OV9

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.

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.

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.

I have a nilfisk that’s happily soldiered on without any special care for 5 or so years.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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'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.

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 (?)

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

Hmmm, I guess it's out of this or the K4 for £45 more.

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.

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! ). Oh and a telescopic handle to save your aged back.

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.

You're killing me guys.

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