# Pressure washers



## iateyoubutler (23 Jan 2020)

I need to invest in one, but what is a good one to go for? I always used Karcher years ago, but the last one I had failed terminally after about 5 separate uses (crap)

I keep reading similar stories, they obviously haven`t got their act together, so any other suggestions? Thanks guys


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## Venod (23 Jan 2020)

I have a Karcher, that I had to repair, my own fault, I kept it in the shed, it must have had water in the pump that froze and cracked the housing, it looked fine but when running it opened up a crack and leaked resulting in pressure drop, I fitted a new pump housing and it has been fine since, now kept inside.


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## iateyoubutler (23 Jan 2020)

I don`t think you did anything wrong. That`s what happened to mine (stored in the house), and many others, looking at reviews. Mine never even made double figures on the hours used score They are built to fail, and they do........


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## Bonefish Blues (24 Jan 2020)

Because plastic pumps, except on the semi-pro & pro models.

Nilfisk. Metal pumps. Well-regarded by car detailers (who, like it or not, know stuff about these!)


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## Randomnerd (24 Jan 2020)

Stihl are very good. I’ve a cold water job and it’s been spot on for cleaning dog kennels, tractors etc. £150 maybe now.


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## I like Skol (24 Jan 2020)

Had a cheap b&q own brand one for many years (Proline?) until it eventually died after a hard, tortured life. Replaced it with a basic Nilfisk about 2013 and this has been trouble free and impressively powerful.
Off the top of my head I paid about 30-40 for the old one and maybe 50-60 for the Nilfisk.


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## sleuthey (24 Jan 2020)

It would be a bit like a kettle for me. I would just get the cheapest I could find from Argos and when it breaks 1 year and 1 week later it goes in the recycling bin and I repeat the process. IE it's so cheap you don't repair it. I have tried spending more money on better brands but haven't noticed any difference in durability.


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## Drago (24 Jan 2020)

My Karcher job expired too. Utter tripe. The planes supplied to North Korean Airways are better built.


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## screenman (24 Jan 2020)

Direct Hoses for me, I have one having tried most of the other big names that do not compare, Nilfisk etc. is fine once you get into mega hundreds but the cheaper one's well sometimes you get lucky. https://www.directhoses.net/collections/all-black-8-9-pressure-washer

Great thing about the Diect Hoses one is the parts are obtainable, it has an oil soaked pump which you can change the oil every 100 hours or so, I cannot praise this bit of kit enough, do not be put off by it's size it works great.


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## Levo-Lon (24 Jan 2020)

screenman said:


> Direct Hoses for me, I have one having tried most of the other big names that do not compare, Nilfisk etc. is fine once you get into mega hundreds but the cheaper one's well sometimes you get lucky. https://www.directhoses.net/collections/all-black-8-9-pressure-washer
> 
> Great thing about the Diect Hoses one is the parts are obtainable, it has an oil soaked pump which you can change the oil every 100 hours or so, I cannot praise this bit of kit enough, do not be put off by it's size it works great.




Yes that oozes quality, and a decent price.
I have a cheap washer which I don't use very often, my Kercher also died as have all others.


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## screenman (24 Jan 2020)

Levo-Lon said:


> Yes that oozes quality, and a decent price.
> I have a cheap washer which I don't use very often, my Kercher also died as have all others.



It really is quality, it gets a hard life here and never misses a beat. I have owned all the others and most seem to self distruct just out of warranty.


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## Electric_Andy (24 Jan 2020)

I got a Karcher about 8 years ago and it's still going strong. It is kept outside all the time, but I make sure to fully empty it after use. Maybe their quality has gone down in recent years but mine is fine. I've had probably 50+ hours of use out of mine and it wasn't expensive to start with. But I wouldn't be surprised if major corner-cutting has gone on within the last 5 years


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## Racing roadkill (24 Jan 2020)

I’ve got a couple of Karchers. The portable one ( OC3 )
https://www.halfords.com/motoring/car-cleaning/pressure-washers-hoses/karcher-oc3-portable-cleaner
was a godsend when I lived on a boat, and is great if I’m touring, and don’t have access to an outdoor tap.
https://www.wiggle.co.uk/mobi-v-17-portable-bike-pressure-washer/
These are good as well.


