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Karcher K7 Premium Smart Control Home High Pressure Washer

8
£549.99

VERDICT:

8
10
More power than you need for washing bikes, so find other uses for it to justify this addictive power!
My god, the power is addictive!
Precise and versatile
Variable power makes it safe for almost anything
Long hose
High-volume makes short work of bikes
Also cleans patios, fences, gardens. Strips paint, resurfaces wood...
Did I mention the power?
The weight
The price
The size
Weight: 
25,000g

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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The Karcher K7 Premium Smart Control Home High Pressure Washer is the daddy of pressure washers. It's powerful, precise, adjustable and has a long hose and power cable. And in addition to cleaning your bike you can use it for getting gunk off your patio, garden fence, paving and more – which at least goes some way to justifying a price that puts it very much at the top end of the market. And then some...

> Buy now: Karcher K7 Premium Smart Control Home High Pressure Washer for £549.99 from diy.com

As winter comes around bikes inevitably come home caked with more and more mud. And if you don't clean it off immediately it dries on, and very soon you're carrying around extra weight, your bike's aerodynamics and clean lines are compromised, and you really don't want mud getting into your bike's sensitive parts.

So, keeping your bike clean is not just good for longevity and making sure your bike is running smoothly, it could actually make you a fraction faster too. And when a friend lent me a pressure washer a few months ago, I learnt a valuable lesson – there are two types of people in this world, those who want a pressure washer, and those who just haven't tried one yet.

2023 Karcher K7 Premium Smart Control Home High Pressure Washer - boxed.jpg

So when Karcher asked me if I'd like to test one, it was a no brainer. Having spent a weekend pressure washing everything I could find with my friend's washer, I was hooked.

And then this Karcher K7 monster arrived, the 'big daddy' of the pressure washer world. It has a dedicated reduced power mode, and settings and instructions designed especially for washing bikes. I've used the little hand-held battery powered ones that Dave reviewed years ago and they're not bad – but this is a very different beast.

Disclaimer

But first, a disclaimer: you need to take care using a pressure washer. Great care. Though modern bikes and components are designed to keep out every-day mud and water, they're not designed to stop water coming sideways at high pressure. You can easily penetrate and even destroy bearing seals with a modern pressure washer, which will strip out all the lubricant, and even stainless-steel ball bearings will start to corrode when soaked.

2023 Karcher K7 Premium Smart Control Home High Pressure Washer - main unit detail.jpg

You can also damage sensitive components such as electronics, and moving parts such as derailleurs and suspension are likely to contain bearings and lubricant, and potentially electronic controls.

2023 Karcher K7 Premium Smart Control Home High Pressure Washer - gun and spray attachment.jpg

Furthermore, with enough power, you could even damage the frame and any other part of your bike. Limit the power of the pressure washer accordingly, and steer clear of sensitive parts altogether.

2023 Karcher K7 Premium Smart Control Home High Pressure Washer - in use cleaned frame.jpg

Power

This K7 goes all the way up to 180 bars of pressure. Of course, like any ape-brained male the first thing I did was set it to 50% and point it at my slightly mossy garden fence and pull the trigger. Bye-bye moss.

2023 Karcher K7 Premium Smart Control Home High Pressure Washer - spray gun detail.jpg

Oh, and even at half power you can feel the pressure pushing back in your hands. Naturally I also had to try the boost mode, which is a super-high-pressure max that runs for a maximum of 30 seconds. It was at this point I realised I should have heeded the manual, which stated very clearly how powerful this is. The manual also advises wearing toe-capped boots, which will give you an idea...

2023 Karcher K7 Premium Smart Control Home High Pressure Washer - hose detail.jpg

The result was bye-bye moss, bye-bye paint coating on the fence – and bye-bye chunks of wood it tore out of the fence! I kid you not! But also – wow!

2023 Karcher K7 Premium Smart Control Home High Pressure Washer fence oops.jpeg

Getting a grip of myself, I decided to clean my long-suffering commuter bike first, which hadn't been cleaned for two years. Yep, sorry. But the Karcher proved excellent. You can connect it to your phone and use the Karcher app to select what you want to wash. Choose the 'bike' setting and it will choose the correct pressure, connecting to the K7 using Bluetooth.

2023 Karcher K7 Premium Smart Control Home High Pressure Washer - spray gun handle detail.jpg

I turned the lance head to a flat spray as recommended, pulled the trigger and the result was a precise and defined spray with clear edges. The app chose a pressure level of 2 out of 6, which was a firm pressure of water but it dissipated rapidly.

