Karcher 1800 PSI (Electric-Cold Water) Pressure Washer w/ Induction Motor

Rec'd my unit 09/23/10. Assembled in about 5 mins.

Washed deck, gazebo and concrete walkway. Excellent job for a small machine. Total run time to date is about 12 hours. Average run time per session is about 4 hours continuous.

One item of concern is the water inlet fitting which is female, plastic. It should be brass are you listening Karcher? Use caution when connecting the hose, crossed threads at this point would make the machine useless.

Overall this is an excellent machine and great value for the money.

PWD RESPONDS: If you'd like to send a comment to Karcher, please email them directly at http://www.karcher.com/int/contact.htm.

One way to make the water inlet fitting last longer is to add a plastic quick connector between the unit and your garden hose. They are available at local hardware stores for about $2-$3.

Rec'd my unit 09/23/10. Assembled in about 5 mins.

Washed deck, gazebo and concrete walkway. Excellent job for a small machine. Total run time to date is about 12 hours. Average run time per session is about 4 hours continuous.

One item of concern is the water inlet fitting which is female, plastic. It should be brass are you listening Karcher? Use caution when connecting the hose, crossed threads at this point would make the machine useless.

Overall this is an excellent machine and great value for the money.

PWD RESPONDS: If you'd... more

I received my Karcher unit in a relatively short time since I live in a remote area. To my surprise all the parts were in good condition.

After mounting the handle and detergent container I connected the unit up and it worked as expected.

As the manual says the blaster wand should be used with care. This is not something you would use on the car or the house siding unless you plan to replace them, it is very powerful for an electric pressure washer. If it was smaller it would be great for removing plaque from your teeth.

I couldn't understand why another customer complained that it was difficult to dismantle the gun. I can't imagine why you would need to,or should do, such a thing.

I received my Karcher unit in a relatively short time since I live in a remote area. To my surprise all the parts were in good condition.

After mounting the handle and detergent container I connected the unit up and it worked as expected.

As the manual says the blaster wand should be used with care. This is not something you would use on the car or the house siding unless you plan to replace them, it is very powerful for an electric pressure washer. If it was smaller it would be great for removing plaque from your teeth.

I couldn't understan... more

I bought this washer to clean the mildew off my fence. San Francisco weather creates a lot of moisture from fog that accelerates the growth of mildew.

What used to take me hours by hand with a scrub brush and hose was done in one third the time using this unit. Not to mention the spatter and soaking I got from this type of manual labor.

After considering all the pros and cons over the Internet with electric vs. gas, size of the unit for garage storage, and psi, this unit was the right price for me. It worked perfectly.

The onboard detergent canister was convenient. There was enough power to blast off the mildew and the deep dirt located in the superficial fibers of the wood. I was fairly dry doing the job!

I only seemed to use the mix mode for detergent placement and max mode to rinse it off. The other variable strengths were useless. The length of the cord was adequate for a 30' fence.

There needs to be some type of invention made to store the long cords. What is needed is some type of retraction device to roll back the cords similar to what is used in vacuum cleaners. Now the cords are laying wet and sloppy on the garage floor. It will air dry and then be wound up later. In the meantime, I hope nobody trips over them.

MD RESPONDS: Cord storage is easy- just wipe the cord down with a rag to dry it off, then coil into loops abut 1 1/2 feet in diameter. Then just lay the loops over the handle of the unit and tuck the plug through the handle to hold it.

I bought this washer to clean the mildew off my fence. San Francisco weather creates a lot of moisture from fog that accelerates the growth of mildew.

What used to take me hours by hand with a scrub brush and hose was done in one third the time using this unit. Not to mention the spatter and soaking I got from this type of manual labor.

After considering all the pros and cons over the Internet with electric vs. gas, size of the unit for garage storage, and psi, this unit was the right price for me. It worked perfectly.

The onboard detergent can... more

You don't show the older models like mine in your model selection list. I have used mine several times every year for the 14 years I have owned it.

My use was never restricted to 30 minutes continuous use as my big jobs, driveway, are time consuming and stopping for ten minutes was not even considered and not mentioned in my manual. I still have my manual.

I want to get a higher pressure unit to make driveway and pool deck and cage cleaning easier. I am concerned with the negative reviews I see on the Internet access.

I just visited a big box store and saw an 1800 psi unit with a driveway cleaning accessory that is purported to clean a 12" track. The combination is appealing to me but the reviews imply that the newer Karcher products are not as reliable as my K330.

My alternative is gas powered, and I would prefer electric.

What should I do?

PWD RESPONDS: We only show models we currently have for sale, or recently sold. For information on older models please visit Karcher's web site at www.karcher-residential.com . You will see the current models listed, but they also have a link to see non-current models.

Times have changed in the 14 years since you bought your K330- the quest for lower prices has resulted in lighter materials and lower expectations. For a sturdy, long running electric unit we suggest a Prosumer grade pressure washer.

To see what we have available, just go to the Quick Search box at the top left of our web site, select "Electric, Cold Water" as the Style, and "Prosumer" as the Grade, then click on "Go".

The driveway cleaning accessory you refer to is a Surface Cleaner- they do an excellent job on flat surfaces such as driveways, garage floors, and fencing. There are several brands available in our Accessories section; just match the PSI and connector to the unit you choose.

You don't show the older models like mine in your model selection list. I have used mine several times every year for the 14 years I have owned it.

My use was never restricted to 30 minutes continuous use as my big jobs, driveway, are time consuming and stopping for ten minutes was not even considered and not mentioned in my manual. I still have my manual.

I want to get a higher pressure unit to make driveway and pool deck and cage cleaning easier. I am concerned with the negative reviews I see on the Internet access.

I just visited a big box st... more

I've seen many people complain about how hard it is to connect a garden hose to this class of Karcher units and I agree. Using a quick connect hose is a good idea on the low pressure side.

I've had my Karcher unit since 2000 and it finally failed on me, but I had some pretty rough usage so overall I'm satisfied.

I'm surprised at some of the people who've had units for even longer. These units see tough jobs.

My first failure, was in fact, the interior plastic fitting that broke when a helper wasn't careful about how to connect the hose to it. I found a replacement part at www.pressureparts.com and it was easy to replace.

The only thing that keeps the average DIY person from replacing it is that the case is held together by 8 star drive screws so you need the right bit. Which is easy to find at your local HW store. Once inside it's easy to replace with a metal lock slide. You must make sure the new hose bib is well seated though, it took a slight tap with a rubber mallet to seat it.

How did my unit finally fail you ask? The motor would not start when engaging the trigger. Probably the pressure switch. I didn't bother to try to fix it as the pressure pumps do wear out over time anyway. The pressure switch on my gas unit failed, but those pumps have much higher duty cycle pumps. Time for a new one anyway which is why I'm here. And yes, I did use my unit continuously for more than 30 min.

Original geek

I've seen many people complain about how hard it is to connect a garden hose to this class of Karcher units and I agree. Using a quick connect hose is a good idea on the low pressure side.

I've had my Karcher unit since 2000 and it finally failed on me, but I had some pretty rough usage so overall I'm satisfied.

I'm surprised at some of the people who've had units for even longer. These units see tough jobs.

My first failure, was in fact, the interior plastic fitting that broke when a helper wasn't careful about how to connect the hose to it. ... more