Want to order a battery powered pressure washer but unsure which to choose. Just like the idea of washing my bike off before I go home from a ride. Usually much easier to do while it’s still fresh and wet, and also saves filling the van with muck etc. Anyone care to help me choose? Thanks.

I’ve used a Nomad washer for several years now and am very, very happy with it. Not cheap but made the post ride clean a hell of a lot easier living in a small flat 🙂 any specific questions or worries on the Nomad just let me know and I’ll do my best to help

Unfortunately Nomad have been out of stock for ages with no reliable word for when they’ll be available again! All the other ones with a battery (Mobi etc) seem to be the same generic Chinese design and for every person who’s pleased with it there’s someone else moaning it’s crap.

Yes, it must be not far off a year that the Nomad hasn’t been available. I used to have a Dirt Worker that broke, had it repaired but didn’t last.

I have just bought the Agua2Go Pro 20l, only used it twice but seems really good so far, there is enough water to do 2 really dirty bikes (claggy mud) or 3 wet mud.

Want to order a battery powered pressure washer but unsure which to choose

Why do you want a battery-operated when you

Just like the idea of washing my bike off before I go home from a ride

?

A free-standing battery-powered one is more flexible but also much more expensive than a cig-lighter powered one, and if you only ever plan on using it next to your car, is it worth paying for that flexibility? I see either Mobi or Aqua2go at CX races. We’ve got a Mobi V15 which runs off the cig lighter not separate battery so gets used at the end of the race rather than in the pits, ours has been fine, though only had light use, but there’s a current thread suggesting common issue with the hose popping off. It was also £55 from CRC when we bought it, which was half the price of a battery-powered unit. As we’ve got into CX and are possibly running pit bikes next year a free-stander would be useful to us, but as it is I’ll probably DIY something with an old car battery and an extra water container in an old tartan shopping trolley or something (you see some fantastic contraptions at CX races!).

Ah that sucks on the Nomads. Any idea why they became unavailable?

From their website:

Significant progress has been made in moving the production of Nomad to a new factory which will mean a better price for you, and in the longer term more reliable production. However, unfortunately we’re behind schedule. We’re not now expecting anything until the new year. Rather than provide unreliable updates, the next update will be when the stock is on the boat.

If ever there was justification for manufacturing in the UK then this is it.

I wouldn’t get a moby one from chainreation btw, my battery stopped charging, assumed it was a loose connection so took it out (easy to do and they suggest you do so if not using for a while). Bloody impossible to get it back in. Poor design.

Some brilliant feedback guys. Many thanks. Given me something to think about. Tbh I hadn’t considered a 12v tethered washer just for the convenience but it probably won’t be an issue. I’ll almost always have the access to power that I’ll need. The extra versatility is probably wasted on my situation. Cheers.

BOOM! Ideal solution – and it is cheaper than the battery powered stuff and doesn’t need a separate power unit!

I use something similar to Dickbarton’s suggestion. Its a few quid, sits in the back of the car and gets most of the muck off without blowing grease out of the bearings.

You must have very weedy (or wet) muck where you are, they don’t even touch proper mud. Everyone I know who’s bought one of those has ended up getting a proper powered washer.

the hand sprayers are fine – use a brush in combination if its really claggy but it’ll get the drivetrain cleaned out, get the worst off

it’s only a problem if you let it dry – finish off at home if you really need to

So I used one of the pump spray things as advised above, was OK but anything Flagg wasn’t shifting at all. I now have a mobi and have had for 6 months it works brilliantly. Nicely designed loads of pressure the only time it has been able to help us with frozen mud. Would recommend to anyone.

I’ve bought one of these: 12v pressure washer from eBay and a 25ltr drum. Approx £30 all in. Granted it won’t suit everyone but I’ve fixed the pump into the back of my van, plug it into the leisure sockets in the back and job done. I’d imagine someone more intelligent than myself could rig up a neater set up to use in a car

This looks like an updated version of the original yellow Dirtworker which funnily enough has Airace moulded into the body…

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Airace-Waterman-Portable-Pressure-Capacity/dp/B0050VDO1G

My original Dirtworker must be 8 years old now & still works fine, although I had to replace the trigger for it after a few years.
One of the best accessories I have purchased for mountain biking.

I’ve got a Mobiwasher. It’s been going strong now for about 7 years of abuse. The battery is still good. They’re really hard to get replacement parts for (I accidentally crushed my mains adaptor and am now using a NetGear modem lead to charge it. The Aqua2Go ones are pretty much the same thing.

Well worth the investment as I find the people I ride with are more inclined to clean bikes before they get into the warm and dry van.

Tom Kl

If you don’t mind a bit of Heath Robinson approach something similar to P20 solution works pretty well.

You’ll need to buy a jerry can or something to hold the water in and it’s not a nice one box solution but in my experience they work well.

I’m on my second unit, the first unit lasted about 5 years of good operation used multiple times a week over winter eventually a seal inside the pump perished and it lost pressure. I’ve had the second unit almost 2 years now and it’s doing fine.

My second unit was much smaller about the size of a brick and doesn’t have as much pressure as the first but its still plenty to shift claggy mud and if you use a brush you don’t need high pressure just an adequate flow rate which they provide.

the spray things are rubbish.

I made my own from a 12v pump into the cig lighter and an old bit of hose and a water carrier from the camping box.

Works ok and less than 20 quid.