My K4 is about 5 years old and going strong. Like many people, I ditched the lethally dangerous Karcher hose (kinked like mad and was a battle to coil it back up). Got a 15m hose and MTM SGS35 stubby gun and AutoGlym foam cannon. My K4 is in the garage and is permanently plugged in and attached to a dedicated tap via a short length of feeder hose. So I don’t have to move the machine at all.

Had these for at least 15 years but tbh the Ava I got off your recommendation is the next level up Great update good feedback

Looking forward to the upgrades video

Great honest review, I have had a Kärcher K4 for over 6 years it has been brilliant for cleaning patios to the car, yes the snow foam is a bit of a let for the car. But a reliable machine. Keep up the great car detailing tip videos.👊🏻👍🏻

Thank you for this. I acquired mine about 8 years ago from a friend who never really used it. It was a replacement to my old one, which was cylindrical, with the hose and cable wrapped around either side (sorry, I can't recall the model). My K4 has never really been problematic apart from, as you say, the short and plasticy hose. I'm planning to fit a better, longer one and fit a reel on the rear handle part from one of my old pressure washers.

I run a K2 that i have upgraded to use after market attachments and hoses. I’m coming up to 10 years as a professional detailer and I’m only on my 2nd K2. Not bad for a $AUD149 machine. I just don’t see the value in the expensive ones. I did buy a 2400psi Ryobi after my first K2 died, but it weighs 3 to 4 times as much as the K2. I use it primarily for around the house stuff so i can keep the K2 for the important stuff. FYI, I’ve tested my K2 as per what I have seen on IMJOSHV and it’s running about 1100psi and 1.2 GPM. Keep the great stuff coming Dave. Lloyd

Thanks for that - as useful video just as I am thinking of buying one. Going to go the refurbished route. I have bought things like washing machines and tumble driers via this route at good reduced prices and they have been utterly reliable.

Great video Dave years ago when I bought my K3 it was the salesman at Halfords told me no one brings back K3 however he has more K4 returns than anything else in his shop, it’s also worth mentioning that the K4 Classic that replaces the Compact now uses the cheaper and unreliable universal motor instead of the induction motors in the full sized model.

Great Video Dave, I have replaced the hose and lance with a flexible 8m hose and stub gun, has been really reliable for me as a weekend car cleaner :)

Great video and I am looking forward to check next video for the updates as it might give me ideias and revommendations to my Nilfisk e150 😊

Have a k4, had no choice, had to send my mrs to get something there and then and she rang me and told me what was in stock. Was a nightmare as i was mid way through details. Ive got a 15m hose and a quick release gun so they got attached straight away. 3 weeks in now and it seems ok. But the hose it came with was a joke. Not having a way of coiling up is also very annoying. Lets see how it lasts. Def be trying out something else next. Great video. Loving the content. Best on the tube. Hoping for some cutting and polishing videos.

Bought a K4 during Covid lockdown and it’s still going strong. The supplied hose is too short, rigid and virtually unusable especially in winter when there’s no outside heat to make it a bit more malleable. So that got replaced with a longer, more flexible hose. Plus I’ve got a QR spray gun and proper snowfoam lances. So for car cleaning I’m set, but that’s because I spent extra money where needed. But for patio/driveway/outdoor cleaning I just use the supplied lances and they’re fine.

Once again another fantastic and informative video Dave

Going to throw in a word for nilfisk I have a 145 fantastic piece of kit. I have recently upgraded the hose to a 15m soft and it's awesome

Very helpful vid again Dave, which Jet Wash does Leo prefer, the star of the show❤

Have had a K7 Series for 9 years, daily use, looked after, NEVER run dry or thrown around. Also have a Kranzle K1322TS serviced regularly.

Great entry level washer but I’d advise spending more if you do a lot of cleaning. I opted for Karcher to start off with - did the job and I ran it into the ground before upgrading. Great video.

Got a K4 and cleans all way around my Mercedes long wheelbase van no problem 👍👍Great Machine 👍👍

Everytime I see a karcher now, it I dont interest me after buying the Ava p80. You recommended me the Ava and was the best decision I made for a pressure washer. Thank you mate!

