Worx Hydroshot WG630E review: A cordless, go-anywhere pressure washer

The one problem with conventional pressure washers is that you’re tethered. You need to get them in range of your car, but you also need power and water, and that means a hose to connect to an outdoor tap or other mains supply, plus a weatherproof extension cable. And what if you want to wash something that’s out of easy reach or you want to rinse your muddy bike or boots down while you’re out, before you put them in the car?

This is where the Worx Hydroshot line comes in, giving you what’s as close as you’re going to get to a cordless pressure washer. Like most Worx tools, it works off one of the brand’s 20V Li-ion batteries, while water is supplied, not from the tap, but from a hosepipe dangling in a watering can, water tank or bucket. As long as you can take the latter with you and fill it with water, you can clean anywhere and anything you need to. With some models, you can even attach a drinks bottle and use that as your water source.

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Worx Hydroshot WG630E review: What do you get for the money?

The Hydroshot WG630E is the most powerful option in the current Hydroshot range, with a quieter, beefier 18V brushless motor, a 22 bar maximum pressure and the 20V, 4A battery you need to keep it running for a decent length of time. Worx also throws in a super-fast charger that can charge the battery from empty in 45 minutes, plus a 6m water hose with filter, an adapter for attaching a mains water hosepipe and a smaller bottle adaptor with which you can attach a 1L or 2L bottle to the unit.

The lance connects to the main body of the Hydroshot, and has an integral 5-way nozzle with settings for a fine mist, a rougher jet and 15˚, 25˚ and 40˚ arcs in between.

Worx Hydroshot WG630E review: How easy is it to use?

The best thing about the Hydroshot is that it isn’t just easy to use, but actually fun. Fill up your receptacle and drop the filter end of the hose into it, and all you need to do is release the safety catch on the bottom of the grip, then aim and fire. It takes a few seconds to build up a water supply and a decent pressure, but once that’s in place you can just blast away, stopping only when you need to switch the nozzle to a different pattern or your water tank needs a refill. There’s an eco setting that decreases the power and increases battery life, but that’s really all there is to think about.

Washing the car, I went through a 10L watering can roughly every 3 to 4 minutes, but two was enough to give it a decent rinse and remove some tough, black grime from the hubcaps. And the great joy of the Hydroshot system is its easy portability. Glass sides and composite decking on a balcony which a seagull had recently decorated? No problem. Garden steps and concrete slabs far away from the house? No hassle, either.

The WG630E can go through a 2L bottle in a matter of seconds, but a couple of those might give you all you need to clean up your boots, bike, body board or kayak. On the wider sprays and with eco mode engaged you can even use it to water remote areas of your garden, though you could do much the same job with a watering can, as long as you’re not talking about the most distant corner of a bed or border.

Worx Hydroshot WG630E review: How well does it clean?

With just 22 bar of pressure and a maximum flow rate of 200 litres per hour, you can’t expect miracles. If you’re expecting the power of a mains pressure washer, prepare for some disappointment. Yet, with its limitations, the WG630E does an excellent job. We had no problem clearing muddy patches, seagull droppings and even greasy black grime from our test car, its bumpers and hubcaps, or rinsing away snow foam applied by another pressure washer.

We also saw surprisingly good results on concrete slabs. The WG630E isn’t going to remove stubborn mould stains, paint splatters or baked-on crud, but algae, lichen and dirt didn’t pose any problems. Mud was dispatched from a pair of wellies with a few quick blasts, and we saw good results on plastic garden furniture, with bird droppings and mud around the legs easily removed.

As a bonus, the Hydroshot is quieter than a regular pressure washer. It’s loud, but not so loud that the neighbours are going to hate you every minute that you use it. Battery life is also surprisingly good. While it’s hard to time the battery life while you’re actually cleaning, you should get a good 30 minutes or more of action from a charge.

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Worx Hydroshot WG630E review: What could be improved?

We did have the odd moment where the jet stalled for a few seconds, and you need to take care that you’ve got the pipes and filters all connected correctly on setup, or you could see a weedy stream of water.

Worx Hydroshot WG630E review: Should I buy it?

Nothing’s going to beat a mains pressure washer for sheer cleaning power, and if you’re cleaning the car regularly or trying to blast away dirt and algae from your decking, then the limitations of the Hydroshot might become apparent.

Yet there’s a lot to be said for the Hydroshot’s flexibility and convenience. You can use it anywhere on practically anything, and it will give it a decent surface clean. It’s great for rinsing suds from the car or quickly cleaning windows, and you can take it off to places far beyond a normal pressure washer’s reach. Focus on all the great stuff it does brilliantly, and the Hydroshot WG630E is a winner.