Kärcher K 3 Power Control high pressure washer: Intelligent app support – for effective cleaning of everyday dirt
Kärcher high-pressure washers: performance classes in comparison
 K 3 Power Control |  K 7 Smart Control |  K 5 Power Control |  K 4 Power Control |  K 2 Power Control | |
| Pressure | max. 20 – 120 bar | max. 20 – 180 bar | max. 20 – 145 bar | max. 20 – 130 bar | max. 20 – 110 bar |
| Surface performance | 25m²/h | 60 m²/h | 40 m²/h | 30 m²/h | 20 m²/h |
| Flow rate | max. 380 l/h | max. 550 l/h | max. 500 l/h | max. 420 l/h | max. 360 l/h |
| Max. Inlet temperature | max. 40 °C | max. 60 °C | max. 40 °C | max. 40 °C | max. 40 °C |
| Weight without accessories | 4,4 kg | 17,6 kg | 13 kg | 11,5 kg | 4 kg |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 297 x 280 x 677 mm | 458 x 330 x 666 mm | 402 x 306 x 588 mm | 402 x 306 x 588 mm | 246 x 280 x 586 mm |
| High-pressure hose length | 7 m | 10 m | 10 m | 8 m | 5 m |
| Water suction | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Connection capacity | 1,6 kW | 2,8 kW | 2,1 kW | 1,8 kW | 1,4 kW |
| Weight: | 4.4 kg |
| Dimensions: | 29.7 x 28 x 67.7 cm; 4.4 Kilograms |
| Model: | 1.676-102.0 |
| Colour: | Yellow |
| Manufacture: | Kärcher |
| Colour: | Yellow |
One notable feature is the N-Cor pump, which enhances durability and corrosion resistance. However, some users report occasional leaks and issues with build quality, indicating room for improvement. The adjustable Vario Power Spray wand allows you to switch between high and low pressure easily, adapting to various cleaning needs.
On the downside, the plastic construction might raise concerns about long-term durability, especially for users with more demanding tasks. Additionally, the power cord and hose storage could be more user-friendly, as some find them a bit cumbersome to manage.
In terms of noise, the K3 is relatively quiet compared to other pressure washers, making it suitable for residential use without causing excessive disturbance.
So far the Karcher K3 seems a decent mid-range power washer with satisfactory power and performance for typical household cleaning tasks like car washing, patios etc.
The K3 is the lightest, quietest, easiest to assemble and easiest to use pressure washer i have ever come across. Far superior to any other brand.
Yes it is “plasticky” but if it performs better than the competition, does that really matter?
Compared to Nilfisk (Unreliable & 3x the price) Bosch (3x the price) Michelin (Broken after 1 use) and RAC (Poor Quality) The Karcher K3 works perfectly every time, and there are loads of different attachments available.
The “Vario Lance” is excellent, and the optional Snow Foam attachment is very good for car cleaning.
Easily powerful enough for cleaning my car and the patio. I have even used it to blast the mud off the road outside my house!
Highly recommended over other brands, especially the overpriced & overrated Nilfisk washers.
I had one of these before and is was very good on decking and slabs etc. I found the instructions not exactly easy to follow, but got there in the end. I fired it up and the water pipe came off. With a bit of fiddling I did get it to work. The pressure was not as good as I would have hoped to clean off my wood decking, I would recommend that you buy the more powerful one. Am I happy with my purchase, well sort of.
It’s my very first power washer since moving from a flat to a house with our own back garden and wanted to make it pretty. I was super satisfied at how it got rid of dirt and grime, revealing some coloured stone tiles. Some moss spots were a bit tough but they get lifted off after a few seconds too. Really happy with the end results even if i missed some spots on the after photo oops
Very good value for money. Easy to set up & does what the advert says it does
Powerful and does the job. This is my second Karcher and no hesitation in buying it.
Just tested it very quickly on a filthy patio and I’m very happy with the result. Will probably get the patio attachment to finish the job perfectly. Highly recommend this Karcher K3. It’s going to save me a fortune from having to pay some dude to power wash my drive.
The hose is a little tiresome, as the coils stay in tight loops when unwrapped and make it a little tricky.
The quick connections are ok, but can be tricky to attach, particulalry to the gun.
The collapsable handle is a mixed blessing. Fine for storage, but wish it stayed up better during use.
Did the job it said it would very good product would certainly buy agai
Did a brilliant job on my patio and car. Easy to use and would defo recommend.