Couldn’t wait to retire my K4 for my AVA Smart P50, even though the price and specs are very similar. The K4 biggest let down was definitely its hose, which was both short and kinked nearly every time I used it and if it didn’t, then it would when curling up to store away. Now I’ve bought an additional steel reinforced 12m extension to the paltry original 6m it’s perfect, as I can do both cars without moving either. I feel the K4 is great for stonework, and garden furniture. But it’s out of its depth washing cars.

Dave forgot to congratulate you on the 100k!

I had a k4,absolute pile of sxxt constantly breaking down,I bought an ava P60 evolution,top machine 👌👌

Great video Dave, I have a mixed experience with the Karcher refurbished products. A K5 pressure washer that is still going strong after 2 1/2 years of use. But I also bought a wet and dry vac that lasted just a few months before detonating.

I recently bought a K4 Power Control with the home kit. First thing I upgraded was the hose, to a 10m one from Direct Hoses, far better quality. The T5 Racer that came with it has green nozzles fitted, and I am not sure if the grey nozzles are better? I was planning on using it to softly clean my Tarmac driveway, but quite a few people have told me not to do that?

I've had k4 full control for about 3or 4 years now. Only thing I would say is upgrade the high pressure hose, I got a 20 m length from pressure washer parts UK. The hose is way softer and never kinks. For cleaning the car it's a stubby gun and foam lance from the same place. Other than that no issues at all.

Got my K4 full control from the karcher outlet few years ago cost me like 99 quid and was pretty much brand new not a mark on it. Also that hole on the front left is meant for the pressure hose to come through which is very handy when you have the premium model which does have a hose reel its like 190 on karcher outlet currently

I'm still loving my Ava

Look forward to the upgrade video - I’ve had a k2 for a little while now, just worried on the longevity as the parts feel so plasticky. I changed the hose to a 10m more flexible hose which was a game changer

Thats the exact one i have and the day after its first use i bought a 25m hose and stubby gun with matching snow foam gun, then it was good to go and not a issue since

I have the K4 power control which has a hose reel attached. The OE hose is toilet, so I changed it for a much longer, and better hose from direct hoses. I don’t have to move the K4 at all, and can get round the whole car with ease.

Had my K4 for a little over a year after upgrading from a K2 that I’d had for almost 10 years I think, upgraded the hose to 15m flexi hose from DIrectHoses, MTM STG35 stubby gun (awesome) mjjc S v3 foam cannon and all connections 1/4 inch quick connect. Not had a single issue at all, the only thing that bugs me about is the I wish the water inlet was on the back and that the handle had a lock option so it could be locked in the up position, I may find a way to do that anyway so I can add a holder for the coiled hose.

My K4 compact finally let go after 10 years of weekly use cleaning cars, motorbikes and mountain bikes. Unfortunately, because I was in a bit of a budget bind since the car is going into the body shop, so I had to settle for the K3 horizontal, since I was able to pick it up for £90 delivered. Most of negative points of the stock product have been negated by having an upgraded 15m rubber hose and an MJJC foam cannon running through a stubby gun. I just hope that the K3 would still be able to deliver on performance for weekendly activities. Definitely didn't have the budget at this time for an Ava. I'm presuming the performance will still be sufficient for its duty cycle.

Personally I own the Karcher K4 power control , this came with a hose reel. I have not had any issues what so ever the last year. Thus ofc, I upgraded the gun and the hose. But the water hose inlet I havent had any issues either.

Had a K4 for four years very well looked after, frost free, using a 15m flexi hose and it has gradually lost its pressure to the point it no longer works. I wouldnt advise using anymore than a 10m hose. I will go for an Ava now.

I have the K4 and have recently purchased the AVA Premium Snow Cannon after watching your review. I was also looking at the AVA Pro Force gun, do you think this would be a good upgrade for the K4 ?

I’m probably not comparing like with like but I bought a Karcher HD 5/12 C years ago. In that time it’s broken twice. I was willing to buy a new machine but my local Karcher agent recommended they had a look at it rather than buy a new machine. Apparently it only needed new capacitor, so I had it repaired. I did think the repair was costly but felt I had little choice as the machine worked perfectly well. If it does break I will probably have a look at the Ava range you’ve spoken so highly of because I thought the Karcher snow cannon was not very good.

