Kärcher mobile medium-pressure washer: not much included

Our balcony was in desperate need of a clean after the rainy summer we had. There’s already a green tinge on the plastic wood decking slats, and wiping them down with a damp cloth didn’t work. A high-pressure cleaner would make quick work of the green film. But there’s neither a water connection nor a socket on our balcony. So the Kärcher OC 6-18 Premium seems to be the solution. This medium-pressure cleaner is battery-operated and equipped with a 12-litre tank. Medium pressure means around 24 bars. For comparison: a high-pressure cleaner easily hits over 100 bar, professional appliances over 1,000 bars.

Whilst unpacking the appliance, I realised there was no battery included in my model. So keep this in mind before buying. Only this version comes with a battery and charging station. Kärcher knows this, that’s why they sent me a battery and additional brush separately for the test device. If you’re unaware of this, you might be in for a nasty surprise.

A rattly start

The first thing I notice is the rattly pull-out handle, to pull the cleaner along behind me. The finish feels flimsy. Fortunately, this isn’t the case with the washer itself. The OC 6-18 Premium’s largely made up of a water tank with a medium-pressure cleaner on top. There’s an optional suction hose available to hook up to a direct water supply from a canister or rain barrel. The delivery includes an adapter for direct connection to a garden hose.

Filling the washer could be a very simple endeavour. After all, there’s a large, round hole at the top of the trolley. However, I can’t fit the trolley under any tap, which is why I made an adventurous construction involving a funnel and a hose. Filling it up this way took me forever, so I ended up using a watering can instead. I didn’t factor in this workaround, as it’s hardly Kärcher’s fault I don’t have a suitable water connection.

The brush does the trick

Using the appliance is pretty self-explanatory. I hook up the hose to the washer on one side and to the pistol grip on the other. It’s impossible to get wrong. The nozzle’s attached to the handle with an optional extension. Next, you insert the battery, push the power button and listen to the humming sound of the water pressure building.

It takes me a while to figure out the perfect cleaning distance and technique. If I direct the nozzle too closely to the ground, I need to move back and forth far too much, as I’m not tackling enough surface area. If it’s too far away, nothing happens because the pressure isn’t high enough. After filling the tank with twelve litres of water, which were used up in just a few minutes, I got the hang of it. Four tanks and about forty minutes later, my balcony’s roughly presentable again. A few stubborn stains remained. They definitely needed the optional brushI received in the post a few days later.

In hindsight, I should’ve used it from the start. It was easy to run the brush along the floor panels and scrub away coarse dirt. This technique greatly speeded up the job. However, I doubt it really tackles ten square metres in ten minutes, as Kärcher claims. Nevertheless, the attachment was essential for my purposes.

The battery managed the job no problem. On a full charge, I emptied the tank five times. If you need more power, you could invest in additional batteries.

What I don’t understand is why Kärcher doesn’t include the battery, charger and brush in one set. Obviously, more isn’t always more. But in this case, the brush is an accessory that’s helpful for pretty much every job. Not only for plastic wood decking...