In the fall, visits to car washes can be quite expensive. After all, the weather at this time is very damp, and there is a lot of dirt on the streets. Cars that are operated daily get dirty quickly. Riding a dirty unwashed car is not solid. In order not to spend money on car washing, and most importantly time, many car owners purchase small pressure washers. These are useful aggregates in everyday life. And you can apply them not only for the car. Domestic and import minimoins are available on the market. Reviews about them are different, their cost is also different. Let's see which mini washer is better to buy today.
The unit for all occasions
This is a compact electrical appliance with a set of removable nozzles and hoses. This system differs from traditional sprayers in that the water is supplied under sufficiently strong pressure. The liquid in this case works as a soft abrasive and quite effectively removes even old and stubborn dirt. Usually this equipment is purchased for car care. But it will be useful to talk about the possibilities of using this device in everyday life.
You need to know that using such devices in the city will not work - except perhaps only in the garage. If the car is washed in the country, why not use the unit to remove the territory of the site? It is easy to do. If construction is carried out, it is impossible to maintain the cleanliness of special equipment, and in fact, according to sanitary standards, construction units and equipment must leave the workplace in its pure form (do not rub it with washcloths). A mini-wash will help to solve the situation.
In agriculture, especially where livestock are involved, it is difficult to wash stables, for example, without additional equipment. Using a powerful jet of water, the cleaning process is greatly facilitated. Below we consider the main selection criteria.
Implement class
By their purpose, devices are divided into two classes. This is a professional series of equipment and household appliances. The former can be operated for a long period of time. Powerful and productive pumps are installed here. The pressure of the jet at the outlet significantly exceeds the capabilities of household appliances. This affects the cleaning speed of even huge crossovers and dirty vans. These devices are multifunctional.
A significant limitation. This is a high cost, which is justified only in commercial use. As for individual use, it is better to purchase a household device. They are classified by price. It can be budget minisinks with water intake from the tank, mid-budget and a premium line.
Pump Materials
The basis of any sink, regardless of its cost, is a pump that creates high jet pressure. During operation, it experiences enormous loads. Due to this, the wear of the pump is much higher than the other elements of the apparatus. The casing, as well as various functional elements of this pump, can be made of plastic, composite materials, brass, aluminum, and silumin. Especially durable are brass pumps. But their cost is a little more expensive than the rest. But the service life reaches 7 years or more.
Good reviews for units with silumin pump.
This is the middle class of aggregates. The advantage is the suitability of worn parts for restoration. The most affordable are plastic minisinks. Reviews about them make it clear that they are not intended for long-term work. Usually the resource is not higher than 100 hours. However, they are bought because of their low cost. Such devices, provided that they are used once or twice a week, can last two to three years.
Pump pressure
In order to wash the car as efficiently as possible, the unit must output from 110 to 130 bar. This value is easily achieved by most devices on the market.
Engine power
Budget class household units consume no more than 1.5 kW. Middle-class equipment requires up to 2.1 kW of power for operation - this is optimal for domestic use. More powerful pumps are powered by a three-phase industrial network - such a network is not available for domestic use.
Filters
Water that enters the device must be filtered. Otherwise, debris could damage the compressor. Often, dirt damages the paintwork of a car. Serious models are equipped with coarse and fine filters. When choosing, it is better to give preference to just such devices - say the reviews.
The best in reliability and popularity
Let's make a rating of popularity and reliability of high-pressure sinks. Reviews about them will help you not to fall for the hook of marketers. This will help save money and choose a really high-quality product. What have high-pressure minimoins reviews, popularity and reliability ratings? We will list the top 5 best below.
"Karcher K5 Compact"
The products of this manufacturer have always been a standard of high quality. This company was the pioneer in this segment. So, let's see why this particular device takes the first place in the review of washing facilities.
This unit easily and efficiently cleans cars, small construction equipment and even building facades (but provided that they are moderately dirty). The device is equipped with a medium power motor with a water cooling system. The gun has a quick-mount connector. The hose is 8 meters long. Due to this, a large radius of action of the sink is ensured.
