Pressure Washers Tested

Looking for a master blaster to shift the winter grime on your car? Here’s our pick from the top 12.

Auto Express Car Reviews

November 2009

The easiest way to keep road grime at bay over the winter months is with a pressure washer.

The packed-on mud and grit can be blasted away in only a few minutes, giving your paintwork a well earned break. Combine a decent machine with one of the dedicated cleaning products availiable, and you will be left with very little filth to lift off with a brush, mitt or sponge.

A power washer can also shift brake disc dirt in seconds, and is ideal for clearing out wheelarches. But which should you choose?

There is a wide range on the market, from tiny units that can be carried around the car to heavyweight monsters, which pack a punch and come laden with extras.

We tackled a line-up of mucky motors already bearing the scars of winter to find out which cleaned up.

The Test

Power isn’t everything here – if a pressure washer is a pain to use, you’re likely to leave it in the garage and clean your car with a hose and bucket.

So, convenience played a major role in our scores: we looked for easy on-board storage for the hose and power lead, plus any accessories.

Adjustable lances scored points, and we wanted hoses to be long enough to tackle a normal car without moving the washer. We also liked to see some way of delivering soap – preferably an on-board tank.

An auto-stop function, which shuts off the motor when you’re not spraying, makes cleaning less of a strain. And the units had to deliver sufficient power to tackle filthy wheels and dried-on grime.

Finally, we looked at price. The figures here do not include any delivery charges.

Contacts

* Screwfix (Nilfisk-ALTO)
0500 41 41 41
www.screwfix.com

* Wickes
0845 279 9898
www.wickes.co.uk

* Sealey
01284 757500
www.sealey.co.uk

* Bosch
0844 736 0108
www.boschgarden.co.uk

* Argos
0845 640 3030
www.argos.co.uk

* Halfords
0845 762 6625
www.halfords.com

* Draper
02380 266355
www.draper.co.uk

* Kärcher
01295 752200
www.karcher.co.uk

* Halfords
0845 762 6625
www.halfords.com

* Kärcher
01295 752200
www.karcher.co.uk

* Clarke
01992 565300
www.clarkeinternational.com

Verdict

The result was close, but the Bosch Clic just secured the win, with its user-friendly design and great finish. Halfords took second and third places.

The HP2800 does everything well, and looks a real bargain at the current half-price offer. It edged out the HP2000, which is our pick of the smaller units.

Top 3

Bosch Aquatak Clic 125
Halfords HP2800
Halfords HP2000

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5 Comments

Best pressure washer

So which one is the best pressure washer and what are the specifications and price?

By fender_bender1 on 17 November, 2009, 1:09pm

Duh?

According to my browser, the most popular pressure washer is a Volvo S60

By petermac on 17 November, 2009, 1:58pm

ken the chef

No idea which is best as there are no results show on my screen

By kenthechef on 17 November, 2009, 2:06pm

same here no pics no info ahh well saves money lol

By wozie on 17 November, 2009, 2:26pm

A Poor review

Previous comments are correct. Why no best buy on the summary page?
In these days of water meters, this report should have shown how LITTLE water they can use & still be effective. It's all well & good saying how powerful they are, but if you have a water meter, the higher output washers will quickly cost a lot more to run, both in electricity & water. A poor review.

By j_harden on 21 November, 2009, 6:49pm

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