Bosch High Pressure Washer AdvancedAquatak 140 (2100 W, 140 Bar Pressure, Max. Flow Rate 450 l/h, Max. Flow Temperature: 40 °C, Hose Length 5 Metres, in Carton Packaging)

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My favourite is the foam jet, which attaches to the end of the ‘gun’ with a bottle of cleaner screwed in. Press the trigger and a tide of foam roars out to cover the car. Then you swap it for the wash brush, then finish off with the spray lance. I got months of London grime off in just a few minutes. (The second time, I even remembered to buff the car dry to prevent water marks.) The hose is short, so I found it easier to carry the K2 around while I used it, but it’s so light that wasn’t a problem.

Another advantage of cordless pressure washers is that their batteries are often interchangeable with other power tools you might already have, such as cordless drills. In our tests, we generally found these cordless models more convenient, especially when cleaning cars or working at a distance from the house. What is the best PSI for a pressure washer? Pressure is measured in bars or in psi (Pressure: Pounds per Square Inch). Typically, electric pressure washers will range from 75 up to 180 bars (1100 up to 2600 psi). Hose Length A conventional garden hose usually has a pressure of 4 bar and uses about 3,500 litres of water per hour. A mid-range high-pressure cleaner, on the other hand, which has 145 bar, only uses about 500 litres per hour.Some pressure washers can be heavy, so a longer hose can be useful so that you don’t have to carry it or wheel it around. This is also good if you are using it to clean your car as it makes it a lot easier to do as you can then just move around without having to pull it along with you each time. Most entry models come with at least a 4m pressure hose as standard. Accessories Made in Germany for over 70 years, Kärcher pressure washers are ten times more searched-for than the next most popular brand. They range from the portable K2 Compact (reviewed below) to this big, heavy and very powerful K7, which must be regarded as the big daddy of domestic pressure washers – although it’s not necessarily the right choice for everyone. You’ll have gathered by now that I don’t like all the messing about with plugs, wires, taps and hoses. I can’t be the only one and that’s why Bosch’s cordless, genuinely portable unit has its own niche.

Ljudmil says to remember that these are extremely powerful machines. “You should never point a pressure washer at anyone, even as a joke. You should wear workboots or at least wellingtons. Anyone using a pressure washer in flip flops could end up in hospital very easily. If you’re working in a confined space, I’d also recommend goggles in case of flying debris.” Water flow is the rate water is pushed out of the lance; the higher the water flow, the greater the amount of water forced out and used. Water flow is measured in litres per hour and can range from 300 l/h on entry models up to 600 on the higher-end models. Waterflow is important for removing and washing away dirt on patios and driveways, for example. What is Bar Pressure? When you’re done the hose winds up, the power cord fits in a mesh bag and the lance slots into a clasp. It’s all very neat: only the big patio cleaner head doesn’t have a slot. So although it’s a big unit, the K7 doesn’t take up too much space in the garage. It’s easy to dismiss washing a car with a pressure washer as just being about convenience. But in many ways, pressure washing is the best way to revive your car’s appearance. For starters, using electricity to make the water work harder dramatically reduces the volume of water used, compared with traditional hose rinsing. So not only is less water wasted, but also your car’s hidden, slow-drying cavities will get much less drenched. And for blasting away the salt-rich dirt that clings on beneath sills or under wheel arches, a pressure washer is essential. A blast from a well-aimed lance will dislodge what a hose will simply dampen. There is, however, another feature that can also have a considerable influence on the cleaning performance and that is the hot water function. With hot water, oil and grease residues can be removed easily, whereas with cold water it is a real mammoth task.In DIY stores, you often find pressure washers that can build up a high pressure but are rather more sparingly dimensioned in terms of delivery capacity. This has a simple reason: it is easier for a manufacturer to build a pressure washer with a lower delivery rate than one with a higher delivery rate. If you intend to use it to clean your car, fence or guttering, then the lower to middle end of the range is more than good enough; you won’t want anything too high end as this may then damage the paintwork of your car due to the high power of the pressure. Your final consideration will no doubt be whether you buy from a dedicated pressure washer brand – such as Karcher, Nilfisk, or Bosch – or a lesser-known brand. Well, with an ever-increasing number of manufacturers entering the pressure washer market, this decision is harder to call now than ever before. And you can forget the old rules of premium machines being supplied ready-to-use and only cheaper pressure washers requiring assembly. In this group, the Karcher and Nilfisk models required a fair amount of screwing together, whilst Wolf’s Blaster 4x4 came ready to go. In all honesty, a less powerful Kärcher like their 145 bar K5 or 130 bar K4 is enough for most household jobs and some come bundled with soft car-cleaning attachments, which this doesn’t. But I had to make it the overall winner because, for anyone asking “what is the best pressure washer?” this is it. The maximum pressure of a pressure washer indicates the maximum pressure the unit can reach. For example, if the water flow is interrupted, a high pressure can build up in the unit for a short time. This is then calculated or measured and is output as the maximum pressure.