Under Pressure: reviewing the Vax Pressure Washer

You have to admit that there is nothing greater than hurtling full speed towards a Bank Holiday when the sun is in the sky and the grass is green and it feels like finally- FINALLY- you may be beyond the long wet winter.

It also makes you look with despair at garden paths, driveways, patios- even cars- with a heavy heart. The long wet winter has taken it’s toll on them too, and somehow in the bright sun the whole look is “casual neglect”. I speak of my own surroundings of course.

Perhaps Vax heard my lament. Perhaps the designers and developers too thought of the potential Spring Despair during the long wet winter, for they have added to their collection of super dooper vaccum cleaners, carpet cleaners and steam cleaners with a range of equally marvellous Pressure Washers for all your outdoor needs.

Positively splendid in the signature Vax Orange, there are four pressure washers- all of different pressures- aiming to get the job done at your home in time for the summer. And with prices starting at a very reasonable £69.99 from the official Vax website, you can be sure that you will find the right washer for your needs and budget. Don;t just take my word for it, either: there are dozens of positive reviews on the website for you to check out.

Vax sent us a 2500 Watt Pressure Washer to put through it’s paces. There were hiccups when we needed to buy a new garden hose and attachments to feed water to the Beast (as I have dubbed it. Beast of burden: does all the hard work so I do not have to) there was a broken nozzle (superb after-care service from Vax by the way) and we needed to buy detergent too. But, finally, we set to.

There’s a lot to set to on round our way: brick paths, patio, driveways, front steps, outhouses, henhouses, and cars caked in mud. And there is an attachment to suit all needs in the handy dandy attachment kit (which is included in some Pressure Washer packages and an add-on in others.)

You simply follow the instructions to assemble, hook the machine up to the water supply and the power and off you go. Be sure to adopt a firm stance when starting up or you may fall over. Not that I would know *looks around sheepishly*.

And the cleaner did exactly what I expected: cleaned.The patio brush + detergent combination had a tough task getting moss up off the old bricks. The patio was easier. I have to say I really didn’t enjoy using the patio brush though: it kept coming up off the floor. That may be a water pressure issue, of course.

And it was still fairly tough on DH’s back, all that leaning over. The handle of the brush felt a tad flimsy at the join with the nozzle and I worried that it would bend if I pushed too hard. He fared better on the patio, which had a more even surface.

Using the nozzle on it’s own was super easy: the driveway was free of pine needles and detritus very quickly- the water pressure allowed me to build it all up in one area so that it was quick to collect and bin. It also did a good job hosing down the tyres on our cars, which get muddy down country lanes. I never got round to using the brush attachment.

My main annoyance was the hose and wheel: the hose has to be completely detached to wind it around the reel for storage, and likewise removed entirely from the reel before you can reconnect it. I would have like to see a tool storage option too.

Mixed results really. I have never owned a Pressure Washer before and have been educated in the benefits of owning one, but I feel that the design could do with some work. That said, it is competitively priced and did all that I needed it to do.