Okay, let me tell you about my weekend messing around with this new power wash lance I picked up. My old one was spitting water everywhere except where I aimed it, so it was time for an upgrade.

Getting Started

Found this lance online, looked sturdy enough. When it arrived, the box was pretty standard, nothing fancy. Pulled it out, and it felt solid in my hand, heavier than the cheap plastic one I had before. That felt promising. It came with a few different nozzle tips, the usual suspects: red for a tight stream, yellow for a wider spray, white, and black for soap.

Hooking it Up

Connecting it was straightforward, mostly. It just screws onto the end of the pressure washer hose fitting. Make sure the washer is off, obviously! Learned that the hard way a long time ago. Had a little trouble getting the quick-connect nozzles to click in properly at first. They felt a bit stiff. Had to give them a good push until I heard that satisfying click. Thought maybe I got a dodgy one for a second, but it just needed a bit of firm handling.

The Actual Washing Part

First target: the patio slabs. They were looking grim, covered in green algae and general muck from winter. I started with the yellow nozzle, the 15-degree one, I think. Kept a decent distance, maybe a foot or so away from the stone.

Wow, the difference was immediate. It sliced through the grime like a hot knife through butter. Much more focused and powerful than my old lance. I got into a rhythm, sweeping back and forth, overlapping each pass slightly. It was actually quite satisfying watching the clean stone reappear.

• Tried the white nozzle (40-degree?) for a quicker rinse over a wider area. Good for lighter dirt.
• Definitely didn't use the red nozzle (0-degree) on the patio! That thing is serious business, probably would etch the stone or send bits flying. Saved that for some really stubborn rust on an old metal gate later, and even then, very carefully.
• Used the black nozzle for applying detergent first on the really green bits. Let it sit for a few minutes, then blasted it off with the yellow nozzle. Worked a treat.

What I Reckon

So, yeah, the new lance worked great. It made a tedious job much quicker and honestly, a bit more fun. The solid feel meant my arm didn't vibrate as much as with the old flimsy one. Changing nozzles was okay once I got the hang of the stiff quick-connect.

Big improvement over the old setup. The patio looks loads better. Did the car too (using the white nozzle, carefully!), and it cut down the washing time significantly. Happy with this bit of kit. Made the whole power washing task feel less like a chore.