# Power/Jet Washer On Sale - Is It Any Good?



## Dubcat (Jun 10, 2002)

There is a power washer on sale at www.maplin.co.uk. Â It is on the homepage half way down the page on the left. Â It is now Â£50, down from Â£80 and has the following features:

â€¢ Powerful 1400W motor 
â€¢ Economical and simple to use 
â€¢ Carry handles and wheels for easy use 
around the home and garden 
â€¢ Max Pressure100 bar/1430psi, 6.5litres p/m 
â€¢ Supplied with hose, gun, lance, foam lance 
and wheel kit.

Can someone tell me if this is a good buy?

TIA

phoTToniq

p.s. I think it is made by 'Nutool' but am not sure


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## A3DFU (May 7, 2002)

Yes, it is Amir Â 

and they work a treat on dead flies Â  ;D


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## teucer2000 (May 14, 2002)

I had a Bosch one that stripped off the pin-stripes down the side of my MR2!


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## TTotal (Aug 12, 2002)

Mate just go to B&Q and buy a KARCHER for about Â£70. Its the one that Mark Wizard has and is perfect, I got one a month ago. Unkown stuff always dodgy, dont be a cheapskate ! You spend good cash on a car so spend properly on the washer.


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## aidb (Mar 19, 2003)

Got this bad boy from B&Q online;










http://www.diy.com/bq/product/product.j ... ullets=999

Very pleased with it, and it's better than dental floss for getting out the bits betwixt yer gnashers. Â ;D

Oh, and the colour matches me car (a bit). Â :


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## Dubcat (Jun 10, 2002)

> Mate just go to B&Q and buy a KARCHER for about Â£70. Its the one that Mark Wizard has and is perfect, I got one a month ago. Unkown stuff always dodgy, dont be a cheapskate ! You spend good cash on a car so spend properly on the washer.


I don't think this is some crappy no name thing... Has anyone else got one of these? I also don't think Karcher is anything special.


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## Dubcat (Jun 10, 2002)

> I had a Bosch one that stripped off the pin-stripes down the side of my MR2!


Thanks - i'll bear that in mind. I guess there is a way to turn the pressure down. I mostly want it for the wheels actually.

P.


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## UK225 (May 12, 2002)

I have a JCB washer bought from Argos & I am very happy with it.

No lacquer has been removed "yet" ;D


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## TTotal (Aug 12, 2002)

> I don't think this is some crappy no name thing... Â Has anyone else got one of these? Â I also don't think Karcher is anything special.


Well I do cos i used to flog them Amir. Karcher is king !


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## Justhe1 (Jul 2, 2002)

I bought a Karcher trolley style washer from B&Q a couple of months ago and have been mighty impressed with it to date.

It was in a sale reduced from Â£130 to Â£99.

Considering it gets covered in grime, soil, water, etc it I've had no probs at all....


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## mattreader (Jul 10, 2002)

Try and get one where it starts the motor when you pull the trigger for the water (auto-on) - some of the cheaper ones run the motor all the time and you have to switch them on/off. Are a pain...


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## ttroy225 (May 18, 2002)

I'll second that Matt though I think all the new ones run off at the trigger. Had the old type that didn't and after cleaning the entire patio it packed up.

Â Paid Â£250 for Â an all singing all dancing Karcher. Money well spent. Cleaned the car including the engine using Wax Wizards MC2 and took his advice on spraying Autoglym vinyl & rubber cleaner all over looks better than new.


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## Dubcat (Jun 10, 2002)

> Well I do cos i used to fog then Amir. Karcher is king !


oh ok i guess you know what your talking about (for a change  )

does your 70 quid one turn on and off when you pull the trigger the way the other guys are recommending?


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## TTotal (Aug 12, 2002)

> oh ok i guess you know what your talking about (for a change  )
> 
> does your 70 quid one turn on and off when you pull the trigger the way the other guys are recommending?


Oh yeh baby !  You leave it running allthe time and it simply switches off when you release the trigger.
One day , just one day you will believe me. :-[


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## ttroy225 (May 18, 2002)

Yeah but mine has wheels.

Wot u sayin John?


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## Dubcat (Jun 10, 2002)

ok im sold on the karcher gig...

one day i'll believe you? Fat chance. You ARE the guy who was storing his spare light bulbs along the edge of his engine bay 

P.


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## TTotal (Aug 12, 2002)

That was mr Wizeguy Khan mate, never trust that mechanic again !


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## TTotal (Aug 12, 2002)

> Â Yeah but mine has wheels.
> 
> Â Wot u sayin John?


Uh oh someone else giving me a diss...

