Kärcher K5 Premium Full Control Plus Home Pressure Washer

So I have just upgraded from a Karcher K2 to this Karcher K5 and used for the first time today. It’s really very good.

My main reason for choosing the K5 over the K4 was the 3-in-1 wand; this is an excellent feature which allows you to switch between mix (low pressure for applying detergent), lance (the fan option) and dirt blaster modes without having to stop and change tools, and I am glad I did – not only can you do this with one easy twist of the wand, you can also adjust the pressure for different jobs by pressing a +/- button on the trigger, so moving from decking to block paving was a cinch.

The included T350 patio cleaner also has adjustable power via a dial on the cleaning head. This I found very good for decking, but having not cleaned ours for a number of years I needed it on full power – it didn’t do any damage, but I would urge caution for softwood decking; start low and turn it up gently. It wasn’t as good for the block paving – ours has quite a rough surface and I found the cleaner didn’t float quite enough to move easily. That said, it cleaned up OK.

But what really impressed me was the sheer power of the dirt blast mode. This delivers a rapidly rotating focused jet – at a distance of 6″ from the surface it covers about 3″ diameter – that simply strips away dirt from hard surfaces. I used it to prepare a garden wall and it took off all loose paint readily, then to clean some concrete steps which came up beautifully.

The hose reel is really useful for storing the 8m hose – I didn’t need to move the main unit from the top of the steps to do the stairs – and there is onboard storage for the main wand and extension; I’ve also got the T350 on the extension to keep it all neat. A better solution for storing the cable than tucking it into a net at th back of the machine would be nice, but to be honest the net is pretty robust and this works OK.

I haven’t yet used the detergent, so can’t comment on whether it’s worth it – but the plug and spray function is definitely a step up on the K2 hose suction option so I dare say I’ll give it a go soon enough.

Overall, I would be surprised if this can’t cope with any task I’m likely to throw at it – the unit feels solidly built and is certainly heavy enough to inspire confidence. Very pleased so far.

Got this product primarily to help clean the car, and also for cleaning the flags and patio.

This machine has quite a bit of heft to it. It does have a water cooled induction motor so that is good, however I am unsure whether the pump and impeller are all metal or a composite of metal and plastic. In my experience any moving part made from plastic that is subject to abrasive wear or torsional forces is usually a very bad idea from my experience, done usually to save the manufacturer a few pence at the expense of product longevity.

I had originally considered the K4 which has had plenty of positive online reviews for car cleaning, but went for the K5 Premium due to the higher water pressure, the multi-purpose lance and 8m high pressure line that it provides (rather than the K4’s 6m line), making it easier to work around a car without having to move the device or buy an additional high pressure line. Although admittedly it is a significant premium to pay over the K4 for those features alone. The LCD display trigger gun is a bit gimmicky as well, it is another bit of electronics that can fail and unsure it adds much value.

The most obvious flaws I can see in the exterior design are the full plastic shell, the plastic wheel axles and the mains cable storage. Although the plastic appears to be high grade material, most plastic ages and becomes brittle with time and unsure how robust this will be in regular use. The plastic axles are perhaps the biggest immediate concern, as they don’t look like the type of thing that could withstand the appliance being accidentally dropped or pulled sideways over rough ground. They are also a tight fit in their sockets and I haven’t checked whether a broken axle could be easily removed and replaced if required. The mains cable storage is also a bad design. You have to manually coil up the cable then fit it into a very tight space behind a net mesh. So on the one hand the K5 Premium has a cable reel for the high pressure water line that allows you to wind and stow the line more easily, and on the other hand you have to manually roll up the mains cable and force it into a tiny storage location. Very poor design and makes using the machine more cumbersome than necessary.

The other options I considered were the Nilfisk range, such as the E145 or P150. Having handled these they definitely appear better built and more robust than the Karcher. It was a very close call, and in the end I only went for the Karcher due to the 5 year warranty and the greater variety of accessories that I could find. However if I had wanted the washer just for cleaning stonework and patios then I would have got the Nilfisk irrespective of the warranty. Only time will tell if I have made the right decision.

Well, I’ve had a few Karcher machines, but this thing could literally wash away all your sins. I’m pretty certain you could extinguish a small star from 30mtr.

The patio cleaning tool is brilliant, done my block paving today and it’s come up brand new, and removed all the funky crap from between the brick joints.

It’s a great peice if kit, and the lance with controls is amazing. It’s great to finally have a system that works with detergent etc, so easy and works a treat 👍.

PS. When using the spray to spread detergent etc, set the lowest pressure as you don’t need a lot, my back garden looked like some bubble party from the nineties 🙈

Not writing any more, im off to find something else to clean within an inch of its life 🤙.