Absolutely would recommend this product , easy assembly , powerful and lightweight . It really has powerful jets which clean all surfaces .
Bought a second machine after seeing the effectiveness of my current one to be used for my second home.
At the moment all ok. Does what it says but only used it once. Putting the handle together was a bit difficult but got there in the end.
Works for a range of jobs, however it can be tricky getting the stream to go on medium, tend to find it will go to hard or soft. Instructions could have been better as well for figuring out how you change the settings, had to Google i
Excellent power washer. Easy to use sturdy and came with a couple of different heads. Very happy with purchase.
Sorted the block paving and moss growing in the cracks in very little time. It’s certainly powerful enough as it will also deal with grass growing in the cracks. The drive came up like new.
The dispenser for cleaning fluid is easy to fill.
On board storage is good for the nozzles, less so for the hose and cables.
It does however feel flimsy with cheap plastics on the carry handles and wheels. The high pressure hose connector isn’t that good as all the connections are made of plastic. I just wonder how these plastics will stand up to time.
It’s an upgrade from my previous machine but doesn’t have the feeling it’s robust.
My non-Karcher washer blew the house fuse and after reset, the washer would not start. Ordered a K3 Karcher which arrived the next day. Assembled OK and initially, on switching on, blew a fuse in my extension cable plug. Replaced 5 A fuse with 13 A and all was well! Cleaned up the outside of the horsebox without any problem, including some 10 years of grime and lichen. The horse box had been outside during the years. Almost looks like new! Well done Karcher!
Used this to clean my many slabs front and rear of my house. Neds more power. For the price though, does an adequate job. Easy to assemble. Follow instructions though regarding running water through it prior to power on.
Good value for money.
This is an absolutely wonderful power washer. Value for money is amazing and works like a dream.
Brilliant piece of kit super clean paving and car now.
Bought for my son who was well impressed. Uses it all the time
Really love this, it’s a more up to date one than the last one plus it has more length on cable to stretch further which is really good as can’t really add extensions when using water!!
Does a good job of cleaning the drive and decking.
HOW TO FIX IT: Amazon and Karcher don’t seem to have this listed as a fix but it works. If your pressure washer will not power on, you’ve checked the usual stuff then it’s probably the pressure switch inside. To free it up, connect water to the pressure washer as usual but don’t try and power on. Remove the lance so you just have a free hose dangling – put it in a drain or bucket, run the tap/water full blast for a minute or two then reconnect the lance and power on. This fixed my K3.
Very effective at cleaning up teak garden furniture post winter before re-oiling. Quick and easy clean of the the flag stones on the terrace. Cleans the truck. Replaced an old one that gave up after ten years of service. Will be well pleased if this one works as well for so long.
Tested it for the first time and it is so easy to set up and it works. I saw a few reviews of people struggling to use the machine, word of advise please read the manual.
Fairly priced.
Only issue the pressure hose is a bit thin and my personal opinion it could have been a lot wider and robust, feel and look cheap.
light weight, does what it says on the box, for the money you can’t complain.
I really am so impressed with this I will recommend it to everyone I meet and ask them if they have one if not why not? – they are pucke
Bought this to wash my car and my patio. It works well for both. I also washed my fence and it did a pretty good job.
For other type of jobs (where the dirt is more difficult to remove) I would recommend a superior level (k4 or k5) as a higher pressure is definitely required. However if you need it just to wash your car, you can go with this one as it is reasonably cheap and if a good quality.
Only took minutes to assemble and be ready to use, brilliant its got different settings and help via the app, fantastic pressure/power.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!
It’s well worth the money anyone wanting a pressure washer.
I have only used it once but seems easy to use hope it lasts longer than the last one I had, on/off switch broke for no apparent reason!
This is the uprated version and seems to be a lot more power behind the spray
Done our patio last week with this pressure washer. Easy to use and does the job. Cleans well especially as this was the first wash after the winter.
This pressure washer is a delight.. light to carry, easy to assemble and powerful to use with choice of two heads.. would recommend
Not sure there’s enough power for anything above cleaning paving but it’s perfect for that and other jobs like cleaning the car (on a low setting) and blasting grime and algae off garden furniture. Easy to carry about too. It’s all very lightweight plastic so not sure how much long it will survive. Great for the price though.
Yes light weight and easy to use just a shame you have to buy the extended lance separately. This should be included in the price.
Just one thing to remember, the accessory that fits into the gun is not a press and click, it’s a press and twist.
