Powerwasher purchase

davidm25

Hi all


Every year I hire a petrol powerwasher to blast the driveway and paths front and back, etc. That costs around €75/day. I'm thinking of purchasing a washer of my own and even if there's some initial outlay, it should save me a bit of money into the future.



Could anyone advise on what strength (pressure, throughput, cc, etc?) and type (petrol, electric) I should be looking for to do a job like this? I know some people will want a multi-purpose one to wash the car also, etc but I'm really just looking for one that is strong enough to do this job well without having me hovering over every square foot of ground for ages trying to get it clean. What kind of pressure/throughput would you recommend, etc? Do you have any recommendations of where to purchase one that you think would be good for this job?


Thanks in advance,
D

_Brian

For domestic work electric is fine, use an rcd socket for extra safety but I’ve been using a Karcher at home here for 10 years with no trouble.

The K4 is a great washer, if you stretch to a K5 friend has one and is very happy with it.

davidm25

Thanks Brian - you'd consider the K4 to be powerful enough for the paths and driveway (cobblelock)? (sorry, don't know much about this). I remember a long time ago I used to hire an electric washer (at my previous house) and recall it doing the job fine, but just want to be sure that the one I purchase is strong enough for the job. If it's worth the stretch to the K5 I'm willing to consider that.

Tnx
D

JoeySully

for driveways the patio cleaner attachment with the spinning head are the job!

I have used powerful petrol pressure washer standard lance and the 2000w electric with the spinning head patios cleaner was just as fast and left a nice consistent clean with no lines and no dirt sprayed all over the painted walls.

Shaunoc

JoeySully wrote: »

for driveways the patio cleaner attachment with the spinning head are the job!

I have used powerful petrol pressure washer standard lance and the 2000w electric with the spinning head patios cleaner was just as fast and left a nice consistent clean with no lines and no dirt sprayed all over the painted walls.

Woodies had may still have the K4 full control home package for 250 - worth a check

Calahonda52

JoeySully wrote: »

for driveways the patio cleaner attachment with the spinning head are the job!

I have used powerful petrol pressure washer standard lance and the 2000w electric with the spinning head patios cleaner was just as fast and left a nice consistent clean with no lines and no dirt sprayed all over the painted walls.

Not all spinning heads are created equally so caveat emptor on that aspect of the purchase.
I have spinning heads from Lidl and Aldi rigs and they are crap

davidm25

JoeySully wrote: »

for driveways the patio cleaner attachment with the spinning head are the job!

I have used powerful petrol pressure washer standard lance and the 2000w electric with the spinning head patios cleaner was just as fast and left a nice consistent clean with no lines and no dirt sprayed all over the painted walls.

Thanks for the advice, everyone. JoeySully, what make was the spinning head cleaner you used, please?

Stoner

I got the K7 compact on sale in B&Q last year for a great price. You get these on sale every now and then and go up a model for the same money.

The K7 is just as powerful as the full K7 it just doesn't have all the plastic and hose holders etc, but it's a great job, the fittings on is are better quality, more brass less plastic. Had the k4 before that, it was fine got years out of it, but it's a much faster job with the k7

NIMAN

I'm currently in the market myself for a new washer.

From what I've researched and been told, one of the most important figures is the litres/min or litres/hr, that gives an indication of how 'powerful' your washer is at shifting dirt.

Some other quoted figures, such as PSI, bar etc can be misleading as they are often MAX figures and not what you're going to get consistently.

Plus I always assumed that the petrol ones from Lidl would be a lot more powerful than the electric ones, but not always so. Some of them don't shift much more water than some midrange electric ones.

I was going to buy a Lidl special petrol one, but after a lot of reading, I forgot about them. An awful lot of bad reviews of them, plus of course you have the servicing costs, increased noise levels etc. I'm looking at a mid range electric, probably a Nilfisk (had a small C110 for 10 years with next to no issues) or a Karcher. But I'm going to buy from their outlet stores to get better value.

davidm25

NIMAN wrote: »

I'm currently in the market myself for a new washer.

From what I've researched and been told, one of the most important figures is the litres/min or litres/hr, that gives an indication of how 'powerful' your washer is at shifting dirt.

Some other quoted figures, such as PSI, bar etc can be misleading as they are often MAX figures and not what you're going to get consistently.

