Every spring, the same machine arrives at our Leighton Buzzard workshop in the boot of a car. Ninety-nine pounds when it was new, eighteen months ago. Plastic pump, screaming motor, and a fault that costs more to fix than the machine cost to buy. The owner is usually holding the lance like a bereavement.
There are two moments when a pressure washer chooses to fail. Halfway through the job, or the morning you needed it most. Fleet washdown day, the weekend the patio was finally getting done, the Friday the valeting diary is full.
There are few jobs as satisfying as blasting a season's worth of grime off a tired patio and watching it come back to life. But choosing the right pressure washer makes the difference between a quick, brilliant result and a slow, frustrating afternoon. Here is what to look for if patio cleaning is top of your summer to-do list.
