Karcher K5.740 Review

(Rated: 3.8 / 5) Review by Frank Lowery
Noise
Ease of Assembly
Maneuverability
Balance And Handling
Result Quality
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Being a homeowner can be a lot of work – there never seems to be any end to everything that goes into keeping your house looking its best. Not only are there countless minor repairs and little things to take care of around the house, but the outside can start to lose its luster really quickly. Windows start to get dirty almost as soon as you’ve washed them. Mold and grime can build up on siding and masonry. The gutters get clogged with leaves and debris, and the sidewalks and driveway can get dirty fast. Keeping all of that clean can take a lot of time, but it does not have to. With a solid pressure washer like the Karcher K5.740 on your side, you will be able to take big cleanup jobs and get them finished faster than ever. Not only that, the Karcher K5.740 makes those jobs easier on you, because it does all of the work for you.

Review Summary

With a high performance electric pressure washer like the Karcher K5.740 in your garage, cleanup jobs that used to take the whole afternoon – or worse, the entire weekend – to get finished can now be done in just an hour or two. The Karcher K5.740 has a high powered spray that blasts dirt and grime from a wide range of surfaces in a matter of minutes. That means that cleanup jobs that you have been putting off because they seem like too much work can finally be taken care of. In fact, after you use the Karcher K5.740 on one or two jobs, you will be so impressed by its performance that you may find yourself eagerly looking around for more chores to use it for.

And because the Karcher K5.740 is so versatile, you will have no trouble adjusting it to wash all kinds of surfaces. It is not just for power washing masonry or concrete driveways. You can select a more delicate spray for washing your car or windows, or select a medium powered spray for cleaning your deck or grill. And because it’s electric, you can even use it indoors to clean your tile floors – but make sure you have a good drainage system, because it has a high flow rate.

Specifications

The Karcher K5.740 is an electric pressure washer with a 120 Volt / 60 Hertz water-cooled induction motor. The motor powers a direct-drive axial pump that produces a spray with a max pressure of 2000 PSI and a flow rate of 1.4 gallons per minute. This gives it a cleaning power rating of 2800 units.

The Karcher K5.740 weighs just 32 pounds and has dimensions of 13.1 x 16.8 x Karcher K5.740.3 inches. It provides a cold water spray through its pro-style, adjustable get gun, which is attached to a 25-foot hose made of durable PVC plastic. It has a 35 foot power cord and big, durable wheels.

Description

When you first lay eyes on the Karcher K5.740, you may not think that it looks like much – after all, this pressure washer weighs just 32 pounds, making it easy to lift, and is small enough that you could easily store it in a closet or tool shed. But do not be fooled by its small size: this is a powerful pressure washer that packs a real punch. It has a well-designed motor and pump system that provides enough pressure to deal with even the toughest jobs. You can easily blast dirt and grime out of or off any surface in just minutes with the Karcher K5.740.

But this is not just a powerful pressure washer with nothing more than brute force to offer. It is a precision machine that is designed to provide a wide range of pressure settings so you will always be able to use the perfect level of power for whatever job you have to take care of. The pressure is controlled with an adjustable jet nozzle that allows you to easily shift from a higher to a lower level of power without having to stop working. That means you can dial up the water pressure for tough stains and dial it down for more delicate projects.

And with a power cord and spray hose that add up to sixty feet in length, the Karcher K5.740 provides you with a great range of motion. That means you will not have to be moving it every five minutes when you are taking care of big jobs or washing your car. And you will not have to worry about how far away the nearest electrical plug is when you are taking care of outdoor jobs. The Karcher K5.740 can be rolled just about anywhere, and because it is so light you can even carry it up a ladder for jobs that were once out of reach.

Pros

The Karcher K5.740 has lots of great features that help to make it one of the better compact electric pressure washers on the market today. With an outstanding design that lowers the machine’s center of gravity and makes operating it a lot less of a hassle, the Karcher K5.740 is easy to use. And it provides an outstanding cleaning power rating for any residential pressure washer, especially a compact one like this.

