Kärcher FC5 2.0
Product ratings
Pros
Cons
163 reviews
Non-existent suction, long and inefficient cleaning that leaves streaks, really heavy weight of the device, long and boring cleaning of the device. do not buy it.
Usually, I have been very satisfied with Kärcher products.
This was not the case at all with this Kärcher FC5.
Several really negative points support my objective assessment after about ten uses. The surface area cleaned with the FC5 was approximately 200 m2 (10 X 200 m2).
1. The vacuum function only works on very fine and "medium heavy" particles. Everything that is small dust such as certain volatile elements like parts of flowers which are often found in the interiors will not be vacuumed, in reality, a flow of air perhaps caused by the rotary brushes will blow forward this kind of dust and they will never be vacuumed. The "too heavy" particles (very small gravel ~ 0.2 to 0.5mm) are never vacuumed. The rotating brushes propel them behind the machine and they end up at your feet. Thus, having ergonomically "scrubbed" a room, you will end up with a heap of waste propelled to your feet. So don't expect the vacuum function to have any real effect. At most, it can capture small hairs, but that's about it.
Before each use, the dust was taken from the whole room and the vacuum cleaner was passed everywhere. The "waste" I am talking about is therefore residual waste that is not captured by a good vacuum cleaner.
2. The scrubbing function: The appliance is equipped with two rotating brushes positioned on the right and on the left. Between them is a space of about 2 cm. Each time the machine passes, it will leave a trail of 2 cm dry, not humidified because the brushes will not have cleaned this area, so each time it passes, you will have to move the machine a few centimetres to go over this trail, which leads to repetitive and tedious movements on the same area. In short, if you want a real efficient scrubbing, you will have to make a multitude of round trips while shifting the device each time not by the width of the rotating brushes but by one... 1 pass therefore cleans the width of a single brush since it is obligatory to pass again almost at the same place because of this drag.
3. Scrubbing and cleaning products. Having bought the original Kärcher product recommended with this machine, I had to vary the dosage, 1/2 cap, 1 cap, 1-1/2 cap, 2 cap etc. ... If your floors are exposed to windows and reflect the outside light as mine do, the machine leaves absolutely unsightly trails, giving an impression of dirt, so the opposite of the desired effect. No offence intended, but perhaps it is the device I bought that is defective, although it works perfectly well. The unit has been used and cleaned strictly as the manual states.Pro
- The effect of the rotating brushes is perhaps only slightly more effective than a scrubbing brush
- Unwinding system of the electric cable
Contra
- Unnecessary vacuuming
- Scrubbing that leaves traces and is not at all optimized
- Kärcher products that leave traces on the floor
- The weight of the appliance is not really suitable for everyone
- Cleaning the appliance is time-consuming and tedious if done correctly
- Accumulation of water and scouring agents if you stay a few seconds in the same place
- The brushes will dirty the complaints and the walls if you hardly touch them
- After "scrubbing" small surfaces, the device is very quickly clogged and loses its efficiency
- The appliance is very noisy due to its vacuum function and its lack of efficiency
Much better than described here by some
I have had the FC-5 for about as long as it has been around. I see that some users have given the device a very negative review, which I cannot confirm. I would therefore like to give readers of these reviews a more balanced overview.
1. accusation that the appliance clogs during cleaning.
Anyone who cleans their living space once every fortnight and thinks they can rely exclusively on the FC-5 for this will of course be disappointed. Although the Kärcher can also pick up dust without any problems, if there are other crumbs and hair on the floor, you should always carry out a dry clean first, i.e. vacuum cleaning. However, if, for example, a robot vacuum cleaner is whizzing through the rooms every day anyway, you can dispense with the pre-vacuuming and get straight to work with the FC-5.
2nd reproach, difficult cleaning of the appliance after each use.
If, as mentioned, the FC-5 doesn't get masses of hair and crumbs, then cleaning consists of emptying the waste water tank and briefly holding the filter inside under water. This takes less than a minute.
The rollers should be washed after every fourth use so that they retain their cleaning power. This can easily be done in the washing machine, e.g. together with other microfibre cloths.
After every 7th or 8th use, you should remove the cap over the rollers and also rinse it out, as this is where the suction channels are located, which can become clogged after a while. The cap can of course be removed without tools and is just as quick to put back on, cleaning takes less than 3 minutes.
3. accusation, too much liquid discharge / lack of suction power.
This is usually a sign of incorrect operation, here are some examples.
Firstly, this can happen if the dirty water tank is not emptied in good time. This contains a mark that should not be exceeded, so always empty the tank briefly in good time. This is extremely quick and easy to do, so there is no need to wait.
Secondly, the above-mentioned cleaning has not been carried out for a very long time and the suction channels are blocked.
Thirdly, too much soap has been added to the fresh water. Here too, less is more.
Of course, not everything about the FC-5 is perfect.
1. striping.
Because there is a small gap between the two rollers, this remains visible as a streak when cleaning if you only go over it once. But honestly, you just go over it a second time and that's it. You have to anyway - a dirty floor doesn't just get clean again with a single pass.
2. heavy.
It is also really heavy and therefore not suitable for weak and frail people.
3. expensive.
And last but not least, the cleaning products are excessively expensive. But this is probably true for all appliances of this type.
Conclusion: I wouldn't want to be without my FC-5.Well made
Pro
- Materials
- Cleaning capabilities
Contra
- Small container for dirty water
Totally satisfied
Pro
- Good cleaning result
- Needs little water
Contra
- Device is a little heavy in the hand
Poor cleaning, already unusable after 9 months.
unusable - annoying purchase: if it had been my first Kärcher device and did not know from others how good Kärcher can be ... I would never have bought anything from Kärcher again.
Contra
- Suction power (only 20-30% of the liquid is absorbed again)
- the middle strip that is pulled is suboptimal
- weight actually rather what for stronger people
- urgently needed thorough cleaning after use
- already after some months the seals inlet and outlet became leaky:
- thereby much too fast liquid discharge "drooling"
6 out of 163 reviews
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