I used it to wash my car and definitely was a good experience. Nearly spotless. Just to put things into perspective, it’s probably been a good 6 months since I washed my car.
Just like many things, I think you’ll get the hang of it after using it a couple of times.
I haven’t tried karchering the driveway tiling as yet. Will let you know in a few days. But seriously guys, it’s well worth it.
I didn’t buy any accessories, absolutely fine with what the package comes with.
Hopefully I can do a video of the things I had difficulty with, not that you’d need it to figure things out.
If you are thinking about it, don’t. Just go for it. Good luck guys.
Add a snow foam lance to this bad boy and woof your a one person car washing dirt slaying wizard. To remember snow foam is pre-wash it will need actual car shampoo next. Also good on paths driveway tarmac brickwork and when the wife/daughter walks out of the wrong door at the wrong time.
Karcher never really let you down a decent jetwash for domestic use and able to clean patios, bikes,cars and garden furniture leaving them clean even fairly dirty patio areas, however if you need a more heavy duty jetwash then get the k4 Karcher or above which is a lot more powerful.
Will satisfy all your cleaning needs and you’ll enjoy using i
Easy to set up. Powerful and does what it says on the tin. Would recommend this decent power washer.
As yet I have only used it once but there is no doubting the results were very good.
Great little power washer, does everything I need and really good value buy
Had a couple of issues setting up. It wasn’t that easy connecting the hose to the handle. I got soaked first time however I perceived and managed to lock it in. Once set up it’s a little trial and error but now I have used it it’s much better than the K2
Bought as a gift and husband seems pleased with i
Good at cleaning only trouble is could do with some where to put plug into when packing away .Power and pipe good lengths which is very good .
Worked great. No leaking . Did everything I wanted it to do. Excellent value
Overall very happy with this product, for me personally it’s lightweight makes it easier doing all my cleaning jobs.
We’re very pleased with this. The machine works well and is worth the cost.
The only criticism is that fitting the hoses can be fiddly, particularly the washer hose which, unless it is properly locked in place, attracts no flow and allows water to gush out from the body of the machine. Clearer instructions and an easier fitting mechanism would help.
Update from a very early Karcher carry model , This model is very easy to use and I find it ideal for cars already cleaned three and has worked perfect.
I found it quite noisy for my neighbourhood and not too good in terms of pressure. I expected more as its not K2 Compact but provides similar performance which don’t get me wrong is very good hence the 4 stars…
Karcher k3 very good , powerful and remove all the stains from floor or walls.
Jet washing has to be one of the most satisfying chores on the planet and this Karcher K3 does the job brilliantly
Arrived on time very easy to get together and get started. Very pleased with results.
This is a replacement for a much older model. It’s smaller, neater, more powerful. Great for cleaning the car, patio, garden furniture & driveway. You need to go up a model for a longer hose and cable but this does the job just fine.
The K3 was not the right one for what i needed. And did not provide enough power to clean the stone in my back yard. In its defence the mess was years in the making so ill get myself a more powerful model. The assembly seems easy enough, but disassembly is a nightmare if you want to send it back. But still it’s Amazon, so you’ll know they’re going to accommodate.
Used to clean my stone driveway and rear. Very easy to use and you can download the karcher app which gives you easy step by step set up guide.
A little smaller and lighter than the one it has replaced but it does the work equally as well
Not the best of quality materials seems really light an flimsy compared to the 10yr old machine it replaced. But it does the job but won’t hold me breath it’ll last as long as the last one
Brilliant pressure washer. Did all the paving absolutely perfect. Super powerful. The tools are brilliant. Really easy to assemble and easy to use. Highly recommended.
Works brilliant and is such a versatile piece of equipment to have around, can clean near enough everything with it. Even without the cleaning solution it still does a great job. A lot smaller and lighter than the K4 model, but still does a fantastic job, even though it is 200w less powerful. The average user won’t really notice the difference and it is a good deal cheaper than the K4, while still including very similar accessories and overall functionality. My recommendation for the Karcher to get!
Had an old one for years which this was a replacement for this is so much lighter and smaller really pleased with it and does a great job.
It’s easy to use and attach detergent bottle to wil bye agai
For our garden and car it does what it said on the packaging. Really good
Really pleased with the way the powerwasher cleaned the paving – even made the very old paving come up as good as new.
quite a powerful performance for a small machine. Cleared my patio in no time.
