15" Surface Cleaner

I bought this on a whim. as I was tired of just using my pressure washer to wash my driveway. I am quite happy with this, as it has tremendously cut the time used to powerwash my driveway. The results are much more uniform that just using the nozzle from my powerwasher. That being said, the old method got the driveway cleaner but took a lot more time. Now, it's not as clean, but clean enough, in a vastly shorter amount of time. It would be nicer to have a bigger diameter surface cleaner, but then I would probably need to get a stronger (mine is 2800 PSI) powerwasher. The build of this device seems pretty solid. They also included an additional replacement nozzle. (I didn't know what this was, but customer service replied promptly via email).

Worked well for close to 8 years on concrete boat ramp and wooden deck before bearing disintegrated. Easy to attach and cleaned much quicker than regular nozzles and with minimal splatter. Ruggedly built to last many years. I chose to order another one.

I included several photos of potential interest. The surface cleaner performed well, allowing me to clean about 1,000 square feet of concrete driveway, patio, and sidewalk with no real problem. The infamous large top and bottom nuts that so many reviewers have referred to did finally start to loosen after I had cleaned about 700 square feet. I kept checking the top and bottom nut thinking they would loosen, but they didn't until I was about 80% done with the job, then the one underneath started to loosen. This is a problem if you don't have anything big enough to tighten them. I don't really have anything proper, but I was able to get it tight using a VERY large channel lock (model "460" -- see photo) which is a fairly huge tool that I expect not that many people have on hand. A smaller channel lock tool, the one I'm betting lots of people do have (model 420), was not big enough to tighten it without a lot of marring of the plastic (nylon?) nut. So beware of that if you don't have something to tighten the nuts, or if you aren't brave enough to do some drilling and connect the top and bottom nut with a wire or bolt (etc) like some other reviewers have done. I'll probably do that eventually, but wasn't about to until I could ensure that the unit worked ok. I don't imagine Amazon would react well to giving a refund if you have modified the unit. As far as the operation of the unit, it was quite straightforward and cleaned the surface very well. You can see from some of the photos the before and after conditions. It does give a vigorous cleaning and did remove some of the top layer of the concrete, so, if you're squeamish about that, then you'd probably be better off to just leave your concrete a little dirty. I will not clean mine again for a few years for that reason. I also cleaned a set of brick steps which were very dirty and it did a good job on them, but I spent as little time as possible moving over them to avoid excessively damaging the mortar. I included a photo of the pressure washer I used since I figure a lot of people interested in this Karcher cleaner might have a similar washer. It did just fine with the surface cleaner, and connecting the wand to the cleaner was very easy. Also, an opinion on getting some type of extender for the wand -- I am not a super tall guy, getting up there in age a bit, and I did have to spend a couple hours bent over a little while using the regular spray wand that came with my pressure washer. It didn't bother me a lot, but if you are super tall or susceptible to a lot of back issues you might want to consider that. I didn't want to spend the extra money on an extender, but if someone had walked up to me and offered me one while I was doing the work I wouldn't have turned them down. This cleaner did save a good bit of time compared to spraying the surface with just the regular cleaning nozzles, and it did a much more consistent job. It took a few swipes to get the hang of how much overlap and how long to hover over the surface. Be sure and read the manual which tells you not to stay over the surface more than 2 seconds, but I found that to be a little too long, so I counted as I pulled the cleaner down the driveway, trying for about one second over any given spot. I overlapped about 1/4 to 1/2 on each pass and it seemed to work well, but again, this thing is fairly aggressive with a 3,000 psi washer, so be careful not to damage your concrete. Also, I found it to be a lot less awkward to pull it along instead of push it. I do recommend the surface cleaner, and, except for the loosening nuts issue, I would give it a 5 star -- it is offered at a good price and performs its job. So, if you're a homeowner (etc) and will only be using this for typical homeowner use every couple of years this thing is probably a good purchase. Since I've only had it a couple of weeks, and I've already cleaned everything I intended to clean with it, I can't say anything about its long-term durability.

