’d take the chance since I was purchasing through Amazon and if there was a problem with the unit when received Amazon is good about accepting returns. When I received my washer the plastic spray wand was broken. The unit had shifted in the box and the front bumper on the unit pushed against the wand cracking it and breaking a chunk out of the handle. I called Simpsons customer service the next day and a nice lady took my name and confirmed the model and serial number on my unit and then shipped me a replacement spray wand. The whole ordeal took about 5 minutes, done. While trying to decide on a power washer I went to two of the big chain hardware stores and looked at power washers they had on hand. I was looking at the craftsmanship, features and materials the various units were made from. 1) One of the first things that attracted me to this unit was the Honda engine. Honda is well known for their small engine reliability. I love Honda engines; my car, motorcycle, lawn mower are all Honda. 2) All the other high PSI units costing about the same as this unit had plastic bumpers and plastic hose and spray wand mounts. They were pretty colors and looked nice but almost all the display models had their plastic spray wand mounts broken off. Obviously no plastic parts was top of my list. This Simpson unit is all heavy gauge metal that will hold up to abuse. 3) The units with vertical crank shaft engines had the water pump mounted underneath. This made the units taller, less stable, and made it difficult to reach down and connect hoses. This Simpson unit has a horizontal engine shaft with the pump mounted in the rear where it’s easy to get at. 4) Another big plus is that the metal frame on this unit completely surrounds the engine and pump housing protecting them from accidental damage. Units with the pumps on the bottom are susceptible to being damaged when pulling them up stairs or across rough terrain. 5) One unit I looked at had the muffler mounted next to the hose storage and water pump. There were numerous complaints in the review section about melted hoses. This Simpson unit has the hose storage and pump in the back and the muffler up front. The muffler also has a head shield around it. Definitely no problem there. 6) The majority of units I saw had aluminum pump heads. This unit, like the larger more expensive units, has a brass pump head which will hold up much better than the aluminum units. A harder metal means no soft threads to strip and brass, unlike aluminum does not oxidize.