# All Black 8 - Opinions?



## Brian1612 (Apr 5, 2015)

Anyone know of the direct hoses All Black 8 pressure washer?

On one of the detailing pages on FB this was the resounding winner for the best washer available for home use. Only £140 after a 10% discount, free delivery and all k series karcher accessories fit this which is a huge thing. Always used karcher but refused to buu again as this is my second k2 to have the cracked pump in as many years due to it being made of cheap plastic. Glad I can keep my new lance and all my karcher accessories though.

These PWs from direct hoses apparently have all metal internals which is what I really wanted.


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## Hasan1 (Jul 1, 2011)

Brian1612 said:


> Anyone know of the direct hoses All Black 8 pressure washer?
> 
> On one of the detailing pages on FB this was the resounding winner for the best washer available for home use. Only £140 after a 10% discount, free delivery and all k series karcher accessories fit this which is a huge thing. Always used karcher but refused to buu again as this is my second k2 to have the cracked pump in as many years due to it being made of cheap plastic. Glad I can keep my new lance and all my karcher accessories though.
> 
> These PWs from direct hoses apparently have all metal internals which is what I really wanted.


Don't know if this helps 
http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=387265


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## neilmcl (Mar 26, 2010)

Brian1612 said:


> On one of the detailing pages on FB this was the resounding winner for the best washer available for home use.


Which FB page is that?


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## steelghost (Aug 20, 2015)

In summary Brian they look like good machines, as always the acid test is what happens if something goes wrong in 18 months...even if not under warranty can you get parts, support etc for a fair price (or at all).


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## steelghost (Aug 20, 2015)

neilmcl said:


> Which FB page is that?


This one, I think.


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## chongo (Jun 7, 2014)

steelghost said:


> In summary Brian they look like good machines, as always the acid test is what happens if something goes wrong in 18 months...even if not under warranty can you get parts, support etc for a fair price (or at all).


Their you go again, why is it that when this PW comes up you are always out with your negative thoughts just because of what you have heard from other people  give a go you just might think it's the best PW out there:wave:


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## Welshquattro1 (Dec 6, 2013)

From what Short1e(Laura) has said they are very good machines and is very happy with it. If I had not long got a new nilfisk I would give it a go and on the plus side for you your old attachments will fit it.


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## shine247 (Mar 1, 2010)

chongo said:


> Their you go again, why is it that when this PW comes up you are always out with your negative thoughts just because of what you have heard from other people  give a go you just might think it's the best PW out there:wave:


I think he is right to be somewhat cautious, when there is no real brand and a one or two man band operation that has been a little unreliable to date then there is always a risk. It may well be a great washer and by all accounts it is.


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## steelghost (Aug 20, 2015)

chongo said:


> Their you go again, why is it that when this PW comes up you are always out with your negative thoughts just because of what you have heard from other people  give a go you just might think it's the best PW out there:wave:


For the record, my caution over this machine has nothing to do with the opinions of anyone else, and everything to do with how business works.

Power washers are not simple things to make, or service. The manufacturing facilities to make them (or even assemble them) are non-trivial, too. So are direct hoses now actually manufacturing their own machines? Or are they buying in components from eg Interpump and assembling and badging them? These are questions that I have yet to see a clear answer to.

My rule of thumb if I can't get a clear answer to a simple question is either the person doesn't want to answer (if not, why not) or they just don't know (which doesn't bode well either). The parts are "all available" - from where - with what lead times?

This is not like buying a PW from Karcher or Nilfisk - you have a reasonable assurance they will remain in business, and there is a manufacturers warranty to fall back on. With this machine, the only recourse is to the retailer, Direct Hoses. If they fold, because maybe they have too much money tied up in stock of power washers, and they have cashflow issues, you have nowhere to go with any faults (other than trying to identify the OEM and sort it out that way at your own expense).

