Karcher SC1122 Review

Overall Rating

Does everything it's supposed to do - and more.

Seal on filler cap blew after 4 months. Hose connection bad design and losing pressure. Bad after sales care from Karcher.

The Karcher SC1122 can clean the kitchen in a fraction of the time it would take using chemical cleaners. Great because I'm asthmatic and can't use certain products. It even removes burnt on grease from the cooker hob easily.

The seal on the filler cap blew after 4 months. A couple of weeks ago a seal has gone where the hose connects into the machine so it just loses pressure all the time. Looks to me like it is possibly a design fault because the hose connection assembly seems to be quite flimsy.

I bought the machine in April this year but unfortunately I lost the receipt for it. However, I had registered it with Karcher when I first got it.

Contacted Karcher the other day about it and they didn't want to know as I didn't have the receipt for it. Explained that the machine was registered under warranty with them. They told me that the registration is only for their demographic use and refused to honour the warranty. In other words, they couldn't care less!

By contrast I have a Dyson DC04 vacuum cleaner. Had a problem with the belts breaking. Contacted Dyson and although my vacuum cleaner is out of warranty now, they very kindly sent me a new brush bar with their compliments at no cost to myself and even apologised that I was having problems fitting a new belt!

0 points to Karcher. Top marks to Dyson.

Went back to the store where I bought the Karcher today. They issued me with a duplicate receipt and told me to bring the Karcher back and they would exchange it or give me a full refund, whichever is my preference. Suffice to say I will not be replacing it with another Karcher but will replace it with an alternative make.

I would recommend steam cleaners to anyone but not Karcher, which is a shame because the machine does everything it's supposed to and more. Maybe I just got a bad one but Karcher's cavalier attitude means that I will never purchase any more of their products and would never recommend them as a company to anyone.

Members' Comments oncorkycat27's Review

• ClareLondon on 3rd Jan 2006

  Don't know about Karcher, but I had exactly the same marvellous experience with Dyson when I thought my Dyson was faulty. They spent ages on the phone with me explaining how unlikely it was to have an actual technical fault and explained how on almost every occasion it is possible to clean it and make it good as new at home, with no expense. On the phone they talked me through taking the bits off and putting it back together again. They were right, the machine just needed a clean. It wasn't under warranty at the time. This made no difference to them. They spent a good 25 minutes on the phone to me. I was even rung back to check all was well. They have earned my custom for life. Karcher and any manufacturer who behaves like them, are stupid. Their behaviour is unhelpful and totally unproductive. Idiots. Dyson's standards of customer care are so high I bet they annoy about one person a year if that. Probably they never do.

• corkycat27 on 3rd Jan 2006

  I'm happy to say my Dyson is still going strong.
  
  As for the steam cleaner, we part-exchanged the Karcher for a Polti which is a fabulous machine. I thought the Karcher was good. The Polti is 100 times better and so far, hasn't given us any problems.

• ClareLondon on 5th Jan 2006

  I'm wanting to buy a steam cleaner, which is why I ended up on this review section. Which particular Polit would you recommend? There seem to loads. Instinct tells me to go for the very bestest one, but it costs a small fortune. Maybe a less expensive one would do the job... Any ideas? Thanks! Clare :-)