Karcher K1800 Electric Pressure Washer Review

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Karcher K1800 Electric Pressure Washer Review
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Karcher has been in this game for quite some time. They started in Germany in the 1950s and have risen to a global level producing both residential and commercial cleaning solutions.

We’ve put together an unbiased Karcher K1800 review, this machine is a solid choice amongst their more economic residential cleaning machines, so much so that it’s been commended as being one of the most affordable yet effective power washers on the market.

I’ve put this machine through a whole bunch of real-world tests, and give you our views of the pros and cons of the K1800, and hopefully some other useful information that’ll help your choice in purchasing this machine.

Karcher K1800 in the field

Karcher K1800 1800 PSI 1.3 GPM Electric Power Pressure Washer with Turbo, 15°, & Soap Nozzles Karcher K1800 1800 PSI 1.3 GPM Electric Power Pressure Washer with Turbo, 15°, & Soap Nozzles
  • Product 1: Outstanding Performance: The K1700 delivers 1700 PSI of TruPressure, ensuring you get the highest level of cleaning power and driven by a reliable universal motor. It also features an...
  • Product 1: The Karcher Promise - Cleaner. Quicker: Operating at a powerful 1700 PSI/1.2 GPM, the K1700 is perfect for cleaning concrete, pavement, driveways, patios, decks, sidewalks, RVs, cars,...
  • Product 1: Versatile Cleaning Options: Includes a quick-connect bayonet spray wand with 3 quick-connect spray nozzles. Use the 15-degree nozzle for all-around cleaning, and the turbo nozzle for...
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Using the K1800 has been a dream. While it’s not the most powerful pressure washer I’ve ever used, it has some innovative features which make using this machine easy.

The design for this model has a “high cord wind feature”, this feature allows you to mount the cord on the handle to keep it separate from the hose when you are storing it. Having used many other models I really like this; too often my power cord gets tangled with my pressure hose. While it only takes a minute or two to sort out, it’s an annoyance that I’d rather not have. Thankfully on this model, that’s been solved.

To make your life easy, the K1800 comes with a 20-foot / 6-meter high-pressure hose, which is the perfect length of the sort of jobs you’ll be doing with this pressure washer, i.e., washing your car, house siding, etc.

It also comes with three nozzle attachments.

A turbo nozzle

Perfect for in-depth cleaning jobs. The Turbo Nozzle rotates in a zero degree spray pattern in a circular motion to break down tough dirt and grime. The spray pattern can cover an area of 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 cm), depending on the distance between the tip and the surface being cleaned.

A 15-degree nozzle

This is your general-purpose cleaning nozzle. The 15° Nozzle is optimized for concentrated cleaning power and time. Used to remove paint, stains, mildew, oil, compacted dirt, and grime from decks, siding, driveways, and patios.

Detergent/Soap Nozzle

Finally, a detergent/soap nozzle, which is used to apply a cleaning solution to any surface. Use this to provide thorough cleaning to all surfaces.

The K1800 also comes with a removable 0.5-gallon detergent tank. After filling the tank up with the detergent of your choice, insert the tank back into the pressure washer, attach the soap nozzle onto the tip of the spray wand and begin spraying those sudsy bubbles onto your car, driveway or deck.

Now don’t worry about losing those nozzles. This pressure washer comes with a massive amount of storage space built-in. The built-in storage compartment is perfect for holding all of your accessories, nozzle tips, spray wand, and even hose, plus I found it had enough room to store some extra soap and cleaning rags. Plus, when the power cord isn’t in use, it can also be stored here.

A feature I loved of the Karcher K1800 electric pressure washer is it’s “Power Paddle”. This is a foot control on the front of the machine, which you use to turn the pressure washer on and off while pressing a button is simple enough; this was just handy and saved me from having to bend over to turn the machine off.

Karcher has put some effort into the motor that powers this pressure washer, it’s super quiet, so you don’t have to worry about disturbing your neighbors while using it on the weekend. To ensure motor life-expectancy, the K1800 has an auto-off feature. This means that as soon as you stop spraying, the motor is turned off, that said, to be 100% sure it’s turned off, make sure to tap the “Power Paddle”.

To reduce the pressure washer’s overall footprint when it’s in storage, Karcher has given this machine a foldable handle, making it even more compact and easier to store.

