Quoted:
Get one with a GENUINE Honda engine and a tri-plex oil bath pump. A/R- General- Cat- Giant- Comet- Legacy are manufacture decent pumps for homeowners
+1.
Many of the cheapies have a "throwaway" pump - Not only is it not rebuildable or repairable, but you can't even change the oil in it!
Cheap pumps have a total life expectancy measured in tens of hours. Quality pumps last hundreds to thousands of hours between rebuilds.
The quality of the hose, connectors and wand is another major difference. With the cheapies, you get plastic connectors, a thin, burst-prone hose and a flimsy wand that only fits your particular model. The good stuff includes a beefy hose with stainless steel and brass quick-disconnect fittings, and a rugged wand - with replacements available at just about any place that sells pressure washer supplies.
Note that Honda produces a rugged engine series, and several cheap engine series. The GX series is the rugged version - which is a horizontal-shaft model with a metal gas tank. Steer clear of Hondas with plastic gas tanks, and vertical-shaft lawnmower engines.