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Sun Joe SPX3500 Review

When it comes to electric models, it's hard to top this pressure washing machine
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Sun Joe SPX3500 Review
Credit: Laura Casner
Price:  $279 List
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Manufacturer:   Sun Joe
Ross Patton
By Ross Patton ⋅ Senior Review Editor  ⋅  June 22, 2020
Contributions From: Austin Palmer

Our Verdict

Like other electric models, the SunJoe SPX3500 falls a bit short on power when it comes to gasoline-powered versions. That said, when compared to its own type, it is one of the best. Not only does this model offer a great deal of performance, it is exceptionally quiet during operation. Although the SPX3500 is a bit bulky, it is still easy to cart around. We love that the designers have thought to keep the hoses in a front to back configuration and that the various nozzles have a convenient home near the handle.
REASONS TO BUY
No gas
Minimal noise
Good wheels
REASONS TO AVOID
Larger than many electric types
Less power than gasoline

Our Analysis and Test Results

The SPX3500 has plenty of spraying power for most tasks, like washing a car.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

The SunJoe SPX3500 is one of our favorite models, especially as far as electric versions go. This device produces a solid amount of pressure, and best of all, it is very quiet. When it comes to transporting this model, we found it to be especially easy to cart around thanks to the good grip on its handle and its large plastic wheels.

sun joe spx3500 - the sunjoe spx3500 provides one of the lowest decibel counts.
The SunJoe SPX3500 provides one of the lowest decibel counts.
Credit: Laura Casner

Cleaning



The SunJoe did fairly well during all of the cleaning exercises.

The SPX3500 1650 PSI using the 15º and 40º nozzle, but dropped to 1600 PSI when the 25º was attached. Cleaning Units (CU) is the combination of PSI and GPM — this model showed an impressive 1782 CU during our assessment.

The SunJoe SPX3500 was one of the stronger electric pressure washers for the bocce ball assessment — it was able to hold the ball 3 feet up the ramp.

sun joe spx3500
Credit: Laura Casner

Portability



While on the heavy side for an electric washer, the SPX3500 rolls easily on smooth ground.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

The SPX3500 finished near the middle of the pack for this metric. It is a bit on the heavy side — we measured this model to be 42.6 pounds. We opted to dock the SunJoe a few points for this attribute, considering that it will be much harder to lift in and out of a vehicle or tote up and down a set of stairs.


Regardless of its weight, the SPX3500 is pretty easy to move around once it is on-site, thanks to its large wheels. We found it to be a bit of a bumpy ride in rough terrain due impart to this model's rigid plastic wheels, but all in all the SPX3500 has a great balance and is perfect for decks or pavement.

sun joe spx3500 - the wheels on this model make transporting it a breeze.
The wheels on this model make transporting it a breeze.
Credit: Laura Casner

The SunJoe SPX3500 is slender, but it's also fairly wide and is especially tall. We measured this pressure washer's dimensions to be 35.5" tall, 16" wide, and 15" thick. Although this machine is definitely smaller than gas-powered models and even more compact than a couple of electric versions, we still think it's a bit on the bulkier side.

sun joe spx3500
Credit: Laura Casner

Noise



The SunJoe SPX3500 was quite impressive during this experiment. Right next to the device, the meter showed 70 decibels. At a distance of 25 feet, the noise levels dropped to 65.2 decibels. Our judges didn't find any bothersome sounds emitted by this model, and we love that it only makes noise when the trigger is depressed.


Ease of Use



The SPX3500 was awarded a solid score for this metric, although we did dock some points for a few tiny details. First of all, the hook on the back of the machine is fairly shallow, so you need to have some good cord-wrapping skills to keep it all bundled up. There's also nothing that secures either the cord or the hose, so they tend to flop around during transport-- some models have a velcro strap or a bungee in place to deal with this issue. The high-pressure hose on the SunJoe SPX3500 is only 20 feet — it's one of the shortest that we've seen. However, the 35-foot power cord helps to mitigate a bit of the hose's shortness.

sun joe spx3500
Credit: Laura Casner

A huge advantage of purchasing an electric model rather than a gas-powered washer is the stark difference is routine maintenance. With fossil fuels, you'll be dealing with extra gas cans, checking and changing oil, and cleaning an air filter — with electric pressure washers, you don't have to worry about any of these things.

sun joe spx3500
Credit: Laura Casner

The attachments and accessories for the SPX3500 include four nozzles of varying degrees as well as a large soap dispenser. We love the configuration of the garden house input nozzle on the front of the device as well as the high-pressure output on the back. This arrangement works well to keep the hoses from tangling, and it makes sense to have the high-pressure attachment on the back where it is ready to attach to the wand, the various nozzles, and the large soap dispenser.

sun joe spx3500
Credit: Laura Casner

Value


The SPX3500 has a comparable price tag to other electric pressure washers with similar specs on paper, but what our tests have shown is that it outperforms the others that are slightly more expensive. If you require the utmost performance out of an electric model we think this machine is worth the cost.

Conclusion


If what you seek is a high-performance pressure washer that doesn't bring extra noise and fumes, we recommend the SunJoe SPX3500. When it comes to brushless electric motor driven washers, this model jets the rest away.

Ross Patton and Austin Palmer