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Okay, one thing you probably won’t take with you on an adventure is a portable washer. But for shorter rides, you may need to quickly wash down your bike and kit; for that, the Käercher OC3 is ideal.
Käercher | www.kaercher.com | RRP: £149.99
Small and compact
Beneath the water container is a natty storage compartment.
The Käercher OC3 is a well thought out, modular, unit. It’s USP is that it is incredibly compact. The water container detaches from the main body revealing a small storage compartment which houses the spray gun and the hose. Everything is tucked away when in transit with no cables or hoses to tangle up or trip over.
As with all Käercher equipment, it’s reassuringly tough and looks like it has been built to last. Everything feels solid and the integrated carry handle means it is easy to grab and move around as you are washing a bike.
Unreel the hose, clip the water container back on and…
You can buy accessory kits if needed. Extras such as brushes and sponges slot onto the bottom of the unit. It’s a great idea, but they could have included this as part of the main package rather than as extras. And for £30 extra, you’ll probably agree that a spare bucket with a couple of spare brushes will do just as well.
Charge at home, take away
The unit can only be charged on 240v mains, a real let down as for many users. Most people will use the Käercher OC3 from the back of a van or car to wash down bikes after a ride. You can overcome this by purchasing a 12v inverter from Halfords, but this remains a huge oversight by Käercher.
In use
Ready for action! The spray gun makes short work of cleaning a mucky bike.
The water container holds 4 litres which is enough to thoroughly clean one bike, or to give two muddy bikes a quick blast to get the worst of the muck off. Filling is easy with a large water inlet, although the rubber bung does prove a little fiddly to securely fit in place. Especially with cold, wet hands! A larger tank would save you from having to stop and top up when doing thorough washes.
Pressure is from the unit is ample rather than powerful. Compared to a Mobi washer, the Käercher has a lot more punch but not enough to go worrying the grease in your bearings.
The Li-ion battery will run non-stop for 15 minutes from a 3 hour charge. I’ve not managed to run the Käercher OC3 flat during a cleaning session, so the battery life is more than adequate.
Conclusion
If you want a compact washer that you can just chuck in the back of your car, then the Käercher OC3 is ideal. It’s much smaller than it’s rivals and the Käercher brand shouts quality and reliability. Mine sits in the back of the van and sees a lot of use after muddy rides. Hunt around and you’ll manage to find one for well less than the £149.99 RRP.
Karcher OC3 Washer
£122.86
Last modified: 8th June 2019
