REVIEW: Resqtech Portable Pressure Car Washer


A water hose, if not a car washer, is a must for car detailing as it is impossible to clean areas like the front grille and tyres with hands alone. A car washer only makes the job easier. As my garage doesn’t have an electric point, I decided to buy a rechargeable portable car washer from an online store called Resqtech.

Brand

An Indian company called Resqtech is marketing portable car wash products manufactured by CBS, which I gather is a Chinese company. There are Chinese characters on the parts.

Price

At ₹7195 (shipping and taxes included), it seems a bit too expensive.

Shipping

I bought the product from the seller’s website resqtech.in. They sent it in a carboard box without a shred of a thermocol! I received the bucket in a broken condition – it came with a large crack on a side. Luckily, it was replaced quickly when I contacted.

Build quality

The build quality is above average. The plastic body of the bucket looks durable enough, but certainly don’t get carried away by the advert video and try standing on it! The hose pipe is also a sturdy one, one that won’t coil up or kink easily. The other attachments – esp. the pistol spray – look rather solid.

Operation

  • Water pressure: The pressure is no match to mainstream pressure washers from reputed brands. For regular washing of a city car, the pressure is just adequate, but falls short when I am washing the mud sitting deep on the lower panels of the car.
  • Noise: The noise of the pump is quite low. Mainstream car washers, on the other hand, tend to be noisier.
  • “Auto on” function: On turning the unit on, the pump is ready for action but not operational yet. It automatically becomes operational every time I press the trigger and stops when I release it. [Tip: don’t keep the unit turned on when not using for a prolonged time.]

Components

  • Bucket: The yellow plastic bucket holds 28 litres of water, with volume markings in L on the inside. It comes with a black lid and a handle. The lid isn’t water-tight, which means the full bucket can’t be moved around without spilling water.
  • Hose: The hose is long enough to complete a full circle around my Alto K10. It has to be fitted to the outlet of the bucket with force until you hear a click. Then there is a washer to be tightened. The other end of the hose connects the attachment you want to use for washing e.g spray gun.
  • Spray gun: The power of the water jet can be varied with pressure on the trigger. A gentle press will result in a fine mist spray. On pressing the trigger fully, I get a powerful jet for washing the tyres.
  • Water release trigger: One end to be fitted to the hose. The other end connects the white brush assembly or the gardening nozzle.
  • White brush with black assembly: This is a brush with soft bristles. Used for brushing the car e.g. when rinsing off shampoo from the car.
  • White cleaning brush: This is an extra white brush provided. You can take the old one out from the black assembly and replace with this one.
  • Gardening nozzle: You will find this useful if you have a penchant for gardening.
  • Micro fiber cloth: An extra microfiber cloth is always welcome!
  • Washer (green): A spare washer. Goes inside the water release trigger.
  • Coin: It is supposed to be helpful if the water doesn’t come out evenly from the white brush assembly.
  • AC charger: It plugs to an AC socket and charges the battery fully in 3-4 hours. The red indicator light on the charger turns green once the battery has been fully charged.
  • 12 V DC charger: It powers the unit by tapping into the car battery. May come handy if you have forgotten to charge your unit beforehand.

Maintenance

All the components like the spray gun or the water release trigger can be disassembled. I wipe them and lay them open under the fan on a newspaper, and reassemble them once completely dried. This goes a long way in preventing corrosion and sedimentation inside the components. In case any parts break, most of them are available online for purchase.

Servicing

After sales service is a grey area. While a customer support helpline number is prominently displayed on the website, there is no mention of any service centre. In all probability, a customer will be asked to speed post the unit to Pune in case of a malfunction.

Conclusion

Somewhat overpriced, but does the job. For the same price you can get more powerful mainstream car washers from reputed brands. Get this only if getting a running water or electric supply in your garage isn’t feasible. Bad packaging during shipping is a downer. Other than the obvious advantages like portability and low noise, I think its two best features are the variable power of water jet and “auto on” function.