As I said in the other thread, I want there to be an alternative to people buying and chucking out endless cheap power washers, but who are not going to drop £400 on a pro machine. However, until there is a little more transparency on the origins of these machines, their reliability and for want of a better phrase, the service model for supporting any faults, I will say the same thing as I said to Brian 


> the acid test is what happens if something goes wrong in 18 months...even if not under warranty can you get parts, support etc for a fair price (or at all).


None of that is a slight against the business, or the machine - it's simply an unknown factor still to be understood.


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## Brian1612 (Apr 5, 2015)

I will try getting some sort of review up on it when it arrives then. The facebook page was detailing central and the All black 8 got a lot of positive posts from different people. The biggest selling point was the k series connector compatibility. I just refuse to give any more money to karcher as really they are poor products. Maybe I have been unlucky but for both of my k2's to fail from the same very common pump failure issue due to poor engineering is a big no no for me.

As for the machine itself directly contacting direct hoses seems to say that sourcing replacements parts through them is no issue at all. I guess only time will tell on that front but the specs certainly suggest it's a bargain at the price point.


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## steelghost (Aug 20, 2015)

Could be the start of a series of DW power washer reviews!


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## chongo (Jun 7, 2014)

For the record, my caution over this machine has nothing to do with the opinions of anyone else, and everything to do with how business works. 

You really go into things a bit deep if am honest, but am sure if YOU yourself send them a email they would give you all the information about the pressure washer and anything else you ask for


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## Hereisphilly (Nov 17, 2014)

steelghost said:


> For the record, my caution over this machine has nothing to do with the opinions of anyone else, and everything to do with how business works.
> 
> Power washers are not simple things to make, or service. The manufacturing facilities to make them (or even assemble them) are non-trivial, too. So are direct hoses now actually manufacturing their own machines? Or are they buying in components from eg Interpump and assembling and badging them? These are questions that I have yet to see a clear answer to.
> 
> ...


This was the exact reason I decided against going with the black 8

Even if the unit is great, the risk that directhoses goes out of business vs the likes karcher/nilfisk/Vax (who I went with) is so much greater

Once they are out of business, bang goes your warranty and the chance of getting any spare parts

Now I'm not saying they will, but for me that was a risk I just didn't want to take on a piece of equipment that are know to not be 100% bulletproof all of time (pws in general)

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk


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## steelghost (Aug 20, 2015)

chongo said:


> You really go into things a bit deep if am honest


Um, this *is* a detailing forum, going into things a bit deep is what we do 

I work for a large multinational, many of my colleagues are consultants who specialise in managing and reducing business risk. After 15 years, some of that rubs off. So when a small company starts selling a product, claiming to manufacture in the UK but for a price around half the going rate for a similar machine made in Germany, I have to ask myself how that works. The overwhelming likelihood is they are buying in the machines and badging them (not that there's anything wrong with that) - but that begs the question how much in house expertise they have in the issues that could arise. Or, are they relying on their supplier for that? There are so many questions here, and most of them relate to details of the business relationship Direct Hoses have with their suppliers, who they have on their payroll, what capital they have tied up in inventory, what failure rate their testing tells them to expect, etc etc etc. Ie these are questions I wouldn't expect a business to answer to a random punter (who isn't even a prospective customer).

The absence of certainty is risk; maybe these machines are so reliable it does matter, maybe there is a master plan and it will all be fine, but when there's this amount of "what if" hanging around, certain questions need to be considered.

Again for the record, I sincerely hope that it all goes well for Direct Hoses and for purchasers of these PWs, because far too many K2 and C110s etc end up in a skip because they are unrepairable - mainly because they were made to be as cheap as possible, not to be able to be mended. And in the end, that is a bad thing for everyone.


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## Mcpx (Mar 15, 2016)

As soon as Christmas is out of the way I'll be buying a new pw so I have looked at this machine and its competition extensively, so here's everything I have been able to find out.

Firstly, if you are one of the other 6 people in the world like me that is not on Fakebook then real world user reports or any kind of feedback on this machine is very difficult to find. Several people have said on here that they have the machine and love it, but, for a machine that seems to be targeted specifically at detailers, the lack of feedback concerns me.