I look forward to the next 'upgrades' video as I like the K5, but the hose drives me nuts, and, stubby guns?

Switched the hose out for a longer no kink blue hose from direct hoses and added a short trigger gun with various nozzles which makes the karcher way better imho

Quick question. Not pressure washer related but I am currently using power maxed ceramic ultra seal and I am considering getting the AVA seal and shine. Would you class both of these to be similar products?

Would love you to do a ratio mix video ,please

Wicked video! I've literally just started up cleaning myself and bought one of these as they're really easy to get hold of. It's a great bit of kit for the money , But my god is that hose soo annoying.. Constantly coil's up and not long enough, Spend a lot of time trying to untangle and pack it away properly. Secondly the snow foam bottle is stupidly annoying to get used to the amount of time's i've accidently pressed the button fitting it to the handle and the bottle just falling on the floor losing product is unreal. Bad design by karcher that one! It's a great lightweight bit of kit for not an awful lot of money. Definitely following to see what upgrades you do because they sure need a better hose and snow foam bottle design..

My k4 failed one month after 2 year warranty. They have since changed to a 3 year and wanted £180 to repair it......only after some length conversations and raising issue with the warranty has been extended on a new buy but same spec they helped but was hard work.

I got a k4 6 months ago been using it quite regularly cleaning my and my family and friends cars... ive accidently become a valetter... i got a 15m hose for it and a stubby trigger... i use the mjjc snow foam cannon with it and i have to say the k4 has been great... its downfalls for me is u just need to buy the addons to make it the total package yourself

I bought a K4, but being the first pressure washer I've used I can't really compare to others. However I have seen on forums that the component to upgrade is the hose to something longer and more cooperative.

What would your opinion be on getting a 10m hose extension if getting one of these. ?

Have a k4, had no choice, had to send my mrs to get something there and then and she rang me and told me what was in stock. Was a nightmare as i was mid way through details. Ive got a 15m hose and a quick release gun so they got attached straight away. 3 weeks in now and it seems ok. But the hose it came with was a joke. Not having a way of coiling up is also very annoying. Lets see how it lasts. Def be trying out something else next.

A review of the Bosch pressure washers would be useful if you could get your hands on one.

I have a K4 that i use for my valeting business, so it gets used often. I got one originally from halfords and after a week or so of using it the hose would fire off from the pressure washer end..it was dangerous and very frustrating! I ran the water through to avoid air locks, but it kicked the hose of regardless, i took it back to halfords, at which point they just gave me a replacement one with basically no questions asked! It can't be a good sign😂 However, the one i got it replaced with has a longer, more durable hose! So maybe they've listened? It's kicked the hose off once so far, so im hoping that was a one-off! All in all, I'd probably avoid buying this and spend a little extra on a better brand

Fab vid bud! My neighbour has one for about 4 years now, uses every second weekend, even in the winter coz he has a double garage. He loves it, apart from the hose which is a piece of cr*p that's only good for some tie up sex.

Hi Dave, what is your jetwash of choice given you have tried just about all of them. Choose your weapon 😊

Have you tried products from jennychem?

No thanks Dave i will stick with my AVA as its the nuts!! 👌🏻👍🏻 But I was interested in the patio cleaner on the table what was that & can you use that on an AVA if its any good as my AVA patio cleaner is shite!!😬

I upgraded to an k4 after my k2 broke..owned for 4 years now. I bought myself a 15m hose from amazon it feels much better quality than the karcher one and so much easier

Bought the Ava p57 of your recommendation think karcher have had there day like,had a k2 for years hose is to short storage is crap on the machine but I’m not saying Ava is the best as I’m having niggles with it the handle keeps locking itself and is stiff to push the unlock switch and the foam cannon is utter crap the 0.6ltr so I’m buying the 3 on pay day and that little one is going straight in the bin

I've had a k4 for the past 2 years and tbh it's great for it's purpose for now, which is cleaning my personal vehicles on the weekend, as I'm a professional detailer the rest of the week 🤣 Not the best but fair for most jobs, specially detailing, however I've changed everything besides the machine itself, short gun, bigger hose (10m) and lots of acessories to fit the short 1/4 quick connect gun. The original Karcher acessories, wand etc. Just wasn't good for me, too big too bulky.