Warranty Policy

Whenever you purchase a new appliance, you want to know that it’s covered by the manufacturer, I recently bought a new fridge and 11 months into the 12-month warranty, it’s started to make some odd noises….

So you should be pleased to know that the Karcher K1800 comes with 3 years warranty on the majority of its parts, and a 90-day warranty on its accessories and attachments, this is more than the industry standard.

Karcher has invested time and effort in developing a reliable and trustworthy customer support service. Something I rarely see with other manufacturers, Karcher offers a “Rapid Exchange Program” which the K1800 is covered by.

This program allows you to send your machine directly to Karcher, where they’ll fix or replace the unit, rather than taking it to an “authorized service center”. Though you will have to get in contact with Karcher to arrange this service, don’t just send your faulty unit to Karcher!

What can you clean with the Karcher K1800?

Karcher K1800 1800 PSI 1.3 GPM Electric Power Pressure Washer with Turbo, 15°, & Soap Nozzles Karcher K1800 1800 PSI 1.3 GPM Electric Power Pressure Washer with Turbo, 15°, & Soap Nozzles
  • Product 1: Outstanding Performance: The K1700 delivers 1700 PSI of TruPressure, ensuring you get the highest level of cleaning power and driven by a reliable universal motor. It also features an...
  • Product 1: The Karcher Promise - Cleaner. Quicker: Operating at a powerful 1700 PSI/1.2 GPM, the K1700 is perfect for cleaning concrete, pavement, driveways, patios, decks, sidewalks, RVs, cars,...
  • Product 1: Versatile Cleaning Options: Includes a quick-connect bayonet spray wand with 3 quick-connect spray nozzles. Use the 15-degree nozzle for all-around cleaning, and the turbo nozzle for...
We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

Features of the Karcher K1800

  • 1800 TruPressure PSI at 1.2 GPM
  • Power Paddle (On/Off footswitch)
  • Three quick connect nozzles (Turbo nozzle, 15-degree nozzle and a soap/detergent nozzle)
  • Huge storage space
  • Folding handle
  • Compact size

Don’t be put off by its compact size, this is the perfect electric pressure washer for your small to medium cleaning jobs.

While testing, I did notice that due to it’s 1800 PSI pressure, it did struggle with old, dried-in oil stains, though with the help of a pre-soak of detergent, the job was completed and the stains were removed.

Though when I paired it with a pressure washer sandblasting kit it prepared surfaces for paint with no trouble at all!

This pressure washer did a fantastic job at cleaning wooden surfaces such as decking, doors, and fences, it brought my deck chairs back to life!

Do note that if you have any chipped paint on these surfaces, the turbo nozzle will strip these chips off, so the turbo nozzle may be best avoided in those situations.

I cleaned my deck chairs, fence, concrete floor, and the car. It did a fantastic job of cleaning all of these, so much so, my wife hinted that her car needed some attention…

I also gave the barbecue grills a clean and they came out great, this machine is also capable of cleaning your outdoor power equipment & gardening tools.

PSI and GPM

The Karcher K1800 is a fantastic cleaning machine that packs a punch knocking out 1800 TruPressure PSI at 1.2 GPM.

TruPressure is a technology that Karcher has developed for its line of electric pressure washers. This technology is designed to deliver 20-30% higher performance than models from competitors within the same range, while it won’t match the most powerful electric pressure washers, it’s a great feature.

With the K1800 producing 1800 TruPressure PSI at 1.2 GPM, it has a total cleaning power of 2160.

This number isn’t as high as other Karcher models, but this electric pressure washer will do a satisfactory cleaning job on the majority of surfaces.

The K1800 is designed like most other pressure washers. It’s motor and pump are mounted onto a heavy-duty frame, with 2 oversized wheels to improve maneuverability. As this electric pressure washer weighs only 21.4 pounds, this is considered to be a pretty compact model, that, let’s face it, is incredibly easy to move while you are cleaning around your house.

Pros

This is a compact light-weight pressure washer, it’s one hell of a cleaning unit, It’s fantastic for your everyday cleaning jobs. A perfect addition to your home. It has ample storage, so all of the parts and accessories can be stored with the machine. Plus, the on/off foot paddle switch is actually rather convenient.

If that wasn’t enough, the K1800 comes with a 3 year warranty period. (90 days on accessories)

Cons

Like with all Karcher products, it comes with custom Karcher parts, so any replacement should be with Karcher parts, which will most likely be more pricey than the generic alternatives, but well worth it for your warranty.

