DeWalt 20V MAX 550 PSI Cordless Power Cleaner

A cordless cleaner for “hose-plus” jobs

The DeWalt 20V power cleaner sits in a middle ground I find useful: it’s far more effective than a garden hose with a thumb over the end, but it’s not a substitute for a 2,500–3,000 psi pressure washer. Used for the right tasks—rinsing vehicles, clearing algae from patios, blasting mud off bikes and tools, or cleaning window tracks—it’s convenient, quick to deploy, and pleasantly quiet. Used for the wrong tasks—stripping paint, deep-cleaning rough concrete, or washing an entire house—it will leave you wanting more.

Design, build, and what’s in the bag

The tool ships as a long‑gun format with a removable wand and four quick‑connect tips (turbo, 15°, 25°, 40°), a soap bottle, a garden-hose quick‑connect, a suction hose for drawing from a bucket, and a storage bag. Everything packs neatly and the on-board nozzle storage helps prevent losing tips in the grass.

It’s not featherweight. The bare tool is just under 10 lb; add a 5Ah 20V pack and you’re in the 11–12 lb range. Balance is front‑heavy with the wand installed, which nudges you toward two‑handed use for longer sessions. Fit and finish are typical DeWalt: tough shell, grippy overmold, big trigger, and a simple two-speed rocker that actually makes a difference in both cleaning performance and runtime.

One weak spot is the plastic garden-hose inlet adapter. With a lightweight hose and careful handling it’s fine, but heavy rubber hoses or any tug on the line can load that connector. My advice: retire the plastic quick‑connect on day one and thread on a brass female‑to‑female garden hose coupler with a fresh rubber washer. Better yet, add a short, lightweight leader hose between your heavy main hose and the tool to keep strain off the inlet.

Setup and ease of use

There are two ways to feed the tool:

• Garden hose via the quick‑connect: fastest and delivers the strongest flow.
• Suction hose from a fresh-water source: great for remote jobs with a bucket, but slightly slower and more sensitive to hose kinks and elevation.

From a hose bib, setup is as close to instant as battery-powered cleaning gets. Snap in a tip, connect the hose, choose speed, and squeeze. With the suction hose, I get best results submerging the pickup fully, holding the trigger until the line primes, and keeping the bucket on the ground (don’t lift the bucket above the tool; it can cause air ingestion). Either way, a minute of prep beats the wheels, fuel, choke, and noise of a gas washer for small jobs.

The battery compartment has a splash cover that keeps spray off the pack but it’s not waterproof. Treat it as water‑resistant, not dunk‑proof.

Performance: think boosted hose, not pressure washer

DeWalt rates the tool at up to 550 psi and 1.0 gpm with the 15° nozzle. Numbers aside, here’s how the tips behave in real use:

• Turbo nozzle: the most effective for concrete, pavers, and stubborn grime. It won’t etch healthy concrete, but it will lift algae films and embedded dirt if you move slowly.
• 15° nozzle: good for directed cleaning on patio furniture, steps, and small sections of walkway when you want a straight fan instead of the turbo spiral.
• 25° and 40° nozzles: my go‑tos for rinsing vehicles, outdoor cushions, screens, and siding. They’re gentle enough to avoid damage while still doing more than a hose.

On a weathered concrete pad, I could clean light algae without chemical help using the turbo tip, though it’s a “walk it slowly” kind of pace. For greasy or deeply stained areas, a pre‑treat with cleaner shortens the job. For vehicles, the 40° tip on low speed is a sweet spot: enough bite to lift road film without blasting water where you don’t want it.

Noise is very manageable. It’s notably quieter than any gas unit and you can have a normal conversation next to it.

Soap application

The included bottle is a basic downstream siphon. It works for applying a soap solution but doesn’t create shaving‑cream foam. For car washing I use it as a pre‑soak and follow with a wash mitt. If thick foam is your goal, plan on a separate battery foamer or a dedicated foam cannon on a full‑size pressure washer.

Two speeds and control

The two-speed switch is meaningful. Low is gentle enough for window tracks, door thresholds, screens, and bike drivetrains. High gives you the best chance at lifting algae, mud, and mildew. The trigger response is immediate, and the pump spools up without the surge you sometimes get on cheaper cordless units. I like that there’s no complex mode structure—grab, set speed, go.

Battery life

Runtime depends on the speed and tip. With a 5Ah 20V pack, I average roughly:

• High speed: around 15–20 minutes of near‑continuous cleaning.
• Low speed: around 25–30 minutes.

That translated to rinsing an SUV and wheels plus a quick driveway spot clean on one 5Ah pack, or cleaning a small back porch with two packs when using the turbo tip. If you plan longer sessions, bring multiple batteries or step up to higher‑capacity packs. The tool pulls noticeably better on fresh, higher‑output batteries.

Drawing from a bucket

The suction hose opens up useful scenarios—dock cleanup, trail work, remote patios. Keep these in mind:

• Fresh water only; avoid sandy or silty sources.
• Use a mesh pre‑filter if your water has debris.
• Keep the pickup submerged and the hose as straight as possible.
• Expect a slight drop in effective flow compared with a pressurized hose.

It’s not a gimmick; it’s handy, particularly when a spigot is far away.

Ergonomics and fatigue

At ~10–12 lb in use and with most weight forward, you’ll feel it in forearms during extended overhead or one‑handed work. Two hands and a relaxed pace make a big difference, and the long wand helps keep a comfortable distance from the spray. For smaller users or longer jobs, budget quick breaks.

Durability notes and maintenance

Aside from the plastic inlet (addressed above), the rest of the tool has held up well to typical knocks and wet use. A few habits will extend its life:

• Replace the plastic inlet with brass and use a light, flexible hose.
• Don’t yank the tool by the hose; route the line to avoid snags on tires or furniture.
• Purge water after use and store the tool dry.
• Keep grit out of tips and the suction hose; rinse filters if you add one.
• Avoid spraying directly into the battery compartment.

DeWalt backs it with a 3‑year limited warranty, which offers some peace of mind, but preventive care on the hose connection is the real key.

Who it’s for

• Great for: homeowners already on the DeWalt 20V platform; quick cleanups; car and bike care; patio furniture; light algae on pavers; window/door tracks; jobs away from a spigot using a bucket.
• Not for: paint prep on whole houses; deep-cleaning large driveways; heavy equipment; anyone expecting gas‑washer results in a cordless package.

The bottom line

Used within its lane, the DeWalt 20V power cleaner is a useful, time‑saving tool. It launches faster than a full pressure washer, is quiet enough for early mornings, and has enough punch to handle the everyday grime that accumulates on vehicles, patios, and outdoor gear. The two‑speed control and included tips cover a lot of ground, and the ability to draw from a bucket makes it legitimately portable.

Its Achilles’ heel is the plastic hose inlet. If you stick with the stock connector and a heavy hose, you’re inviting problems. Swap to brass, use a lightweight leader hose, and you’ll sidestep the most common failure point. Accept the performance for what it is—“boosted hose,” not “pressure‑washer”—and it’s easy to live with and often the fastest way to knock out small jobs.

Recommendation: I recommend it for light‑duty users, especially if you already own DeWalt 20V batteries and you’re willing to upgrade the hose connection. It’s a convenient, quiet cleaner that covers day‑to‑day tasks well. If you need to strip, etch, or power through heavy grime across large areas, skip this and invest in a higher‑pressure corded or gas unit instead.