Seems these can be had for anything from £30 upwards these days.

Are the cheaper ones worth having?

Main uses would be the "usual suspects" like the car, shed,
patio/paving, brickwork, UPVC windows etc..

Usually I think Pressure Washers I think Karcher? Also are there any
special requirements other than a mains socket and a hose from the
outside tap?

Any tips on any good deals would be appreciated.

cheers,
Paul
--
paul at spamcop dot net

On Mon, 28 Mar 2005 00:30:01 +0100, Paul Hutchings
wrote:

Seems these can be had for anything from £30 upwards these days.

Are the cheaper ones worth having?

Could be. However you get what you pay for so don't cry too many tears
when it breaks down early.

Usually I think Pressure Washers I think Karcher? Also are there any
special requirements other than a mains socket and a hose from the
outside tap?

You won't get a karcher for £30, leastways not in my experience.
Karcher are the mutts nutts I believe.

You will need a set of wellies. Be careful turning the pressure on car
panels 'cos it can cause damage. Be careful also when cleaning the
gaps around patio stones, you will break out the flimsy material from
those gaps.

Also, if your house isn't protected by a modern ELCB/RCB/MCB consumer
unit make sure you get one of those plugs to power it from. Won't hurt
to get one anyway.

Andrew

Please note that the email address used for posting
usenet messages is configured such that my antispam
filter will automatically update itself so that the
senders email address is flagged as spam. If you do
need to contact me please visit my web site and
submit an enquiry - http://www.kazmax.co.uk

"Paul Hutchings" wrote in message
news
Seems these can be had for anything from £30 upwards these days.

Are the cheaper ones worth having?

Main uses would be the "usual suspects" like the car, shed,
patio/paving, brickwork, UPVC windows etc..

Usually I think Pressure Washers I think Karcher? Also are there any
special requirements other than a mains socket and a hose from the
outside tap?

Any tips on any good deals would be appreciated.

cheers,
Paul
--
paul at spamcop dot net

I lost patience with a cheapo pressure washer a few years ago and purchased
a Karcher 650M like this:
http://www.karcher.com/uk/products/c...01_IntGB.shtml

It's "the dogs".

Looks like you could pick one up for £200
(http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...90145 38&rd=1)

Make sure your electricity is safe and your water supply has a decent flow
rate.

D

On Mon, 28 Mar 2005 00:30:01 +0100, Paul Hutchings
wrote:

Seems these can be had for anything from £30 upwards these days.

Are the cheaper ones worth having?

I've used a couple of them and neighbours have bought them. The
really cheap ones don't seem to last very long and are a throw away
item since you won't get spares in most cases. For very occasional and
light use, this may be OK if you are OK with the economics.

The mid range DIY store own brand are somewhat better in the sense of
being more powerful, but on a couple I tried, the accessories were not
very well made.



Main uses would be the "usual suspects" like the car, shed,
patio/paving, brickwork, UPVC windows etc..

Usually I think Pressure Washers I think Karcher?

I looked at power, quality, parts availability and service when I
bought one and decided on a mid range Kaercher. I tend to use it
pretty much every week for at least one of the tasks you describe and
have been pretty pleased with it. The power is there, the accessories
work well and it has been reliable.

Also are there any
special requirements other than a mains socket and a hose from the
outside tap?

You need to have a reasonably good water flow available at the
machine.

For mains power, there should be an RCD device. Under current wiring
regulations, any socket in the house that could be used for portable
equipment out of doors muct be protected by a 30mA RCD, and so in new
installations this is normally done with an RCD in the consumer unit.
If you don't have this, then the alternatives are to fit an exterior
socket with built in RCD, wiring it in to an existing circuit, or to
use an RCD adaptor. Whichever you choose, do use something though.

Another factor is storage. If water is left in a pressure washer and
it freezes, there is a risk of cracking the pump. This invalidates
warranties in most cases. Ideally, you need to find a place to store
that is not going to freeze, or make very sure that the pump is
completely empty of water before storing. The latter may not be
possible with some pump designs.




