It feels like too much work to drag a regular pressure washer out of the shed, find an outdoor extension cord and then connect a hose, especially when you only have five minutes. The Flymo EasiClean Li Plus Pressure Washer is battery-powered, portable in design and user-friendly in functionality.
This lightweight machine promises to deliver medium-pressure cleaning without the hassle of cords, making it a quick solution for smaller outdoor cleaning tasks, such as cleaning garden furniture, removing mud from children’s bikes and cleaning cars. It doesn’t take up too much storage space and there are one or two nice details – such as a soap dispenser and extra nozzles on board – that make it feel like a premium piece of kit.
Over the years I’ve tested several of the best pressure washers for Ideal Home, but never a cordless one. I’ve always been partial to powerful high-pressure models such as Stihl’s RE120 Plus, which is more than enough to clean my spacious garden/terrace in deep Devon. When I first tested Flymo’s EasiClean Li Plus Cordless Pressure Washer on a spring weekend, I wasn’t convinced it would be the kind of product that could find a place in my garden shed.
If you’re tired of clunky corded pressure washers that take longer to set up than they take to clean a small area, the Flymo EasiClean Li Plus pressure washer might be for you. With an 18V battery, a foldable 20L water tank and all the nozzles you need, this compact, cordless device is perfect for quick outdoor chores like cleaning garden furniture, removing algae and linching the car.
However, while the Flymo EasiClean Li Plus excels in portability and ease of use, it’s important to remember that it’s designed (and engineered) for medium-pressure cleaning, which means it may disappoint if you ask it to go above and beyond. Its maximum pressure is 24 bar and its battery life is limited to 30 minutes (in good weather), which means hardcore cleaning jobs may still require a mains-powered washer.
Overall, it’s well-priced for less than £150, is solidly built and includes lots of neat features (LED charge indicator, soap dispenser, 5m hose, three nozzles, two lance lengths), making it a great choice for light cleaning tasks.
The Flymo EasiClean Li Plus comes in a compact box (56cm L x 16cm W x 20cm H) with the brand’s signature orange and black print. The interior of the packaging is mainly heavy-duty cardboard, which is widely recyclable, so not an inch of space is wasted.
In addition to the main unit and spray gun extension, it comes with a battery charger, a rubber battery, a small foam dispenser, a 5m hose with clip and filter, a 20-litre collapsible water tank and three nozzle attachments, with 0°, 15° and 40° spray angles clearly printed on the side of the nozzle. There’s also a paper operating manual with diagrams and written instructions covering assembly, operation and storage.
My first impression of the design is that it’s neat, albeit unobtrusive, and I like that spare nozzles clip under the unit for easy replacement at any time. The construction feels solid, and the amount of metal used is reassuring – some cheaper pressure washers use plastic throughout, which can lead to a flimsy connection.
The nozzle switching mechanism is particularly smooth and simple, and it feels securely connected. Simply pull down the metal connection ring, attach the desired nozzle, and release the connection ring to lock into place, which is a breeze to do once you get the hang of it.
I love how lightweight it feels, even with the battery fully charged and attached. It’s similar in size and shape to my daughter’s Super Squirt Gun (but not as fancy!), and the trigger handle feels ergonomic in my hand.
There’s a standard Hozelock-style connector for the main garden hose, but you can also connect a portable hose and use it with the included water bag, bucket, or even a freshwater stream/bucket with a water suction filter. This is very convenient for people who travel with or live in an apartment without access to a garden hose.
I can imagine two types of users who would really benefit from one of these. First, those who don’t need a pressure washer because they only need occasional, low-intensity outdoor cleaning. I want to wash algae off doorways, thoroughly clean patio furniture, remove mud from off-road bikes, etc.
Then there are probably people like me who have a pressure washer for more serious, more extensive cleaning projects—removing winter grime from patio boards and decks, for example. But who has lots of smaller cleaning tasks that can be done quicker and easier with a cordless washer like this?
I don’t think it’s for people who just want/need hardcore high pressure cleaning. Flymo markets it as a medium pressure machine, and it is!
After putting on the battery, plugging in the nozzle, and connecting the garden hose, I was ready to go. To start the Flymo EasiClean Li Plus, you have to press the start lock button (a safety feature on top to prevent accidental starts), then squeeze the main start lever on the handle. Pretty simple, and if you have a cordless lawn mower or hedge trimmer, you’re probably familiar with the process.
You have to keep the lever handle compressed, as it automatically shuts off when you release it, which can cause hand fatigue… if the battery lasted longer. Since I only use the battery for a maximum of 30 minutes at a time, I never found this to be a problem! There is a battery status indicator in the main unit that flashes when you’re about to run out of power.
There’s a button on the top that turns the pressure down – from a starting point of 24 bar down to 9 bar, but, because I was testing in the spring, before I’d finished dealing with the winter grime, I tended to use the 24 bar setting for everything I wanted to accomplish.
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