I purchased a Simpson power washer (with a Honda engine) not long ago and have nothing but good things to say about it. I absolutely love it! Having been sold on the Simpson brand, naturally, I spent a little more money and bought a Simpson surface cleaner just like this one. But after several unsuccessful attempts to get it to run properly, I was convinced I'd received a defective unit and returned it. When the replacement arrived, it gave me the same problems - the nozzles seemed clogged out of the box and the arm just wouldn't turn properly under pressure. I returned it as well beginning to wonder if all surface cleaners suffered from the same issues. I returned the second one and cleaned our long concrete driveway with just a sprayer, disappointed in the "stripes" it created. Then I noticed this unit went on sale one day and snapped it up. It was in the middle of winter, but the deal was so good, I couldn't pass it up. Waited several weeks for a snow-free, dry day to try it out and hooked it up. I was blown away at the difference between this model and Simpson's version. This thing cleaned my entire driveway of salt and dirt in no time and worked like a charm. Not a single clog in the jets and the arm spun around evenly creating perfect coverage! These surface cleaners are generally pretty universal across most brands of power washer, so don't think you have to own a Karcher power washer to buy one of these. It hooked up seemlessly to my Simpson washer without any adjustments or adapters. Solidly recommend!

Awesome! This Karcher 15” surface cleaner attachment has made a huge difference in our spring concrete walks, driveway and patio cleaning. It works perfectly with our $99 Sun Joe pressure washer from Sam’s club. Don’t hesitate, get it, it will do a much better job cleaning your ground surfaces is less time than the single spray wand!

Using the Kärcher 15" Surface Cleaner with my pressure washer has transformed my outdoor cleaning tasks. The efficiency of this tool is impressive. It made cleaning my driveway and patio a breeze, cutting down the time I usually spend by more than half. The two spinning nozzles ensure an even and thorough clean, and the 1/4 quick connect makes setup quick and easy. What I particularly like is how the surface cleaner glides effortlessly, leaving no streaks or missed spots. The extension wand adds to the convenience, allowing me to reach further without straining. As a DIYer, I value tools that deliver professional results without a lot of effort, and this one fits the bill perfectly. The one downside, if I have to mention any, is that it can be a bit tricky to maneuver in very tight spaces, but that’s a minor issue compared to the benefits. The Kärcher surface cleaner is robust and well-constructed, and it handles high pressure with ease. I’ve also used it on my deck, and it did a fantastic job removing dirt and grime without damaging the wood. The cleaning power combined with the ease of use makes this a must-have for anyone looking to maintain their outdoor spaces efficiently. It’s a solid investment for anyone serious about keeping their property in top shape.

Decided to buy and am glad that I did. It worked amazing on concrete patio and driveway