2023 Karcher K7 Premium Smart Control Home High Pressure Washer - in use screen 1.jpg

I cleaned the bike from about 60cm away, and the dirt ran off with great alacrity and I was done sooner than I thought – about 90 seconds did it thoroughly. It should be noted that the Karcher app, having reduced the power of the unit, suggests a distance of around 30cm, and to not aim the jet at 'the storage areas, chain, electrical connections and shock absorber of the bicycle'. I'll explicitly add the bearings to that too...

A couple of years of town riding had left an oily film over most of the bike. This was nowhere more visible than on the white logo of my tyres, where the words were nearly illegible. The pressure washer made short work and left them gleaming with a new-looking white in a second. In fact, pretty much everything was quickly restored to a 'newish' appearance.

2023 Karcher K7 Premium Smart Control Home High Pressure Washer - in use cleaned wheel.jpg

There were a couple of areas that stubborn dirt, scum and oil resisted, most notably where the bottom bracket shell meets the seat tube. I was able to get the nozzle almost up against the metal, avoiding the danger of any water getting into the bottom bracket itself, and I gave it a close-range blast. Again the same picture shows the metal gleaming bright a few seconds later. With a normal garden hose I'd never have been able to achieve that control and focus the water so specifically and achieve enough pressure to clean the bike.

2023 Karcher K7 Premium Smart Control Home High Pressure Washer - in use 4.jpg

We've all used brushes, sponges and cleaning solutions – and I've probably used several times my bodyweight in Muc-Off over the years. The Karcher produces a fine, defined jet of water that allows for great precision, so it feels like you're a surgeon wielding a big watery scalpel. The result is that I could shift the grime without using any chemical cleaning aid.

2023 Karcher K7 Premium Smart Control Home High Pressure Washer - in use 3.jpg

My titanium bike proved perfect for this, though I exercised more caution over the carbon components and didn't chance any close-up blasts. My disc rotors had also become slightly squeaky in recent months, and I felt that warranted a high-pressure blast. Again, because of the precise ability to direct the water and the defined edges of the spray, I could hit the disc at close range without getting anywhere near the bearings in the hub. Bingo! God, this is satisfying!

2023 Karcher K7 Premium Smart Control Home High Pressure Washer - in use 1.jpg

Performance

We need to be explicit about the pros and cons of the Karcher. And if you use it properly, in accordance with the suggested power cap and at the recommended distance, it really is a great tool. The precision, power, and volume throughput deliver rapid and effective cleaning. But don't abuse the tool – this machine has more than enough power on higher settings to strip the paint from your bike, blast through bearing seals and destroy components. If it rips wood apart, I imagine it could do a lot of damage to carbon fibre. So, make sure you use it responsibly.

2023 Karcher K7 Premium Smart Control Home High Pressure Washer - in use 2.jpg

That said, this is a phenomenal piece of kit. Is it overkill for washing a bike? Yes. Did I adore every moment using it? Yes. Would I trade it in for a less powerful model? No. Would it make any difference to my bike washing if I used a less powerful model? No.

2023 Karcher K7 Premium Smart Control Home High Pressure Washer - spray gun nozzle.jpg

It has a flow rate up to 550 litres per hour, so you're likely to be done in a minute or two. It's got more power than you need and is big, heavy and expensive. Its weight is three times that of the bikes I was cleaning and it's chunky too, but in spite of that it's a user-friendly design. It rolls easily on its wheels, and it has a long power line and a 10m-long high-pressure hose.

2023 Karcher K7 Premium Smart Control Home High Pressure Washer - hose reel.jpg

The app is a nice touch, and gives you safe usage parameters.

2023 Karcher K7 Premium Smart Control Home High Pressure Washer - app screen 1.jpg

The lance has three different spray shapes, and there are tons of accessories. You can add a cleaning agent, for bikes – or patio stone – that just sits in the top and the machine automatically filters it in.

2023 Karcher K7 Premium Smart Control Home High Pressure Washer - paving cleaner.jpg

It is however, really expensive, and to be honest more machine than you need for cleaning your bike. You could go for any of Karcher's less expensive models from the K2 to the K7 Compact, with the K2 costing just £140, and at 3.5kg is a fraction of the weight and a third of the size of this one.

2023 Karcher K7 Premium Smart Control Home High Pressure Washer - patio cleaner 3.jpg

Yes or no...

If you can afford it, get this one. I can't 'recommend' that you do, and I hate myself for loving the power of the K7 – but I just do. Cleaning bikes with the K7 is the equivalent of using a sledgehammer to crack a walnut, and £550 is a hell of a lot of money to spend on a 'garden hose pressure increaser.'

