Karcher K5 Premium Review

The Karcher K5 Premium pressure washer is a popular medium-duty electric pressure washer that can handle almost any residential and most commercial cleaning tasks.

It delivers 2800 cleaning units with a flow rate of 1.4 GPM and pressure of 2000 PSI. Compared to models other medium-duty electric pressure washers, the K5 Premium offers decent value.

It comes with an onboard tank for the detergent, a Vario power-spray wand, a 25-foot hose, and a 35-foot power cord. On the downside, the assembly can be difficult.

In this Karcher K5 Premium pressure washer review, we will let you know everything you need to know to decide if it’s right for you.

Product Overview

Here are some of the basic specific specifications of the Karcher K5 Premium:

Performance

As mentioned earlier, the Karcher K5 Premium pressure washer delivers decent value for its price. While there are other options that are more powerful, it should be strong enough for most household cleaning jobs and even many commercial jobs.

It should not have trouble with tough jobs like cleaning crick, concrete, and mildew stains. Additionally, the washer does not overheat easily and can be operated for as long as six hours in a row.

The Karcher K5 Premium also has a decent reach of 60 feet, thanks to the included hose and cord. This increases the cleaning flexibility, allowing you to use it for more projects. Also, the washer comes with two spray wands to give you more control over the amount of pressure depending on what project you are working on.

Some customers did note that the Karcher K5 stopped working properly after a bit of use.

>> Read More: Best Electric Pressure Washers

Design

The design of the Karcher K5 Premium is very sturdy and has been built to last for a long time. The compact frame is about the same size as a standard upright vacuum cleaner and is very easy to move.

Weighing in at only 32 lbs, most members of your household should have no problem handling the unit—especially since it is fitted with high-impact wheels that measure 7.7 inches that allow you to pull it across any type of terrain.

It’s worth noting that most similar washers with the hose reel mounted on the top can be top-heavy and topple over when reeling and unreeling. Thankfully, the Karcher K5 seems to be pretty stable

Noise

Since the Karcher K5 is an electric washer, it is extremely quiet, which is an aspect that many customers have mentioned in reviews. It will not disturb neighbors or your eardrums.

What Comes in the Box

The accessories that come with the box include:

• Vario Power Spray Wand
• DirtBlaster Turbo Spray Wand
• 25-ft Hose
• Hose Reel
• 35-ft Power Cord
• Extension Lance
• Trigger Gun
• Wheel Rim Brush

Warranty

Thanks to the Rapid Exchange program, Karcher will send over a replacement unit if anything stops functioning or breaks within the initial year.

Unfortunately, this is shorter than many competitors that offer two or three-year warranties.

In addition, some accessories on new Karcher pressure washers—such as the trigger gun, wand, high-pressure hose, nozzles, and lances—have a warranty of only 90 days from the date of purchase.

If anything goes wrong with the machine, you can get in touch with the company directly.

8.4Expert Score

Karcher K5 Premium Pressure Washer Review

The Karcher K5 Premium is a medium-duty, electric pressure washer that is an average value based on its power and customer reviews.

Karcher K5 Premium

8.4

PROS

• 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧. Structured to run on four wheels, the Karcher K3 Follow-Me is thoughtfully crafted so that it is easy to move around and doesn’t fall over as you use it around your house.
• 𝐌𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢-𝐩𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬. This unit comes with a Vario Power Spray Wand (that can be used to adjust pressure settings) and a DirtBlaster Spray Wand providing maximum pressure for stubborn spots.
• 𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬. The Karcher K3 Follow-Me (1800) has a 2-year warranty that sets it apart from many models in the same class that only offer 1 year.
• 𝐒𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐲 𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐨𝐧. The trigger gun has an inbuilt safe button which means that you don’t have to worry about the machine falling into your kid’s hands.
• 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧-𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐍-𝐂𝐎𝐑 𝐩𝐮𝐦𝐩. Karcher uses their “N-COR” technology to build their pumps which makes them durable, non-corrosive, and maintenance-free.

CONS

• 𝐍𝐨𝐧-𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧. Although the Karcher K3 Follow-Me (1800) is a compact and lightweight design, some customers have found the model lacking in sturdiness and durability.
• 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐲 𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐢𝐫𝐭. This model is designed for light-duty home applications like cleaning patio furniture and siding, and is not the best for commercial use.
• 𝐒𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐝𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐤. Although the machine comes with an on-board detergent tank, the tank capacity is only 0.3 liters, which is much less than what many competitors offer.
• 𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞. The Karcher K3 Follow-Me offers only average value when comparing its power and price to other light-duty washers.
• 𝐍𝐨 𝐝𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐦. This model does not come with a detergent dilution apparatus that automatically dilutes your detergent.

Using

Assembly

To help with the often-difficult assembly process and so you can get an idea of what’s involved, we list out the steps below:

Steps required for the assembly process:

1. Install the base by inserting it and then attaching the included dowels into the holes; secure the base with the help of enclosed screws.
2. Next is the installation of the storage for spray lance. To do this, you need to hook in the storage and secure it with the help of two screws.
3. For installing the transport handle, you have to attach and secure the transport handle using two screws.
4. Attach the net to the accessory compartment by attaching the net to the hooks.

Once you have followed all the processes mentioned above, the assembly process of the Karcher K5 is nearly complete. However, there is also the coupling of the high-pressure gun. Before the initial startup, the high-pressure gun needs to be coupled to the high-pressure cleaner. To do this, all you need to do is follow the steps mentioned below:

5. Insert the main plug into the socket and immediately press the ‘+’ and ‘-‘ buttons on the high-pressure gun and hold them.
6. Continue holding the buttons until the entire signal strength symbol starts flashing. Once the coupling process is done, all six pressure levels will be displayed.

Washing

Unlike the assembly process, using the pressure washer is very easy.

1. Attach the desired spray wand on the trigger run and insert the water inlet connector to the water inlet of the machine.
2. On to the end of the garden hose, screw in the garden hose connector. You should hear an audible click that will indicate that the connector is pushed correctly into the water inlet connector.
3. Attach the garden hose to the water source and turn on the water flow.
4. Plug the GFCI plug into a power outlet.
5. Unlock the safety lock of the trigger gun, squeeze it to remove the excess air, and allow the water to flow through smoothly.
6. Then, switch on the pressure washer button. To keep the motor running, keep pressing the trigger on the spray gun.

Verdict

The Karcher K5 Premium is a decent medium-duty electric pressure washer for the cost. While it should be able to handle most jobs around the house, it doesn’t deliver as much power as some other similarly priced units and many customers have found it to break down over time.