Secondly, Direct Hoses do not have the best reputation for customer service. They do have a lot of satisfied customers but it seems they do not respond well if there is an issue or problem with their products. There was also a period of time when people were reporting that it was difficult to contact them however it seems that this has now been resolved.

Thirdly, everything SteelGhost said

The machine has a one year return to base warranty on the motor unit only, presumably this means that the hose and trigger gun are not covered? Compare this to 2/3 year warranties on Karcher/Nilfisk products and up to 5 years on Karcher Premium models.

The base models have a 'thermo-plastic' hose which is every bit as nasty as the cheap crap that Karcher and Nilfisk supply on their base models, decent Hoses are available at extra cost but they are also available for K & N models. The branded machines do appear to be a little higher in price but at the same time (depending on the bundle and where you buy it of course) they usually include a larger variety of accessories. Pound for lb the Direct Hose machine is probably about the same price as the equivalent spec Karcher or Nilfisk, if you were buying a sub £200 branded machine you would have to allow an extra £40-50 for a replacement hose so the DH option is really no cheaper.

If you want to add a patio washer to your kit it will cost you £100

At least one member of DW has reported a complete failure of his machine however, Direct Hoses did get back to him on the same day and subsequently arranged for a replacement machine for him. That may well represent them putting more effort into their customer services but it is only an isolated incident. The machine is an unknown quantity in terms of build quality and reliability so it needs to have proven, reliable back up.

I personally bought a hose from Direct Hoses and with the best will in the world it was crap, it was badly made and from poor quality components, and although I did get a refund for it the customer service was very poor at the time. Having said that I am still considering buying this machine from them depending on the deals available at the time.


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## shine247 (Mar 1, 2010)

Just for your consideration, not far from DH?

http://www.highdefinitiondetail.co.uk/products/all-black-8-electric-pressure-washer


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## sean ryan (May 10, 2015)

Mcpx said:


> At least one member of DW has reported a complete failure of his machine however, Direct Hoses did get back to him on the same day and subsequently arranged for a replacement machine for him. That may well represent them putting more effort into their customer services but it is only an isolated incident. The machine is an unknown quantity in terms of build quality and reliability so it needs to have proven, reliable back up.


That was me, A new pressure washer was to be delivered yesterday and never turned up so after a few email's and phone call's i got threw and they said they don't know when it will be delivered even tho last week they said it would be tuseday so i asked them for tracking and they said the tracking isn't showing up so obviously i feel let down i only had the machine a few week's and on my third time using it broke so im waiting from last week on a replacement which tbh is not good but i bet if this would have been a Nilfisk or Karcher Pressure Washer i would have had a new one the next day, Im sorry i didn't buy the Nilfisk P150 that i wanted because i guarantee if i did i wouldn't be sitting here without a Pressure Washer not being able to wash my car!


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## Cookies (Dec 10, 2008)

sean ryan said:


> A new pressure washer was to be delivered yesterday and never turned up so after a few email's and phone call's i got threw and they said they don't know when it will be delivered


That's really not good enough, Sean. Sorry you didn't get sorted buddy. I was really hoping that the customer service side of Direct Hoses would improve, as I would be genuinely tempted to buy one of these (and accessories).

Keep us posted if you hear anything more, Sean.

Cooks

Sent from my D6603


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## shaunwistow (May 13, 2011)

I'm very happy with mine.


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## Mcpx (Mar 15, 2016)

I have been really trying to give Direct Hoses the benefit of the doubt because this machine does look so good, but it seems that with Sean's unfortunate experience they remain true to form. There may well be loads of satisfied customers out there singing the praises of the company but if this is still the way they respond when there is a problem then it's just not worth it for me.

I have had two faulty Nilfisk machines in the last 12 months, which is annoying, but to be fair both were from Argos and were replaced/refunded immediately. I know if a choose a Karcher I can return it directly to B&Q/Homebase etc without issue.