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## Salar (24 Jan 2020)

I went for a Bosch last year . Does everything I want.

Couple of things to check out:-

1. Make sure the hose is long enough, I had to get an extension.

2. Most of the hoses are easily damaged and squashed, seems to be a common problem, so don't stand on the hose or kink it.


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## iateyoubutler (24 Jan 2020)

Many thanks all, big help


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## screenman (24 Jan 2020)

The hose that came with my Direct Hoses one is 10m long, they will make any size you want, reinforced rubber hose with brass fitting etc.


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## screenman (24 Jan 2020)

Just goes to show how marketing works, most of the big names when sold for around £100 do not last well, yet they keep selling, whilst the smaller local style makers hardly get a look in, sad really.


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## gbb (24 Jan 2020)

A motor rewinder told me years ago, he used to repair the motors on bigger ones...he'd been doing some work for someone who worked for one of the bigger manufacturers (can't remember who now). The internals are plastic, they are (or were) only designed to last IRO 30 hours...just 30 hours (roughly speaking) . The reckoning was many people buy one, use it as little once or twice a year, 1/2 hour each, some for a few hours work per year, machine packs up after 2, 3 or 4 years and the owner thinks...well, it is 4 years old . But of course in reality, it's done very little real work.
A triumph of minimising manufacturing costs and getting away with it.


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## fossyant (24 Jan 2020)

Old Halfords own brand one here, still going strong, many years old and just bought a new hose for it, and my lad has a Karcher. 

Oh and I've also got my cheapie £15 car 12v powered washer for cleaning off a dirty bike before it goes in the car - good enough just to get the mud off, but not a pressure washer !


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## Levo-Lon (24 Jan 2020)

gbb said:


> A motor rewinder told me years ago, he used to repair the motors on bigger ones...he'd been doing some work for someone who worked for one of the bigger manufacturers (can't remember who now). The internals are plastic, they are (or were) only designed to last IRO 30 hours...just 30 hours (roughly speaking) . The reckoning was many people buy one, use it as little once or twice a year, 1/2 hour each, some for a few hours work per year, machine packs up after 2, 3 or 4 years and the owner thinks...well, it is 4 years old . But of course in reality, it's done very little real work.
> A triumph of minimising manufacturing costs and getting away with it.




I suspect there's a lot of truth in that. 
Most people either wash a car or a patio a few times so a few hrs each yr


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## Vantage (24 Jan 2020)

I bought a reconditioned karcher K2 for £70. It's 2 years old and done countless hours blasting the paving in the back yard, washing the bike and washing the other half's car. Been dragged around and knocked about and drenched in water. 
It gets emptied after each use and is kept indoors but it's still going strong.


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## Milkfloat (25 Jan 2020)

I blame this thread for my Karcher self destructing today. I can not justify @screenman suggestion, so I found a warehouse deal on a Nilfisk with a metal pump for just under £60. 
View: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01N1RKP37


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## iateyoubutler (30 Jan 2020)

Well, after much stewing, it was a tie between Nilfisk and Direct Hoses, ended up going for direct hoses - they seem infinitely repairable which swung it for me.

Cheers all for the input


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## Milkfloat (30 Jan 2020)

iateyoubutler said:


> Well, after much stewing, it was a tie between Nilfisk and Direct Hoses, ended up going for direct hoses - they seem infinitely repairable which swung it for me.
> 
> Cheers all for the input


That's good, my Nilfisk blew up immediately after I turned it on. I have had to work hard with Amazon to get it sorted.


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## iateyoubutler (30 Jan 2020)

Milkfloat said:


> That's good, my Nilfisk blew up immediately after I turned it on. I have had to work hard with Amazon to get it sorted.


What brand new? That is pants............


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## Milkfloat (30 Jan 2020)

iateyoubutler said:


> What brand new? That is pants............


It is from Amazon Warehouse, looked like someone had put it together and then sent it back. I wonder if it blew up on them and they “repaired” it. Looking at the reviews at least 20 people have had the same thing, so I guess a dodgy batch.


