Pressure Washers - Do You Own One? Are They Worth It?

anotheruser

Are pressure washers worth it?
Decided to stick this in motoring as most people would use them for car washing.

I have been looking at them recently but at £100-£150, are they really worth the money compared with a hose or bucket and water?

Which one do you own and why?

vikingaero

Worth it just for cleaning the patio, our plastic shed and my caving gear let alone using it to clean the car.

For cleaning a car a pressure washer is far more economical in the use of water than a hosepipe and spray attachment.

colino

If you have a 4x4 and/or boat you will wonder how you struggled without one! However if you don't have an outside tap and power supply I suspect that it will end up in the back of the garage beside the unused hose.
There always appear to be deals for pressure washers around the £100 mark and they are good value if you are using it for a handful of cars and cleaning the patio.

Flying-High_2

I've a sub £100 Nilfisk 110bar at home that gets regular abuse on the cars and 4x4s and 18months in its been 100% fine it came with a Patio cleaner attatchment which ive not used yet. Ive also got a Petrol Karcher which irc is 150bar at my Dads which is used for Farm and Plant equipment... Honda engined and always goes first time even after standing for months.. No idea on its age as was bought at a sale.

I'd say regular use and it's well worth the money... Odd car wash and I'd be sticking with bucket and sponge and the odd visit to the Garage and a couple of quid to blast underneath.

alastairq

got a couple of cheapo HAlfrauds pressure washers.... currently one hose & gun, two washers.

For occasional use cleaning underside of car, patio, etc....a good £30's worth.

Occasional failure down to tiny bits of crud getting into the gun itself..usually a strip 'n clean sorts it all out?

With these cheapo machines, I recommend [based on personal experience] NOT using the detergent reservoirs....

Occasional loss of priming too...again it'll be a bit of crud somewhere...

I wish they had a gun with a bent-up nozzle, for cleaning under wheel arches, chassis,etc....without bending down.

Spray useful for counteracting effects of salt in winter....

nickcc

Another vote for Nilfisk, had two of the £100 Karchers before (one was replacement under guarantee ) and both plastic pumps failed after 6 months, Nilfisk have metal pumps.

forgotmyname

I have a cheap one bought from argos many years ago. Still going strong.

Washing slabs and decking etc. Its great a high powered jet. But washing the car a decent spray gun on a hose will be just as effective.

I never use its in jet mode on the car its a fine mist to wet it before washing and same to rinse off.

Do you use a leather to dry it off though?

Meadows

anotheruser wrote: »

Are pressure washers worth it?
QUOTE]


Yes & Yes, but use ours to jet wash the patio once a year.

GlynD

I've had a Karcher one for about 10 years. Does everything I ask of it. Find it very useful and saves me money by not having to employ someone to do the work for me.

torbrex

I have had a Karcher for about 9 years and not used it for the last 8 years it has been sitting in the shed forgotten about until I saw this thread.

anotheruser

Some good mixed views.
I'd want it to replace the hose / bucket and sponge for my car though, not have it as an additional piece of kit.