Pressure Washer Recommendations?

[Steve]

Having recently tried out a friend's Karcher pressure washer, I have decided to buy a pressure washer of my own, primarily to clean the many paving slabs I have in the garden.

I don't suppose I'll use it more than once or twice a year, so I don't want to spend a fortune, but I have learned that buying cheapo tools can be a false economy.

I would be grateful for any recommendations advice about makes, models, features, etc. I liked the Karcher, but since it is the only one I have tried I don't know if that is the best one to buy. My neighbour has a blue one (don't know the brand) but it makes an awful noise, so I want to avoid one like hers.

TIA

Steve

[Andy Hall]

It's almost always a false economy

I have one of Kaercher's 700 series machines that I've had for a while. This has pretty good pressure output in terms of cleaning effectiveness, but I also like its tool and hose storage and vertical profile so that it takes a small floor space. For patio cleaning, almost any of their products will do a good job. The smaller ones simply take a bit longer.

I recently bought one of their T-racer cleaners to make even faster cleaning of some large areas. This is a device with spinning jets inside an enclosure which fits the end of the hose - comes with a tubular extension. I was somewhat sceptical that this might be somewhat of a gimmick but saw one in action and besides if it had have been a chocolate teapot it would have gone back. The results are very pleasing. Cleaning is as effective as with the lance and one doesn't get dirt, grit and sprayed water all over the place.

[TMC]

I also have the karcher 700 series and get on well with it

When patio cleaning I also use my George vacuum to suck up all the dirty water which significantly reduces the mess and saves sweeping up the dirt once the patio has dried

Tony

[Dave Liquorice]

Look out for the "bundles". I've got a Kracher 2.99 (I think) came with =

the T-Tracer thing mentioned, car brush, pressure lance and extension tube. The detergent bottle is also attached to the machine rather than free standing asking to be knocked over and making moving the machine no= t just a case of trundling it about. Tools also fit into the body apart fr= om the T-Racer.

Think I've seen similar bundles in Homebase, I go mine from CostCo for about =A370/80 inc. Retail is nearer =A3100, sounds pricey but you get a= ll the tools and reasonable machine, not a mega powerful machine but good enoug= h for removing the paint on car bumpers or writing you name in the algae o= n a path. B-)

[Steven Campbell]

should give you some good info.

I bought the Lidl one recently after several recommendations on another group.

It is a Lavor make and I've been well pleased with it. Karcher is also a well known brand name and has been in the game for years.

[John Rumm]

This may help you evaluate the options:

have been quite pleased with my Karcher (mid range spec, but not a current model), it has a long enough hose, a quiet running induction motor, and a metal bodied compressor.

[George]

If you're not in a hurry to buy it just yet? keep an eye on Aldi site for their pressure washer.

It was made by Karcher exclusivly for Aldi and comes with two lances and a car brush attachment. The motor is an induction 2kilowatt and is quiet,the model is an upright version which similar to this...

retail at £79.00

[Richard]

Best (Karcher) add-on for slab cleaning is their 'T-Racer'. I own one which I share with my friend who owns a serious Karcher PW. The T-Racer looks stupid and is a little unwieldy but is unbeatable IME for cleaning slabs. Before buying it I did use the soul-destroyingly slow method of slab cleaning with a fan lance. Never again!

Richard

[Stuart Noble]

You've just saved me a trip to B&Q on a hot day! I wondered how easy slab cleaning would be with a basic machine, and now I don't think I'll bother

[Richard]

I don't think that the power of the PW is relevant when using the T-Racer - if I have put you off by mentioning that my mate's PW is a serious beast.

Richard

[John]

Amazing how many people use them to ruin their tarmac drives. The trouble is some people also do the pavement wit them. (But they learn - too late though)

[The Medway Handyman]

Cleaning is actually better than with a lance IME because the area gets washed twice, once by the leading jet & once by the trailing jet, plus the spinning motion gives multiple passes.

The only failing with the T Racer are the plastic clips inside the shroud. Any debis stirred up by the jets can snap the clips off. If you sweep the area thoroughly first this won't happen.

[The Medway Handyman]

The awful noise is because it has a universal motor - expected life around

10 working hours.

Buy one with an induction motor. Karcher - 3 series and above IIRC, Kranzle or Nilfisk-Alto.

Induction motor is a must IMO.

[George]

Whats a 'universal motor'?

[Autolycus]

In this context, it's one that has carbon brushes and a commutator - the sort of thing that's fitted to most hand-held power tools, vacuum cleaners, and so on. High revving, hence noisy, but can have good starting torque and can be relatively small and cheap.

"Universal" because they'd run on alternating or direct current: don't try DC at home, because the variable speed switch might not prefer it.

[The Medway Handyman]

[Geoff Berrow]

Message-ID: from George contained the following:

Just got a Tesco one for £25 Can't remember if it's an induction motor but I can't really go wrong at that price.

[George]

[JohnW]

I had a "cheap" K2.?? Karcher (Halford's exclusive) that was noisy (Universal motor) and didn't have a pressure switch to turn it off when not spraying. After dunking it in the sea when it was working (no fuses blown, but it stopped working due to a cut-out on the switch :-() I managed to clean it up and get it working again. However, as it was no longer reliable due to some corrosion on the commutator, I replaced it with a K5.86 reconditioned one off the net. It's as different as chalk and cheese. Relatively quiet induction motor, a pressure switch and a metal pump.

Some Karchers induction models apparently have a problem with the start/run capacitor which can be vibrated out of its socket. - A tie-wrap easily fixes that. If you do need to do DIY repairs on them, you'll need a long reach Torx driver.

Hence, IME, don't go for a cheap one if you intend using it more than a few times - and note that the pump end doesn't work well underwater but the spray end is fine for cleaning things underwater- just get an extension hose :-).

[Bill]

I have no connection with this guy but he seems to have been selling them on Ebay for some time now.

be of interest?