1. Solid cleaning power rating : The cleaning power rating, which is the product of the maximum pressure in PSI and the flow rate in gallons per minute, is always going to be the first thing you should be looking for on a pressure washer. This feature is going to tell you a lot about whether the pressure washer has what it takes to deal with the toughest jobs out there. With a cleaning power rating just shy of 3000 units, the Karcher K5.740 is one of the better residential pressure washers on the market.
2. Durable design : There are a lot of electric pressure washers out there that have a decent pump, solid PSI and flow rate, but for whatever reason are not solidly built. It may be because manufacturers do not think that residential pressure washers need to be tough, but that is not true. The Karcher K5.740 offers a solid design and durable build, so you can count on it to be impact-resistant and ready for tough work.
3. Zero emissions produced : One of the best things about an electric pressure washer is that they do not produce any carbon emissions at the point of use. This is great for the environment, of course, but it also means that you will not have to worry about inhaling exhaust fumes while you are using it. That means you can use the Karcher K5.740 in an enclosed space without having to worry about ventilation, which gives you more freedom to use it on more jobs.
4. Easier to use : The control panel and other features on the Karcher K5.740 are specifically designed to make using it a lot easier than other electric pressure washers are. Because it has an adjustable jet spray, you do not have to fumble with nozzles to change the pressure. The controls are clearly labeled and easy to operate. All you have to do is plug the Karcher K5.740 in, hook it up to a water source, and you will be ready to start cleaning tough stains.
5. Long term performance : The Karcher K5.740 has a solid 120 Volt motor under the hood that will never need any maintenance to keep it running for hundreds and hundreds of hours. The direct-drive axial pump is also designed to provide serious pressure without ever needing a tune-up. And because the body and other crucial parts of the Karcher K5.740 are made of solid composite plastic, you never have to worry about it breaking down. The Karcher K5.740 is built to run for a long time.

With all of these great features, there is virtually no reason why the Karcher K5.740 is not the right pressure washer for any homeowner who has big cleanup jobs that they want to get done faster and with less work. The Karcher K5.740 has the cleaning power rating needed to take on tough chores, and it is designed to be more lightweight and easier to use than other pressure washers in its class.

Cons

In spite of the fact that the Karcher K5.740 has some really outstanding features, including a higher PSI and flow rate than most other residential pressure washers offer and the ability to deal with tough cleanup jobs week after week for many years, there are a few areas in which it is not quite perfect. I did not find any serious problems with the Karcher K5.740, but there were a few minor issues that could use improvement.

1. Flow rate could be slightly higher : While a flow rate of 1.4 gallons is enough to make the cleaning power rating on the Karcher K5.740 nearly 3000 units, it could be a bit higher. If the Karcher K5.740 had a flow rate that was just a quarter of a gallon per minute higher, its overall cleaning power rating would be well over 3000 units, which would kick the pressure washer into the highest levels for residential models.
2. PVC hose is hard to work with : PVC plastic is a great material for making high pressure hoses that are also very durable. But because it is so stiff and solid, a PVC plastic hose can be a bit hard to work with. The hose takes a bit of effort to get fully uncoiled and has a tendency to wind back onto itself. There is a convenient reel for winding the hose up after you are done washing, which helps.
3. Intake connector is plastic : The connector for the incoming water supply is made of plastic, which was a bit confusing since the connector for the outgoing hose is made of more durable brass. Plastic connectors are inferior because a metal hose will wear down the threading on them, causing them to eventually develop leaks that can affect the performance of the machine. You can replace the plastic connector with a brass one, which is cheap and easy, but you shouldn’t have to.
4. Hard to control detergent level : The Karcher K5.740 has an onboard detergent reservoir, which is very convenient. It allows you to always have the option to use soap on hand without needing you to swap nozzle tips for a soap dispenser. But there is no way to control the level of soap that is being added to the spray on the Karcher K5.740 – it’s either on or off. This may result in you getting more soap than you need for some jobs.
5. Price is above average : For a residential electric pressure washer, the Karcher K5.740 has a price tag that is slightly above average. This is not an altogether bad thing, because you do get what you pay for, and the Karcher K5.740 is definitely a top tier pressure washer with a lot to offer its owner. It is also built to last, and you are going to be still going strong with the Karcher K5.740 when cheaper pressure washers would have already broken down and had to be completely replaced.

While the flow rate on the Karcher K5.740 could certainly use a small bump, and the fact that the intake connection is plastic is a bit of a disappointment, overall I do not think that any of the Cons I could find really take away from its overall performance. The Karcher K5.740 is still a solid pressure washer with lots of great features, a high max PSI and a great design.

