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Have you been to your local hardware store recently? Then you know that Karcher produces everything from residential pressure washers designed for cleaning your home, all the way to municipal street cleaning machines.
Karcher has dedicated itself to becoming a household name when it comes to outdoor cleaning (though they aren’t limited to just that industry) equipment in the US, the UK, Germany, France, Mexico, and more.
I’ve put together this detailed and unbiased Karcher K3 Follow Me review because It’s one of their most economical choices for light cleaning jobs. I’ll be testing out this unit, and I’ll share my views, which will include pros and cons, as well as any other information I can come up with about this product.
Karcher K3 Follow Me in The Field
The Karcher K3 Follow Me electric pressure washer, is a cracking little compact power washer that can produce 1800 PSI at 1.3 GPM.
This isn’t a huge output but is more than enough for your everyday needs. Those figures give us a total cleaning power of 2340.
I tested this pressure washer on a wide variety of surfaces, and the results were rather satisfying, it may be a light-duty unit, but it’s like a small dog, it’ll go for the big jobs, and it’ll surprise you.
This K3 model was explicitly designed to be compact and easy to use, and trust me, it is.
This power washer weighs only 16.3 pounds and is mounted on 4-wheels, not 2 like most electric pressure washers.
These 4 wheels make it easy to pull around your yard, very much like dragging your vacuum cleaner around.
Because of how compact this is, it easily fits into your garage or shed.
You get a 35 foot-long power cord and a 15 foot-long high-pressure hose, those two combined give you a 7500 square foot area in which you can cover.
The K3 Follow me doesn’t use standard quick connect pressure washer nozzle tips that you insert into your pressure washer wand. Instead, you are supplier two special Karcher wand attachments and a pressure regulator that lets you adjust the pressure of the spray.
Now because of this design, you are stuck using just Karcher proprietary parts.
The two attachments are, The Dirtblaster spray wand, which shoots a focused circular spray (think of a turbo nozzle) ideal for deep cleaning, I used it on my driveway. I saw a noticeable power increase when attacking the grime.
The other is the Vario Power Spray wand, this lets you control the pressure and actually the spray pattern by twisting the barrel of the way.
This is how you change the power output while cleaning. There is a benefit to these sort of nozzle tip, and that’s time saved, you don’t need to stop the pressure washer to change the nozzle tip, just a quick twist of the wand to get the desired pressure/spray pattern.
One of the settings on the Vario is soap, so you can expect the K3 Follow me to have somewhere for you to load the best pressure washer detergent, right? Well, you would be right to expect it, and it does, it has a 10 fl oz onboard detergent tank.
The pump that ensures your water pressure is a non-corrosive, durable, and maintenance-free N-COR pump. If you want to ensure that your pump outlasts its warranty, then you must make sure you winterize it, you can find specific instructions in the user manual.
This is an incredibly easy model to set up, It shouldn’t take you more than 10 minutes to get everything attached correctly and start cleaning.
Warranty Policy
The Karcher K3 Follow Me pressure washer comes with a standard limited warranty, which lasts for up to 2 years. But the attachments and accessories are only covered under warranty for the first 90 days. Which is above industry standard.
Karcher has made sure to build a reliable customer support service. If your unit were to fail for any reason, you have 2 choices. You can contact Karcher by email and then take it to an approved service center, or you can use Karcher’s rapid exchange program, which ensures you get a replacement much faster.
What Can You Clean With Karcher K3?
Karcher K 5 Premium 2000 PSI 1.4 GPM Electric Power Induction Pressure Washer with Vario Power & Dirtblaster Spray Wands, Pressurized Hose Reel, & Adjustable Detergent Tank
- Powerful Performance: The K 5 pressure washer lasts longer than universal motors and delivers exceptional cleaning results! Water-Cooled brushless induction-motor and non-corrosive N-COR pump.
- Pressure Regulating: Use the Vario Power spray wand for light-duty jobs, and a patented Dirt Blaster spray wand for superior cleaning performance on tough-to-clean surfaces.
- High Pressure Hose: Comes equipped with a generous 25' kink-resistant high-pressure hose that offers plenty of reach, as well as an onboard pressurized hose reel for simple storage
With this model, you can clean most types of dirt, mud, grime, moss, oil, mold, and even rust. You will find that this unit will struggle to get rid of dried-in oil on your driveway and to tackle those heavier stains.
You will be able to clean your car, your RV, house siding using one of the best house siding cleaners, patio furniture, and even your windows.
Though do take care around fragile surfaces and make sure to use the Vario wand for anything that could break.
Pros
- This is an incredibly compact, easy to store and lightweight pressure washer
- Suitable for all your cleaning needs around the house
- The maintenance-free pump means you won’t be fiddling to keep your machine running properly
- The price I find very easy on the eyes and easier on the wallet
Cons
- Karcher tends to use proprietary parts, so you won’t be able to use parts from other companies
- You are forced to deal with customer service agents if anything goes wrong
- If any attachment breaks you have to use Karcher originals
- It’s not the best for cleaning oil or rust that’s been around for a while
Wrap Up
If you are after a cleaning solution for simple, residential needs, then this would be a good fit and a great investment of your hard-earned cash. It’ll get rid of the dirt around your home, no problem.
Though this is meant for light to medium cleaning jobs, so prolonged cleaning with this model isn’t recommended. After all, even the best electric pressure washers are intended for occasional use.
This is a very mobile pressure washer, which offers a huge amount of versatility with it’s two included attachments. Also, if you are a fan of low maintenance, plug, and play designs, then the K3 Follow Me is right your alley.
Hopefully, I’ve managed to tackle all the essential questions you may have had in this Karcher K3 Follow Me pressure washer review. Though if you have any further questions or feel I missed something, please let me know in the comments section below.
