New on the shelves

FIRST TEST Briggs & Stratton Elite 3000PX pressure washer

Latest kit, including a high-power pressure washer

PRESSURE washers transform the way you clean your car, but they need both water and mains power. If you only have a hose, then a petrol version could be the way to get some powered help when cleaning – so we’ve tried the new Elite 3000PX from Briggs & Stratton.

It’s not cheap, at over £600, but is the only option if you don’t have accessible power for an electric machine.

The Elite certainly feels substantial, and lifting the box safely requires two people. Minimal assembly is required before use, although it does need filling with oil and, naturally, petrol.

Starting was easy, but then there’s the noise; the 190cc four-stroke motor is loud. This isn’t a machine to be used near neighbours for any length of time if you want to stay on good terms.

The upside is that it delivers a mighty spray, which can be varied via a rotating nozzle that gives zero, 15 and 40-degree options. There are three settings for spraying detergent, too, although with specific pressure washer shampoo it didn’t deliver much of a foam.

For cars you only really need the two widest settings, and they rapidly strip away grime, leaving just the faintest layer to be shifted by a mitt or sponge. Briggs & Stratton claims maximum outputs of 207 Bar and 1,134 litres an hour, but the numbers don’t do it justice. Even large electric, domestic washers feel puny in comparison.

The lance works well and we were pleased to see a safety catch for the trigger. Hose length was a useful nine metres, but storage was a pain.

The Elite provides a solution for those without power where they clean cars, but the noise, price and storage are major drawbacks and make it a product probably best reserved for professionals.