Pressure Washer
 

Looking into getting a pressure washer for cleaning the car and getting the weeds up from the patio.
What minimum wattage would be best?
I know the higher the better but what is the minimum I should use?

Ok lets ask the questions a different way
What is the wattage of your pressure washer and does it do a good job?

Hi,


I use a Karcher K2 compact (110 bar).


Great for cleaning the car (also bought extension hose and snow foam gun accessories). More than enough power for this.



I've done light patio cleaning too - but a higher power unit would probably be better for patio duties and higher spec models seem to come with more tools to help with this.


Also the K2 is plastic inside and can be damaged by freezing temperatures if left in a shed through winter - my first one didn't survive winter and developed an internal leak.

Be very careful using a pressure washer on a car's paintwork. They can so easily take the paint off. When I use one, I keep the lance end at least two foot away from the car.

I agree with above - also have to angle the water so it's not directly hitting the surface - I took the paint off one of my poorly resprayed MG6 alloys by getting too close (slight chip in paint and water got underneath, lifting a large piece off...)


Stripped all the sill trim paint off too - although was deliberate this time.

I use a Worx Hydroshot which works well on the car and for cleaning paving. I chose it because I have no outside tap and the car is some distance from the house. The Worx uses rechargeable batteries and takes water from a bucket. I use two very large buckets, one with shampoo. I find a full battery is plenty to rinse the worst dirt off, go around under the wheel arches and is plenty to also rinse the shampoo off the car when clean. It works at a pressure of 6.5 bar and has a maximum water flow of 120 litres per hour. Int is not as power
ul as a full pressure washer but I find it enough for my purpose.
It has a lance adjustable for a jet through to a broad spray and comes with an extension about 15in long.

The only drawback I have found is that you have to remember to charge the battery before using it and it takes about an hour and a half.

I bought mine from Halfords for about £110. It was recommended to me by a friend of my son who is a car valetter and often visits customers with no power or water tap supply.
Bob

I use an aldi pressure washer bought for £80 with similar specs of a £200+ nilfisk pressure washer for use on the car, look at a units water flow rate rather than wattage, for patio pressure washing forget about using an electric unit I do this as a side business and see many people who have had a go themselves with a karcher and it looks atrocious I use a Honda gx390 21 litres per minute unit for my work which is way out of an electric karchers league, would be better of using a weed killer scraping out the joints and repointing.

Pointing the pavings! I used to live in Yorkshire and I remember those. Down here in Norfolk, it's all "Let it run into the ground. We need the water!" Even the kerbs aren't pointed. Some lovely pointing on the brickwork on the old properties. The new Per Simon Says lot seem to have left the levels and lines back in Eastern Europe though. I cringe every time I go past the new housing estates! Wobbly lines, bricks out of line and odd shapes, mortar everywhere but where it should be. Yuck!:getmecoat:

Hi Al.
I use a Ryobi jet washer 1800w /140bar it as tow different jet fitting one for the car, and one for the patio slabs /drive, also as a bottle at the rear for foam fluid, extra brush, good length of electric wire, and a good length of reinforced water pipe.

I purchased it about three years ago from Homebase, it is still going strong and as done lots of work over those three years.

got mine in aldi

its 6 years old , i run it from a rain butt so no tap water issues ..
only connect it to the tap for 5 mins to build up pressure :}
i am sure there is better brand names out there but its still going strong .


rob