Hand pump pressure washer?

[PH]

Anyone using one of these? Any thoughts and recommendations?
I've been riding a lot of mucky lanes recently, and the usual post ride routine of a quick rinse with a bucket and sponge is fine except the crud that collects under the guards and I don't really want to be taking the wheels out after each such ride. Wondering if one of these would do the job, seems to be a choice from around £20. Youtube has a couple of vids, not enough to be convinced.
I'm cleaning in the car park at the rear of the flats I live in, so no options for hose pipes or powered washers. But other suggestions welcome.

[Paulkentuk]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/eBuzz-Portable ... 2840&psc=1

I've used a smaller garden spray version of one of these; & you will benefit first, with an application of something like 'Muc Off' although to be honest a hose connected pressure washer is best. RYOBI make a battery pressure washer, but you need that hose connection.

[fastpedaller]

I have a pressure washer, but I won't use it near the bike! Too much risk of bearing damage!
I use a plant sprayer which I bought from Lidl, and a hand-held brush. It's ideal as you just put in your water/soap of choice solution, give it a few pumps (there is a pressure limit valve if you overdo it). With one hand on the trigger and the other wielding the brush it makes the job easy with a reasonable flow, but not too fierce. Was about £10 IIRC.

[rjb]

Lots of advice in this thread.
viewtopic.php?t=134156

[rualexander]

Anyone using one of these? Any thoughts and recommendations?
I've been riding a lot of mucky lanes recently, and the usual post ride routine of a quick rinse with a bucket and sponge is fine except the crud that collects under the guards and I don't really want to be taking the wheels out after each such ride. Wondering if one of these would do the job, seems to be a choice from around £20. Youtube has a couple of vids, not enough to be convinced.
I'm cleaning in the car park at the rear of the flats I live in, so no options for hose pipes or powered washers. But other suggestions welcome.

Bought one from Go Outdoors a few years ago but it didn't last long, pretty poor quality, wasn't too bad while it lasted.

[axel_knutt]

I use as bucket of water with Flash in to wash, then a garden spray with clean water to rinse it off, otherwise the soap leaves stains as it dries.

[Gazelles]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/eBuzz-Portable ... 2840&psc=1

We have a similar one and like it a lot. 2-5l water with a little bit of detergent for a quick clean up make 8l a suitable size.

[TrevA]

I had a hand pump sprayer to clean the bike but the results weren’t great. I eventually bought an electric jet washer that could be run from a car cigar lighter and a portable leisure battery to run it off. This was when my son was riding Cyclo cross and I needed to clean a fairly muddy bike quite quickly. This set up worked for a long time (until he gave up riding cross) but eventually broke.

Technology has moved on and you can buy a hand held battery powered jet washer that can work from a hose or you can screw a 2 litre coke bottle onto it and use it to clean the bike. I believe they are made by Worx but other brands may be available.

https://www.therange.co.uk/garden/garde ... cB#2556291

[yakdiver]

This one works for me
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/174397730906 ... %7Ciid%3A1

[Barrowman]

What fastpedaller said.
High pressure water will get into your hub and bottom bracket Bearings and into your inner cables ( and even inside your tubing on a bad day) and kill the bike.

[PH]

Lots of advice in this thread.
viewtopic.php?t=134156

Thanks, I'd seen that, even contributed to it. At the time I was using a petrol station across the road for a quid's worth of proper jet-was, now you have to buy a £3 token for a program. That thread was inconclusive on the subject of hand pump washers, hence this one.
I have no qualms about using pressure to wash a bike, in particular under the guards which is the only place not easily done with a bucket and sponge.
I think the answer is going to be buy one and see for myself. The intention is to do it at the end of a ride before putting the bike away, that will usually mean before the muck has had a chance to dry, I'm hoping it won't need much pressure. It'll be Monday before I get to the shops, so any suggestions before then still welcome.

[PH]

What fastpedaller said.
High pressure water will get into your hub and bottom bracket Bearings and into your inner cables ( and even inside your tubing on a bad day) and kill the bike.

As above, poor use of a pressure washer will do that, careful use will not.
Here's Brucey's thoughts on using a pressure washer
viewtopic.php?p=975181#p975181
If you don't want to read it - It starts by saying "they work really well". If I had access to outside water and power, I'd have the full monty.

[Barrowman]

Large Soft Brush ( as in a car washing brush) quite good for getting between tyres and mudguards.
Or a wet cloth that's an interference fit between the tyre and the guards rotated with the wheel.

[thirdcrank]

I was chatting with my next-door neighbour yesterday and like me, he is able to use a Karcher connected to mains services on his paved drive, but he also has one of the hand pump jobbies as illustrated early in the thread linked by jrb. He confirmed it's only ever used to apply car wash shampoo as part of the car wash process (ritual?) As such, a really high pressure jet is not required, just the ability to cover the car with the diluted detergent foam which would otherwise be applied with a bucket and sponge.

I think several of my dedicated car washing neighbours do something similar. Indeed, several years ago now, one of the people on my walk to the newsagents had a proprietary one marketed by the distributors of a popular car shampoo. He's gone to the great car wash in the sky so I can't ask him.