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## screenman (30 Jan 2020)

Milkfloat said:


> That's good, my Nilfisk blew up immediately after I turned it on. I have had to work hard with Amazon to get it sorted.



We had two like that, which sent us out looking for quality.


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## iateyoubutler (30 Jan 2020)

screenman said:


> We had two like that, which sent us out looking for quality.


I can`t believe that. I work in a hospital and a lot of the cleaning staff use Nilfisk kit, so I thought if it`s good enough for that, it`s worth a look. Obviously not then...........


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## Milkfloat (30 Jan 2020)

iateyoubutler said:


> I can`t believe that. I work in a hospital and a lot of the cleaning staff use Nilfisk kit, so I thought if it`s good enough for that, it`s worth a look. Obviously not then...........


From the little research I have done, the industrial stuff is good, the consumer can be good, but also can be terrible. I have a replacement coming, also from the warehouse, so let’s see what happens with this one. For sure I will be testing before I build it.


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## screenman (30 Jan 2020)

iateyoubutler said:


> I can`t believe that. I work in a hospital and a lot of the cleaning staff use Nilfisk kit, so I thought if it`s good enough for that, it`s worth a look. Obviously not then...........



Like Dulux paint, the cheap stuff is cheap and the expensive stuff good.


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## JtB (10 Feb 2020)

iateyoubutler said:


> Well, after much stewing, it was a tie between Nilfisk and Direct Hoses, ended up going for direct hoses - they seem infinitely repairable which swung it for me.
> 
> Cheers all for the input


Curious to know which model you went for and what you think of it.


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## iateyoubutler (10 Feb 2020)

JtB said:


> Curious to know which model you went for and what you think of it.


I think there is only one, it`s only really what you get with it that varies. I can`t remember off the top of my head what my set up was called. I`ll post back.......

Not had chance to use it yet, it`s done nothing but p*ss down with rain since it arrived!


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## Milkfloat (11 Feb 2020)

An update on the Nilfisk saga. A replacement arrived from Amazon, this one blew up immediately as well, so I think that whatever ’fix’ they or the reconditioners are doing does not work. This time I went straight to Nilfisk who promised to send me a brand new one. I am still waiting for that to arrive.


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## screenman (11 Feb 2020)

Milkfloat said:


> An update on the Nilfisk saga. A replacement arrived from Amazon, this one blew up immediately as well, so I think that whatever ’fix’ they or the reconditioners are doing does not work. This time I went straight to Nilfisk who promised to send me a brand new one. I am still waiting for that to arrive.




Not good, you would not expect the new one to last long out of warranty at that rate.


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## Milkfloat (11 Feb 2020)

screenman said:


> Not good, you would not expect the new one to last long out of warranty at that rate.


Luckily I am not paying for it.


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## keithmac (11 Feb 2020)

I bought a Bosch one a few years back, has built in detergent tank and full metal pump (reliable!).

Cost £220iirc but brilliant bit of kit..


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## Profpointy (11 Feb 2020)

I'm a bit late to the party, but after a lot of huffing and puffing I gritted my teeth and bought a Kranzle - their K10 model. It was around £500 (ouch!) including their "dirt killer" whirligig lance. I got it from direct from a supplier in Germany at a significant saving, albeit had to put a UK plug on it.
Despite what seems a horrific price, it really is in a different league from the ones you get in B&Q and is very much a "pro" model - seemingly about the cheapest you can get a proper pro machin. The lance is mostly made of metal with brass connectors rather than plastic and to put in perspective I subsequently bought an adjustable jet lance for it for another £70 which is the same price as a complete cheap machine from B&Q - but there's a reason for that ! The machine a beast and works incredibly well. In retrospect, I'd buy their otherwise identical K7, which is the same pressure but slightly less volume of water and also able to suck up water from a tank or bucket. If you can stomach the price, an awsome machine


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## iateyoubutler (11 Feb 2020)

Thi


JtB said:


> Curious to know which model you went for and what you think of it.
> [/QUOTE
> 
> This was the package I went for:
> ...


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