Very easy to use and the water jet is easy to adjust and on full power cleaned our old patio amazingly well.
I bought this for my daughter as she has to deal with the heavy jobs around the house.This product is marvellous,lightweight, does everything you ask.Good price, excellant delivery could not fault.
Highly recommend.
Didn’t realise it needed some self assembly as hoping to use it immediately. Haven’t had time to put it together yet so cannot comment on its ease of use, weight, etc.
First machine pieces missing.Replaced machine all ok so far.
There’s a selection of attachments for these machines but they’re costly when purchased separately.
If you want to clean paving, I’d strongly recommend the K2 set (search B08R6638K5) which includes the useful patio cleaner (looks like an oversized metal detector), is cheaper and only slightly less powerful.
I don’t have much space and chose this model as it looked compact for storage.
All the bits just about stow on the machine but you’ll need to supply your own length of hose to feed water into the washer.
It comes with wheels and a second, extendable handle to attach but tbh, the body is so light it needs neither, they just make it less compact.
There’s a power setting display on the trigger handle designed to look like an LED readout but it’s really just a mechanical slider which moves up and down by the flow of the water. A bit like the bag full gauge on some Hoovers.
I don’t have an outside tap and instead fill a large bucket or tank to use as a reservoir to siphon from.
Works for me.
I called their support line and was told all their washers could be used in this way.
Karcher’s own instructional video shows a guy using a duck pond as a source!
I recommend this model if you value a compact unit and will be using the detergent mix feature.
If you have paving to do and have somewhere to store the extra tool, I’d sooner go for the cheaper K2 set.
1600 watt air-cooled universal motor.
Flow rate 380 litres/hour. (K2 360)
Rated bar – 120. (K2 110)
Suitable for medium to heavy tasks.
7m hose. (K2 4m)
5m mains cable.
Wheeled for ease of use.
Maximum temperature of 40C
Basically for each model you get approx. an extra 10 bar of pressure, 20 litres of flow and between 100-200w of power. What this means in practice is basically that ALL will do the job, but the more powerful motors, bar and flow rates will do the job easier and quicker. It really is that simple. I liked the K2 (small, light and compact) and deemed it ideal for everything but cars. It will clean a car, but the shorter hose and cable lengths make this somewhat a fidgety task and it took me almost twice as long to shine the Merc using the K2 as it did with the K5. The K3 is a step up (literally) in most areas of the K2’s spec. Again, the pressure isn’t quite that of the K4 or K5 but at the strongest setting it is most certainly powerful enough to clean a car. You also get that all important extra metre or two of hose and a longer power cable — both of which make life that little bit easier when cleaning! I’ve deducted half a star for the fixed pressure settings (which is definitely a gimmick) as I actually preferred the older manual “twist” lance option which allows you to really fine tune the pressure. I also wasn’t blown away by the detergent tank which uses gravity to feed the detergent as this proved a bit hit and miss in practice. If there was one cheap add on I’d recommend for any Karcher it would be the snow foam attachment which makes soaping the car or bike an effortless doddle. I’ve also deducted a further half star for the lack of a hose wind (see my K4 review for the fun this causes) and resting base for the mains cable. Somehow, Karcher deem both of these to be “Premium” features, whereas I’d say that they are essentials for any 5 star winner. The latter should not put you off though, for when you bear in mind the price, for under 150 you are getting a machine that will clean bikes, patios etc with ease and can also handle cars very well indeed. It’s also compact, lightweight (4.4Kg), easy to store and with the built-in handle and wheels, easy to move. Ignoring the omission of cable storage and the gimmicky power control wand, this is a great option for anyone needing a reliable, quite discrete yet effective all round pressure cleaner.
The photos do not really do this washer justice. It looked dirtier to the naked eyer and looks cleaner. Assembly takes a little thought and learning some of the features takes a little time. However it is easy to use. The wand is on a long extension so the pump really stays where it is during use. As with a carpet cleaner there is a small tank for cleaning fluid but I’m not sure I’d want to spray e.g., Jeyes everywhere. The photos show about 40 minutes work using only water. Water alone works well but there is a lot of aftermath to deal with, it’s messy.
I’m pleased with the results and grateful for the opportunity to try one out. But once I’ve finished the rest of the garden this will join my carpet cleaner as something that gets used rarely.
I think the K3 is definitely the sweet spot of the Krcher jet wash range. The K4 is significantly heavier and more complicated for only a little more pressure and flow. This was easy to assemble and I love the variable pressure fitment. Twisting is so much easier than changing the head as you need to do on other machines.