JUNE 2019 UPDATE: Last time I cleaned my friend's driveway with a Karcher ~1800 PSI electric job (and stock wand) it took 6 1/2 hours. Never again I told myself. Since then, I got a Simpson 3200 PSI 2.5 GPM cleaner and then the Karcher surface cleaner. Last week I cleaned my friends driveway AND the sidewalk in front of her house with the new equipment and it took 3 hours. Being that the biggest concern with this surface cleaner is the nut coming loose, I periodically checked it and did not notice any problems with the nut. However, it seems that the plastic housing did turn 90 degrees over the course of the job, so I will continue to monitor it. NOTE: Once in a while I would accidentally let the surface cleaner lift and tilt off the ground and I would notice greater vibration coming from the unit as it's axis would tilt. I could imaging this extra vibration potentially shaking something loose, such as the nut, so I recommend keeping the unit consistently parallel to the ground. I also picked up a 33" wand extension here from Amazon and I highly recommend one for those who have a short wand. The longer wand will save your back. So I still recommend the Karcher surface cleaner. Any new developments and I will update this review. Original Review: I matched this surface cleaner up with a Simpson 3200 PSI 2.5 GPM pressure cleaner with 18" gun and 16" wand, approximately 24" total length. Initial impressions on fairly porous very dirty concrete driveway and sidewalk: Does a good job cleaning. As expected, I had to finish the job by reconnecting my spray wand and rinsing off everything that I cleaned with the Karcher. I found out that some areas were not sufficiently cleaned the first time around and I had to spot clean while rinsing. There is a learning curve with this product as is probably true of all similar surface cleaners. You have to figure out what method works best for you and how fast you should move. Ideally, you want to use the power of your machine to make the Karcher hover over the surface. Not really lifting off but not causing friction between the surface and the brushes that skirt the Karcher either. This is the method, I found, if you can manage it, that causes the least user fatigue. You also need to find the optimum speed at which you should move. This will depend on the PSI and GPM of your machine as well as the surface type and how dirty it is. For my driveway (very dirty), I needed to move pretty slow, maybe a couple inches per second. I was hoiping it would be faster, but it is what it is. Perhaps if I clean it more often, it will be quicker. One thing I will be investing in is a longer wand (to reduce bending over and user fatigue) and I am researching the ideal length. I am a little under 6 feet tall and obviously, the ideal wand length will be a function of user height. If someone has experience here, please let me know in the comments. As far as construction goes: Karcher is a German company, and like most German companies they seem to have a focus on engineering. They seem to do it right where it counts most. The biggest wear area, IMO, is the "bearing". AFAIK, Karcher uses a real sealed bearing and according to another reviewer, most other products in this price range don't really use a proper bearing. They cut corners and use a sleeve and/or washer for the friction area. If you have a product of this type, I'd recommend greasing the sleeve/washer often, perhaps even before or after every use to prevent rapid wear. Prior to buying the Karcher 15" surface cleaner, I looked at the Simpson and PowerFit (also rebranded as Yamaha for even more $$) surface cleaners. They used to be priced about the same as the Karcher, but are now 20-$30 more at the time of this review. The Simpson has a metal deck (which may rust?) but the same pseudo bearing as the PowerFit. The Karcher deck seems to be made of a durable plastic with a stiff brush skirt which keeps the water from spraying all over you. In addition to the metal sealed bearing, the Karcher uses a heavy rotating spray bar and brass/stainless steel fittings. There is a plastic nut top and bottom that holds the metal parts in the deck. I recommend checking these nuts regularly to make sure they are not loosening. And even though the Karcher is advertised as 15" (the deck is 15") the actual working measurement is closer to 12" based on the length of the spray bar. I assume all competing products have a similar discrepancy. In review, I recommend the Karcher over competitors based on their using higher quality components where it counts most (bearing). And right now they are actually less expensive which make the decision even easier. To maximize the benefit, I recommend using a machine as close as possible to the Karcher recommended max specs: 3200PSI and 2.7 GPM. While lesser specs should work, performance will be diminished and will make the job take longer. And at some point, if the machine is too small (like many of the electrics under 2000 PSI) it may not work sufficiently well to warrant the purchase. As to longer term durability, I will attempt to update this review in the future after I have had the product for a suffient time.

Se aflojó la tuerca grande ala primera pero una vez q le apreté quedo

Perfect

Wow! This is an incredible attachment for your gas pressure washer, in my case a Champion 3000 PSI model. I was unsure about buying it as I used to have a Karcher electric pressure washer with a similar attachment, but it wasn’t very effective. But I took a chance based on the good reviews and I’m not in the least bit disappointed. In fact I wonder how I got by without it all these years. If you note the first picture I’ve posted with this review, you can see my first swipe over my back porch with layers of winter grime build up. I didn’t even pretreat with detergent, and you can see how effective it was. Keep in mind, this was after a single pass (not forward and back, just a single straight line forward) and it completed a 15” swath in seconds. I estimate this attachment cut my time at least in half, probably closer to a two-thirds less time as with a standard nozzle. In the second picture you can see the deck half cleaned, all done with this attachment. It does a remarkable job. It’s simple to use and masterfully designed. The attachment point pivots allowing you to push as if you were pushing a vacuum cleaner. And the attachment point also rotates 360 degrees which is handy when pressure washing up against objects...the attachment rolls against the object, a retaining wall for example, as you push making the task much easier. Brilliant! Considering this item? Get it! You won’t be disappointed. Highly recommend! * Helpful votes always appreciated *

As I have smaller petrol pressure washer with only 7.8L/min I had to find something suitable for it which it will be able to drive with no issues. Considering that 7.8L petrol pressure washer is on a lower scale and weaker than professional ones I have to say that 15" karcher surface cleaner worked well with it. It is made of durable and strong plastic with smooth spinning arms. This tool saves you mess while pressure washing your driveway, patio or any similar flat surface. It attaches and stays well in place with quick connection and great benefit to it is it has swivel like head which will adjust to desired angle and make use of it easier and smoother. After only one round of cleaning with it I can say I am pleased with purchase and will keep it in my army of useful tools.

This is such a great piece of equipment. It lasted me 4 years of heavy summer use with my company, and I was using it with a 2400 PSI machine—it worked like a charm. Covers a wide enough surface for small to medium jobs, and it’s super light and easy to maneuver. I’d recommend this for small jobs, around-the-house use, or for beginners before upgrading to a bigger surface cleaner that needs a more powerful pressure washer. Solid performance and great value!