Ugh. The annual ritual of scrubbing winter's filth off the patio was looming, and I was dreading it. Last year I spent an entire weekend on my knees with a brush and bucket, and my back didn't forgive me for weeks.
Time for a pressure washer.
But which one? The market's flooded with options from budget to bank-breaking, and I wasn't about to drop serious cash without knowing if the cheaper ones were just glorified garden hoses. So I did what any reasonable person would do – I borrowed seven different pressure washers and turned my backyard into a testing ground that had my neighbors peering over teh fence wondering if I'd lost my mind.
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The Dirty Truth About Pressure
Before we dive in, let's talk watts and pressure. These machines typically draw between 1,400 and 2,800 watts, costing roughly 34p to 68p per hour to run at current energy prices. Not terrible considering the alternative (my aching knees).
High pressure is essential for lifting deeply-ingrained dirt, but if you're just cleaning muddy wellies, you can get away with something less powerful. My patio, however, hadn't seen a proper clean since 2018, so I needed the big guns.
Bosch – The Unexpected Champion
£105 from Wickes. 8kg. 7m hose. 1,900 watts.
Listen. I did NOT expect to fall in love with this one.
The Bosch UniversalAquatak 135 absolutely demolished everything in its path. It wasn't the fastest – took about a minute longer per square meter than some others – but it obliterated even the toughest grime spots that other washers had skipped over.
My husband bet me £10 it couldn't remove the weird green stain by the garden gate that's been there since we moved in. He's now £10 poorer.
It's a bit noisy (my neighbor texted asking if I was "operating heavy machinery"), but it's surprisingly light to carry and doesn't hog storage space. Assembly was blissfully simple – no hunting for tiny screws or deciphering cryptic diagrams.
Performance: 5/5
Value: 5/5
Total: 10/10
Is Karcher Really Worth the Extra Cash?
£139 from ao.com. 4.4kg. 7m hose. 1,600 watts.
The yellow beast everyone recognizes. I tested the K3 Power Control model – not their cheapest, not their priciest.
What I loved: it's feather-light and the power control gun lets you adjust pressure by just twisting the nozzle. Brilliant for switching between blasting patio slabs and gently cleaning the kids' plastic toys without sending them into orbit.
The "dirt buster lance" (dramatic name, but accurate) made quick work of the caked-on mud on our family car. There's also a built-in detergent tank which was genuinely useful.
But... you're definitely paying for that yellow branding. Is it £50 better than my winner? Absolutely not.
Performance: 4/5
Value: 4/5
Total: 8/10
The Argos Budget Option That Surprised Me
£60 from Argos. 5.8kg. 3m hose. 1,400 watts.
The McGregor Compact is like that friend who's not great at everything but excels at specific things.
It's not winning any awards for cleaning filthy patios, but it was PERFECT for garden furniture, bikes, and even the car. I actually preferred it for these tasks because it didn't create the tsunami of spray that some more powerful models did.
The hose is noticeably shorter at just 3m, which was annoying when I had to keep moving the unit around. But I loved how lightweight and compact it was – easily tucked away in our already-crowded garden shed.
For sixty quid? Not bad at all.
Performance: 3/5
Value: 4/5
Total: 7/10
VonHaus – Thoroughly "Meh"
£89.99 from vonhaus.com. 5.6kg. 5m hose. 1,600 watts.
Middle of the road in every possible way.
The VonHaus 1,600W washer did an okay job. Not terrible, not amazing. You can adjust the pressure between 90-130 bar, which is handy, and it's light enough to drag around without cursing.
It managed to clean most dirt and grime, but I found myself going over stubborn spots multiple times. The hose felt restrictively short just when I needed that extra reach.
For the price? There are better options.
Performance: 3/5
Value: 3/5
Total: 6/10
The Draper That Made Me Question My Winner
£124.99 from Robert Dyas. 8kg. 5m hose. 1,600 watts.
This thing is a BEAST. The cleaning results were exceptional and fast – I cleaned the same area in about half the time compared to some other models.
The Draper comes with all the bells and whistles – detergent nozzle, fixed brush head, turbo nozzle, and this clever "total stop device" that saves water and supposedly extends the motor life.
It's surprisingly light for how powerful it is, and the large wheels made it easy to drag around my uneven garden. The only real downside is the price and the somewhat stingy 5m hose.
I almost gave this one the crown... almost.
Performance: 5/5
Value: 4/5
Total: 9/10
B&M's Black & Decker – Not Just a Recognizable Name
£79 from B&M. 4.9kg. 6m hose. 1,400 watts.
I've always had a soft spot for Black & Decker since my dad's ancient drill that's somehow outlived three marriages and two house moves.
This pressure washer is impressively light and all the bits (lance, nozzles, wand) store on the unit itself – a godsend when you're as disorganized as I am. The aluminum pump felt sturdy and reliable.
It didn't have the raw power for my disaster zone of a patio, but it did a fantastic job on the kids' trampoline that had turned a mysterious shade of green over winter. Also great for furniture without causing too much splash-back.
For £79? Pretty solid.
Performance: 3/5
Value: 4/5
Total: 7/10
The Aldi Special That Nearly Stole The Show
£89.99 in Aldi stores only. 12.7kg with accessories. 10m hose. 2,400 watts.
God. This thing is a TANK.
The Ferrex High Pressure Washer from Aldi is enormous and heavy – not something you'll be casually moving around. But what it lacks in maneuverability, it makes up for in raw power.
That 2,400 watt motor is no joke – it stripped years of grime off my patio with minimal effort. The 10m hose (longest of all tested) meant I could reach every corner of my garden without moving the unit.
It comes with everything – spray gun, rotating brush, turbo nozzle, cleaning needle, and even a special brush for car cleaning. They even throw in patio cleaner! For under £90!
Yes, it's noisy enough to wake the dead. Yes, it's big enough to need its own postcode for storage. But the value here is insane.
Performance: 4/5
Value: 5/5
Total: 9/10
Screwfix's Titan – Decent But Forgettable
£79.99 from Screwfix. 10.1kg. 6m hose. 1,800 watts.
The assembly nearly broke me. The instructions appeared to have been written by someone who'd never seen the product, adn I spent 20 minutes hunting for a screw that had rolled under the fridge.
Once built, though, it performed... fine. The narrow design made it easy to maneuver despite its weight.
One thing I did appreciate – it seemed more water-efficient than others. Surfaces weren't completely drenched after cleaning, which is handy if you're hoping to actually use your garden furniture the same day.
There's a more powerful 150 bar model available, but this 140 bar version did a decent job for the price.
Performance: 4/5
Value: 3/5
Total: 7/10
After turning my garden into a muddy war zone for a week, I've made my decision. The Bosch UniversalAquatak 135 is coming to live with me permanently. Though I'll admit, if storage space wasn't an issue, that Aldi Ferrex would be mighty tempting for the price...
Poor Karcher. No longer the automatic choice it once was.
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