2023 Karcher K7 Premium Smart Control Home High Pressure Washer - switch.jpg

But if you try it you'll be hooked too. If you need to justify the power increase, well, it'll do more jobs than the lower-pressure models. Next time the rain lets up I'll get round to doing the patio stones. I'm looking forward to that. Yes, £550 for a bike cleaner is a lot and then some, but £550 for a house and garden washer that also does bikes is perfectly reasonable.

Value

While Karcher is the brand of pressure washer I'm most familiar with, thanks to its immediately recognisable yellow branding, a quick search reveals lots of other brands make pressure washers too. Most of these are considerably cheaper too, such as the Muc-Off Pressure Washer that Dave tested back in 2019, which is only 95 quid and it did the job.

The Karcher is about five times the price of that and over twice as dear as the one I borrowed from a friend – but I'd say it's also more than twice the machine. Yes, it's expensive, but it really is so very, very good that it doesn't represent bad value.

For a much more modest £140 you could get either the portable 4-litre battery powered version that Dave reviewed, or the K2 Compact, a mains powered 110 bar unit. However much you can justify spending, whether it's the K2, K3, K4, K5 or K7, keeping your bikes clean has never been so satisfying.

Conclusion

It's a great piece of kit with a 10 out of 10 performance for cleaning both your bike or pretty much anything else you want, with care – and if you're prepared to pay the price I can't recommend it highly enough. 

Verdict

More power than you need for washing bikes, so find other uses for it to justify this addictive power!

road.cc test report

Make and model: Karcher K7 Premium Smart Control Home High Pressure Washer

Size tested: n/a

Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

The K7 is Karcher's top of the line domestic pressure washer (it does commercial products too). I was excited to test it, pressure washing stuff really brings back the newness...

There's a special setting for bikes, (essentially it just limits the power) But the Karcher app also has a handy guide.

Steps 1-4 are about assembling the pressure washer, setting your bike up somewhere stable, and choosing the correct settings.

Step 5. 'Guide the jet of the pressure washer at a distance of around 30 cm over the areas to be cleaned. For careful cleaning, do not aim the jet directly at the storage areas, chain, electrical connections and shock absorber of the bicycle.'

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Current type (V/Hz) 230 - 240 / 50

Pressure (bar/MPa) 20 - max. 180 / 2 - max. 18

Flow Rate (l/h) max. 550

Area performance (m2/h) 60

Water feed temperature (°C) max. 60

Power rating (kW) 2.8

Power Cable (m) 5

Weight without accessories (kg) 17.8

Weight incl. packaging (kg) 25.9

Dimensions (L – W – H) (mm) 459 x 330 x 666

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10

It's 25 Kilos, so it's heavy.

Heavy, yes, but that weight lends it a well-made feel, and both the high-pressure hose and even the power line feel extremely substantial.

Rate the product for performance:
 
10/10

For sheer performance this is a 10. It's stunning – and I think this is the first 10 I've ever given!

Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10

Hard to say, it's been brief usage between rain showers.

But nothing feels flimsy, there are no creaks or groans, and it all feels well put together.

Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
 
7/10

I 'think' heavy is good in a high-pressure washer. Substantial. Mostly made out of metal.

You don't have to pick it up, it rolls easily, so I guess the weight is a 'little' inconsequential?

Rate the product for comfort (if applicable)
 
8/10

The trigger and wand controls are great, the screen sharp and easy to see.

The buttons are a little stiff and plasticky, but I guess you want to minimise weight in the handle...

Rate the product for value:
 
5/10

This is so hard to assess. Compared to its stable mates, it's really expensive, and the performance increase is not that considerable. Nearly twice the power of one that costs a quarter of the price? Well, that's not exceptional value, but even with bikes, we're used to diminishing returns and smaller marginal gains as the price increases. An S-Works bike isn't half the weight of one the expert that costs half the amount. We're used to over-paying for the cutting edge of performance at the very top of the range, so this is in keeping with that.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Absolutely perfectly. I cannot fault its performance. At all.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

The power. The control and the precision of the water jet. It's a scalpel, not a blunt instrument.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Price – that's it.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

It's considerably more powerful than the Muc-Off washer and the portable Karcher washer that Dave tested – and considerably more expensive.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes, massively

Would you consider buying the product? Yes… but I'd have to lie about how much I spent to my other half....

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

Guilt.

