If the drive is long or green, buy a Kärcher K5 Power Control Flex. If you only wash cars on a short bay, a K4 Flex or a Bosch UniversalAquatak 135 is enough. We are selling litres and hose for stone you cannot reach from the tap, not 15 extra bar for a hatchback.
A UK frontage is a water job. Algae, tyre film and last autumn’s leaves sit on the face of the block. The K5 we keep pointing at is 500 L/h and a 10 m Flex hose, £339.99 on 22 August 2026. Clip a T 5 on so the splash stays under a hood. Keep the dirt blaster out of the joints.
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This is the plot page, not K4 vs K5. That comparison is class. Here we ask how far the trolley can sit, whether the paving is the job, and when petrol is the only honest answer. Cars-only buyers should stop at the K4 or the Aquatak and leave the K5 on the shelf.
Paint-safe settings sit on the cars page. Setup is on how to use a pressure washer.
Quick picks
Best for most drives
Kärcher K5 Power Control Flex
£339.99
145 bar, 500 L/h, 10 m Flex hose. The long-hose electric you park once and walk the length of the drive.
Best shorter drive
Kärcher K4 Power Control Flex
£169
130 bar, 420 L/h, 8 m Flex hose. Enough if the bay is short and you will move the trolley once.
Best head for block paving
Kärcher T 5
From about £55
280 mm hood, height-adjustable jets. Washes the face of the block. Leave the joints alone.
Best if there is no socket
Hyundai HYW3100P2
£599.99
213 bar, 10 L/min, AR triplex pump. Petrol only when the plot is huge or the lead will not reach.
Cheapest petrol
POLLOR 7HP 3950 PSI
£209.99
The cheapest named petrol if you accept a no-name frame. Skip it if you want parts and a dealer.
Comparison table
| Model | What it is | Max pressure | Flow | Hose | Typical UK price (22 Aug 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| K5 Power Control Flex | Long-hose home electric | 20 to 145 bar | 500 L/h | 10 m Flex | £339.99 |
| K4 Power Control Flex | Default home electric | 20 to 130 bar | 420 L/h | 8 m Flex | £169 |
| T 5 | Clip-on patio head | Uses the washer | 280 mm hood | n/a | From about £55. Screwfix £58.99 |
| Hyundai HYW3100P2 | Homeowner petrol | 213 bar | 10 L/min | 7.5 m | £599.99 |
| POLLOR 7HP 3950 PSI | No-name petrol | 3950 psi claimed | 7 hp claimed | n/a | £209.99 |
Prices checked 22 August 2026. Home kits add a T 5 and cost more. Confirm what is in the box before you add a second head.
Measure the plot first
Stand at the tap. If an 8 m hose walks the bay and the path with one move of the trolley, you do not need a K5. That is a short parking bay, one or two cars, and maybe a side return you can cover from the corner. Buy the K4 Power Control Flex at £169, or a Bosch UniversalAquatak 135 if you already live on Bosch and you will never do neglected block.
If you cannot reach the far kerb without dragging the machine, or the plot is 30 to 40 m² and green, buy the K5. The extra money is two metres of hose and 80 L/h. That is what empties algae off a north-facing frontage before lunch. Do not buy a K7 because the drive looks long. That is trade muscle for a Saturday.
No outdoor socket, or a farm lane, is petrol. See the petrol guide only after you have ruled out a 13A lead. No tap is a cordless rinse, not a bigger pump. A battery gun will wash a car. It will not strip mossy paving.
Kärcher K5 Power Control Flex
The driveway washer if you have a tap and a socket
- Buy: Check latest price £339.99, in stock this check · GO Outdoors £339.99 · Kärcher UK
- Pressure / flow: 20 to 145 bar, 500 L/h
- Hose: 10 m PremiumFlex
- Motor: 2.1 kW, water-cooled
- Who it is for: a long or green drive you will actually walk, not a short bay you already cover with an 8 m hose
We like this box because you park it by the tap and forget it. Ten metres covers a UK semi with a front drive and a return. 500 L/h moves stone cleaner off the face faster than a K4. 145 bar is still domestic. Under a T 5, or on a wide Vario a metre back, it is the right class for neglected block. As a pencil jet in the pointing, it empties the sand.