Any tips on any good deals would be appreciated.

cheers,
Paul


--

..andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

Paul Hutchings wrote:
Seems these can be had for anything from £30 upwards these days.

Are the cheaper ones worth having?

Main uses would be the "usual suspects" like the car, shed,
patio/paving, brickwork, UPVC windows etc..

Usually I think Pressure Washers I think Karcher? Also are there any
special requirements other than a mains socket and a hose from the
outside tap?

Any tips on any good deals would be appreciated.

cheers,
Paul

aldi have a special coming up:

31st March, 2005
Pressure Washer 2100W
£ 79.99

a.. Produced by Kärcher exclusively for Powercraft

(whooda thunkitt a major brand name making cheapo products for a discounter)

b.. 2.1kW long-life induction motor
c.. 450 litre/hour water flow
d.. 130 bar pressure
e.. Spray gun with 6m high hose
f.. Spray lance with variable high/low pressure regulator and dirt-blaster for 30% more cleaning
power
g.. Soft-bristle, water power rotary wash brush
h.. Integrated detergent tank (comes with 0.5 litre concentrated detergent) for instant feed
i.. Garden hose coupling
j.. Automatic stop/start spray gun trigger feature
k.. Automatic detergent suction (when rotary spray or spray lance on low pressure setting)
l.. Full instructions provided.

of course, because it hasn't got the Kärcher badge and costs less than a Kärcher
it's going to be complete rubbish which will, within days, have someones eye out



RT

In article ,
Andy Hall wrote:

I looked at power, quality, parts availability and service when I
bought one and decided on a mid range Kaercher. I tend to use it
pretty much every week for at least one of the tasks you describe and
have been pretty pleased with it. The power is there, the accessories
work well and it has been reliable.


Thanks Andy. Probably looking at the K2.89M for £80 from Argos as it
seems to come with some tools and looks a reasonable spec for the money.
It seems you can get machines like the Nilfisk Alto's for £50ish from
Machine Mart but you don't seem to get a variable power nozzle or a
brush.

One question, you see these things demo'd from time to time on the likes
of QVC and I know they mock up the things they're cleaning to best
demonstrate the machine, but how good are they? They always seem to
show them literally cutting through a swathe of dirt and grime and it
seems hard to believe that water alone would do this with muck that may
have been in place for years (i.e. patio).

cheers,
Paul
--
paul at spamcop dot net

In message
, Paul
Hutchings writes
One question, you see these things demo'd from time to time on the likes
of QVC and I know they mock up the things they're cleaning to best
demonstrate the machine, but how good are they? They always seem to
show them literally cutting through a swathe of dirt and grime and it
seems hard to believe that water alone would do this with muck that may
have been in place for years (i.e. patio).
I use a Karcher, model unknown, for cleaning concrete slabs and paths
and it is absolutely brilliant!!!!!!!!!!! Takes them back to new, well
worth buying if you have an area like that. Be wary of using it on car
paint work, I have stripped paint from plastic bumpers and cut through
the rubber seal on the windscreen, this was all in one day until I got
used to the power of the machine.


--
Bill

"Paul Hutchings" wrote in message
news
Seems these can be had for anything from £30 upwards these days.

Are the cheaper ones worth having?

Main uses would be the "usual suspects" like the car, shed,
patio/paving, brickwork, UPVC windows etc..

Usually I think Pressure Washers I think Karcher? Also are there any
special requirements other than a mains socket and a hose from the
outside tap?

Any tips on any good deals would be appreciated.

cheers,
Paul
--
paul at spamcop dot net

I got a Ferm one from Screwfix over 3 years ago and it's been great. Can't
remember the exact model No. and I can't be arsed to go to the garage to
have a look but it was about £80, has been used every couple of weeks since
the day it was bought, and we've had no problems whatsoever - he says,
crossing fingers and toes now that the 3-year guarantee has run out )

Mogweed.

"[news]" wrote in message
...
Paul Hutchings wrote:
Seems these can be had for anything from £30 upwards these days.

Are the cheaper ones worth having?