Product Comparison

Of course, you can only tell so much about a pressure washer like the Karcher K5.740 from Pros and Cons lists, and they do not tell you anything about how it stacks up to what the competition is making. To find that out, you have to do a bit of comparison shopping. That way, you can determine whether the Karcher K5.740 is really the best one for you, or if something better is out there.

	Karcher K5.740	Campbell Hausfeld PW1825	All-Power APW5022
Type	Residential	Residential	Residential
Class	2-wheel	2-wheel	2-wheel
Dimensions	13.1 x 16.8 x 34.3	13x11x31	33x11x12
Power	Electric	Electric	Electric
Motor	120 V / 60 Hz / 13 Amp (water-cooled induction)	120 V / 60 Hz / 14 Amp	120 V / 60 Hz / 13 Amp
PSI	2000	1800	2000
GPM	1.4	1.5	1.6
Power Rating	2800	2700	3200
Pump	Direct-drive axial	Direct-drive axial	Direct-drive axial
Cold/Hot	Cold	Cold	Cold
Spray Gun	Pro-style	Ergonomic	Pro-style
Nozzle	Adjustable jet Dirt blaster	Adjustable jet Turbo	Adjustable jet Dirt blaster
Hose	1/4-inch x 25-foot	1/4-inch x 20-foot	1/4-inch x 19-foot
Hose Material	PVC/plastic	PVC/plastic	PVC/plastic
Power Cord	35-foot	35-foot	35-foot
Weight	32 pounds	28 pounds	22.9 pounds
Warranty	1 year	1 year	1 year

The Karcher K5.740 is a bit heavier and bigger than the other two pressure washers, but it also has one of the highest PSIs you can find on a residential model. Although the gallons per minute could be a bit higher, as with the All-Power model, overall the Karcher K5.740 delivers a solid cleaning power rating. It also has the longest hose of the three models, which gives you a wider range of motion, as well as a Pro-style spray gun.

Conclusion

I think the Karcher K5.740 really has a lot to offer its owner in terms of versatility and sheer cleaning power. But before you make your final decision about whether this is the right pressure washer for you, I think it would be smart to take one more brief look at the Pros and Cons lists.

Conclusion Pros

1. Solid cleaning power rating.
2. Durable design.
3. Zero emissions produced.
4. Easier to use.
5. Long term performance.

With one of the highest cleaning power ratings you can find on an electric pressure washer, durable design and lots of great features, the Karcher K5.740 is a solid machine. It will provide plenty of cleaning power for many years of use and make big, tough jobs a lot easier.

Conclusion Cons

1. Flow rate could be slightly higher.
2. PVC hose is hard to work with.
3. Intake connector is plastic.
4. Hard to control detergent level.
5. Price is above average.

While I would like to see a higher flow rate, and always prefer connections to be made of brass instead of plastic, overall the few Cons the Karcher K5.740 had will not seriously affect its overall performance too much. I think that in spite of these Cons that the Karcher K5.740 is still a solid pressure washer.

Final Word

A compact electric pressure washer like the Karcher K5.740 can go a long way to making the job of maintaining a home a lot easier. With the Karcher K5.740, you get all of the cleaning power you need so that you can deal with big, tough jobs more quickly and easily. And because it has a convenient adjustable jet spray gun and an onboard soap reservoir, you can select exactly the right pressure to gently wash stains out of more delicate surfaces that a higher pressure setting might damage. That kind of versatility is very important, because it means that you will be able to use your Karcher K5.740 to take care of a wider range of cleanup jobs. And the more places you can use the Karcher K5.740, the better: that’s because this pressure washer is going to save you a lot of time and energy on any job you can find for it.

Best Price

While the Karcher K5.740 is definitely not the cheapest electric pressure washer out there, you definitely get what you pay for, and I think a careful consideration of all of the great features the Karcher K5.740 has to offer will make it clear that it is worth the price. This is a high performance pressure washer that delivers serious quality. It is built to reliably provide lots of cleaning power for many years, and there is almost no limit to the different kinds of jobs you can use it for. I think the Karcher K5.740 is a solid pressure washer at a very fair price.