# Which Pressure Washer?



## andy mac (Jun 24, 2019)

I'm buying a pressure washer soon and thought I'd see if anyone had any recommendations.

I've had two Karchers break down on me over the last few years so I won't be getting another one of those.

I was thinking maybe Nilfisk or Stilhl but read somewhere they're the same machines, rebranded in the case of Stihl, anyone know if that's true?

I'm not sure what bar/pressure I should be looking at either... again, recommendations welcome.

Thanks in advance.


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## SwissJetPilot (Apr 27, 2014)

As you may have already discovered, many of the pressure washers on the market are the exact same rigs but with different names. When I was researching *6-ltr air compressors*, I ran into the exactly same problem where many of them were obviously made by one company in China, and simply painted different colors and re-branded.

It might be worth a chat with professional detailers in your area and find out what they use. Hopefully people who do detailing for a living have done their homework on what works and what doesn't. Generally speaking, most of the pressure washers at the local hardware stores are low end consumer models that are not really that reliable. The low price might be attractive, but they're just not built for the long term.

Unfortunately, like the air compressors I researched, you may discover that many of the pressure washers aimed at garden enthusiasts (DeWalt, Stihl, Ryobi, etc.) use the exact same components; e.g. pumps, hoses, nozzles, etc. In which case you'll really figure out who's making the best (most durable and reliable) pumps since that's what's behind the power of these machines. 





High pressure cleaners, industrial vacuum cleaners, hand


The Kränzle Company based in Illertissen (Bayern) is the worldwide leader in quality for high pressure cleaners.




www.kraenzle.com












The best pressure washers and pressure cleaners in 2022


Clean dirt from the patio, car and garden furniture with our tried and tested pressure washers and pressure cleaners.




www.gardenersworld.com




In the USA, there's an organization called *Consumer Reports *which has been around for decades. They used to sell subscription magazines subscriptions where they would run reviews on thousands of different products. While you can't see their comparisons without an online subscription, you can see the models they're reviewed to get an idea of the different models out there so you can run your own comparisons -





Pressure Washer Ratings & Reviews - Consumer Reports


No one tests pressure washers like we do. Get ratings, pricing, and performance for all the latest models based on the features you care about.




www.consumerreports.org


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## SwissJetPilot (Apr 27, 2014)

It would be interesting to know who built the motor and pump for your Karchers.

Looks like these guys build the pumps/pressure washers for Black & Decker, Stanley, DeWalt and Michelin -





Annovi Reverberi S.p.a. Diaphragm pumps, Piston pumps, High pressure washers, Vacuum and Ash Cleaners.


60 years of experience, success and continuous challenges to achieve ever higher performance while maintaining the same Made in Italy quality. A complete range of diaphragm pumps, wheelbarrows, motor-driven pump assemblies, electric motor pump assemblies, 12 Volt pumps, piston pumps. high...




www.annovireverberi.it


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## SwissJetPilot (Apr 27, 2014)

More on how how pumps work -


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## andy mac (Jun 24, 2019)

SwissJetPilot said:


> It would be interesting to know who built the motor and pump for your Karchers.


I've no idea, but I know there seems to be a lot of complaints about them these days, so yes, knowing who supplies their motors would be useful so I could avoid other brands with the same pump.

They used to be probably the most popular brand, I wonder what went wrong?
Maybe they started using cheaper components or something.


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## SwissJetPilot (Apr 27, 2014)

If you still have your old Karcher, it might be worth trying to find a replacement pump or a rebuild kit. I would think it would probably cheaper than replacing the entire pressure washer.


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## Ian-TTC (Dec 21, 2021)

I just gave my Karcher to my sister as I need something with more power, I'm also thinking of Nilfisk this site seems to do the best deals in the UK



Nilfisk Pressure Washers CleanStore.co.uk


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## TTS OAP (9 mo ago)

Nilfisk will go down the same route as your Karcher, I went through four in 18 months. Depends on your budget but the detailers standard is Kranzle, usually a K7, German made, old school if it ain’t broke don’t fix it design, bombproof. But expect to pay £500+ before you start getting into accessories. I use a small company from Rotherham who import and rebrand their own machines called Direct Hose, customer service is great if you can get em on the phone but otherwise a bit hit and miss but the machine itself has run flawlessly for about three years now. There is also a new manufacturer from Sweden (?) called Ava who are getting a lot of attention on the detailing forums, might be worth looking into.


