Active 2.0 Pressure Washer Obsessed Garage

I’m not exaggerating when I say this, people; the Active 2.0 electric pressure washer is a true game-changer. You are going to want this thing.

Back in early 2021, when I brought in the VE52, the “previous King of entry-level pressure washers,” I was impressed and still am with that unit’s performance. One of the highlights of that machine is that it does 1.94 GPM, which is insane. We’re talking Kranzle-like output at a fraction of the cost. This doesn’t mean you forgo the Kranzle for this unit, but if you’re in a situation where you want to upgrade to a better-performing pressure washer and are budget-focused (I hate that word), then this is what you would get. However, before you pull the trigger on the VE52/56, you’ll want to look at the Active 2.0. What James from Active did with this thing is incredible. 

I’ll get into all the specifications of this unit, but I first want to mention GPM. This pressure washer can output over 2 GPM (gallons per minute). I’m not replacing this for my Kranzle, but I’m not opposed to using this as a backup if something happens to my Kranzle. I’d also say for those of you who are looking to buy a Kranzle and due to supply chain issues can’t get one right away from us, I’d suggest picking up one of these in the interim. 

What’s Different About the Active 2.0?

Outside of the design change, which is fantastic, the pump has been completely reengineered. The objective when these guys were building this thing was longevity. Most of these other cheap pressure washers on the market (Greenworks, Ryobi, SunJoes) have a lifespan of 100 hours; James and his team set out to increase that lifespan to 200-250 hours. This revamp required some upgrades of the internal components to achieve the outcome they set out to accomplish. 

Key Points:

• Twice the life than the VE52/56
• Better performance than the VE52/56 as a result of the longevity upgrades

Not Built To A Price Point 

This pressure washer wasn’t built to a price point but instead permanence. If left up to me, I’m making a machine that’ll cost 3,000+ dollars, but I understand a pressure washer in that price range won’t appeal to the masses. Although I have zero interest in appealing to the masses, I believe in the progression philosophy where someone comes in the door at entry-level and works their way up to an ultimate level. This unit is exactly that; a worthy choice of a pressure washer but not one you’re going to have forever.

Performance, Oh Man!

When they built this machine, they didn’t make it with performance as the top priority; it was longevity. I’m repeating myself when I talk about longevity, but I want you to understand the vision and motivation behind this thing. The performance is/was a byproduct of the overall goal.

If there’s anything you’ll see me smile about when it comes to this unit, it’s the performance. We were able to get 2.0+ GPM with a 5.0 orifice nozzle. I’d say this is the sweet spot because that also put us around 700 PSI, which is plenty for car washing. 

During our testing, we found that we don’t want to run this machine with a 1.1 orifice on the foam cannon; you’ll trip your circuit for sure. I used a 1.5 orifice instead with my normal 150 mL of car soap and 600 mL of water dilution in the foam cannon, and we had great foam, but more importantly, we’re running the machine safer. If you have a dedicated 15 or 20-amp circuit, you’d want to run a 1.25. 

My recommendation:

• For maximum safety and guaranteed function, you want the 1.5 orifice on your foam cannon.
• For maximum foam and if you have a 15 or 20-amp circuit, you want the 1.25 orifice. I’d tell you to spend the few bucks and get the 15 or 20-amp, so you can use a 1.25.
• For car washing, I am going to use a 5.0 orifice nozzle. That is what I prefer. What I really like about the Active 2.0, however, is that you can use a variety of nozzles to tailor the pressure to the task you are doing. In our testing, we found that you can go down to a 3.5 orifice nozzle for high-pressure cleaning and all the way up to a 7.0 for lower-pressure cleaning. If you want, grab the nozzle kit we have for the Active 2.0, so you can decide for yourself what nozzle you like. 

The Design

I love the minimalistic look of this thing. It’s subtle and just clean, with no unnecessary bulk. Tommy (my Product Development Director) pointed out something that I think is good to know: the relationship between the inlet and the outlet. On the VE52, the inlet was on the back, which made it difficult for people to mount that machine on the wall. This required extra adapters that didn’t make this setup a complete solution. Now, we have the Active 2.0 that has the inlet and outlet on the front and side. I’m sure many people will appreciate this because they can now set their pressure washer up in a way that is efficient and looks good.

This unit has 5-plunger tech where it’s still radial-axial with a wobble plate. The wobble plate is connected to the drive shaft to push pistons back and forth, creating suction and then pushing water out—the amazingness in the Active 2.0 is that it delivers high pressure with a greater amount of water.  

Key Points:

• The unit is very small – great for wall mounting or storage
• The pressure switch is on the front
• Inlet/outlet is on the front and side (you can wall mount this puppy with ease)

Parts and Fittings

The Active 2.0 has a 14mm outlet instead of a 15mm. This size is important because we want to use the standard outlet size across the board as much as possible. 

You will have the option to accessorize this unit with our Active pressure washer accessories. I wanted this to be set up my way (the OG way), and that’s exactly what we’re providing you here.  

The Outcome

Over the years, I’ve tested several pressure washers. This is the nicest unit I’ve used at this price point, by a long shot. All that other crap out there like the Ryobis and such made me resent this whole testing thing.

I say this a lot, but you want this thing – it’s truly amazing.

Active 2.0 Manual

PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS