Simpson 80150 Review

My Hands On Review of the Simpson 80150 Pressure Washer Hoses

I have spent a good chunk of my professional life elbow deep in pressure washers, from cheap homeowner units to commercial beasts that cost more than a used car. One thing I have learned is that the hose is the single most underrated part of the system. You can have a 4 GPM monster with a Honda engine, but if your hose is a brittle, kinked, 25 foot piece of junk, you will spend more time fighting the hose than cleaning anything. That is why I finally broke down and bought the Simpson 80150 hose. I have been using it for the last four months on everything from driveway stripping to heavy equipment cleaning. This is my honest, first person breakdown of what this hose is, what it does well, and where it falls short.

How I Tested It

I did not run this hose in a climate controlled garage with a perfect water supply. I put it through my normal rotation of jobs. I used it with my Simpson 60852 gas pressure washer, which pushes about 2.5 GPM at 3200 PSI. I also hooked it up to a rental 4 GPM unit for a full day of concrete stripping. I used it in temperatures ranging from 38 degrees Fahrenheit up to 95 degrees. I dragged it across asphalt, concrete, gravel, and muddy grass. I ran it over with the wheels of the pressure washer itself. I coiled it up after every use, both wet and dry. I paid attention to how it handled, how it kinked, how the fittings held up, and how it felt on my hands and shoulders during long sessions. I did not baby it. I wanted to see if it could take the abuse that a working pressure washer hose has to survive.

Performance

Let me start with the most important thing. This hose delivers water. It is a 3/8 inch diameter hose, which is a significant step up from the standard 1/4 inch hoses that come with almost every consumer pressure washer. The difference is immediate. With a 1/4 inch hose, you can feel the flow restriction, especially on longer runs. The water has to squeeze through a smaller hole, which creates back pressure and reduces the effective flow rate at the gun. With the Simpson 80150, the water moves freely. I noticed an actual increase in cleaning power on my 2.5 GPM machine. The stream felt more solid, and the trigger response was sharper. On the 4 GPM rental unit, the difference was even more dramatic. The hose did not starve the pump. It felt like the machine was finally breathing properly.

The swivel fittings on both ends are a game changer. I have used hoses with fixed 90 degree fittings, and they are a nightmare. They always point the wrong way and create a permanent bend. The Simpson 80150 uses a 360 degree swivel at the connection to the pressure washer and a 90 degree swivel at the gun end. When I am working around a car or a piece of equipment, I can rotate the hose without twisting the entire line. It sounds like a small thing, but it cuts down on tangling by a huge margin. I used to stop every five minutes to untwist my old hose. With this one, I can go a full hour without a single tangle. The swivels are smooth and they have held up without developing any wobble or play. They feel tight and precise.

Another performance point is the outer jacket. This hose has a very tough, textured cover. It slides over concrete and asphalt better than a smooth rubber hose. It does not grab onto every little pebble or crack. It also resists abrasion well. I dragged it over a sharp piece of broken concrete and it left a scuff mark, but no cut. The hose did not leak or bulge at that spot. It just kept working. The inner tube is also smooth, which helps maintain that flow rate and prevents debris from catching inside.

Build and Value

This is where the Simpson 80150 either wins or loses depending on your expectations. The build quality is top notch. The fittings are solid brass with a thick chrome plating. They do not feel cheap or hollow. The crimps on the ends are clean and tight. There are no sharp edges that will cut your hands. The hose itself is thick. I mean really thick. It is a 3/8 inch diameter with a heavy wall construction. It does not collapse under high pressure. It does not balloon. It feels like a piece of industrial equipment, not a garden hose attachment.

But that build quality comes with a trade off. This hose is heavy. When it is dry and coiled, it is noticeably heavier than a standard 1/4 inch hose. When it is full of water, it is a beast. If you are used to a lightweight, flexible hose, this will feel like dragging a snake made of lead. It is also stiff when it is cold. I used it in 38 degree weather and it was like wrestling with a frozen rope. It did not want to coil. It did not want to lay flat. I had to work it to get it to bend. Once the water warmed up and the hose got to a more moderate temperature, it became more manageable, but it never becomes truly floppy. It always has a certain amount of memory and resistance.