£339.99 is the named street price today. The first figure on that page is ex VAT. Shop the live total on Home kits. If the bare Flex plus a T 5 is dearer than a Home carton, take the kit. Do not then add another head.
Skip it if the only hard surface is a short bay and a path. Keep the K4. Skip it if there is no outdoor socket. A longer hose will not invent a 13A point.
Kärcher K4 Power Control Flex
The machine if the drive is short, or the job is really the cars
- Buy: Check latest price £169 · Kärcher UK official around £220
- Pressure / flow: 20 to 130 bar, 420 L/h
- Hose: 8 m PremiumFlex
- Who it is for: a short bay, one or two cars, and a path you can cover from a corner
Eight metres walks a family hatchback on a short plot. It will not let you stand still on a long van. 130 bar with a twist-to-adjust Vario is enough for the face of the block if you add a T 5. It is slower than a K5 on a green 40 m² drive. That is the whole difference. If you will never touch the slabs, this is a cars buy. A Bosch UniversalAquatak 135 sits in the same honest class for people who already own Bosch lances. If the only job is one small car, that is a K2 vs K4 conversation.
Skip it if you already know the hose will come up short. Spend the extra on the K5 once.
Kärcher T 5 T-Racer
The head for the face of the block, if you already own a K-series washer
- Buy: Screwfix £58.99 · Kärcher Centre Trafalgar from about £55 · Wickes £79 list
- Compatible with: K2 to K7 Home & Garden
- Working width: 280 mm
A T 5 is not a washer. Two flat jets spin under a skirt so splash stays on the face. Keep the brim flat. A K2 will spin it and feel thin on a green drive. If the drive is the job, buy a K4 or K5, not a head on a weak pump. More on the patio cleaner page.
Skip it if you do not own a Kärcher. It will not clip onto a Bosch or Nilfisk. Skip it if the only dirt is moss in the joints. This head washes the face.
Hyundai HYW3100P2
Petrol only if the lead will not reach
- Buy: Check latest price £599.99
- Pressure / flow: 213 bar, 10 L/min
- Hose: 7.5 m
- Weight: 38 kg
Petrol is not a faster K5. You get more water and no plug, plus noise, fumes and 38 kg. Use it on stone. Keep it off a family car. The 7.5 m hose is shorter than the K5 Flex. More options sit on the petrol page.
Skip it if a mains K5 will reach the job. Noise and fuel are not a weekend upgrade.
POLLOR 7HP 3950 PSI
Cheapest petrol if you already know you need petrol
- Buy: Check latest price £209.99
- Claimed: 7 hp, 3950 psi
Use this only after you have ruled out a K5. It is the cheapest named petrol on a no-name frame. Skip it if you want Hyundai parts and a dealer. More petrol options sit on the petrol page.
Joints, sand and runoff
Sweep first. Leaves and grit become shot. Wash the faces on a wide Vario or under the T 5. Walk backwards so you are not standing in the bit you just cleaned. The jointing sand is part of the surface. Brush it back in when the plot is dry. Weeds want a brush, not more bar. Oil wants degreaser and dwell time.
Keep the jet off air bricks, weepholes and the damp-proof course. Aim rinse water at a foul drain or your own soil. If you cannot control the flow, skip the soap.
How to choose
- Cars on a short bay. K4 Flex, or an UniversalAquatak 135 if you already run Bosch.
- Long or green drive, tap, socket. K5 Flex. Add a T 5 if you do not already own one.
- Already own a K4 or K5. Buy the T 5, not another washer.
- No socket, or a farm-scale plot. Petrol.
- No tap. Cordless. Not a bigger K-class.
FAQ
What is the best pressure washer for a driveway in the UK right now?
A Kärcher K5 Power Control Flex if the plot is long or green and you have a tap and a 13A socket. A K4 Flex or an UniversalAquatak 135 if you only wash cars on a short bay. Add a T 5 for the face of the block.
Do I need petrol for a driveway?
Only if the lead will not reach, or 500 L/h will take all afternoon. A mains K5 is quieter and cheaper to own for a normal UK frontage.
Will a T 5 damage block paving?
Not if you keep the brim flat and stay off the joints. A dirt blaster in the pointing will blow the sand out.