Karcher Vacuums - Are they any good?

[eurekaprince]

Hi everyone,

Was just surfing through vac clips on Youtube and came across this really neat video for a German Karcher canister vac. It looks so cool! You change attachments without ever having to touch any of the tools. And it has a neat round profile that allows it to rotate around corners.

Just curious what our European friends think about this line of vacs. Would be nice to see 110 volt versions here in North America.

Click on the link below for this really neat video-clip.....it ends with a shot down a street showing old vacs (replaced by the new Karcher) put out on the curb for pick-up!

 

[vintagehoover]

It certainly has some well thought-out features - I like the 'hands free' tool-swap system!

BTW - what a sinister-looking couple!

 

[eurekaprince]

LOL!!!!

Yeh...she doesn't seem to care about recycling - she just dumps the old vac on the sidewalk! And the looks they give each other!!!!! Like me, he seems to have a jolly old time vacuumming for some reason....

Well...I want to keep this thread as clean as possible, but who knows what else they use that Karcher for! Maybe that's in the sequel to this video......

 

[vintagehoover]

It's just those wordless, icy smiles they share...like their children are locked in the basement or something...

 

[eurekaprince]

ROFL!!!!!!!! That's hysterical!!!!!

 

[sireluxomatic]

I just watched that clip...interesting looking and convenient vacuum, but I have to agree about that couple. There's something going on that the clip didn't (couldn't?) show.

 

[kirbyotronic]

Jack is right.....

Last time they invited me over to their house for tea, I heard yelling and screaming coming from the basement and reacted to it, I then felt a cold razor sharp blade pressed against my neck and the wife looked at me with her finger over her lips, saying "shhhhh". Luckily the telescoping wand to the Karcher was within reach so I grabbed it, swung it behind me and knocked her husband out, and ran out screaming like school girl. I've since moved to Japan and haven't been back since.

Anyway....I so want of of these, gotta get one. Does anybody know if these are actually German made, or just a German brand? Wonder if they have some different colors to choose from, hopefully something metallic.

Alex

 

[electroluxxxx]

I like the music that they use in their vids as I have them marked as my fav on youtube, they seem to be a good product, I too wish I could get one.

 

[tolivac]

The tools are unusual-but what happens if they break?No motorized carpet nozzle.But at least the machine uses a BAG!!-and a nice Filtrete one.This machine would be a good companion to an upright.However I HATED that monotonous "syntho-pop" music!The couple DOES enjoy vacuuming with their Karcher vacuum!Instead should SAVE the old unknown "Boxed" vacuums.

 

[eurekaprince]

Alex.....I think they only come in yellow and black....

and I think the only Karcher products on the market in North America are commercial scrubbers and those heavy duty pressurized power washers.....see the link below.

Rex....after all my years of playing with vacs, I have come to the conclusion that if you have the space, it's always better (and often cheaper) to have two vacs: an upright only for carpets, and a canister for everything else. So as you say, this would make a great a companion to something like a Hoover Tempo.

Someone should tell Karcher to sell these in North America - they would really be popular.....

http://www.karcher-usa.com/

 

[kenmore81]

Taregt had some

Not the one in the vid though. Ill look later for the ones they had.

 

[kenmore81]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ is a dumb @ss

opps it was Koblenz I was thinking of.No woner I couldnt find it.Scratch that.

 

[whirlpolf]

so-so

hello all,

yes, these vacs are all German made. Karcher basically became big with their pressure washers (there is one model now with 2500 bar of pressure, you can knock off concrete layers with it) and with their commercial cleaning machines (floor washers and pavement sweepers). Just the fact that you often see that screaming yellow in car washes opened the residential market. All people owning a Kärcher that I know say: "well, it's yellow and by Karcher, it must be like professional machine..." (did you hear that "must be"?)