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## andy mac (Jun 24, 2019)

TTS OAP said:


> Nilfisk will go down the same route as your Karcher, I went through four in 18 months.


That's disappointing to hear, I'd seen good reports about Nilfisk. 
Kranzle seem to be well-liked but a bit above my budget.

Does anyone here use a Stihl?
I've found the RE120 at a really good price.


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## cb550 (Nov 5, 2018)

Having been through a Karcher, Nilfisk (both packed up much sooner than expected) and decades earlier a B&Q cheapo which lasted well, being cynical now of 'premium' brands, my latest is an ebay special - marcooltrip. All I know is was cheap, high pressure same as the Nilfisk and still working 2 years on.


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## TTS OAP (9 mo ago)

andy mac said:


> That's disappointing to hear, I'd seen good reports about Nilfisk.
> Kranzle seem to be well-liked but a bit above my budget.
> 
> Does anyone here use a Stihl?
> I've found the RE120 at a really good price.


My first three, and progressively more expensive, Nilfisk we’re all from Argos, so failure within a few months was an easy exchange. By the time the third one died I’d had enough and got a full refund, but a very, very cheap one came up on an Amazon deal so I had it and that one is still going strong around three years later. Admittedly it is only a backup and when I need a portable one (main one is fixed to the garage wall). So if you do buy big brand, I’d advise you to buy cheap and treat it as disposable. The very first thing you will want to change on any domestic pressure washer is the horrible plastic hoses they ship them with, plenty of single wire rubber versions to be had and they can be kept and used on subsequent machines if you replace or upgrade in the future.


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## andy mac (Jun 24, 2019)

Thanks for all the advice so far, I guess I have to decide whether to go "cheap & cheerful", treating it as a disposable item, or shell out big bucks for something more high end.
There's a guy selling a Nilfisk 145 on my local facebook marketplace, might see how low he's prepared to go... though buying used worries me a bit.


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## andy mac (Jun 24, 2019)

Update on this, I found a place selling Stihl pressure washers at a good price, they only had a choice of two models so I got an RE 120.
It was listed on loads of other shops at £300+ but with a discount code I got it for £230 

It came with a patio washer thingy I probably won't use and I bought a snowfoam cannon elsewhere for £20.

Obviously as soon as it arrived it started raining and hasn't stopped since so I haven't tried it out yet, but it seems to be built like a tank.
Although it's physically smaller than my last Karcher K4, it's a lot heavier.

I'll post back with my impressions once it stops chucking it down and I can try it out.


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## andy mac (Jun 24, 2019)

> .< ...every day since I bought it...


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## darrylmg (Oct 16, 2021)

andy mac said:


> View attachment 486369


21 degrees and raining! I'd be out there with shorts. That's a free shower while you wash the car  double bonus!


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## Nidana (Jun 9, 2018)

andy mac said:


> Update on this, I found a place selling Stihl pressure washers at a good price, they only had a choice of two models so I got an RE 120.
> It was listed on loads of other shops at £300+ but with a discount code I got it for £230
> 
> It came with a patio washer thingy I probably won't use and I bought a snowfoam cannon elsewhere for £20.
> ...


Once you start on this road it starts getting a bit out of hand. I started doing this due to having wheels refurbished a couple years back and didn’t want hand washes ruining them. 
Started with maguires wash and wax, snow foam using a karcher unit and maguires polish. Then was it happy about the hazing from wash and wax so switched to some autoglym stuff. Around this time bought what I thought was a decent snow foam cannon and was happy for a while. Then came across forensic detailing YouTube channel and now I’m on Bilt Hamber products as it’s really great stuff for price point also. 
Also I now have another snow foam cannon, wash mitts, microfibres towels and wheel brushes pouring out my ears. Also just purchased another extended hose as the last extended hose I bought was great but kept kinking up and trying to kill me.


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## darrylmg (Oct 16, 2021)

If we could all team up with all the equipment we've got, we could actually wash & detail cars for a living. 😂


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## andy mac (Jun 24, 2019)

Yep I can see it becoming an expensive hobby 
Still waiting to try out my new washer, we've had just one day without rain since I bought it and I was busy that day.
Oh well, summer can't be far away... can it?


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