Karcher Pressure wa...
 

  You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more

[Closed] Karcher Pressure washers - worth fixing

14 Posts
13 Users
0 Reactions
1,024 Views
Posts: 13594
Free Member
Topic starter
 

Our K3.80 sprung a leak and stopped working mid patio clean at the WE, so I rushed out and bought a new one as I wanted to finish the job.

Anyhow, now got it apart and found the damaged part, will probably cost £35 ish in parts to repair. However, just wondering, is it worth it - will something else just die. Given it's done the patio once a year for maybe 5 years and died, that's not a great reliability record.

Thoughts from the collective?

[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50133958531_99800f5870_z.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50133958531_99800f5870_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2joaDen ]Karcher K3.80[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/brf/ ]Ben Freeman[/url], on Flickr

[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50133403683_3fee54a301_z.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50133403683_3fee54a301_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2jo7Ni2 ]Karcher K3.80[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/brf/ ]Ben Freeman[/url], on Flickr

[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50134186747_d18597804b_z.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50134186747_d18597804b_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2jobP58 ]Karcher K3.80[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/brf/ ]Ben Freeman[/url], on Flickr


 
Posted : 20/07/2020 5:09 pm
Posts: 3136
Full Member
 

Plastic pumps in the karcher(lower end ones) I have cheap nilfisk £70 been great for 3 years of car washing. Metal pump in them apparently


 
Posted : 20/07/2020 5:31 pm
Posts: 13594
Free Member
Topic starter
 

The pump is mostly metal, it's the plastic inlet manifold which has split.


 
Posted : 20/07/2020 5:35 pm
Posts: 13741
Full Member
 

wow! look kids someone who still gets a newspaper


 
Posted : 20/07/2020 6:06 pm
Posts: 13356
Free Member
 

Bin it & get a Nilfisk.


 
Posted : 20/07/2020 7:59 pm
Posts: 21016
Full Member
 

Yeah, we binned our Karcher and replaced it with a Nilfisk.

Much better, sturdier and far more reliable.

Think the Karcher lasted about 2 hours in total - pile of toss.


 
Posted : 20/07/2020 8:11 pm
Posts: 3783
Free Member
 

Dont say that, I've just bought one!

I'd photograph it, highlight whats wrong with it, list it on ebay, 99p start

No point keeping one as you've bought another one


 
Posted : 20/07/2020 8:16 pm
Posts: 520
Free Member
 

Mine went belly up so I got this £90 and has far more power.

https://www.screwfix.com/p/titan-ttb669prw-130bar-pressure-washer-1-8kw-240v/5014j


 
Posted : 20/07/2020 8:36 pm
Posts: 5720
Full Member
 

My guess is that if you fix it then the next time you use it the hose will split. And they use propriety ends and cost a fortune to replace. As above, List on Ebay and show problem but state that the hose is still good. Someone may just buy it for the hose alone!


 
Posted : 20/07/2020 9:09 pm
Posts: 6219
Full Member
 

I had a similar problem to you with a K2. I spent ages trying to fix it but then it died again in a different place- the screw union for the lance hose failed.

In the end I bought a K5 something from Karcher Direct. Works great.


 
Posted : 20/07/2020 10:13 pm
Posts: 11333
Full Member
 

My Karcher - tempts fate - has been fine. I'd fix it and sell it on for the sake of the planet if nothing else. I hate the way we treat everything as disposable then wonder why the world is disintegrating around us.


 
Posted : 21/07/2020 7:43 am
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

Fix it and sell it for £50
bit less landfill


 
Posted : 21/07/2020 8:03 am
Posts: 13594
Free Member
Topic starter
 

My Karcher – tempts fate – has been fine. I’d fix it and sell it on for the sake of the planet if nothing else. I hate the way we treat everything as disposable then wonder why the world is disintegrating around us.

Yes, it feels a crime to just bin it....

Amazing how much spares cost for it, the hose is something like £70!


 
Posted : 21/07/2020 11:17 am
Posts: 12467
Full Member
 

Sounds like quality's taken a dive. I've got a family one. My dad bought it for us to clean the paving with every year when we were kids. Knowing him it would have been The Best One. Must be about 27 years old now. Gets passed round between me, my brother and my dad whenever we've got paving that needs to be done.

The pressure hose split last year. New one was £20 from an amazon seller.


 
Posted : 21/07/2020 11:40 am
Posts: 4643
Full Member
 

Most of the retail karcher stuff seem to have plastic fittings or even plastic pumps nowadays. Motor brushes will be next on yours (why aren't these things all induction driven?). One for the tip I reckon.

My Nilfisk is all metal, but even that the quality is not as good as it could be. I had loads of issues with it's thermal overload tripping out despite never running it over an extension lead and always bleeding it before powering on. Even put an outdoor socket directly fed off the distribution board, so effectively 50cm tails straight through the wall, specifically for it. In the end I've bypassed the thermal trip - if it catches fire while in use it's only going to blow itself to pieces & perhaps scorch some block paving. The RCD and MCB will probably handle things well before I can get to the socket.


 
Posted : 21/07/2020 1:15 pm

6 DAYS LEFT
We are currently at 95% of our target!