The pressure of the machine can only be regulated by the nozzle tip, there is no other adjustment control.

It can struggle with old dried in stains such as oil.

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Winterizing & Long Term Storage

Like all pressure washers, you need to make sure you prepare the machine for long term storage, typically over winter.

To prepare the Karcher K1800 for Winterizing, follow these steps.

  1. Disconnect all water connections.
  2. Turn on the machine for a few seconds, until the water which remained in the pump exits, turn off immediately.
  3. Do not allow the high-pressure hose to become kinked.
  4. Store the machine and accessories in a room which does not reach freezing temperatures.

DO NOT store near a furnace or other sources of heat as it may dry out the pump seals

Karcher K1800 Manual

This manual for the Karcher K1800 can be found on the Karcher website, but to save you time here it is Karcher K1800 electric pressure washer manual

Frequently Asked Questions & Troubleshooting

Here are some frequently asked questions and a troubleshooting guide.

Can the Karcher K1800 use hot water?

No, this is a cold water only machine

Motor will not start?

  • Power Cord not plugged in – Plug in the Power Cord.
  • Electrical Outlet does not supply enough power – Try a different power outlet.
  • Tripped GFCI plug –  Press “Reset” button on the GFCI plug.
  • Tripped Circuit Breaker – Reset the circuit breaker.
  • Thermal Overload Open –  Switch off the pressure washer and wait. The reset comes automatically once the temperature of the unit drops.
  • On/Off pedal is in the “OFF” position – press the pedal to the “ON” position.

Pressure washer does not reach high pressure

  • The diameter of the garden hose is too small – Replace with a 5/8 inch (16mm) or larger garden hose.
  • Water supply is restricted – Check the garden hose for kinks, leaks, and blockage, you can see this by the hose being “flattened”.
  • Not enough inlet water supply – Open water source fully.
  • The water inlet filter is clogged – Remove garden hose adapter and rinse out with warm water.

Output pressure varies high and low

  • Not enough inlet water supply – Open water source fully. Check the garden hose for kinks, leaks, and blockage.
  • The pump is sucking in air – Check that hoses and fittings are airtight. Turn off machine and purge pump by squeezing trigger gun until a steady flow of water emerges through the nozzle.
  • The water inlet filter is clogged – Remove garden hose adapter and rinse out with warm water.
  • Spray Nozzle is obstructed – Blow out or remove debris with a fine needle.
  • Calcified gun, hose, or spray wand – Run distilled vinegar through the soap tank.

Garden hose connection leaks

  • Loose fittings – Tighten the fittings.
  • Missing/worn rubber washer – Insert a new washer.

Spray wand leaks

  • Spray wand not properly attached – Insert the spray wand into the trigger gun. Carefully press in against the spring tension and twist into the locked position.
  • Broken o-ring or plastic insert – Visit www.karcher-help.com or locate a service center.

 Pump is noisy

  • The pump is sucking in air – Check that hoses and fittings are airtight. Turn off machine and purge pump by squeezing trigger gun until a steady flow of water emerges through the nozzle.

Water leaks from the pump (more than 10 drops a minute).

  • Loose fittings – Tighten the fittings.
  • Water seals are damaged or worn – Visit www.karcher-help.com or locate a service center.

Oil Drip

Accessories for your Karcher K1800 Electric pressure washer

You can use the following pressure washer accessories with the K1800 box pressure washer.

Wrap up

If you are looking for a pressure washer to handle your residential cleaning jobs. Then the K1800 should be high on your list. It is the tool to get rid of the grime and dirt around your home and does a fantastic job of cleaning your cars, bikes, etc.

This is a residential model, so it’s not designed for prolonged use, but for the jobs mentioned, the K1800 will get through them quickly. This is a sturdy, versatile, and mobile pressure washer which should meet all of your various cleaning needs.

If you are looking for a compact electric pressure washer that’s easy to assemble and store with more than enough power for residential tasks, then the K1800 is a perfect fit for you.

Hopefully, we’ve helped you come to a decision with this Karcher K1800 review, if you have any further questions please do write us a comment in the comment section below

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AUTHOR

Adam White is the founder and chief editor at CraftedGarage.com. He has years of experience from years of Gardening, Garden Design, Home Improvement, DIY, carpentry, and car detailing. His aim? Well that’s simple. To cut through the jargon and help you succeed.

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