27-04-2025
I tested pressure washers at Aldi, B&M and Argos – the winner beats big brand Karcher and is much cheaper
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CLEANING a grubby patio with a brush and some elbow grease is hard graft.
That's where pressure washers come in.
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Lynsey Hope tested out the best pressure washers ahead of summer
Credit: Oliver Dixon
These efficient machines certainly make lighter work or a deep clean.
They can also be used to clean cars, garden furniture and spruce up kids toys such as trampolines.
There's a huge range on the market so knowing which one to choose is not always easy.
High pressure is essential if they are to lift any sort of deeply-ingrained dirt, but lower-pressure washers are more economical if you're just cleaning mucky boots.
Pressure washers generally draw between 1,400 and 2,800 Watts, which at today's prices will cost between 34p and 68p an hour to run.
Lynsey Hope tried some best-sellers, including Aldi's new machine. Here, she reveals her verdict:
Bosch Universal Aquatak 135
£105,
Weight: 8kg
Hose: 7m
Power: 1,900 watts
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The bosch gadget is a bit noisy but it's easy to move around
Credit: Oliver Dixon
Lynsey says: "I got great cleaning results with this Bosch pressure washer, it was my favourite.
"It's very powerful though not particularly speedy and took around a minute longer to clean a square metre of patio compared to some other models.
"The hose was a generous 7m long. It did the best job of getting rid of the toughest grime and cleaned up the patio well, even after I'd used the Karcher on it.
"This was the one that managed to get rid of the toughest spots of grime.
"It is a bit noisy, but it's light to carry so easy to manoeuvre and it doesn't take up much storage space.
"No fancy accessories but you don't need them.
"It was also one of the easiest to put together, no messing around with screws and faffing with different parts."
Performance: 5/5
Value: 5/5
Total score: 10/10
Karcher K3 Power Control 1.676-107.0 Pressure Washer
£139,
Weight: 4.4kg
Hose: 7m
Power: 1,600 watts
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The Karcher did a good job of removing caked-on mud
Credit: Stewart Williams
Lynsey says: "Not the brand's cheapest model, nor the most expensive.
"What I liked was how light and easy to manoeuvre it was.
"It's small and reasonably affordable and the power control high-pressure gun is brilliant for cleaning everything from muddy bikes to surface dirt on patios and decking.
"It's easy to adjust the pressure level and the spray, just by twisting the nozzle.
"You can also switch to the ferocious dirt buster lance if you've got some tougher dirt and debris to get rid of.
"It did a good job of removing caked-on mud from the family car and there is a built-in detergent tank to make easy work of adding patio cleaner.
"All the accessories can be kept on the unit, so it's easy to swap them around.
"I liked it - the only downside is the price. You are paying for a brand name here."
Performance: 4/5
Value: 4/5
Total score: 8/10
McGregor Compact Pressure Washer
£60,
Weight: 5.8kg
Hose: 3m
Power: 1,400 watts
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Argos is selling an affordable washer suitable for light or medium tasks
Credit: Oliver Dixon
Lynsey says: "A small and light pressure washer best suited to light or medium tasks.
"It isn't going to clean a filthy patio but it will do small areas and was brilliant for garden furniture, bikes and even the car.
"The hose is a lot smaller than on the bigger units but I loved how compact and lightweight it is.
"The pressure adjustable lance allows you to alter the water pressure depending on the task, it was easy to connect the hose with no leaks and it has a removable detergent tank.
"Great price and very effective."
Performance: 3/5
Value: 4/5
Total score: 7/10
VonHaus 1,600W Pressure Washer
£89.99,
Weight: 5.6kg
Hose: 5m
Power: 1,600 watts
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The VonHaus gadget isn't the most powerful, but it's easy to use
Credit: Oliver Dixon
Lynsey says: "Middle of the road in terms of performance.
"You could adjust the pressure on this washer from about 90 to 130 bar to suit the task in hand.
"It's certainly not the most powerful, but it's easy to use, light to manoeuvre round and it did a reasonable job of cleaning tough dirt and grime.
"The hose could have done with being a bit longer."
Performance: 3/5
Value: 3/5
Total score: 6/10
Draper 230V 135 bar Pressure Washer - 1,600W
£124.99,
Weight: 8kg
Hose: 5m
Power: 1,600 watts
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The Draper pressure washer is expensive but came with 'exceptional' results
Credit: Oliver Dixon
Lynsey says: "Quite a pricey model, but the cleaning results were exceptional and in minimal time.
"I certainly felt this needed less elbow grease on my part than some of the models.
"It comes with a detergent nozzle, fixed brush head and a turbo nozzle and the total stop device is designed to save water and prolong the life of the motor and the pump.
"It's lighter than many and it has a carry handle and large wheels, making it easy to manoeuvre around your space.
"The hose could have been longer but it's also light and compact, so easy to store.
"On the pricier side, but did a good job."
Performance: 5/5
Value: 4/5
Total score: 9/10
Black & Decker 1,500PSI Pressure Washer
£79,
Weight: 4.9kg
Hose: 6m
Power: 1,400w
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B&M is selling a Black & Decker pressure washer for £79
Credit: Stewart Williams
Lynsey says: "Thought this was a great price at B&M.
"It's light and portable and all the accessories including the lance, nozzles and wand can all be stored within the use for easy storage.
"The aluminum pump was powerful and seemed durable.
"It's not as powerful as others so didn't perform the best on tough grime but was great at cleaning furniture, the kids' trampoline and it gave the patio a decent once over without causing too much spray and mess."
Performance: 3/5
Value: 4/5
Total score: 7/10
Aldi Ferrex High Pressure Washer
£89.99, in Aldi stores only
Weight: 12.7kg (with accessories)
Hose: 10m
Power: 2,400 watts
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Aldi's selling a pressure washher for £89.99
Credit: Oliver Dixon
Lynsey says: "Quite a big, heavy unit so it is harder than many of others to lug around and it's quite big to store.
"However, it is powerful and was one of the best at getting rid of tough grime.
"The handle is height-adjustable and it has a spray gun as well as a rotating brush, turbo nozzle and cleaning needle.
"You can add detergent to a tank at the back and it comes with a special brush head for car cleaning and some patio cleaner so it's great value.
"The hose is extra long at 10 metres.
"It's noisy, but if that doesn't bother you this is very powerful and a great price at less than £90."
Performance: 4/5
Value: 5/5
Total score: 9/10
Titan TTB1800PRW 140 Bar Electric Pressure Washer
£79.99,
Weight: 10.1kg
Hose: 6m
Power: 1,800 watts
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Titan's gadget is tall and heavy, but it did a decent job
Credit: Oliver Dixon
Lynsey says: "Bit of a pain to put together and the instructions could have been clearer, but once assembled, this did a decent job.
"It's user friendly and the narrow, well-balanced unit is easy to move around.
"It's tall and heavy, but not too cumbersome to move about during use.
"It required less water to get things clean and surfaces weren't so drenched after use.
"This might be useful if you were cleaning patio furniture in the morning and wanted to be sat on it by the afternoon.
"There is also a slightly more powerful 150 bar model, but this did a good job and is reasonably priced."
Performance: 4/5
Value: 3/5
Total score: 7/10