What am I saying ? Dunno, just that

Karcher is Best
B&Q at moment for Â£70
Wax wiz uses it

nuff sed OK TROYBOY ? ;D


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## ttroy225 (May 18, 2002)

;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D


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## TTotal (Aug 12, 2002)

8) spect 8)


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## A3DFU (May 7, 2002)

Have KÃ¤rcher will clean. maplin is brill company

no stripping anything off but dirt ;D ;D


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## kce821tt (May 17, 2002)

There are certain things in life where it's false economy to buy second rate - I'll never buy another B & D hammer drill in my life - my whole power tool collection is now Bosch!
Pressure washers (IMO) are one of those things. I bought a Karcher (dunno where the umlaut key is) 520m a couple of years ago with a vario lance to clear out the Koi pond (thinking I'd need variable pressure rather than full). Glad I bought one with such power, as the liner needs full power to clean it! And it's amazing what other uses you find for it once you have it - my driveway & patio are so clean. As for using it on the car, I have done, but there's no substitute for a sponge, AutoGlym shampoo & a hose pipe (again IMO).
Don't stint on this item, 'cause if it does not have the power for every use you need it for, then it's a waste of money!
Other items that are false economy:
Happy Shopper washing up liquid & tea-bags.
'Cheap' Chinese/Japanese disposable batteries.
Wickes laminate flooring.
IBM hard-drives.
Main-dealer Audi servicing


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## dshtt (Jun 13, 2002)

For a good deal on a genuine Karcher washer, give Matt a call on 01204 698123 tell him Dave put you onto him. His website will be online any time know @ www.pressurewasherservices.com


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## Kell (May 28, 2002)

All I can say is that I got a cheapo one from Focus, and it packed up the second time I used it. So I took it back, upgraded for a different one (more powerful, but the same brand [which escapes me for now]) and that packed up too.

I've given up with them and just use a hose.


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## TTotal (Aug 12, 2002)

Kell, there is no beating a pressure washer ( Karcher is King) following a spray of Swissol multiclean on your wheels. You dont need any physical action with brushes or sponges or cloths.Its so quick too.

If you have the little Karcher with the shampoo box attached on the back, pop off the lance and the P W becomes low pressure and sucks in the Swissoll soap to coat the car with lather, then a face flanelll over quickly then lance back on and rinse off, a little bit of water blade action and your TT is clean and dry in minutes ! Read about it soon in absoluTTe magazine !


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## R6B TT (Feb 25, 2003)

I've go a Kew Alto ( Homebase used to do them, now John Lewis) and it works great and has done for a couple of years. Think its a 5100 which comes with a strong trolley.
Father in Law bought a 'Champion' one from Focus and the wheels bust the first time I used it - note he bought it in anticipation of us visiting so he could get me to clean his Patio for him.


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## TTotal (Aug 12, 2002)

" .....and I take my Father-in-Law everywhere with me because........." ;D


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## cw955 (Apr 8, 2003)

I would heartily recommend a Karcher pressure washer over any other having used the same one now for over 12 years. The great advantage of it over all the others (apart from build quality - hmmm now why did I order an Audi? Oh yes build quality!) is that spare parts are readily available for when you need them - eg particularly the hose from when some twerp runs over it etc.
Definitely worth the extra money. And if its any consolation mine was Â£250 new and the equivalent model is around Â£100 these days ( I think).


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## TTotal (Aug 12, 2002)

What great referances for the Karcher machine...
are you there Mr Karcher with your special deals (also see offer a couple of posts back...!)


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## Dubcat (Jun 10, 2002)

ok i think i'll skip the maplins thing and buy a karcher one  The 12 years worth of use reference did it for me!


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## jgoodman00 (May 6, 2002)

I have gone through 2 Karcher ones in about 3 years. But, it had been loaned to every family member, & probably cleaned the equivilent of an acre of patio before it gave up the ghost! But, I took it back & got a shiny new one...


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## jgoodman00 (May 6, 2002)

> If you have the little Karcher with the shampoo box attached on the back, pop off the lance and the P W becomes low pressure and sucks in the Swissoll soap to coat the car with lather, then a face flanelll over quickly then lance back on and rinse off, a little bit of water blade action and your TT is clean and dry in minutes ! Read about it soon in absoluTTe magazine !


This must be different to mine. I have one with a tube attached, which gets dipped in the soap. But, if the soap is any more viscous than water it does not work.

So, you put undiluted swissol shampoo in the reservoir & it works? Can the detergent flow rate be modified, cos I dont see how this would work with different viscosities?


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## TTotal (Aug 12, 2002)

Well it works very well indeed with the Swissol stuff. I just take off the lance and the machine goes to low pressure and sucks it up nicely. :-/
Its a small one that was about Â£75 from B&Q.
Wax Wizard uses the same model daily


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## Neil (May 7, 2002)

Probably gonna get one myself.

Presume this is the model that a lot of you have got, based on the previous posts:
http://www.diy.com/bq/product/product.j ... TID=182718


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## TTotal (Aug 12, 2002)

Yep this is the one to buy ! get it NOW 
Where's my commision then Mr Karcher ?


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## Kell (May 28, 2002)

Organise a Goup Buy anyone?


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