Guilt is the reason this isn't getting a 10 out of 10. It's a monster. I love it. I'm just wracked with guilt at the surplus of performance and power present here. You don't 'need' this much power for washing bikes.

Which is a good incentive to find other things to wash to justify its purchase....

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 45  Height: 177  Weight: 95

I usually ride: Custom titanium gravel   My best bike is:

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, touring, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, mtb,

Tom is features and tech writer who's been writing and riding for over 20 years, and has had misadventures on almost every conceivable bike. From single-speeds, to aero race-bikes, gravel bikes, ebikes and mountain bikes, he's a big fan of almost everything that rolls on two wheels. 

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11 comments

Avatar
lonpfrb | 11 months ago
0 likes

I find that a garden spray bottle about 15 litres is more than sufficient to clean road bikes with sufficient power to deal with road detrius and not to endanger grease and lube on the bike. Obviously cleaner products are required too, Muc-Off etc.

Yes, I do have a Karcher pressure washer for household tasks but I see no good reason to use it when the spray bottle is quick and effective. When I say spray bottle it's big enough to be floor standing with a 1m hose and spray head to work round the bike, not a thing for watering house plants..

Avatar
ktache replied to lonpfrb | 11 months ago
1 like

That one of those pump up pressure ones?

Avatar
lonpfrb replied to ktache | 11 months ago
1 like
ktache wrote:

That one of those pump up pressure ones?

Yes, similar to a track pump. Up and down, till the pressure limiter pops or you know it's enough for the job at hand...

I understand that this wouldn't do for Mountain Biking levels of crud, but for road it's enough, and easy with it..

Avatar
Simon E | 11 months ago
0 likes

This is so OTT it's like buying a Monster Truck to pop to the shops for a few things you could fit in a rucksack.

It does nothing a £20 garden hose with adjustable nozzle can't do. But 'reviews' like this don't need to be sensible, it's pandering to every whim and desire that keeps the coins rolling in.

Avatar
bigwheeler88 | 11 months ago
0 likes

Nice job ruining your fence. Try pointing it at your feet next time

Avatar
mattw | 11 months ago
2 likes

Karcher are excellent.

The other solid brand is Nilfisk.

Karcher also have an 'outlet', where various washers are sold at 1/4 to 1/2 off for refurbished (perhaps bought and returned by online tryer types).

For cyclists, the Compact range (eg versions of K5, K7) for £170-£250 in the current sale look interesting.
https://www.karcheroutlet.co.uk/

My tip for people getting a big one: make sure ideally that the nozzle is long enough to reach the end of your paving and the top of your windows/solar panels (extended nozzles are available) without having to move the base unit too far. Do *not* be tempted to hump it up ladders onto an intermediate level roof; that is a recipe for serious injury.

I have one which I think has an 11m nozzle; I'm not going out to the garage on a Sunday at 9am to read the model.

 

Avatar
armb replied to mattw | 11 months ago
1 like
mattw wrote:

I have one which I think has an 11m nozzle; I'm not going out to the garage on a Sunday at 9am to read the model

Do you mean 11ft? The telescopic jet lance is 4m long, I find it hard to believe a nozzle nearly three times as long would be manageable.
https://www.kaercher.com/uk/accessory/telescopic-jet-pipe-26423470.html

Or an 11m hose? In which case fair enough.

(The drain cleaner is also available in up to 20m, but that relies on the drain pipe guiding it.)

Avatar
mattw replied to armb | 11 months ago
0 likes

I mean hose.

Avatar
KiwiMike | 11 months ago
2 likes

<longtime Karcher power washer owner here>

Living in Scotland, 3/4 of rides end in a scunge-covered bike. I have a Karcher K3 machine just inside the garage door, and the bike - gravel, MTB or road, acoustic or electric - gets cleaned immediately before anything dries. So do legs and shoes. 

7 years into this near-daily regime, having pulled apart wheels, freehubs, headsets, forks, shocks and pivots on a regular basis, I can 100% confirm that there is no risk to any component if a pressure washer is used sensibly. Water ingress is simply not an issue. If you live somewhere mucky, life's too short not to use a pressure washer. 

Don't listen to 'advice' that judicious pressure washing a bike is bad. Those saying so have no idea what they're talking about. 

Avatar
Hirsute replied to KiwiMike | 11 months ago
1 like

It's definitely bad.
I saw a bloke knock his bike over using one !!

Avatar
KiwiMike replied to Hirsute | 11 months ago
0 likes

'Sensibly' and 'judicious' FTW. Anyone can be an idiot with any tool. 

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