UPDATE: Two years on and I have used the K4 for days on end without any issues. I had to buy another dirt blaster nozzle, but that was due to the amount of use it had! I think that this is a sturdy and reliable machine that is built to last.

My old power washer finally started to play up after many years of hard service. We have a very large patio area to power wash each year. We are surrounded by deciduous trees and the patio is always green and disgusting after the winter. My old machine was not a Karcher, but over the years I found myself using Karcher accessories for it as they were better in every way! This prompted me to go for a Karcher model. I already had a T250 patio cleaning attachment so I went for this package.

I have posted a full review on YouTube search for Russell Platten.

The Full Control version has a pressure indicator on the gun and a lance, the Vario Lance, which allows you adjust the water pressure with a variable pressure regulator. The process of adjusting the pressure is a bit hit and miss, but very easy. Karcher recommend different pressure settings for different tasks to prevent damage to more delicate surfaces.

As well as the Vario lance the unit comes with the Dirt Blaster lance which is more aggressive and a joy to use. The jet spins at high speed removing just about everything in its path. Using it fills you with pleasure as you watch your patio transforming in front of your eyes! We also have the Karcher T250 patio cleaner, one of the purchases I made for my old washer, and this speeds up patio cleaning considerably! If you have large areas to clean, the patio cleaner is a must! So we use the cleaner for the majority of the patio and the dirt blaster lance for the really bad areas.

The washer has a built in detergent bottle cartridge slot on the top. This allows the use of various chemicals to help in the battle against dirt, mold and grime. It is easy to use with a dedicated setting on the Vario lance and a bottle that is just a push fit into the slot. The bottles can be refilled so you can buy one and then top it up with any detergent of your choice once it has emptied. Personally, I prefer the foam jet nozzle, you can get one that fits the new cartridge bottles or one with it’s own bottle quite a bit cheaper here on Amazon.

The unit requires a little assembly out of the box, I also have an unboxing and assembly video, this is pretty easy. The hose is 6m long and this can be a little annoying if you have large areas to tackle, I bought the 6m extension and this makes using the washer much better.

It is a great machine, I have cleaned loads of different things with it and love it. However, there are two issues I have with the unit. The first is the hose, it is very stiff and the snap fit connections do not swivel. When you are using the washer, the hose tends to try and push your hand in a different direction and whilst this is not a big problem, it does get annoying after a while. If the hose was more flexible it would be better. The rigidity also makes coiling it to put away difficult too. The second issue only became apparent after I had used the washer for a prolonged period of time. The trigger is quite stiff, after a few hours of use your hand gets stiff and it becomes very uncomfortable. The tip of my little finger became numb and I have had aching hands after using it for several hours at a time. This is only a problem if you use it for longer periods, but it is an issue. The trigger needs to be softened!

The unit is simply great! It is solid and has a good quality feel to it. It can tackle very large and dirty areas with ease. You can buy an attachment to allow it to be used with any water supply, such as a barrel or pond, beat the hose pipe bans! There are several models in the range, spend some time to work out which is best for your needs. Consider the patio cleaner, the K4 Home comes with one and is a good deal! You can’t go wrong with Karcher, they are tried and tested, good quality machines. If you are considering one, go for it!

Had this pressure Washer for two years now and it is still going strong. I am quite surprised by the amount of negative reviews as like I’ve already mentioned, it has never missed a beat in all the time I have owned it.

Easy to set up and use, I must use mine on average twice a month, mainly for the car but do all the block paving in the warmer months also. The hose has a decent length to it but would of been better if it had another couple of meters so the unit didn’t have to be moved whilst doing the car.

One of the things that I do that has maybe prolonged the life of the washer is that mine is kept inside when not being used. The unit regardless of how it’s orientated after use does retain quite a lot of water. This is noticeable after leaving it a few weeks and when I come to use it again quite a lot of water is released from the hozelock attachment. The issue I believe many might be having is that storing this in a shed over winter, the retained water will freeze within the unit causing it to expand which might be the reason why some are breaking down.

Personally I think it’s a great piece of kit.