Medium duty pressure washers tend to be a mix of high-end own-brand models and cheaper premium-brand models. As such, you'll find a confusing array of high-powered-but-basic models by garden machinery brands such as Stihl or Nilfisk, mid-powered Karcher, Bosch or Vax models with some choice of accessories, and high-powered and highly accessorised machines from Qualcast and Mac Allister. To be fair, that problem isn’t exclusive to this particular pressure washer, but at least with the Mac Allister 2,100W you get a built-in cable winder to help keep things tidy. Thanks to their concentrated water jets, pressure washers will save you valuable hours on the most heavy-duty tasks, as well as being incredibly satisfying to use on dirt and grime.

If you just need a pressure washer for light cleaning, then most no-frills machines come with just one lance, which is a long tube with a nozzle on the end. The nozzle will usually provide variable pressure – when you twist the nozzle, you can adjust the spray from a powerful narrow jet to a more broad gentle fan. In terms of brand loyalty and how many people bought the same brand of pressure washer again, an impressive 73% of Karcher owners (sample size: 329) said they had versus 10% of Nilfisk owners (sample size: 52). Buying a new pressure washer can be confusing. There are usually several models in each manufacturer's range, with different types of motors and impenetrable model numbers which mean that useful accessories are either included in the price, or have to be bought as an extra.

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Unlike your standard garden hose, pressure washers deliver serious power. They use a strong, concentrated jet of water to obliterate dirt in no time. In the end, I abandoned the brushes in favour of the vario nozzle, twisting it to the high-powered pencil jet spray (it also offers a wider, gentler spray). The impact was immediate, and within moments all the ingrained mud, oil and bird poo was nowhere to be seen. Toolstation has electric and petrol pressure washers, some of which are bundled with a patio cleaner. Although you have to be near a power outlet to use an electric washer, they are typically lighter, better for the environment, less noisy and will be powerful enough for the usual home and garden cleaning jobs.

Nilfisk's entry level models tend to have more powerful motors and come with an aluminium pump head rather than a plastic one for durability. While all of the models can be used with detergent (the 1,300W model requires an external detergent pump), none come with any in the box. It undoubtedly has its faults – that broken adapter left me tearing my hair out and I doubt I’ll ever use the brushes out again – but if you’re looking for a pressure washer on a strict budget, it’s not a bad option.

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Our expert advice will help you find one that has the right power and features for your cleaning jobs. Light duty Motor noise is typically less intrusive with these machines but they can be a little overpowered for many domestic cleaning jobs. Make sure you know how to use them properly to avoid damaging your surfaces.

Karcher were the first to introduce smart technology to pressure washers so you can connect them to your smartphone via an app.

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Our in-house experts at the GHI assessed the pressure washers' performance on common outdoor cleaning tasks, using their high-power jet sprays to take on muddy patios, windows and cars. The testers noted how easy the pressure washer was to set up, use, manoeuvre and, of course, the time it took to get the job done. Hoses lengths vary from three metres, which is too short to wash a car; to five metres, which is an adequate length for car cleaning. Some of the cheaper pressure washers come with fixed nozzles that don't allow you to vary the water pressure. The first thing you need to consider when investing in a pressure washer is which area or outdoor items you’re looking to clean. This will determine how much pressure – measured in bars – you need your washer to have. Pressure washers (also known as jet washers and power washers) deliver a powerful concentrated jet of water to remove dirt more efficiently than a brush, and using less water than you would with a garden hose. Electric pressure washers are more suited to domestic cleaning, while petrol pressure washers are designed for professional, large-scale jobs.

And if you don’t have access to a tap, it’s important to note that there’s no option to draw rainwater from a water butt. There is, however, a built-in detergent tank – not something you find with every affordable pressure washer. Mac Allister 1,800W review: Cleaning performance The window and patio cleaning tests factored in whether the pressure washer left an attractive streak-free appearance, and during muddy car washing, they paid particular attention to whether the pressure washer was able to access all the nooks and crannies, including wheel arches and the underside of the car.Fewer owners of Karcher pressure washers experienced faults within the first seven years of owning it - 8% said they had (sample size: 2,271) versus 16% of Nilfisk owners (sample size: 185). Nilfisk models are typically more lightweight compared to Karcher models. They are constructed with light materials to make them easier to move around. Pressure gauge: some more expensive models have a pressure gauge on the lance handle but, as the pump pressure doesn't vary, they're of little practical use. Best for: Cleaning small areas of lightly soiled paving, bicycles, small cars and garden furniture. To choose the best pressure washer for you it is worth taking time to think about what you'll be cleaning, how dirty it will be and how often you'll use it.