Worx HydroShot and Mini Compressor - Review
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Worx HydroShot WG620e and Mini WX092 Compressor Review
Here’s a short review of two products that have become essentials in my workshop and camper. The first is the Hydroshot pressure washer, which I've had for over six years. I’ve abused it, dropped it, drenched it, and it’s still going strong. It sucks water, so you don't need pressure for it to work. Put the hose into a water container; you can even use a pond or stream as it comes with a water filter. I stick the hose into my camper van water tank and I can quickly wash down the bike after a ride. Priced around £200 (with battery and charger), it’s not super cheap but has easily paid itself off over time.
This weapon has been going strong for over 6years! It’s washed hundreds of bikes in that time.
Multiple spray settings and evidence of its use and durability.
You can also connect it to mains water, it works even better with water pressure as the motor and battery labour less. It’s not a super high-pressure washer that will blast all the grease out, and water into, sensitive moving parts of the bike. It has a few options for spraying intensity that are ideal for cleaning off a muddy MTB. There’s also a ‘shower’ option, so if you have somewhere to hang it or a close friend nearby, you can also rinse off after a ride. The spray nozzle is modular, and I always keep it in the shortest option so I can easily store it in a box for travel. It’s also exceptionally efficient: with a 30l water can 3-4 washes are possible and the battery manages this easily. There are bigger versions of the Hydroshot that offer more power and pressure, but I’ve been perfectly happy with mine. If you live in an area with extra gloopy clay or also need a washer to clean off your Moto or 4x4, then a more powerful version would be for you.
Mini WX092 Compressor
The second is the mini compressor, a new addition that I now couldn't live without in these days of tubeless tyres, which are always losing pressure slowly, and my addiction to checking tyre pressures. Dial in the pressure you want and press the 'Play' button, and a few seconds later, you are bang on point with a digital gauge.
At around £120, it's comparable to a posh MTB floor pump and much smaller and easier to use (of course, you need to keep the batteries charged). I literally use this pump every ride and if I’m doing more specific testing, then every run. It’s easier to plug this in and pump directly to the correct pressure as it is to check with a digital gauge, discover it’s low, attach a pump, and then check with the gauge again. I checked the accuracy against a couple of digital gauges I have, and they all lined up. But the most important tip is to always use the same pump/gauge so you always know what your pressure is—the actual number doesn’t matter, but a consistent ride feeling does.
In the last two years, it’s pumped up dozens and dozens of tubeless tyres, I can only remember one particularly awkward setup in which I needed my Topeak Joe Blow pump with the booster canister to get it seated. If you have an Airshot-style booster you can also pump it up to pressure rather than doing 50 push-ups with a track pump.
The only downside I can find to this is that the main valve adaptor is for Schrader ‘car valves’, just like every other pump in the entire world, of course; MTBs need to be awkward for no reason, so you always need to screw on and off the supplied Presta adaptor each time. I’ve actually started converting my wheels with tubeless Schrader valves as the Presta standard needs to go.
Yes, I'm sure there are better and more expensive options available from Makita, DeWalt, Hilti, etc., but for me, the Worx products offer great value for performance. I did have a full Makita LXT kit for building site work when I was younger, but now I'm happy with the budget Worx products and have ten other tools I'm using for trail building and house renovation work with no problems.
Do you need these? I think both of these tools are suitable for the middle ground which I sit: I am not a race team or bike shop that needs heavy-duty and high-power tools for washing dozens of bikes or pumping up tens of tyres per day, but I need more than a once-a-week rider. These Worx tools hit that spot for a one-man regular rider who wants to make his life a little more efficient.
Cheaper, faster, smaller than an average MTB pump and you don’t even need to use your own energy!
Takes pride of place in my small toolbox eith no hoses wrapping around my pedals in the van.