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The Karcher K5 is the most powerful mid-size machine in Kärcher's home range: 145 bar, 500 litres an hour and 40 m² of paving an hour. It's built for regular cleaning of driveways, block paving, patios, cars and caravans, where a K2 or K3 would take too long. This page lists the machines we stock and the lances, patio cleaners, foam nozzles and hoses that fit them.
Not sure which class you need? Our K4 vs K5 vs K7 comparison sets them side by side, or browse every Karcher pressure washer. Everything here is sold by My Tool Shed.
Kärcher sorts its home machines into classes from K 2 to K 7, and the K 5 is the one it rates for regular use on moderate dirt. That means moss in block paving joints, green algae on sandstone paving, a muddy 4x4 and a caravan roof in spring. With 40 m² an hour of area performance, it cleans a typical two-car driveway in an afternoon. A K2 would take twice as long.
It's also the class where you start to choose between motors. The compact K 5 Classic has a universal motor, the same type used in the smaller classes. The WCM models have a water-cooled motor: water heading to the pump flows round the motor, keeping it cool on long jobs, so it lasts longer. If you clean the drive, the patio and the cars every few weeks, that's the version to have.
These figures are from Kärcher's data sheets and the listings on our site. The pump is the same in every version, so the cleaning power is the same. What changes is the motor, the hose and what comes in the box.
| Spec | K 5 Classic | K 5 WCM Flex eco!Booster Home |
|---|---|---|
| Pressure | 20 to 145 bar | 20 to 145 bar |
| Flow rate | 500 l/h max | 500 l/h max |
| Area performance | 40 m²/h | 40 m²/h |
| Motor | Universal, 2.1kW | Water-cooled, 2.1kW |
| High-pressure hose | 8m | 10m PremiumFlex |
| Power cable | 5m | 5m |
| Max water feed temperature | 40°C | 40°C |
| Weight (no accessories) | 5.6kg | 12.6kg |
| Size (L x W x H) | 188 x 252 x 445mm | 369 x 329 x 901mm |
| Lances and kit | Vario Power, dirt blaster | eco!Booster, dirt blaster, T 5 surface cleaner |
Both take water from a garden hose through the A3/4 adaptor and have an integrated water filter on the inlet, which keeps grit out of the aluminium pump. They both use the G 180 Q high-pressure gun, and the hose clicks into the gun and the machine with Quick Connect. Detergent is drawn up through a suction hose.
A search for this class throws up a lot of names, because Kärcher changes the line-up every few years and shops sell old and new stock side by side.
The K 5 Classic took over from the older K 5 Compact. It's a small, upright body with wheels and a height-adjustable telescopic handle, and the 8m hose winds round the front cover. With a weight of 5.6kg it fits on a garage shelf or in a car boot. It's the cheapest way to get the full 145 bar pump.
The WCM Flex is the bigger body with the water-cooled motor and a 10m PremiumFlex hose, which stays supple, lies flat and doesn't kink like a cheaper hose. It comes with the eco!Booster lance rather than the Vario Power lance. The Home kit we stock adds a T 5 surface cleaner and a litre of stone and facade cleaner. The Car & Home version also adds a rotating wash brush, a foam jet and car shampoo.
The K 5 Premium has a built-in hose reel and the water-cooled motor. The K 5 Power Control has a trigger gun with a small display showing the pressure setting, and the Smart Control links that gun to Kärcher's Home & Garden app. In January 2026 Kärcher announced its new Comfort range for the K 4 to K 7 classes, which replaces the Power Control and Smart Control Flex models. Older versions are still sold while stocks last. They use the same 145 bar pump, so the accessories below fit them too.
If the patio is the main job, our pressure washers for patios and driveways page compares other brands, and pressure washer patio cleaners lists more surface cleaner heads.
Most of the grid above is parts for this class. Machines made since 2011 use Quick Connect, so most parts for the home K range click straight on. A few are sized for one pump class, so check the fit line on each card before you order.
A Karcher K4 gives 130 bar, 420 l/h and 30 m² an hour from a 1.8kW motor. It's plenty for a car and a medium terrace, and usually costs less. The K5's extra 80 litres an hour is what you notice on paving: it rinses away the dirt it lifts much faster. A Karcher K7 goes up to 180 bar and 600 l/h for 60 m² an hour. That's worth it for very large drives, render and heavy moss, but it's bigger, adds weight and costs more. For most UK homes with a drive and a patio, the K5 is the sweet spot. Still deciding? Read what bar pressure washer you need.
Prices change, so treat these as rough figures. The K 5 Classic usually costs about £200 to £250, and the WCM Flex Home kits about £300 to £350. Most accessories here cost £12 to £60, with the telescopic lance kits at around £100 to £130.
My Tool Shed usually delivers on the next working day and takes unused items back within 30 days (retailer's terms apply). Kärcher gives home machines bought since January 2024 a two year guarantee, or five years if you register it with Kärcher within 28 days. The guarantee covers home use only and doesn't include accessories.
Yes, it's the smallest class Kärcher recommends for regular use on paved drives. Use a surface cleaner on block paving for even results, then the dirt blaster on stubborn moss in the joints. Our how to jet wash a patio guide covers the method.
Yes. Use the widest spray at reduced pressure, keep the lance about 30cm from the paint and apply foam first. Never use the dirt blaster on paintwork or tyres. Our pressure washers for cars page has more tips.
If you use it often or for long sessions, yes. The water-cooled motor runs cooler and Kärcher says it lasts longer. For a car wash and a terrace clean a few times a year, the compact Classic does the same job for less.
Most do. Quick Connect guns, foam nozzles, brushes and the PS 20 and PS 30 fit across the range. Lances and nozzles made for one pump size don't, so pick the versions made for this class. Browse all pressure washer accessories.
A blocked inlet water filter, a kinked hose, a worn nozzle or air in the pump are the usual causes. Our Karcher pressure washer not working guide goes through each fix.