Main uses would be the "usual suspects" like the car, shed,
patio/paving, brickwork, UPVC windows etc..

Usually I think Pressure Washers I think Karcher? Also are there any
special requirements other than a mains socket and a hose from the
outside tap?

Any tips on any good deals would be appreciated.

cheers,
Paul

aldi have a special coming up:

31st March, 2005
Pressure Washer 2100W
£ 79.99

a.. Produced by Kärcher exclusively for Powercraft

(whooda thunkitt a major brand name making cheapo products for a
discounter)

b.. 2.1kW long-life induction motor
c.. 450 litre/hour water flow
d.. 130 bar pressure
e.. Spray gun with 6m high hose
f.. Spray lance with variable high/low pressure regulator and dirt-blaster
for 30% more cleaning
power
g.. Soft-bristle, water power rotary wash brush
h.. Integrated detergent tank (comes with 0.5 litre concentrated
detergent) for instant feed
i.. Garden hose coupling
j.. Automatic stop/start spray gun trigger feature
k.. Automatic detergent suction (when rotary spray or spray lance on low
pressure setting)
l.. Full instructions provided.

of course, because it hasn't got the Kärcher badge and costs less than a
Kärcher
it's going to be complete rubbish which will, within days, have someones
eye out

How dare they sell stuff that cheap. Those people are scum. It should be
top price so Little Middle Englanders can pay that much, fuelling rip off
Britain, and giving themselves a sense of superiority knowing those on the
council estate buy cheaper brands than what they do.



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On Mon, 28 Mar 2005 10:33:48 +0100, Paul Hutchings
wrote:

In article ,
Andy Hall wrote:

I looked at power, quality, parts availability and service when I
bought one and decided on a mid range Kaercher. I tend to use it
pretty much every week for at least one of the tasks you describe and
have been pretty pleased with it. The power is there, the accessories
work well and it has been reliable.


Thanks Andy. Probably looking at the K2.89M for £80 from Argos as it
seems to come with some tools and looks a reasonable spec for the money.
It seems you can get machines like the Nilfisk Alto's for £50ish from
Machine Mart but you don't seem to get a variable power nozzle or a
brush.

I'd say that that is a pretty good buy for the price, although it
seems to have been replaced by the K297M with similar spec.

It appears to come with the variable pressure lance and the
DirtBlaster and a brush.



One question, you see these things demo'd from time to time on the likes
of QVC and I know they mock up the things they're cleaning to best
demonstrate the machine, but how good are they? They always seem to
show them literally cutting through a swathe of dirt and grime and it
seems hard to believe that water alone would do this with muck that may
have been in place for years (i.e. patio).


I don't pay too much attention to shopping channels except when
flicking past, and am sceptical of anything that is sold with
anonymous personal reference on a TV show or anywhere else. For all we
know, the person singing the product's praises is the marketing
manager's brother in law.

I've had pretty good results with the pressure washer.

Most things are cleanable with the variable pressure lance. Typical
use on a car is to use it on highish pressure to remove the dirt, then
drop the pressure to apply shampoo and rinse.

For patios etc. the DirtBlaster is very good. This has a rotating
nozzle and will remove most things. To give you an idea, it will
strip the paint and start to eat into softwood if used close to it.
You definitely don't want to use this on a car.

I also bought the angled spray lance - good for doing gutters etc.,
and the rotating car wash brush. The brush does a pretty good job as
well and is more substantial than those typically sold for hoses.

Another thing that I thought of after writing the first email, is that
eye protection is a good idea. Grit from cleaning can tend to fly
about.






--

..andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

In message
, Paul
Hutchings writes
Seems these can be had for anything from £30 upwards these days.

Are the cheaper ones worth having?

Main uses would be the "usual suspects" like the car, shed,
patio/paving, brickwork, UPVC windows etc..

Usually I think Pressure Washers I think Karcher? Also are there any
special requirements other than a mains socket and a hose from the
outside tap?

