Comparison Karcher PCL 4 Patio Cleaner vs Karcher S 4 Twin

— Network. Connection to a regular household outlet. The advantage of this option is its almost unlimited operating time. On the other hand, the power cord limits mobility and does not allow you to move away from sockets, and in their absence the device becomes useless. In addition, in some cases, the power cord can interfere with operation - for example, it will be clearly unnecessary for a heavy machine with a steering wheel and an operator's seat.

— Battery. Battery-powered devices are extremely mobile: they do not depend on sockets and do not have a wire that limits movement. In addition, the absence of a wire has a positive effect on the overall convenience of work - it “doesn’t fit into your hand.” On the other hand, the continuous operation time of such a device is limited by the battery charge, and the machines themselves are heavier, bulkier and more expensive than similar mains-powered models. However, in some cases, the described advantages have a decisive advantage over the disadvantages: in particular, scrubber-drying robots (see “Type”), as well as heavy professional machines with steering control (see below), are powered by a battery.

— Network/battery. Devices that can operate both from the mains and from a built-in battery. The features of these types of nutrition are described in detail above; and their combination is used quite rarely. In particular, this method of power...supply is provided in some window robots: the device uses a battery as standard, but if it is possible to run a wire, you can connect it to the network, saving battery power.

The presence of a mechanical drive in the machine.

This feature is found predominantly in sweepers (see "Type"). Mechanically driven models look like lawnmowers: they have a distinctive low body on wheels and a handle. During operation, the user pushes such a machine in front of him, and the rotation from the wheels is transmitted to the brushes. Devices with a similar design have low performance; on the other hand, they are extremely simple, inexpensive, and completely independent of power sources. Some of these models may also have a battery-powered electric motor but the device can still be used mechanically when needed (for example, if the battery is removed for charging).

The performance of a cleaning machine is the area that the unit can process in an hour.

Usually, the specs indicate the maximum performance achieved under perfect conditions. It may turn out to be somewhat lower due to the specs of the room, the presence of old dirt and other factors. However, the theoretical difference is usually quite consistent with the actual one. For example, models for 1000 m2/h and 2000 m2/h will differ in performance approximately by two times. So, according to this parameter, it is quite possible to evaluate different models and compare them with each other.

Note that high performance requires a powerful motor and capacious tanks, which affects the dimensions, weight and cost of the unit. Therefore, excessive performance is just as undesirable as insufficient. In addition, more powerful machines usually have a larger working width and are not well suited for rooms with an abundance of narrow passages and nooks and crannies.

As for the actual values, models less than 1000 m2/h belong to the entry-level. It is the specs that most household machines have (see "Type"). A value from 1000 to 2000 m2/h is relatively low for professional sweepers and the average for scrubber dryers. 2000 – 3000 m2/h is considered a fairly solid performance, and models of more than 3000 m2/h is extremely ra...re. These are mostly high-end sweepers (it is extremely difficult to achieve such characteristics in scrubbers).

Rated power of the engine installed in the car.

Most often, this paragraph gives the total engine power. However, in units with a suction function - for example, scrubber dryers (see "Type") - only the power transmitted to the brushes can be indicated here. In such cases, the total power can be determined by summing the motor power and the suction power (see below). These details should be clarified separately. We also note that in self-propelled models (see above), part of the engine power is spent on moving the unit, which is why the useful power of such machines is lower than that of similar non-self-propelled equipment. In light of this, only models with the same movement format can be directly compared by this indicator - only self-propelled or only non-self-propelled.

Overall, higher motor power results in higher efficiency and productivity. However, there is no strict dependence here, and devices with similar engine characteristics can differ markedly in practical characteristics - productivity, working width, etc. So when choosing, it makes sense to pay attention first of all to these characteristics - especially since for some units (in particular, many robots) the engine power may not be supplied at all. As for specific power values, in the most modest equipment - in particular, household scrubber dryers - it does not exceed 600 W ; 600 – 1200 W can be called average, 1200 – 1800 W is above average, and in powerful heavy units there are even more respectable values.

