Cheap and cheerful but lacked reliability (Power Devil Pressure Washer)

Member Name: competition.man

Product:	Power Devil Pressure Washer
Date:	13/05/03 (7636 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cheap, powerful'ish

Disadvantages: didn't last, short cable length

Power Devil - 'PDG4024A Power Washer'
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As the years have gone by , slowly but surely dirt , grime and algae have taken their toll on our paved area's . Patio cleaner and a wash and brush down have had limited success , so it was decided to invest in a power washer .

Not that the paved area's were the only reason for said purchase , there's also the car ( fed up of paying astronomical amounts for poor performance car washes ) , and other area's that the washer will be put to good use .

So why the Power Devil PDG4024/A ?
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For starters Power Devil are simonimous with quality goods at an afordable price . This product was purchased from Index / Littlewoods Catalogue store at just £49.99 .

Secondly was the competition out there . I could choose from the Karcher range of pressure washers , but these were at minimum double the cost , and offered little more than the Power Devil . Weight however on these is a problem , and only overcome with the use of wheeled washers on the upper price range units .

I could also choose B & Q 's Performance Power Washer , which was priced the same , but this product did not offer the same extra's as the Power Devil . Again weight was also a problem when compared with the Power Devil .

And just what do you get for your money ?
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1) A stylish red power washer , designed and built in Italy , c/w cord storage .
2) 100 bar pressure with a flow rate of 5 litres per minute .
3) A free detergent bottle
4) Adjustable spray pattern lance , c/w 2 meters of hose .

Setting up ?
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Upon opening the snazzy box , you find an instruction sheet , power washer , disassembled lance , trigger and hose assembly , detergent spray bottle , water inlet filter and connector .

Read the instructions first and follow th
e diagrams and assembly is complete in less than two minutes . A real doddle .

To start all you have to do is connect your garden hose to the power washer , turn on hose , then connect power washer to the mains , switch on , and your off....

Gripes :
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A measly 5 meters of electrical lead is supplied . For me anyway , the use of an extension lead is needed , which cuts down on the safety aspect ( water and electrics don't mix ) .

2 meters of hose is not a lot either , and additional meter would have been most welcome , as it would mean that working close to the power washer is illiminated.

3) The cord storage clips , won't hold the measly 5 meters of cable .

As with all power washers , the detergent bottle can't be used with the lance . Using such simply sprays the detergent gently where required . Once you have finished with the detergent bottle you have to remove it and replace it with the lance , then it's on to cleaning. Vax can combine both on their carpet cleaners s why not have a similar system for power washers ?

Thumbs up !
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Switching of lance / detergent bottle is easy .

Water pressure is controlled via a twist of the nozzle , pretty much like common or garden hose attachments . You have a choice ranging from a jet just a few mm in width to a wide angle spray . It goes without saying that the finer the jet the more powerful the cleaning action is . Dependant on use , you choose you jet setting , eg. a wide angle is more suited to cleaning the car , while a thin jet is more for cleaning stubborn stains on a path .

Performance is good , it easily removed paint on some paving , that had been there for what seems a lifetime , and had been impervious to other previous methods of cleaning . However the variance of water jet is limited .

The trigger has a locking mechanism , that will fox most young children , should you happen
to leave the power washer for that odd moment ( not recommended ) .

The power washer has built in thermal safety cut out , and is well protected against water penetration .

The built in handle and wheels aid movement , although the unit has to remain in an upright position during use , but that said it is quite light as well .

In Use .
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It did a fairly decent job of cleaning my paths . As I mentioned having to use an extension lead was not ideal , and the short lance hose makes it a little restricted , hence frequent positioning of unit is necessary . However I was extremely pleased with the result . It also made a good job of cleaning my car , and cut down washing time considerably . Well impressed overall.
Sadly after just six months use , the washer started to make some serious noises ( admittedly I had been using for a solid half an hour ) . A week later and this turned fatal ( the compressor side decided to call it a day ) . Furthermore , one wheel had become loose , and eventually beame detached for ever !
When returning for a replacement , it seems that this model ( nor any other Power Devil Pressure washer ) , is no longer stocked by Littlewoods - an ominous sign perhaps ? . More annoyingly , I couldn't find my receipt , so I had to settle for shop vouchers to the value of the last selling price , a lowly £39.95.
Noise level wise ( prior to the fault occuring ) , it has to be said that the unit was quite noisy in use . However given the type of job it entailed , and the low cost of the unit itself , the noise level was acceptable.

Precautions when using .
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Wear safety goggles , as debris can be forced upwards due to the pressure of the spray .

Wear old clothes - you will get wet !

Never deliberatly aim at the power washer itself - it may be water resistant , but is not totally water proof.

Never aim at people / animals - at clos
e range this could seriously injure a person .

With the latter in mind , keep children away - they recommend people be a minimum of 45 meters away when in use ( this is often impractical , I would say 10 feet away ) .

If using an extension lead , also invest in a circuit breaker , just to be on the safe side.

Never use in the rain ( why you would weant to is beyond me anyway ) .

Use decent detergents , and make sure they are not corrosive .

Never run the wsher 'dry' - it'll damage the machine.

Once finshed using , discharge the pressure ( press trigger with unit switched off , and water disconeected ) .

And finally ....
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Recommended for light use , eg. garden and car . Those requiring a more professional / powerful or ultra reliable unit would be better looking at the upper market Karcher range.

Hope you enjoyed the op . Thanks for reading - Brian.

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