Pressure Washer - Karcher or Nilfisk or ?

I'm after a new pressure washer. Around 200 square metres of block paving (not all in one session!), plus engine bays, car undersides, lawn mower deck, conservatory roof, and anything else I can think of to justify a new toy.

The only must-have is an induction motor, and I don't want any machine that even the makers describe as being for "light, occasional use", like the Karcher K2 series. I don't want to be faced with throwing it away in a couple of years for want of spares backup - it's got to see me out.

The favourites at the moment are a K5.600, at around 275gbp, a Nilfisk E130 for 200gbp at Screwfix, or the more powerful Nilfisk 9150 from Argos at around 320gbp, all including the necessary patio head. Karcher are now giving a 5-year guarantee on their water-cooled models, presumably indicating some confidence - or desperation to overcome all the bad publicity about their crappy cheap ones.

Any experience of these to relate, please? Or suggestions of alternatives?

Reply to
Kevin Poole
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The Nilfisk machines are well specced and do perform well, however I found after frequent use, triggers broke, hoses split etc. The hose is a very cheaply made thermoplastic one, I got a 15m one made up by a local hydraulic supplier which is much better.

The 9150 is meant to be better as it already comes with a good quality hose and uses a different lance/trigger to the E range.

From what I have heard, the Karcher domestic models are best avoided, the HD models are meant to be much better, no direct experience though!

There is a good offer on here:

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'm sure a good pressure washer dealer will be able to make some sort of an adapter so you can use a patio attachment of some sort.

Reply to
VAG_dude

Dead right about the induction motor.

Difficult to choose between them TBH. Karcher are the brand leader and have been around for yonks, still owned mainly by the Karcher family. They acquired WAP who made the Sthil machines.

Nilfisk Alto are possibly as big, but mainly by acquisition.

Gerni were the first Danish manufacturer, KEW was started by an ex Gerni guy, both companies were acquired by Alto, who were acquired by Nilfisk.

Both quality brands, both make good machines, both have good parts backup.

On balance - I'd prolly go for the Karcher.

You might find some info here

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Reply to
The Medway Handyman

the recommendation from here some time ago.

Reply to
Moonraker

I fear this may be a disadvantage of machines with built-in hose reels: I can't see proper rubber hose fitting on a flimsy little reel.

The 9150 seems unique to Argos. I wonder if it's the same as a P150.1 etc?

Because Karcher class them as commercial, they only give a one year warranty, as against 5 years for the top-end domestics, and several attachments do seem much dearer. 5 years does have some attraction, though I imagine that by the end it will turn into an argument about wear and tear and accessories not being covered.

This raises another possibility: I have a very elderly Kew 1500 - a real beast of a machine, with a massive 3hp motor but a knackered hose. It has a Gerni gun, so it might be better to buy a new hose (40 quid-ish), and either a Karcher gun, lance, and accessories, or a bsp to Karcher or Nilfisk adapter to use downstream of the gun. But the boss says "just buy a new one".

Detergent dispensing: Nilfisk C and E ranges use a separate nozzle with a bottle attached, whereas Karcher build in a dispenser. Pros and cons?

Thanks also for the other comments - I'd read the faq (useful), and looked at Wickes, but they're a) out of stock and b) rather expensive by the time you've bought the extras.

Still wavering...

Reply to
Kevin Poole

quality

May well be, normal for many of these big stores to have models unique to them. Means they don't have to pay out on their refund "110% of the difference price" policies. Such policies insist on same make and model available elsewhere.

Personally I'd avoid something withe the detergent container free standing or otherwise not attached to the PW itself. It'll either get knocked over or just make moving the machine harder than it needs to be.

Reply to
Dave Liquorice

They tend to make the machine top heavy & prone to falling over.

Probably. As Dave said, price promise thing.

Karcher machines are either 'K' prefix - domestic (Konsumer?) or HD - which doesn't mean heavy duty - it stands for Hock Druck or something - High Pressure.

Try

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(seems to be down at the moment).

Reply to
The Medway Handyman

I found the reel to be useless TBH, the hose that came with the machine stays coiled up after unwinding it.

According to Argos it is a typo, it has the exact spec as the P150.1.

The Nilfisk nozzle sprays detergent at fairly high pressure and everything seems to foam up a lot when sprayed. The bottle runs out quite quickly too. You could get a chemical venture system which could be useful if you could drop the end into a drum of detergent.

Something along the lines of this? :

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> Thanks also for the other comments - I'd read the faq (useful), and

Reply to
VAG_dude

I bought a Ryobi B&S engine powered one after my B&Q 'Performance Power' electric one died. Although noisy it has *loads* more power, and no trailing cable.

2 years in and plenty of use later it's still as good as new.

Personally I'd not buy another electric one again.

Reply to
AlanD

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