The Karcher K2 Full Control Pressure Washer, 1400W, 110 Bar is currently available for £99.99 at Argos eBay:
But is it a decent machine? I know you can spend ten times that if you want to but all I'll be using it for will be to snow foam the car and clean the patio, so is it OK for that?
The only Karcher I've dealt with is the one I'm in the process of repairing for a friend so can't really comment on them outside that.
However, when daughter was looking for a PW she bought a Nilfisk and really loves it (I can get the model number if you are interested).
Cheers, T i m
Thanks Tim but it seems that not all pressure washer hoses are the same so I'm not sure if I could attach the snow foam gubbins to a Nilfisk but I know it will go on a Karcher, so I think I prefer to stick with that if possible.
I think some of the connectors are interchangeable and if you aren't in a rush and were interested in getting something that could be considered 'better' than a Karcher (better VFM if not as cheap etc) then having access to both, I could compare them for you.
If you are happy with the Karcher offerings then sticking with that makes sense. ;-)
I've only owned one PW myself, a little Kew Hobby and as it's still going I've not had to consider a replacement. ;-)
Cheers, T i m
p.s. Are you looking to buy another Karcher because the previous one failed somehow? Buy cheap, buy twice or would you have worn out any make / model?
No, literally the only reason to go Karcher is because of the snow foam lance/resevoir thingy. We had a cheapo pressure washer from either B&Q, Machine Mart or Aldi, can't remember which, but it's just died after about eight years service.
Coincidentally, we've never spent more than about five grand on a car in our lives, but we've just treated ourselves to our 'retirement' car and paid about five times that amount. Up to now I've always been happy going through an auto car wash, but given what we've just spent, and the fact that I'm now retired and can spend more time, I thought I'd better treat this car with a bit more respect and start hand washing/detailing, so I've just spent about £120 on various polishes, waxes and other stuff, amongst which is a snow foam setup that is guaranteed to connect to a Karcher K Series washer, but I'm not sure it'll fit any other type.
I think the Karcher I linked to is good value (not that I know anything about these things) but don't know how long it'll be at that price. I think I'm talking myself into it and I'll probably go for it, given that it'll only ever do light duty work - I'm sure it'll be fine for my requirements.
Thanks for your input though Tim, much appreciated.
Might be worth having a look at:
The full control is an utterly worthless sales gimmick that will probably break in 5 minutes.
See here for the full SP on pressure washers.
Thanks John. After reading that, I've decided to go for the Karcher K4 as it has the induction motor and greater flow and pressure rates. It's got excellent reviews on Screwfix (where I've just ordered it), Amazon and other places so I'm sure it'll cope with my modest needs for quite some time to come. Cheers.
8 years isn't too bad for a cheapy, depending on how often you used it. ;- )
Ouch. I've never paid more than 2 grand for a car and that was the kitcar (as a kit)! All the others have cost less than 500. ;-)
If I'm not washing them myself (rarely) I have always stuck my cars though the car wash and will even go out of my way to find one, often driving past many hand washes while I do so.
Ah, understood.
I think Karchers are like Dysons in that they might not be perfect but they generally work ok and at least you can get spares for them. ;-)
Sure, especially if you aren't using it for it's 'pressure' features etc.
You are welcome and good luck with whatever you end up with. ;-)
Cheers, T i m
Good to see you, Dave!
FWIW I dropped my Karcher about 20 feet on to block paving whilst pressure washing my house from a small cherry picker. The case lost a big chunk from one corner but it?s continued to soldier on stoically despite this for many years.
Tim
If you value the paintwork, keep pressure washers away from cars. "Snow foaming"? Sounds like snake oil to me.
Can one of these be used to clean a massive moss infestation from a patio and path, this year seems to have been ideal for this growth, and the questions I have are. If I get this done, is it likely to break up the concrete its growing on How can one get the moss dislodged out of harms way and kill anything left so its not a yearly issue? How do these devices connect to a water source, I do not have a garden tap, the only feeds from the mains are a kitchen tap or a gate valve protected washing machine feed.
Brian
Yes, they will clean moss off patio and path paving. How well they do it depends on what pressure and type of head you use. Whether or not it will break up the concrete depends on what state it is in. In any case, it will only dislodge already loose bits, and not damage a solid concrete surface.
In the past I used an ordinary head with a fan-type spray with a Karcher. This worked very well, but made a hell of a mess and used a fair amount of water. You really also need to wear good waterproof overalls. Last year I changed to one of those rotating covered heads with a new Bosch pressure washer. It used less water in my opinion, and made far less of a mess, but did not clean as well as a straight fan spray. Also, waterproof clothing is not necessary.This year I will try a few litres of patio stone cleaner first to see if that cuts down on the time the pressure washer needs to clean the paving.
As to water usage, it's a lot less than you might think. Most domestic pressure washers use around 8 to 10 litres a minute. To give you some comparison, an ordinary garden hose at mains pressure will use several times that amount.
A pressure washer will work without problem off a kitchen tap.
On 09/04/2018 08:07, harry wrote: .
Utter nonsense.
It's harry, what do you expect?
well it can strip paint if the paint is already flaking off..
Or you have sand in your water supply
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