Any tips on any good deals would be appreciated.

cheers,
Paul

We have had 2 Karchers fail in the last 6 years - the plastic pumps
splitting on both occasions - apparently metal pumps start with the 5
series and upwards. Our excellent local garden machinery dealers had a
good deal on Stihl pressure washers (better than the best price I could
find on the Web) so I decided to splash out on a RE116K model (140 bar,
maximum 660l/h). So far, with limited use, it seems very effective and
it is considerably quieter than the less powerful Karcher machines - it
will be interesting to see how well it lasts!
--
rbel

Hi Paul

You very much get what you pay for. Karcher are the biggest, thats
all. Alto (then KEW) invented the concept of the DIY pressure washer.

Look for an aluminium pump, not plastic and an induction motor.

Ignore pressure, it is generally bumped up at the expense of flow rate.
Motor size is as good a guide as any.

Karcher, Gerni, Machine Mart, Draper, Stihl, Alto, Sealy - all much the
same for DIY machines.

Dave

In message . com,
Magician writes

You very much get what you pay for. Karcher are the biggest, thats
all. Alto (then KEW) invented the concept of the DIY pressure washer.

Look for an aluminium pump, not plastic and an induction motor.

Ignore pressure, it is generally bumped up at the expense of flow rate.
Motor size is as good a guide as any.

Karcher, Gerni, Machine Mart, Draper, Stihl, Alto, Sealy - all much the
same for DIY machines.


Ryobi ?

--
dave @ stejonda

UCE Spammer : : Bots please harvest

Dave asked;

Ryobi ?

Made by FAIP in Italy, also sold as Gerni & other brands.

"Badge engineering" is rife in pressure washers! Nothing wrong with
most of the Ryobi range.

Dave

In article ,
Paul Hutchings writes:
Seems these can be had for anything from £30 upwards these days.

Are the cheaper ones worth having?

I bought a £50 one from Woolworths 4-5 years ago and it's worked
fine. I never bothered to look at the make before but just checked,
and it's a Lavorwash Deltajet Delta Pro 1200. There were a number of
accessories you could mail off for described inside the box -- I got
a car wash brush which uses the pressure to drive a rotary brush.
(The next year, Woolworths had same one for same price, but including
that brush.)

Main uses would be the "usual suspects" like the car, shed,

Be careful with car. I've heard of cases of pressure washers being
able to strip the paint off, particularly with the new low solvent
paints which are now being used on cars. I always adjust the lance
to produce a spread jet when pointing it the car. I have a metal
post supporting part of my porch, and when I directed it at that,
it did take the paint clean off...

I always feed mine from a water butt, and one of the main reasons
to get one was so I could use the free water in the water butt for
things like washing the car. I did wonder if sand and other muck
in the water which washes off the roof might quickly destroy a
pressure washer, but it hasn't.

patio/paving, brickwork, UPVC windows etc..

I recently found it brilliant for cleaning the white PVC gutter
fronts on my house whilst standing at ground level. As a kid, I
must have missed out on not having a 1200W water pistol;-)

--
Andrew Gabriel

On Mon, 28 Mar 2005 23:33:40 +0000 (UTC),
(Andrew Gabriel) wrote:

I recently found it brilliant for cleaning the white PVC gutter
fronts on my house whilst standing at ground level. As a kid, I
must have missed out on not having a 1200W water pistol;-)


Water play is a wonderful thing, whether you are 4 or 40.... :-)



--

..andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

In message , Andy Hall
writes
On Mon, 28 Mar 2005 23:33:40 +0000 (UTC),
(Andrew Gabriel) wrote:

I recently found it brilliant for cleaning the white PVC gutter
fronts on my house whilst standing at ground level. As a kid, I
must have missed out on not having a 1200W water pistol;-)


Water play is a wonderful thing, whether you are 4 or 40.... :-)

There are websites for people like you ...

--
geoff

On Tue, 29 Mar 2005 00:09:24 GMT, raden wrote:

In message , Andy Hall
writes
On Mon, 28 Mar 2005 23:33:40 +0000 (UTC),
(Andrew Gabriel) wrote:

I recently found it brilliant for cleaning the white PVC gutter
fronts on my house whilst standing at ground level. As a kid, I
must have missed out on not having a 1200W water pistol;-)


Water play is a wonderful thing, whether you are 4 or 40.... :-)

There are websites for people like you ...


