Karcher pressure washer safe?

[silasramsbottom]

I'm thinking of buying a Karcher K2 pressure washer to wash my Octavia. I've watched a few Youtube videos of the K2 and it looks like it does a great job.

 

Has anyone else used one of these to wash their Octavia? I'm just a bit worried that the pressure could be too high and consequently take the paint off the car.

[gregoir]

I guess it may be safe if used as per instructions. Having seen the effect on paving I do not think that pressure is sensible or necessary for car bodywork. I knew someone (a wally) who did manage to strip the paint and underseal off their car.

[Fr0d]

I avoided Karchers, as the lower end models had plastic pumps.

 

I've been running a metal pumped Nilfisk for a couple of years, or so.

 

That said, It seems to be doing a good job of removing flakes of lacquer from my rear bumper. But thanks to the previous owner, it needs a respray anyway.

[ChrisRs]

Very safe

A must have tool for car washing and Detailing

You would have to be totally stupid to do any damage

In fact you can do more damage to your car NOT using one!!

[@Lee]

+1 for a Nilfisk.

[BossFox]

Karcher is = not good.

 

I've had three, none lasted long.

 

Then I read about the Nilfisk on the car care section of this forum and bought one.

 

It's so, so, so much better!

Buy a Nilfisk, don't touch a Karcher!

[Sparkly]

Pressure washers are NOT dangerous to cars.

Owners misusing pressure washers are!!!

Please no one use the cone ended high power patio impact lances on their car.

Karcher vario lance at safe working distance is perfectly safe

[trundlenut]

Based on significant "Tony Testing" (Tony being a bloke I work with who has a rather unfortunate effect on equipment) Nilfisk equipment is superior to Karcher.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

[jrw]

As said, safe but avoid the low end ones

I got a k5 after my old bottom spec one failed. This has a metal water cooled pump. I'd have gone for a different make if it wasn't for the accessories I already had.

[Outofthi5world]

No power washer is unsafe with any lance on any car, if the lance creates a water jet that is too strong at say 6 inch for example, use it from a foot away etc. I've used an industrial pressure washer on my car before, just from a safe distance.

[rwbaldwin]

The last good pressure washers that Karcher made were the old barrel shaped ones. I have a K6.50 that has been abused, left outside in freezing temperatures and is still going strong.

The newer ones are prone to frost damage as it's difficult to get all the water out. A mate bought a really expensive K7 for DIY use and it lasted just over three years, despite being well cared for.

A lot of people around here have a Parkside pressure washer from Lidl. Apparently they are back at the end of this month. £90, 3-year warranty, 150bar, 450l/hr. From what I've seen, they work much better than the low end Karchers.

[grr666]

I have 2 Karchers and have had to repair them both. 

One the plastic outlet pipe got cross threaded and would do up 

or undo very easily. That was an easy £14 fix with the spare part 

being bought from ebay. That was my smaller more basic one (2.54 model)

but apart from that it's run without fault for years.

 

My bigger one (inherited from my late mother in law) needed an entire

new set of insides, That one is the 3.65 Jubilee model which is a water cooled 

induction jobbie which became damaged after the MIL left it out in the shed 

and it froze. If it hadn't been my mother in laws I might have chucked it out but instead 

paid the fixed repair fee (£75 odd quid) at my local Karcher centre to have it repaired.

Now it's working right its a better machine than the 2.54 and they both live inside my

house now so unlikely they will ever freeze again. That said I will buy a Nilfisk next time,

I won't repair them again.   

[littleade]

+1 for Nilfisk. The 90 degree and wide car nozels are particularly useful

[Svend]

I've two Karcher K2s units. Both have been faultless. Only advice I'd suggest is not to use the Dirtblaster lance, the regular Vario lance and standard lance are great tools. I use the standard lance for initial pressure wash and the Vario for post shampoo rinse. 

[ChrisRs]

TBH to go back to the OP question...

No matter what pressure washer you use...it's safe with common sense