In-depth review
CRAFTSMAN CMEPW1700 Electric Pressure Washer Review (2027)
The CMEPW1700 is CRAFTSMAN's compact electric: 1700 PSI, a soap applicator and onboard storage. Our research-based verdict on the lightest washer here.
CRAFTSMAN CMEPW1700 Electric Pressure Washer
A compact, carry-friendly electric washer built for cars, patios and the jobs around one outlet.
Our verdict
The CMEPW1700 succeeds by knowing its size. It is a compact, CETA certified electric that washes cars, patio furniture, fences and small patios without demanding garage space, fuel or a learning curve, and it stores everything it ships with on its own body. The 20 ft hose and two-nozzle menu are the honest limits of the class, and driveway owners will outgrow them. For the buyer whose jobs are small and frequent, this is the washer that actually gets used, which beats a bigger machine gathering dust.
What we like
- 1700 PSI maximum pressure and 1.2 GPM of flow, CETA certified, for cars, patios and furniture
- Compact body with onboard storage for the nozzles, hose, cord and wand, so nothing rattles loose in storage
- Soap applicator bottle and turbo nozzle included, covering wash and rinse without extra purchases
- 35 ft power cord with a 20 ft kink-resistant hose gives a workable radius from a single outlet
What to watch out for
- Only two main nozzles plus the soap applicator, so fan-width choice is narrower than five-nozzle kits
- The 20 ft hose is the shortest reach in this guide and shows on fences and long patios
- Light-duty class means paint prep and heavy mildew belong to a stronger machine
What owners report: CRAFTSMAN CMEPW1700 Electric Pressure Washer
Synthesized from recurring themes in long-term owner feedback.
Most praised
- Car washers like how the whole kit, wand included, packs back onto the unit instead of living in a bucket
- Apartment and townhouse owners say the compact body fits a balcony closet where bigger washers never would
- The turbo nozzle gets called out by patio owners who use it on grime the fan nozzle leaves behind
Common complaints
- Driveway owners report narrow cleaning strips and wish they had bought a higher flow machine first
- A few buyers found the soap bottle seating needed care to avoid drips during the wash pass
- The short hose means moving the unit along a fence line more often than the cord length suggests
Who it is for
Car owners, townhouse and apartment households, and anyone with small patios and tight storage.
Storage is the killer feature for small homes
The CMEPW1700's onboard storage for nozzles, hose, cord and wand sounds boring until the alternative is a bucket of loose parts in a closet. Owners in townhouses and apartments keep returning to it: the whole kit lives on the machine, the machine lives on a shelf, and wash day starts with carrying one object outside. That simplicity is why compact washers get used more often than their bigger siblings.
Enough pressure, honestly labelled
At 1700 PSI maximum and 1.2 GPM, CETA certified, the CMEPW1700 is a light-duty machine that says so on the box. Cars, furniture, grills and small patios are its natural work, and it does them without drama. The turbo nozzle adds bite for wheels and grime spots, but no nozzle changes the class: heavy concrete and paint prep belong to stronger machines, and the manual does not pretend otherwise.
The two-nozzle compromise
Five-nozzle kits spoil buyers with fan-width choice, and the CMEPW1700 offers a narrower menu: a turbo nozzle, a fan nozzle family in practice, and a soap applicator. For car and patio work that menu is enough, since the jobs repeat. For varied work across siding, decks and concrete, the missing fan widths show, and the owner ends up adjusting distance instead of swapping tips.
Key specifications
- Maximum pressure
- 1700 PSI (maker rating)
- Maximum flow
- 1.2 GPM (maker rating)
- Motor
- 13 amp electric
- Hose
- 20 ft kink-resistant hose
- Power cord
- 35 ft power cord
- Certification
- CETA certified
Also consider
Karcher K1700 Electric Pressure Washer
Karcher's foot-switch compact: CETA certified pressure, a detergent tank and wheels that never go flat.
Why consider it: The Karcher compact alternative, with a foot switch, a wide rinse nozzle and never-flat wheels
- Maximum pressure: 1700 PSI TruPressure, CETA certified
- Maximum flow: 1.2 GPM (maker rating)
CRAFTSMAN CMEPW2400 Electric Pressure Washer
CRAFTSMAN's strongest electric, with an induction motor, a soap tank and reach the maker rates to a second floor.
Why consider it: The bigger CRAFTSMAN sibling, for owners who outgrow 1700 PSI and want second floor reach
- Maximum pressure: 2400 PSI (maker rating)
- Maximum flow: 1.1 GPM (maker rating)
Research-based assessment. TrueGear has not hands-on tested this product; this evaluation synthesizes manufacturer specifications, retailer documentation, and published expert reviews.
Questions, answered
Is 1700 PSI enough to wash a car properly?
Yes, comfortably. Cars wash well at 1200 to 1900 PSI with a wide fan, and 1700 PSI with a soap applicator covers road film, bugs and brake dust on wheels with the turbo nozzle. The key is distance and fan width, not maximum pressure: stand back, use a wide fan on paint, and save the turbo nozzle for wheels and wells.
Can the CMEPW1700 clean a deck?
A maintained deck, yes, with a wide fan and a sensible distance. Soft wood needs care on any washer: too narrow a fan or too close a pass carves stripes into boards. Test a hidden board first, keep the jet moving, and let deck cleaner dwell before rinsing rather than forcing the stain off with pressure.
Why is the hose only 20 feet?
Because the machine is built for small jobs near one outlet, and a longer hose would add bulk the compact body is trying to avoid. Owners with long patios should plan to move the unit along the work, or step up to a 25 ft hose machine like the CMEPW2400 or the ePX3500.
Every guide on Pressure Washers15 pages
- Topic hubPressure Washers
- Best ofThe Best Pressure Washers (2027)
- Car washing inverts the usual pressure ranking. The jet must be strong enough to lift road film and gentle enough to leave clear coat alone, which means wide fans, soap delivery and flow matter more than headline PSI. This ranking rewards foam cannons, onboard soap, a 40 or 65 degree rinse option and a body that moves around a vehicle without scratching it, and it penalizes pinpoint jets and heavy gas machines that have no business near paint.The Best Pressure Washers for Cars (2027)
- Driveways punish low flow. Concrete holds oil, algae and tire marks in its pores, and the job is mostly rinsing: pressure breaks the stain loose, flow carries it off the slab. This ranking therefore weights GPM above PSI, rewards turbo nozzles and surface-cleaner compatibility, and treats hose length as a first-class feature, since a driveway is exactly where a short hose costs the most time.The Best Pressure Washers for Driveways (2027)
- Electric-only buyers have already made the important decision, so this ranking judges electrics on their own terms: pressure and flow without an engine, noise beside a house wall, storage in a small garage, and whether the cord and hose reach the work. Gas machines are excluded entirely, which lets the strongest electrics, not the strongest machines, take the top spots.The Best Electric Pressure Washers (2027)
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