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| Thread ID: 140328 | 2015-09-25 02:29:00 | Waterblaster recommendations | bk T (215) | PC World Chat |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 1408848 | 2015-09-25 02:29:00 | I am looking for a waterblaster for general cleaning around the home, eg. driveway, external, etc.. Bunnings has got this Karcher (www.bunnings.co.nz) and Briggs & Stratton (www.bunnings.co.nz) models. Which do you guys recommend? |
bk T (215) | ||
| 1408849 | 2015-09-25 04:05:00 | We have had a Karcher for 9 years.....it's been great. Most fails I have seen are caused by pulling it by the hose, not the handle. And not connecting it up right. And using it too close to the surface (you can dig holes with a strong enough one). |
pctek (84) | ||
| 1408850 | 2015-09-25 04:32:00 | We currently have a Karcher K3.170 and it's been really good for cleaning the car, driveway, pathways, conservatory roof etc. I don't think I would suggest a model below this if you want to do a bigger area like a driveway, and going up the model range is generally going to only get you better results. As pctek has mentioned, you can do damage to some surfaces if you're not careful with high pressures. We looked at Nilfisk, B&S, and some of the store brand ones from Bunnings / Mitre 10, but Karcher won out for us due to the great range of accessories for different tasks without being significantly more expensive. They've also had a really good reputation for a long time in the market for pressure washers. | inphinity (7274) | ||
| 1408851 | 2015-09-25 05:38:00 | *The best quality water blasters have pumps with ceramic pistons and brass heads. These are commercial and good quality. *The next choice is a metal pump with stainless steel pistons.(Nilfisk, Stihl, Comet, Craftmaster) Next is the plastic pump as found in the Karcher domestic range. They have the advantage that there are no corrosion problems, and perform well in domestic use. They are also relatively cheap to repair. The plastic pumps do tend to crack but as this usually happens during the 2 year guarantee its not a problem. The electrics are good. Avoid vertical pumps on Petrol Engines, they tend towards lubrication & bearing problems. Individual plug in nozzles are better than the adjustable lance which squashes the water jet to form a fan. |
mzee (3324) | ||
| 1408852 | 2015-09-25 07:33:00 | I also have a karcher and have had no problems with it. However, if you have a concrete driveway don't waterblast it. You'll ultimately make it worse. I wish someone had told me that because that's what I got mine for. Waterblasting damages the smooth surface of the concrete and makes it more porous, it also drives some fine debris into the concrete. I have that slimy black growth on mine and waterblasting it works for about 3 months then it is back worse than before. As a test I wrote merry xmas on my driveway with the water blaster last december, now it can be plainly read as the darkest dirtiest part of the driveway. much worse than the surrounding bit I didn't clean at all. |
dugimodo (138) | ||
| 1408853 | 2015-09-25 07:44:00 | Great product,but expensive,a place I worked for sold them,never had a problem. http://aesblasters.co.nz/ |
ruup (1827) | ||
| 1408854 | 2015-09-25 10:09:00 | Thanks folks for sharing your experiences. I may go for Karcher. Generally, is the pressure adjustable? No info in this area from their product details. Is the pressure 1600psi too high for cleaning cars? |
bk T (215) | ||
| 1408855 | 2015-09-25 17:05:00 | It's high pressure but some areas of the car can be washed, engine bay and underneath, tyres, etc. I wouldnt blast painted surfaces without lowering the pressure or having some distance between you or the car. You can buy or sometimes get with your blaster car care kits which will help with the proper 'care'. Karcher is a good brand with proprietary fittings but generally you can buy equivalent fittings (that fit/seal) for Karcher without too much hunting around. I just recently got me a fitting for mine from a hydraulic hose stockist. A good sign that they know what they are talking about is if they identify the part as for Karcher. Cheers, KK |
Kame (312) | ||
| 1408856 | 2015-09-25 19:27:00 | Is the pressure 1600psi too high for cleaning cars? How close you hold it also has an affect.....hold it away and it's like a strong hose....close and you could almost strip paint.... |
pctek (84) | ||
| 1408857 | 2015-09-25 21:13:00 | I wouldn't get too close to the car, and waterblasting the tyres is risky. It can potentially damage the sidewalls, the tread is likely plenty tough enough though. On softer rubber like bike tyres it can perforate the rubber and ruin it. I've even water blasted the plaster cladding on my house..... from about 2 meters away with a wide jet so the pressure is greatly reduced by the time it gets there. It's really surprising how much damage they can do though, I waterblasted the mildew off my wooden deck and when it dried there was a lot of "sawdust" left behind and I waterblasted the black stuff off my plastic BBQ table and it's left the surface rough as if I sanded it. The moral of the story is don't just water blast important things without testing it first or finding out if it's safe. |
dugimodo (138) | ||
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