This is helpful, NIMAN, thank you. Yes, I too would have assumed the petrol over electric (and also the PSI rating) which is what brought me here for some advice. Thanks for the info.

Audioslaven

The best electric based washers are Kranzle and superior to Karcher imo but they are alot more expensive. It depends really on price you are willing to pay.

ShiverinEskimo

Be conscious of your water source when buying an electric or petrol driven washer. If your water pressure is middling or low your washer will only pump what it can or it can cause catastrophic damage to the pump. A washer's litres/hr may be higher than your tap's. Many petrol washers in particular require a reservoir to function best. I use my green wheelie bin as a middle man between the outdoor tap and the petrol washer.

Also the petrol washers have the benefit of not being tied to sockets/extension leads.

davidm25

Anyone have experience (or thoughts) on this petrol one currently in Woodies?

https://www.woodies.ie/garden-and-outdoor/garden-powertools/pressure-washers/rok-173cc-high-petrol-pressure-washer-1132866

- D

Payton

I taught i seen a petrol power washer in Lidl last week?

dar_cool

Don't waste your time with electric pressure washers. I've had alot over the years and finally splashed out on a petrol pressure washer last year and the difference is night and day. No comparison. Cleans paths/driveway with ease. Different nozzle sizes make different jobs a breeze.

twowheelsonly

dar_cool wrote: »

Don't waste your time with electric pressure washers. I've had alot over the years and finally splashed out on a petrol pressure washer last year and the difference is night and day. No comparison. Cleans paths/driveway with ease. Different nozzle sizes make different jobs a breeze.

I'd be the of the opposite opinion to you !! I used a petrol one for probably 10 years and changed to electric about two (possibly three) years ago. Does the job just as well and is far lighter and easier to use with no messing about with oil and petrol. The detergent intake nozzle is a dream for car washing as well. Nice and simple.

If you do go for a kratacher one,
Dont bother paying extra for the "full control" shyte.
I got a good deal on a K4 last year with it and its a total useless gimmick.
Probably will cause me grief down the road too.

TheBody

dar_cool wrote: »

Don't waste your time with electric pressure washers. I've had alot over the years and finally splashed out on a petrol pressure washer last year and the difference is night and day. No comparison. Cleans paths/driveway with ease. Different nozzle sizes make different jobs a breeze.

I agree. I had a K4 that I was happy enough with. When it died last year, I bought a petrol one in Aldi. I have no idea how long it will last, but it is far superior. Better cleaning and many times faster.

Audioslaven

TheBody wrote: »

I agree. I had a K4 that I was happy enough with. When it died last year, I bought a petrol one in Aldi. I have no idea how long it will last, but it is far superior. Better cleaning and many times faster.

You guys have never used Kranzle. These are the real deal. We had a Kranzle doing farm shed clean for over 20 years. It is still working perfectly. We did replace the blaster and the pipe but that was it.

I wouldn't touch aldi/ kracher.

davidm25

Thanks everyone. For those that purchased a petrol one and were happy with it, can you tell me what strength it was (PSI or flow rate, etc)?

Tnx
- D

Don't bother buying any new washer if you are using it just once a year.

It's won't be as powerful as the petrol one you hire and by the time you break even on the purchase, it might start giving trouble anyway.

jmreire

Hi all Karcher users,
I have a problem with changing a power hose on mine.. I'm pretty sure that the actual hose itself is exchangeable between the different Karcher model's,,,,,say from a K3.68 to a K.355 (as in my case), but the problem I have is removing the hose from the connector...see pic's.

There are "slots" in the top and bottom of the connector ( pic 2 ),But I don't want to go tearing at it. So if anyone has already done this, I'd be grateful for the advice on how to do it.
Thanks in Advance.:D

jmreire

Has anyone tried fitting a Karcher lance and hose to a MacAllister powerwasher? I have both, and the Mac has plenty of power for what I want, but the lance spray is crap. I know that Karcher parts are interchangeable with several other makes by using adaptors,and so maybe its possible to get an adaptor for the MAC just I cannot fine one. Has anyone had better luck? I know that if I'm prepared to strip it down deep enough, I'll get to the actual metal fitting from the pump, and most likely jury-rig a connection from that., if some one knows a simpler way, it would be good.