A special fan as well as a rotating nozzle ensure maximum efficiency and productivity. Another feature - water can be supplied from a separate tank. The cost of this unit is 25 thousand rubles.
Now we read what the owners write about the minimake. Reviews show that power surges greatly affect the operation of the device. Also, the manufacturer does not complete the device with a hose for supplying water from individual containers, there is no foam nozzle, there are no filters. All this must be purchased separately. Therefore, many, despite the high efficiency, refuse to buy this device, although it is quite reliable.
Karcher K5 Car
It is also worth highlighting this model. The cost of the new Karcher is 30 thousand rubles. The device can be connected both to the water supply network and to a separate container. The motor has water cooling and is reliably protected from overheating.
As with the first model from the review, the minus of this unit is a weak bundle. There is no foam nozzle. For Karcher, this model provides only chiseled, fan, and also mud. Users claim that the device is characterized by a weakened node connecting the hose to the compressor. In this case, to eliminate the drawback, you need to change the entire body.
Hunter W105-G
The Huter Minisink is a compact tool that can operate from a separate container. Belongs to the budget class. The cost of the unit is only 5 thousand rubles. Using it to remove strong dirt is quite difficult - the reason for everything is too low pressure. A steam generator is not suitable for contactless washing. Just like in Karcher products, the set of standard nozzles is very weak.
But at such an affordable price, the device’s pump is not made of plastic, but of silumin. This provides a greater resource. The main advantage of the device after the price is its compact size.
It is interesting to know what reviews about this minimax. And despite the fact that this equipment is manufactured in China, the reviews are pretty good. The owners write that the water supply is quite powerful and there is enough pressure to remove dirt. The device has a small water consumption, and it does not consume much electricity. For the money, this is a pretty decent device. But there is always a risk to buy a defective device.
“Calm RE 128 Plus”
Sink "Calm" is the most expensive, but one of the best options among household sinks. The characteristics of the unit correspond to its cost. The "Calm" sink can produce a pressure of 150 bar and pump up to 500 liters of water within an hour. Comes with a 9 meter long hose.
And it would seem that everything here is perfect, but the manufacturer is positioning it as a home appliance. So, it should be able to connect not only to the water supply. But at the Calm sink this function is not implemented. Need an external booster pump. Also, negative reviews are written about the steam generator. It does not create foam, but an emulsion. The cost of the unit is 24 thousand rubles.
"Bosch AQT 45-14X"
This unit can be purchased for 19,200 rubles. The Bosch washing machine is a fairly reliable and functional machine for domestic use. There is already a function of taking water from the tank. The maximum possible pressure is 140 bar. The electric motor has a power of 2.1 kW. The length of the hose is 8 meters. The kit has special bent nozzles for cleaning the bottom and wheel arches. The only drawback is the hose is too rigid, a lot of noise during operation.
Owners of Bosch mini-sinks and specifically this model believe that the complete hose is too fragile. Also in the reviews indicate that the motor heats up during prolonged operation. It is better to use the sink for a short time to avoid problems with the further repair of its electric motor.
What to buy in the end?
You can purchase any model you like. But what many do not recommend is the Karcher technique. Owners complain that some models worked for only a year - the plastic case of the high-pressure unit fails. Among the malfunctions, reviews note the following. At the slightest damage to the unit, a loss of tightness of the hydraulic system occurs. Spare parts for washing machines "Karcher" are very expensive, and not always they can be found in the public domain.
Many prefer to buy equipment of domestic or German manufacturers, in particular models from Bosch, Interskol. Of course, these devices can not be compared with the "Karcher" in terms of performance. But given the meager configuration of the latter, alternative options are the best choice. The foam nozzle for Karcher works wonders. But you have to buy it separately, so they refuse the equipment of this manufacturer.
Conclusion
These were the most popular models of mini-sinks on the Russian market. The always leading Karcher is lagging today - due to economy and poor equipment. The "Calm" and "Interskol" products are shown quite well. In general, there is a choice: both budget and expensive powerful models are presented. But when you buy a low pressure washer, popularity, reliability and reviews are not the last thing. It is necessary to familiarize yourself with the configuration and technical specifications.