I wouldn’t bother with the app as it’s just for registration and didn’t recognise the QR code on the box anyway.
Size really does not matter with this smaller and more compact Karcher k3 pressure washer – it cleaned and seemed just as powerful as my old K2 – much lighter and easier to move around – it also has a built in compartment for you to use cleaning solutions and they mix with the water much less fiddly than the old method of attaching a bottle!
Really pleased – got all the dirt and moss of the drive quickly and easily!
I am very pleased to have become the owner of this excellent piece of equipment. This is mainly because it comes with far better instructions than the previous, less powerful model I once had. The simple extra leaflet enclosed that explains how to depressurise the machine before switching the power on has made all the difference to its effectiveness in use.
Assembly is fairly straightforward and there’s a place to stow almost all the bits that come with the machine when you’ve finished. Why one element is overlooked in the design of these things is beyond me but the handle can act as an impromptu hook for the water inlet hose, why not?
Both supplied lances work well and produce nicely differentiated sprays.
For many years Karcher has been a market leader in the area of pressure washers. This new K3 model carries on that tradition. It will impress you.
This is not just a patio cleaner but a whole cleaning system. Basic assembly using the very well written instruction manual is the not difficult, in fact I if you follow the instructions you can have it up and running in about 20 minutes.
The unit can handle a multitude of tasks from car cleaning, to cleaning garden furniture to pipes and gutters, windows external glass and not forgetting patios and balconies.With all the various uses you can exploit the maneuverability and the pressure control features that are built in to the K3. There really isn’t any thing I do not like about the Karcher, in fact this has been an enjoyable review to undertake.
Since having this pressure washer we have used it for not only cleaning our cars, but also on the front of our house and the patio. Everything came up very clean.
This model pressure washer is slightly smaller than other models which makes it ideal for carrying up ladders to clean the top of our house.
Overall, a very good pressure washer which can be highly recommended.
Whenever I review a pressure washer, I always point to the advantages of Karcher’s track record – the invention of the first domestic PW in 1974, the 100 subsidiariers in 160 countries, the massive contracts (NATO, US military). Generally speaking, you have to decide for yourself whether such a track record is worth paying for, compared to a cheaper, often weirdly-named, unknown and (over here, at least) untried brand from the far east.
That said, everything depends on the efficiency and user-friendllness of the local distributor/service centre. Reading all the reviews, I note that the UK one has attracted a few criticisms.
This K3 model is one step up from Karcher’s cheaper riposte to the far eastern competition, the K2, which is now very price-competitive and wholly adequate for any household. At 50 more, the K3 is still light and easily handled, and more powerful than you wpould expect given it’s light weight.- more than enough for all domestic tasks, and with no need to struggle with a poorly-printed, badly-written and hardly understandable assembly and operation instructions. The last fact alone is a major selling point for me.
It’s also very easy to put together, no tools needed, although I have to confess being none-too-keen on the notion of “push and click” for the purpose of assembly, especially in conjunction with all-plastic components – it doesn’t seem compatible with the notion of strength and durability, although it’s a principle that seems here to stay in these cost-conscious times; but it’s perhaps noteworthy that the bigger, heavier and more powerful (and much more expensive) K5 involves much use of retaining screws and the like.
The company moves into the IT age with its current K-range, and with 13m sales annually, its pressure-washer app will no doubt gain plenty of downloads. I’m not app-oriented, and, much to my relief, it isn’t needed to operate this or any other Karcher machine and I shall let others comment on its practicability and usefulness. For me, the K3 has all the operational features I consider important as a light-usage householder, including easy handling, but most notably in the form of a manually variable nozzle with clear markings, white on black – compared to the five different, detachable, and therefore easily lost, nozzles supplied with a certain cheaper Chinese product recently.
Unless you just like buying expensive, feature-rich stuff, therefore, I’d say that for the ordinary householder, this is the pick of the bunch.
Brilliant and functional power washer.
And so powerful.
Ideal for washing the car.
Brilliant for washing of the winter grime on flags.
The power washer has all the functionality you could want and then some.
I like the led display on the gun.
I like the detergent tank which helps to clean.
And the power is superb for any cleaning job.
Overall this is a brilliant item, and anyone thinking of buying this is to go for it.
You wont regret it.
A bargain at the price.
This power washer will last and last.