The number of side brushes provided in the design of the sweeper.

Brushes located on the sides of the body are used in sweepers and vacuum sweepers (see "Type"). They complement the main brush of the unit (usually installed in front of the body or under it) and have two main tasks. The first task is to ensure effective cleaning of hard-to-reach places, such as the space near walls or curbs, floor areas under radiators or shelves, etc. The design of the brush is such that it easily sweeps dust out of narrow spaces. The second task is to increase the working width (see below) and the corresponding increase in productivity (see above).

Modern sweepers can be equipped with 1 or 2 side brushes. In the second case, such devices are installed on both sides of the unit. And the standard location of a single brush is on the right. The brushes can be made detachable — this can be useful for working in narrow spaces, where manoeuvrability and compactness are more important than coverage.

Sweeper brush rotation speed in standard operating mode. This parameter is relevant mainly for scrubbers (see "Type"). However, it can also be indicated for sweeping units powered by an electric motor (in a mechanical drive, the brush speed will depend on the actual speed of movement).

Theoretically, the higher the speed, the more thorough the cleaning is, and the more efficiently the machine handles old, dried dirt. However, there are two important points. The first is that modern technology can use not only rotating but also vibrating brushes. In the latter case, the number of revolutions is indicated by the number of vibrations per minute. And if the speed of rotating brushes usually does not exceed 400 rpm, then in vibration brushes it ranges from 700 to 1500 rpm and even higher. The second point is that the quality of cleaning depends not only on speed but also on the diameter of the brush: the edges of a larger brush at the same speed will move faster. With all this in mind, only models with the same principle of operation (rotation or vibration) and a similar working width can be compared in terms of the number of revolutions.

The width of the space that a harvester can cover in one pass. In models with removable side brushes (see above), this paragraph indicates figures only for the unit itself, and the width of the grip with brushes is specified separately (see below).

The large working width is convenient when working in large open spaces - it allows you to complete the job in fewer passes. In turn, machines with a small working width - and, accordingly, a relatively narrow body - are more passable, they are better suited for environments with a large number of hard-to-reach places. So you should choose based on this parameter taking into account the characteristics of the premises/territories being served.

Ширина пространства, которое уборочная машина способна обработать с использованием двух боковых щеток. Подробнее о таких щетках см. выше; здесь же отметим, что они используются в подметальных машинах (см. «Тип») для увеличения ширины захвата и для эффективной обработки труднодоступных мест (например, пространства под бордюрами и стенками). Наличие же двух щеток позволяет эффективно обрабатывать такие места независимо от того, каким боком к ним повернута машина.

Что касается ширины захвата, то в целом бОльшая ширина улучшает эффективность на обширных открытых пространсттвах, однако ухудшает проходимость в труднодоступных местах. В то же время стоит отметить, что дополнительные щетки почти не влияют на ширину корпуса; так что оценивать проходимость машины лучше по ее собственной рабочей ширине, без щеток — см. «Ширина захвата». Впрочем, в некоторых моделях приводится только ширина захвата со щетками — это обычно значит, что щетки сделаны несъемными; в таких случаях можно ориентироваться на общие габариты агрегата.

Объём бака для мусора, предусмотренного в конструкции уборочной машины. Баком для мусора оснащаются агрегаты подметального и подметально-всасывающего типа (см. выше). Чем больше ёмкость данного контейнера — тем больше мусора он может вместить и тем реже его придётся опорожнять. С другой стороны, данный показатель может ощутимо повлиять на вес и габариты уборочной машины, притом что для небольших объёмов уборки (например, эпизодического подметания дорожки на выезде из гаража) вместительный бак для мусора попросту не требуется. Поэтому производители обычно выбирают ёмкость этого бака, исходя из общего класса уборочной машины и работ, на которые она рассчитана.