Karcher Waterblaster

[Maha]

I will have a look at it later. Hope its an easy fix, you can count the times I have used over four years on both hands (if you live in Rawene that is)

[avgas]

I believe some of the cheaper Karcher (and probably other brands too) have plastic pump bodies that are not designed to be re-buildable. The more expensive models have cast metal pump bodies that allow rebuilding.

Having said that...I would have a crack at pulling it down and seeing what could be repaired / replaced.

Yeah we have the 520m and that had a copper/brass pump where as the cheaper models only had plastic.
Its still going 15 years later. but I think we paid nearly $800 for it way back then.

[mikeey01]

Like most we've got one of them.
We considered it to be the better of the cheaper ones out there.
So anyways after 4 months it died, same as yours sounds now.

It turns out we buggered the pump, so off to get er fixed up.
Apparently before you turn the power on but after the water is connected up and on you squeeze the trigger and let water pass through it for ages, this gets rid of all the air bubbles.
Since we've (all the family use it) been doing this it's never failed, 4 years and still going strong!

Me I don't know water blasters from a bar of soap but there's something in this RTFM or that's what Mr Repair man suggested

[steve_t]

I bought the Karcher 2.080 for $120 from SuperCheap Auto. After I had it a few weeks I happened to see a forum thread about Karcher vs Gerni Pressure Washers. Apparently the Gerni have the metal pumps while the Karcher one is plastic. Oh well, it's been running fine so we'll see how it goes. The crappy 3m hose isn't long enough on this budget model but a 10m replacement hose costs $99 or something like that!
If anyone was looking at entry level waterblasters, I'd say go with a Gerni

[Maha]

mmmmm sealed unit, well I dont have the right length screwdriver to reach far off depths of the screw hole, might end up in the bin yet.

[jasonu]

Cheap pressure washers are just that, cheap and full of compromises. Pictured is my commercial Landa hot and cold pressure washer. $5k new. I ran the piss out of it for 5 years washing trucks and big machinery and it supported myself and my wife, house etc. It never missed a beat. I had to periodically replace pump seals and valves and other small stuff. I reciently sold it for $3k. Best $'s I ever spent.

[eliot-ness]

I've been using a Karcher, gasoline powered, for 18 years, mostly for cleaning under the keel on the yacht, and for that I used sea water. Never had to strip it down, but some times it fails in the same way that the OP mentioned. All I do to cure it is, unplug the wand, then, with the motor running press the trigger and let the water flow for about thirty seconds, until the pump can be heard running, then plug the wand in and away it goes.

[steve_t]

$5000 waterblaster? Yacht? Man, I'm in the wrong job