Pressure washers are typically used for outdoor cleaning jobs, such as washing cars, or hosing down patios, as well as cleaning garden furniture.
If you want a quick, deep-down clean, then a pressure washer definitely beats a hose and scrubbing brush, and saves hours from your day.
Most modern pressure washers are compact and lightweight, making them easy to move around, and convenient to store in a shed when they’re not needed.
Do I Need a Pressure Washer?
If you have a caravan, car, patio or decking area, or even just garden furniture, a pressure washer is almost essential. It not only saves time, it is also easier on your hands and back than doing a thorough manual clean. And, in general, because of the high pressure, continuous flow of water, a pressure washer gets better results, faster.
Pressure washers can also take the effort out of cleaning the outside of windows, and save you money on getting a window cleaner in!
How Do Pressure Washers Work?
Pressure washers can typically function wherever there is water and electricity within easy reach. For example, if you wanted to clean an indoor wet room, you might plug the pressure washer into an electrical socket in the hallway, and connect it to a water outlet in the wet room
In the garden, pressure washers can often be attached to gravity-fed water harvesting barrels, such as rain butts.
The pressure washer produces a continuous stream of high-pressure water in a jet, which produces a ‘blasting’ action, releasing dried on dirt and tough-to-remove particles to give a deep, all-over clean.
What Am I Looking For?
The most important thing to look for when buying a pressure washer is the hose length. You don’t want to be struggling to reach round your car or caravan if you don’t have to, and, if you can do the whole decking or patio area from just outside the French windows, so much the better!
Beyond hose length, you want to make sure your pressure washer offers all the accessories and attachments you might need for your intended cleaning jobs. It will also need to be small enough to be stored safely, in a dry, indoor area (such as a shed or garage) when it is not in use.
Top Five Best Buys for 2017
#5: Wolf 200 BAR Petrol-Driven Pressure Washer
As the name suggests, this pressure washer features a petrol motor. This does mean you’ll need to buy petrol, and oil, for it, which is an additional expense. It also makes it heavier than other pressure washers.
The Wolf pressure washer features all-terrain wheels, enabling it to cope with uneven gardens, concrete yards, and gravel driveways, and a steel frame for increased durability.
The Wolf does have a few drawbacks, however: the oil filters are awkwardly placed, making them difficult to access, and the washer itself is noisy, and not as powerful as it would appear.
Pros
- Steel frame
- All-terrain wheels
Cons
- Noisy
- Not as powerful as it would appear
- Awkwardly located oil filters
- Would benefit from a larger carry handle
What Is It Good For?
The petrol engine would suit those looking to clean areas where an electrical supply isn’t readily accessible – a garden shed or greenhouse, for example, or an area of decking that is a distance from the house.
Value For Money?
This is an expensive machine to purchase, and will have the additional running costs of needing petrol and oil at regular intervals.
#4: Nilfisk C110-4-5 X-Tra
This pressure washer features an air-cooled motor, which helps prevent overheating, and an impact-resistant casing, meaning you don’t need to worry about bumping into the garden furniture as you’re dragging the pressure washer around.
However, owing to it being somewhat awkward to manoeuvre, the impact-resistant casing is necessary. Also, the hose is somewhat short – a major frustration when combined with the lack of manoeuvrability.
Pros
- Air-cooled motor
- Impact-resistant casing
Cons
- Difficult to manoeuvre
- Short hose
What Is It Good For?
The short hose and lack of manoeuvrability on this pressure washer are a real let down, especially in combination. It might, therefore, be best suited to someone just looking to clean a small patio or decking area on a regular basis. The air-cooled motor is a bonus during prolonged use.
Value For Money?
There are definitely more functional options available in the same price range.
#3: Bosch AQT-33-11
An affordably-priced pressure washer for general use, the Bosch offers a clear vision water tank, so you can easily check the water level.
It is a little tricky to assemble, despite claiming to be “easy assembly”, and quite noisy in use – although that is to be expected from a pressure washer. However, depending on how well you get on with your neighbours, it may not be all that welcome.
It also has the odd quirk of not enabling the brush attachment to be used with detergent running through it – the detergent needs to be applied first, then brushed through. This isn’t a big niggle, but it does take up more time. If you’ve invested in a pressure washer specifically to save time using a bucket and sponge on the car, this foible of the Bosch could be frustrating.
Pros
- Affordable
- Clear vision water tank – easy to check water level
Cons
- Doesn’t allow for detergent and brush to be used at the same time
- Not “easy assembly”
- Noisy
What Is It Good For?
With its low price tag, the Bosch is a good general purpose pressure washer for those looking to give the patio, car, or garden furniture the occasional once over.
Value For Money?
This is a good price, and well within most peoples’ budgets. Definitely worth it if you have a patio or decking area you want to keep clean.
#2: Karcher K2 Compact
A compact, lightweight pressure washer that is ideal for those who need a pressure washer, but don’t have much storage space. The K2 will tuck away neatly in a corner of the shed, until the next time you want to use it.
It is suitable for use with water butts, with the appropriate attachment, and is ergonomically designed. It also features a filter, to prevent small stones, chippings, etc from entering the machine and causing damage.
It is ergonomically designed, and offers a lot more power than its size might suggest.
The K2 is, however, let down by a motor which doesn’t seem particularly durable.
Pros
- Compact, lightweight, yet powerful
- Particle filter, helps prevent damage from small stones and chippings
- Can be used with water butts
Cons
- Poor quality motor
What Is It Good For?
Although the motor does let this pressure washer down, it offers great versatility. It is also modestly priced, with the peace of mind of a quality brand behind it.
Value For Money?
Reasonably priced, from a quality brand.
#1: Karcher K3 Premium
Offering splash-free cleaning and an integrated detergent tank, the K3 is pretty much everything you’d be looking for in a pressure washer.
The splash-free cleaning means you can enjoy your shiny, freshly-cleaned patio without being soaked from splash back – no more getting out the scruffs with this pressure washer!
It features a slide-up handle, making it easy to use for those who find bending a struggle, and has all the functionality you’d expect from a leading brand.
Pros
- Ergonomic sliding handle
- Splash-free cleaning
- Integrated detergent tank
Cons
- None that we could find!
What Is It Good For?
Pretty much all those outdoor jobs that you want to get done quickly and with minimal hassle.
Value For Money?
The K3 definitely offers premium functionality, but, with its mid-level price tag, you won’t be paying premium prices. Definitely a good buy for those with busy lives who want high-quality, professional results from their pressure washer.
- Equipped with a powerful 1600 Watt motor delivering 120 bars of pressure
- Integral detergent tank allows for pressure application of cleaning chemicals
- Large wheels & slide up handle for improved mobility, Fitted with an onboard accessory holder
Last update on 2017-08-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API