To me, this is just a feeling. I tried some of their home vacs, they seem a bit "plasticky". The motors are relatively high-pitched (shrill, that is) and quite loud. Suction is good, but other than that, I wouldn't give them more than a shrug.
Quality (of their home products) is low to medium (department store discount vacs) while the price is medium to high (riding on the idea of being "a yellow semi-pro").

Don't mistake me: Their industrial and outdoor products are very good and sturdy (anything that has metal in it). But for a home vac, any Hoover, Bosch, Dirt-Devil, Panasonic etc. is just as good. And no, they probably will not make them silver or green, the wasp design is their brand look. May their marketing guys be smarter than their CEOs, maybe times will change.

http://www.karcher.de/de/Home.htmhttp://www.karcher-usa.com/http://www.karcher.com/start/choose_your_language.htm
Ah, mind you: There is extensive footage of our beloved couple Mr. & Mrs. Frankenclean on the German site ;-)))


http://www.karcher.de/de/Home.htm

 

[eurekaprince]

Vielen Dank Joe!

Thanks for this review.....that's good to know we are not missing out on anything here on the other side of the Atlantic.

Still, I like the design ideas of this particular vac......"hands-free" tool swap, rug gripping "gears" in the carpet nozzle, the round profile of the main unit, and the "tallness" of it so you don't have to stoop so low to get at the handle or the tools or the bag door.

Would be interesting to see how it rated in Which? magazine tests, or in other European consumer magazine tests....

 

[hooverbaby]

It's just too bare...

Like the advert but that house is just too bare/minimal for my liking, at least to live in; I like a nice, warm, cosy environment, surrounded by my Hoovers...but what do you all think?

Stephen

 

[hooverbaby]

but are they any good?

My answer to that would be yes when they're working. However I'd be unsure about the economics involved if any repairs are necessary.

I can't speak from experience with this product, only from limited experience of other Karcher products.

Stephen

 

[eurekaprince]

Thanks for this Stephen...here's another really cool Kar

It's for outdoor sweeping! Again another really neat idea...

The couple here looks a little less sinister!

See Youtube clip below....

 

[whirlpolf]

hey Stephen, was just about to say that

hey Stephen (hooverbaby), high 5 on ”too bare", yep.
I personally would not like to be living in a 180 square metres intensive care, let alone that sparse kitchen and living room (well at least, that will yield some adequate surroundings for our nice couple (the brain surgeon family)).

Plainly: If you are high on some "eversmile" substance (see Mr. Evervac in action) (no matter what that substance will be) you will be fully ok with a black and white appartment, your synapses will do the rest redecorating it colourfully and bright as the screaming morning.

Honestly: Kärcher missed out something while trying to invade the residential market: It is not all about designer couples and lawyers but regular families and similars.
As far as I can see from here, they do not sell too well, one brand among others. (speaking about home vacs here).

Personally I would go for anything else but a Kärcher.
I have dear memories in my life and nice goodies in my home representing them, so I would not let any junky yellow plastic beast get a touch on them. Meanwhile I have friends to invite for dinner, so no time redecorating my place as a dentist's practice just to let my den appear to be "hip". (that computerised video melody does the rest I think, sheesh, einfach Affenscheiße (google it *gg)

Cheers all
Joe

 

[hooverbaby]

It's good to know I'm not alone!

Thanks for the comments guys,

Brian, the cordless sweeper advert was very interesting, though after 40 years of using a broom for outdoor work and fond memories of stirring up the dust this way as a child I can't imagine taking to the new fangled sweeper.

Having said that, many years ago I could be found using Ewbanks to clean the houses of relatives.

My great nanna only had an Electrolux model 48 cylinder IIRC, along with a brown dustette model 100, which seldom saw use, since she preferred to use the Ewbank..except when I came to stay..but then these were designed for use on carpets, being hand-operated. I don't think that they would work well on hard outdoor surfaces.

Joe I'm pleased that someone can see where I'm coming from about that room; it's a bit like a hospital environment - do they actually live there?

I don't know if they're high on something but there's definately something unnatural/weird about all that smiling..

Stephen