Kärcher K5 Compact Review

We’ve bought the Kärcher K5 Compact, unboxed it, put it together and tested it extensively. We paid particular attention to these points:

•     Is the device easy to assemble?
•     How easily can it be moved and transported?
•     How does the general quality feel?
•     How easy is it to set up the device?
•     How quickly and reliably can stubborn dirt be removed?
•     Is it comfortable to work with?

In this review, we will show you our experiences.

In the box

• Pressure Gun
• Vario Spray Lance
• Dirt Blaster Lance
• Telescopic Handle
• 8 m Pressure Hose

It doesn’t come fully assembled. But the assembly is really easy, you don’t need any tools or the like. You just have to screw on the water connection coupling, as well as insert the telescopic handle. This takes a maximum of 1-2 minutes. So, very simple and straightforward, just follow the manual.

Specs

Setting Up and testing – what we found

We have cleaned a heavily soiled warehouse driveway.

At over 13 Kilogram, the K5 Compact is heavier than it looks. For people who can’t lift much, this is a slight negative point. However, thanks to the wheels and the telescopic handle, the device can be comfortably pulled along.

The setup is hassle-free and works the same as all Kärcher high-pressure cleaners.

Connect the pressure hose to the device and the pressure gun – Connect the water hose – open the water tap – connect the power cable – switch the device to «on» – ready!

Here we noticed some small, but helpful differences to other Kärcher models. The couplings for the pressure hose and the garden hose are very conveniently located at the device.

For cleaning, you can either use the Vario spray lance or the Dirt Blaster. Both lances can be easily attached to the gun using a twist lock.

The Vario spray lance offers three pressure levels: soft, medium, and hard. It is not particularly effective for cleaning heavily soiled objects. Even with the hard setting, we were unable to satisfactorily clean a heavily soiled concrete floor.

On the other hand, the Dirt Blaster lance removes almost everything. Thanks to its very thin jet and rotating nozzle, our concrete floor became immediately clean. However, there is only one pressure level available for this lance.

The high-pressure gun does not have a display, and the pressure levels on the Vario spray lance need to be manually adjusted. This is effortless, simply twist the lance to the desired level. For people who prefer minimal technical gimmicks, this is an advantage over the K5 Premium Smart Control.

One positive aspect is the length of the pressure hose. With 8 meters, you can clean a fairly large area without moving the device. Unfortunately, the quality of the pressure hose is not good. It is very inflexible, often gets tangled, and is tedious to roll up and down since it has no hose reel.

Versatility

Like all Kärcher pressure washers, you can equip the K5 Compact with various accessories, including:

• Telescopic jet pipe
• Facade Cleaner
• Pipe cleaning set
• Rotating wash brush for cars
• Foam nozzle

You can buy the accessories or order a device with more extensive equipment right from the start.

Popular are the Home models (including Patio Cleaner and detergent).

Pros and Cons

Should you buy the Kärcher K5 Compact?

The K5 Compact is well-suited as an alternative to the considerably more expensive K5 Premium devices. It is an ideal choice for people with higher quality standards who frequently seek to clean larger, heavily soiled surfaces to a very high level of cleanliness.

Kärcher K5 Compact price