My 17 year old K2 is still going strong k4 next to have Eventually

6:32 what is the name of the snow canon ?

Bro Some of my Neighbours Scratch my New Kawasaki ZX10R I tried For Buffing but scratch not gone some my friends says that use 1500,2000 then 3000 grit sandpaper after that buffing then it will go what did you think please reply Because of jealousy neighbours scratch my new zx10R

I have a karcher and nothing has really changed with its offering. I’m looking forward to trying a man AVA cause I feel these are the best out there. The hose reel is spot on. Even when I bought a replacement for the one that came with the pressure washer, and there’s absolutely nowhere to store it. Rubbish on that front. I’m just plodding along regarding mine, just waiting to get an ACA which is more versatile and they know what the budding retailer or professional wants. The hose reel. The light trigger. Accessories. AVA is a great proposition. Karcher have lost their way. If you’re not happy with the proposition that karcher have now and I’ve had mine for years and you’re still mentioning the same things, then really they really need to have a common sense rethink on what their devices are for. Not just rehash the same thing like blackberry. They’ll become extinct and be out of the sector they’ve worked so hard to build over the years.

Been using Nilflisk for 10 years, can you also test that

Hey mate, New subscriber here. Can you recommend anything as an alternative to guardex, my wife is picking up her new car up soon and i'm keen to proctect it. TIA

I bought my one a month ago and it came with a 8 meter hose so it must be different..

I brought my k4 two years ago and not had any problems only one snow foam canon is crap .had to buy better quality one . Just remember to register it with Karcher warranty team. Don't buy one from halfords it's not same quality as one in B&Q plus it's £30 cheaper

I have a k4 and did a few up grades like hose,stumpy trigger,etc,then i bought an ava p60, the best thing i ever bought,not nocking the karcher why have chicken when you can have steak😊

I’m not sure here the bad reputation from Karcher has come from; I’ve found them products to be very well built and reliable. So much of the longevity is also user dependant and people don’t read instruction; the main thing the knackers the pumps is not draining them during the winter, so water is left in the pump, that freezes, expands and very quickly causes stress and leaks. This is instructed in the user manual for the last 15 years I’ve been buying Karcher washers but so many people are too arrogant to read them.

Had a K4 'Full control' - reasonably well used, started leaking at just under 3 years old. The adjustable Lance is a waste of time and money. The hose is garbage. So spent about £100 on upgrades. Replace it with an Ava Smart P60 (£300) that is simply miles better in features, design and performance. Great for cars and household stuff, and takes Karcher attachments

I was ready to buy this bad boy and now having second thoughts. You spend so much and end up spending more to make it better. Why don't Karcher make it better in the first place? Any way, everyone keeps on talking about hose replacements, what do you fine folks recommend it to be replaced with? Lastly, I've checked on Karcher and the K4 power control comes with a 8m hose and not a 6m which the video suggests.

We have a K4 - agree the hose is dreadful

I got one about 5 years ago The hose is rubbish kinks all the time I upgraded to 15 meter no kink hose so much easier to use changing the hose

The 6m kinking hose, I hate it with a passion, almost impossible to wrap up once done.

It looks like Pikachu on the thumbnail :)

The question is, when will it start to leak? Karcher are renowned for it 😂

Good video but nobody who owns a Karcher uses a Karcher hose - it's the law. You buy a new 25m rubber hose, a short trigger and a decent snow foam cannon. Once you have these the Karcher is a demon of a car washer.

Just got a little K2 does job for me, did car today first time using Turtle Wax Snow foam rather than Polar Blast, big mistake, that stuff is great the Turtle wax was very very poor, total waste of time,spend the money for the best .

A man dressed as Donald Duck has been arrested in MK for selling quack ☺️

Not a lot of money ,but the hoses on them are a pain I think for a bit extra there are a lot of better machines out there

Anything yellow from karcher is poo full stop they are popular there's no doubt about that, but they're utter crap AVA are ok but they're still not set up properly in the UK I know as I was one of the first to buy a P80 which is a good machine stick with Nilfisk or Ava not the the yellow toys

Mines been going strong for about 5 years and I clean cars a lot