- Pressure is very high (180 bar)
- Portability is low (18kg)
- Hose is long (10m)
- Bonuses include a 3-in-1 multi jet lance, detergent and smartphone app
Reviewed by Simon Lewis
Made in Germany for over 70 years, Kärcher pressure washers are ten times more searched-for than the next most popular brand. They range from the portable K2 Compact (reviewed below) to this big, heavy and very powerful K7, which must be regarded as the big daddy of domestic pressure washers – although it’s not necessarily the right choice for everyone.
The heavy weight comes from the motor and components needed to deliver the immense 180 bars of pressure. I found it very difficult to manoeuvre on its two wheels but once in place, it can largely sit in one spot – the pressure from the end of the 10m hose is high enough to clean large areas of decking or patio extremely quickly. I attacked a decades-old, grime-encrusted garden table for just 20 seconds and it came up looking brand new.
The wand – although you may prefer to think of it as a rifle – has three nozzles which you twist to select: a low pressure spray for applying detergent, a high pressure, spinning ‘dirt blaster’ jet (you’ll use this with the patio cleaner attachment, bought separately) and a ‘vario’ jet which lets you choose between six settings for different jobs like decking, paving or car cleaning. There’s also a Boost function which adds an extra 15 bar for 30 seconds. It’s like getting a power-up on Mario Kart.
The K7 along with other models at the top of the Kärcher range comes with Smart Control, linking it to a phone app. Being old, I’m generally against that kind of thing but this app is helpful. Tell it what you’re cleaning – car, bike, wood, glass, stone and so on – and it will tell you what attachment and what settings to use and how to get the best results step by step.
A foot-wide patio cleaner attachment is sold separately for £121.99, along with a bottle of patio detergent which slots neatly into a feeder dock on the main unit. Together they’re a formidable force. Every sweep of the circular cleaner head reveals a foot of sparkling fresh decking or paving, like waving a massive magic wand – just make sure there’s somewhere for the dirty water to run off onto.
When you’re done the hose winds up, the power cord fits in a mesh bag and the lance slots into a clasp. It’s all very neat: only the big patio cleaner head doesn’t have a slot. So although it’s a big unit, the K7 doesn’t take up too much space in the garage.
In all honesty, a less powerful washer like the 145 bar Kärcher K5 or the 130 bar Kärcher K4 is enough for most household jobs and some come bundled with soft car-cleaning attachments, which this doesn’t. But I had to make it the overall winner because, for anyone asking “what is the best pressure washer?” this is it.
Also, in all honesty, because I’m addicted to the power. They say that to a man with a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. The same with the K7. Give it a week and there won’t be a single thing in your garden you haven’t blasted and you’ll be knocking on your neighbour’s doors asking to do theirs.