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## Blackroc (Dec 10, 2012)

Well that's that then...

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Hereisphilly (Nov 17, 2014)

Blackroc said:


> Well that's that then...
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I was literally just going to post this, I even commented on it lower down
The thread on the hose isn't threaded to the end so it's not gonna engage

Good look to the chap trying to sort it but I don't give him much hope

Sent from my XT1635-02 using Tapatalk


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## Brian1612 (Apr 5, 2015)

Commented on this also. Little nervous now but mines might arrive tomorrow and I hope all is in working order... :\


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## Brian1612 (Apr 5, 2015)

Just saw the update on this. Guys at direct hoses are sending him out a new gun and hose already connected. Feeling more comfortable again. Have to say thus far the service has been superb. They have instant messaging via fb for your order.


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## fozzy (Oct 22, 2009)

Brian1612 said:


> Just saw the update on this. Guys at direct hoses are sending him out a new gun and hose already connected. Feeling more comfortable again. Have to say thus far the service has been superb. They have instant messaging via fb for your order.


Like I said on FB Brian, he's just down the road, give me the nod and I'm on it :devil: :devil: :thumb: :lol: :lol:


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## sean ryan (May 10, 2015)

Just got my replacement pressure washer and it has brass quick connect fitting's which are far better and more robust than the plastic one's it had previously. I would highly recommend it! I was speaking with Mark and he was extremely helpful, great customer service :thumb:


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## Brian1612 (Apr 5, 2015)

Mines has just arrived today and I am very impressed with it. The weight of a machine so compact is mental and all the connections etc are soo very robust and solid feeling. Can't use it due to this hurricane weather at the moment but can't wait to try it out after the impressive unpackaging.


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## steelghost (Aug 20, 2015)

Some pics / video and your thoughts (in the usual thorough style we've come to appreciate from you) would be excellent when you have had a chance to use it :thumb:


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## Cookies (Dec 10, 2008)

sean ryan said:


> Just got my replacement pressure washer and it has brass quick connect fitting's which are far better and more robust than the plastic one's it had previously. I would highly recommend it! I was speaking with Mark and he was extremely helpful, great customer service :thumb:


Brilliant Sean. Delighted it has all worked out. Direct Hoses appear to have sorted things which is great news. Will be having a look in the new year.

Cooks

Sent from my D6603


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## sean ryan (May 10, 2015)

Cookies said:


> Brilliant Sean. Delighted it has all worked out. Direct Hoses appear to have sorted things which is great news. Will be having a look in the new year.
> 
> Cooks
> 
> Sent from my D6603


Cooks i'll try and put up some pic's tomorrow let you see the brass quick connect's ect :thumb:


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## Brian1612 (Apr 5, 2015)

steelghost said:


> Some pics / video and your thoughts (in the usual thorough style we've come to appreciate from you) would be excellent when you have had a chance to use it :thumb:


May try reviewing it on but for photo's check out fb. Detailing central page


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## neilmcl (Mar 26, 2010)

Brian1612 said:


> May try reviewing it on but for photo's check out fb. Detailing central page


Have you a link, I can never find that page.


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## Zolasbackheel (Feb 11, 2013)

This is throwing a spanner in the works as I need a new PW and was about to bite the billet on a kranzle as my Karchers and Nilfisk never lasted like they should. To take a punt or go with the more expensive tried and trusted??


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## sean ryan (May 10, 2015)

This is the proper page for direct hoses https://www.facebook.com/groups/358117071063778/


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## sean ryan (May 10, 2015)

Video ----->


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## shaunwistow (May 13, 2011)

http://www.civinfo.com/forum/cleaning/259169-thinking-buying-pressure-washer-4.html#post4533137


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## Brian1612 (Apr 5, 2015)

neilmcl said:


> Have you a link, I can never find that page.


https://www.facebook.com/groups/932371073483607/


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