That's sports....



--

..andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

"Andy Hall" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 29 Mar 2005 00:09:24 GMT, raden wrote:

In message , Andy Hall
writes
On Mon, 28 Mar 2005 23:33:40 +0000 (UTC),
(Andrew Gabriel) wrote:

I recently found it brilliant for cleaning the white PVC gutter
fronts on my house whilst standing at ground level. As a kid, I
must have missed out on not having a 1200W water pistol;-)


Water play is a wonderful thing, whether you are 4 or 40.... :-)

There are websites for people like you ...

That's sports....

You have an odd idea of what sport is...


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"Paul Hutchings" wrote in message
news
In article ,
Andy Hall wrote:

I looked at power, quality, parts availability and service when I
bought one and decided on a mid range Kaercher. I tend to use it
pretty much every week for at least one of the tasks you describe and
have been pretty pleased with it. The power is there, the accessories
work well and it has been reliable.


Thanks Andy. Probably looking at the K2.89M for £80 from Argos as it
seems to come with some tools and looks a reasonable spec for the money.
It seems you can get machines like the Nilfisk Alto's for £50ish from
Machine Mart but you don't seem to get a variable power nozzle or a
brush.

One question, you see these things demo'd from time to time on the likes
of QVC and I know they mock up the things they're cleaning to best
demonstrate the machine, but how good are they? They always seem to
show them literally cutting through a swathe of dirt and grime and it
seems hard to believe that water alone would do this with muck that may
have been in place for years (i.e. patio).

cheers,
Paul
--
paul at spamcop dot net

Just cleaned my stone and flag steps out back, 3 years of muck and moss and
dirt build up, with a karcher and a lance head that sprays a jet of water in
a circle 'dirt blaster'. Cleaned it up like new and didn't take a lot of
time (probably about 30 seconds per flag/step).

My suggestion is to get an extension for the pressure hose, makes doing you
car or garden a load easier because you dont have to move the washer around
as much, I found that with the standard length hose it was pulling the
pressure washer over when I was moving around the car. The longer hose also
allows me to keep the washer away from the spray.

Paul

On Tue, 29 Mar 2005 09:46:48 +0100, "Doctor Evil"
wrote:


"Andy Hall" wrote in message
.. .
On Tue, 29 Mar 2005 00:09:24 GMT, raden wrote:

In message , Andy Hall
writes
On Mon, 28 Mar 2005 23:33:40 +0000 (UTC),
(Andrew Gabriel) wrote:

I recently found it brilliant for cleaning the white PVC gutter
fronts on my house whilst standing at ground level. As a kid, I
must have missed out on not having a 1200W water pistol;-)


Water play is a wonderful thing, whether you are 4 or 40.... :-)

There are websites for people like you ...

That's sports....

You have an odd idea of what sport is...


Possibly true.

I've never been interested in the least in spectator sports or
participating in team ones - I'm too much of an individualist for
that.



--

..andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

"Andy Hall" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 29 Mar 2005 09:46:48 +0100, "Doctor Evil"
wrote:


"Andy Hall" wrote in message
.. .
On Tue, 29 Mar 2005 00:09:24 GMT, raden wrote:

In message , Andy Hall
writes
On Mon, 28 Mar 2005 23:33:40 +0000 (UTC),
(Andrew Gabriel) wrote:

I recently found it brilliant for cleaning the white PVC gutter
fronts on my house whilst standing at ground level. As a kid, I
must have missed out on not having a 1200W water pistol;-)


Water play is a wonderful thing, whether you are 4 or 40.... :-)

There are websites for people like you ...

That's sports....

You have an odd idea of what sport is...

Possibly true.

I've never been interested in the least in spectator sports or
participating in team ones - I'm too much of an individualist for
that.

Sounds like a strange loner to me.