Now, let me talk about the value. I paid full retail for this hose. It is expensive. There is no way around that. You can buy three or four standard hoses for the price of one Simpson 80150. But I have been through those standard hoses. I have had the outer jacket split after a year. I have had the fittings crack. I have had the inner tube separate from the fitting. I have thrown away more cheap hoses than I care to count. The Simpson 80150 is built to last. The brass fittings are not going to corrode. The heavy wall is not going to blow out. The swivels are not going to seize up after a season. If you are a weekend warrior who uses a pressure washer twice a year, this hose is probably overkill. But if you are a heavy user, the cost per year of use is actually lower because you are not constantly replacing hoses.

I also want to point out the length. I have the 50 foot version. It is a manageable length for most residential jobs. It is long enough to reach the back of a driveway or the far side of a two car garage without moving the machine. But it is not so long that you are dragging 100 feet of heavy hose around. The 50 foot length is a good balance. The hose also comes with a nice storage strap. It is a simple Velcro strap, but it works. It keeps the coil tight when you are storing it.

The Fittings Up Close

Let me go deeper on the fittings because they are a major selling point. The inlet connector is a standard 3/8 inch female quick connect. It fits securely on my Simpson machine and on the rental unit. There is no leaking at the connection point. The 90 degree swivel on the gun end is the star of the show. It allows the hose to hang straight down from the gun, which keeps it out of your way. When I am washing a car, I can let the hose drop and it does not pull the gun out of my hand. It also prevents the hose from kinking right at the gun, which is a common failure point on cheap hoses. The swivel rotates smoothly even under full pressure. I have not had it bind up or get stuck. The threads on both ends are clean and they mate well with standard pressure washer fittings.

Who Should Buy It

This hose is not for everyone. I will be very direct about that. If you have a small electric pressure washer that puts out 1.2 GPM, do not buy this hose. The diameter is too large for a low flow machine. You will not see any performance benefit, and you will just be carrying around a heavy, expensive hose for no reason. Stick with the 1/4 inch hose that came with your unit. It is fine for that application.

You should buy this hose if you have a gas pressure washer that pushes at least 2.5 GPM. The higher your flow rate, the more benefit you will get from the 3/8 inch diameter. You should also buy it if you are tired of fighting with kinked hoses. The stiffness actually helps here. Because the hose is thick walled, it resists kinking. You can bend it in a tight radius and it will not pinch shut. That is a huge advantage when you are working around obstacles. You should also buy it if you are a professional or a serious DIY user who uses a pressure washer on a weekly basis. The durability will save you money in the long run. You will not be buying a new hose every year.

If you are a homeowner who uses a pressure washer three or four times a year to clean a patio and wash a car, I would still consider it if you value convenience and hate dealing with tangles. But you need to be okay with the weight and the cold weather stiffness. If you live in a cold climate and you only wash in the spring and fall, the stiffness might drive you crazy. If you are a warm weather user, it is much less of an issue.

My Verdict

The Simpson 80150 is the best pressure washer hose I have ever owned. That is a simple statement, but it comes with a lot of context. It is not a perfect product. It is heavy. It is stiff when cold. It is expensive. Those are real, tangible downsides. I cannot ignore them. But the things it does well, it does better than any other hose I have tested. The flow rate improvement is real and measurable. The swivel fittings are not a gimmick. They actually work and they reduce frustration. The durability is exceptional. I have put this hose through hell and it has not failed. It has not leaked. It has not kinked. It has not shown any signs of wear that concern me.

I have used hoses that cost half as much. I have used hoses that cost twice as much. The Simpson 80150 hits a sweet spot for serious users. It is not a budget item. It is an investment in your workflow. If you are tired of stopping every ten minutes to untangle a cheap hose, if you are tired of replacing fittings that crack, if you want your pressure washer to perform at its full potential, this hose is worth the money. It is a tool that makes the job easier. It does not add friction to your day. It removes it.

I will keep using this hose. I will buy another one when I need a second length. I recommend it to anyone who asks me what hose they should buy for a gas pressure washer. Just know what you are getting into. It is heavy. It is stiff. It is expensive. But it is built like a tank and it works like a champ. That is the honest truth from a guy who has used a lot of hoses.