Pressure Washer Recommendations

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duncs500
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Pressure Washer Recommendations

Post by duncs500 »

Anyone got any wisdom? I've never owned one before, but always assumed Karcher was the standard. Appreciate that you can find bad reviews for anything, but a lot of the reviews for various models on amazon are slating the build quality and having issues after not much use.

Don't really want to spend the earth on one, but would like something that will last a few years.
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scotta
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Re: Pressure Washer Recommendations

Post by scotta »

Ive had my karcher for years. They don’t like frost so make sure yo empty the water out before storing them mines cracked something internally after a bit of frost but was fixed under warranty.
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NotoriousREV
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Re: Pressure Washer Recommendations

Post by NotoriousREV »

I’ve had my small Karcher for about 15 years or so. It’s reliable but has always been a bit finicky about giving full pressure. You have to have it oriented “just so” or it makes a bit of a half-hearted effort. Don’t know why but it’s always done it.
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Rich B
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Re: Pressure Washer Recommendations

Post by Rich B »

I have a nilfisk that’s happily soldiered on without any special care for 5 or so years.
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GG.
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Re: Pressure Washer Recommendations

Post by GG. »

A vote for Karcher from me. Has served me well for a couple of years and has included some intensive 90 minute or more sessions cleaning wooden decking without any issues. No pressure issues on mine.
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integrale_evo
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Re: Pressure Washer Recommendations

Post by integrale_evo »

At the cheap consumer end karcher went a bit crap and started using weak plastic impellers. For a while nilfisk offered more power, a metal pump and longer guarantee for the same money.

Not entirely sure that's true now, but ours is many years old and still works well after the previous karcher stated spewing water from its internals.
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duncs500
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Re: Pressure Washer Recommendations

Post by duncs500 »

Some reviews talk about parts being changed from metal to plastic in newer ones, but I'm guessing yours is a newer one GG. What model you got? I was looking at a K4.
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Jobbo
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Re: Pressure Washer Recommendations

Post by Jobbo »

I have a 15ish year old Karcher which still works fine, although it needs a decent continuous supply of water and doesn't like the air coming through the hose at first. Not sure I'd buy a new Karcher now though, since you read so many complaints these days.
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mik
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Re: Pressure Washer Recommendations

Post by mik »

Nilfisk still going strong at 9.5 yrs old here.

Just had to buy a new section if high-pressure hose, but it was £15 and was due to the original being damaged as opposed to wear.

I was recommending this one to someone just a couple of weeks back. 125bar but a higher flow rate than others rated around this level (? I only looked at stats for a couple of competitors)

https://www.coolshop.co.uk/product/nilf ... gJORfD_BwE
Last edited by mik on Wed Jun 10, 2020 11:09 am, edited 1 time in total.
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GG.
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Re: Pressure Washer Recommendations

Post by GG. »

duncs500 wrote: Wed Jun 10, 2020 10:55 am Some reviews talk about parts being changed from metal to plastic in newer ones, but I'm guessing yours is a newer one GG. What model you got? I was looking at a K4.
Let me check and I'll get back to you.
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duncs500
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Re: Pressure Washer Recommendations

Post by duncs500 »

mik wrote: Wed Jun 10, 2020 11:04 am Nilfisk still going strong at 9.5 yrs old here.

Just had to buy a new section if high-pressure hose, but it was £15 and was due to the original being damaged as opposed to wear.

I was recommending this one to someone just a couple of weeks back. 125bar but a higher flow rate than others rated around this level (? I only looked at stats for a couple of competitors)

https://www.coolshop.co.uk/product/nilf ... gJORfD_BwE
Looks like a good price there mik. Is that a legit website? They seem to sell all sorts.

Doesn't look as neat and compact as the Karchers, but that doesn't matter too much.
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Zonda_
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Re: Pressure Washer Recommendations

Post by Zonda_ »

I've had a K4 for a couple of years, great piece of kit. 3 digital pressure settings, a wide range of extra attachments available (I have a hook shaped one for blasting out gutters) and it works well with my snow lance.
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mik
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Re: Pressure Washer Recommendations

Post by mik »

duncs500 wrote: Wed Jun 10, 2020 11:11 am
mik wrote: Wed Jun 10, 2020 11:04 am Nilfisk still going strong at 9.5 yrs old here.

Just had to buy a new section if high-pressure hose, but it was £15 and was due to the original being damaged as opposed to wear.

I was recommending this one to someone just a couple of weeks back. 125bar but a higher flow rate than others rated around this level (? I only looked at stats for a couple of competitors)

https://www.coolshop.co.uk/product/nilf ... gJORfD_BwE
Looks like a good price there mik. Is that a legit website? They seem to sell all sorts.

Doesn't look as neat and compact as the Karchers, but that doesn't matter too much.
I don’t know or recognise the selling website Duncs. Trust pilot seem to say they are legit, but they may be based in Denmark as opposed to UK (?)
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mik
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Re: Pressure Washer Recommendations

Post by mik »

Costco selling them for a bit more, but newer model (?)
https://www.costco.co.uk/Garden-Sheds-P ... r/p/316290
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duncs500
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Re: Pressure Washer Recommendations

Post by duncs500 »

Hmmm, I guess it's out of this or the K4 for £45 more.
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Re: Pressure Washer Recommendations

Post by drcarlos »

I got my old man a karcher years ago and it failed, he bought another, that also failed (one pump exloded, the other wouldn't switch off the pump). He replaceed it with a Nilfisk, my B&Q cheapie failed so I got a Nilfisk and so did my brother. All are now over 5 years old and my brother has just needed to replace the lance as the trigger broke and it started to leak. He told me it was about £20 shipped, so not too expensive. Both mine and my mums one are fine (although mums is hardly used now since dads passing). I wouldn't have an issue buying another.
I think is was the gadget show test that persuded us to buy a nilfisk originally.
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GG.
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Re: Pressure Washer Recommendations

Post by GG. »

GG. wrote: Wed Jun 10, 2020 11:08 am
duncs500 wrote: Wed Jun 10, 2020 10:55 am Some reviews talk about parts being changed from metal to plastic in newer ones, but I'm guessing yours is a newer one GG. What model you got? I was looking at a K4.
Let me check and I'll get back to you.
Mine is a K4 'Compact'... whatever that means.

On googling it - the current design looks to have changed again from mine (and seems to allow a horizontal position - which certainly deals with the problem of pulling it over! :lol: ). Oh and a telescopic handle to save your aged back.
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Orange Cola
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Re: Pressure Washer Recommendations

Post by Orange Cola »

I bought the smallest Karcher (K1?) about 5 years ago for £80 or £90 and it’s still going, the reviews at the time reckoned 18 - 24 months life from it. It doesn’t like the frost so I try and empty out after each use and it doesn’t like air in the hosepipe so I always run that through first.

Even as the smallest one it’s more than powerful enough for what I need and has worn well, doesn’t look old and tired at all. I’ve not heard of any brand receiving consistently high praise but I also hear a lot of people complaining about having to change attachments and such like when they do swap brands, this is an area where Karcher seem to have the variety of attachments for their systems nailed.
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duncs500
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Re: Pressure Washer Recommendations

Post by duncs500 »

You're killing me guys. :lol:
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duncs500
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Re: Pressure Washer Recommendations

Post by duncs500 »

Maybe the best thing is to assume that it's going to break and buy the cheaper model to avoid disappointment.
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