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On Tue, 29 Mar 2005 12:32:53 +0100, "Doctor Evil"
wrote:


"Andy Hall" wrote in message


Water play is a wonderful thing, whether you are 4 or 40.... :-)

There are websites for people like you ...

That's sports....

You have an odd idea of what sport is...

Possibly true.

I've never been interested in the least in spectator sports or
participating in team ones - I'm too much of an individualist for
that.

Sounds like a strange loner to me.


Not at all. There's a huge difference between being an individualist
and a loner, and I am certainly not the latter.

I simply prefer to make my own decisions rather than letting others
make them for me...



--

..andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

can I add to this with another question.....when chossing a Pressure Washer -what should one look for? It is motor wattage, flow rate or pressure? I reckon I'll end up on Ebay - but there are hundreds ot choose from - is there a general rule of thumb in terms of what I should look to "maximise"

Thanks

Alex

Seems these can be had for anything from £30 upwards these days.

Are the cheaper ones worth having?

I bought the 30 quid one from B&Q. I've treated it like dirt and it still
works. It's about four years old now. I never drain it or clean it. I leave
it outside in the rain. For months. It snows, it freezes, it thaws. The damn
thing still works.

It's noticeably less powerful than a friend's Karcher. But that cost five
times as much. It's fine for cleaning patios.

Note that pressure washers in general are useless for cleaning cars, no
matter how much they try to claim otherwise. To get enough pressure to clean
the dirt, you'll bend the panel. Car cleaning requires a sponge/foaming
brush to get rid of the dirt and a simple hose pipe (or bucket) to rinse.
Whilst the pressure washer would do the rinsing, it isn't really necessary.

Christian.

They always seem to show them literally cutting through a swathe of dirt
and grime and it seems hard to believe that water alone would do this
with muck that may have been in place for years (i.e. patio).

They are fantastic for cleaning patios. It is probably their greatest use.
Even the cheapest models will utterly transform the appearance from black to
original concrete/brick. The more expensive models will just do it quicker,
as they pump more water and can cut through a wider swathe at the same
pressure.

Christian.

"Andy Hall" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 29 Mar 2005 12:32:53 +0100, "Doctor Evil"

wrote:
"Andy Hall" wrote in message

snip
I've never been interested in the least in spectator sports or
participating in team ones - I'm too much of an individualist for
that.

Sounds like a strange loner to me.


Not at all. There's a huge difference between being an individualist
and a loner, and I am certainly not the latter.

I simply prefer to make my own decisions rather than letting others
make them for me...


Very true Andy, OTOH, IMM (DrIvel / Doctor Evil or what ever he is
currently calling him/her self ATM) is a classic example of a loner
who is trying desperately to 'fit in' with the crowd - without really
understanding what (s)he should be doing to do so IYSWIM...

In article ,
Christian McArdle wrote:
They always seem to show them literally cutting through a swathe of
dirt and grime and it seems hard to believe that water alone would do
this with muck that may have been in place for years (i.e. patio).

They are fantastic for cleaning patios. It is probably their greatest
use.

My patio is made from reclaimed Yorkstone, and I couldn't wait for the
moss etc to grow a bit and make it look old. ;-)

--
*(over a sketch of the titanic) "The boat sank - get over it

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

can I add to this with another question.....when chossing a Pressure
Washer -what should one look for? It is motor wattage, flow rate or
pressure?

Unfortunately none of the metrics are particularly meaningful, as they are
easily manipulated or misinterpretable. Think "watts" on low end stereo
systems.

Christian.

Hi Alex

Induction motor
Aluminium (or brass) pump, not plastic.

Pressure & flow are dependant on motor size. For a given motor if you
increase one you must decrease the other.

If you really want to know, multiply pressure in bar x flow in litres
per min and divide by 600. This will give you "cleaning effect" in KW
to compare one machine with another.

As Christian said, all the figures are fudged anyway. "Marketing Bar"
as we call it. Most often fudged is pressure.

They will qoute 120 bar for example. Reading the small print will
reveal that is maximum pump pressure achieved for a fraction of a
second as the machine switches off. Actual working pressure may be 90
bar.

Motor size is as good as any guide.

Dave