Stihl RE 120

Stihl trashes its reputation with poor quality and cheap manufacturing – Purchased in 2019 after having had a previous Stihl pressure washer that lasted 22 years. First issue was the detachable pressure spray head firing off the wand like a projectile. This hard plastic missile does amazing things for the paint and panel work of your car. Thankfully Stihl dealer fixed this under warranty. Fast forward to early… Read more

2023 with fortnightly use for cars and driveway cleaning in between, and the pump develops a leak. Stihl dealer investigates and pronounces it "too expensive to repair, just get another one." ??? Well I can’t let it rest there, surely it’s just an o ring. Turns out the pump main casing seal is ruptured and with a new design that seals a pump, motor and gearbox, that is filled with lubrication, all together with the same attaching bolts. Hence you cannot repair any component independently. Well done Stihl you truly have made a machine with built in obsolescence in mind. Don’t pay the price premium this brand once deserved.

Woefull warranty – I bought one of these 12 months ago , was fine until the handgun started leaking apparently an internal valve was fixed under warranty over a 6 week period. Worked fine again used a couple of times then started leaking again same spot . Took back to the dealer today said they will replace it but won't be until July 4 months away . Needless to say I will never buy another stihl product. Show details

Used 6 times in 2 years - now it’s dead – Had a Karcher previously - it died the week after warranty expired. I used this 6 times over 2 years. It was okay - not brilliant but okay. I tried to use it today. Nothing. Just a dribble of water for a while but nothing more. Waste of $500+. Buy another brand - not Stihl (and certainly not Karcher!). Do any of them last more than a year or two? Show details

Stihl RE 120 – Machine had good power to do all jobs around the house,but had internal water leaks 3 times in 2 years and a bit so out of warranty and left with 150 dollar repair quote.Lost my trust with Stihl After I only used the machine for 20-30times..already purchased a new kaercher k3a and so far happy Show details

Great pressure washer for the price – This replaced my ~20 year old Karcher b202. So long Spitty, I'll remember our fun times. I did a lot of research before buying this mid-range washer deciding based on manufacture reputation, flow/pressure, out the box accessories and price point. I hoped not to have a dud like some other reviewers and have been lucky... so far. I have had it… Read more

for 9+ months now with about 100 hours of use on driveways, guttering, walls, cars, bbq's (bad idea). No problems so far.

One thing that stands out for me is the excellent build quality. Everything feels well made, solid and satisfyingly heavy. I particularly like the long 8m steel reinforced hose, the adjustable pressure lance with rotating connector (no hose kinks), and that everything stows away nice and neatly.

It provides decent operating pressure - 1813 PSI, 125 Bar - which was enough to blast my driveway clean, but sometimes I expected more and felt disappointed, like engrained dirt on plastic bins or concrete stuck on a driveway paver not coming off. My old Karcher seemed to get these jobs done better.

The flow rate (8.3L/m) is where this stands out though. With my old Karcher it took ages to clean the driveway, as whilst it had good PSI, the area it hit was narrow and the water flow lower. This washer does the same work in about a quarter of the time.

The accessories are good quality and cover the basics. You get a reasonably long lance with two nozzles; an adjustable-pressure fan nozzle and a rotating nozzle for blast cleaning. There's a detergent bottle too which does the job. They all feel good quality and are easy to fit together.

The fan nozzle doesn't really have much of an impact on stubborn dirt like driveways, it's best for washing things down like houses, cars and such like. The fan spray width can't be adjusted, but the adjustable pressure is great and turns low enough to wash plants safely. You need to start on full pressure then turn it down or the pump doesn't kick in, which is an minor annoyance.

The rotating nozzle is as you'd expect and the only option to get my driveway clean. It was strong enough to blast the moss and dirt from between my bricks, and also the (deteriorating) mortar from between my garden wall bricks, so be careful.

Value for money is ok. On paper the similarly priced Gerni 5300 is better value with longer 7 vs 2 year warranty, 1m longer hose, and includes a foam cannon and a patio cleaner. Jet USA have yet more inclusions. The Stihl accessories are more expensive - foam cannon ($80), patio cleaner ($71) - but the superior quality is obvious. It feels like a features vs quality trade off to me.

The machine seems reasonably quiet when operating, and no noise when inactive. Usually the loudest part is the water hitting the surface, and that is unavoidable.

Overall, I'm very happy with this washer. It feels like it will last a long time, does a good job at the price point, and I'm looking forward to using it again. The negatives (below) aren't deal breakers for me. Having local physical stores that I can take it to for servicing is a comfort.

Positives: - Build quality feels really good, metal pump not plastic - 8m steel reinforced hose seems like it will last forever, no kinks or memory, and stores easily - Pressure is good enough, the flow rate / area covered is fantastic - Everything packs away nicely inside (hose is outside), size is ok, and the retractable handle helps with storage - Accessories, whilst not as varied as others, are good quality and do the job well, connectors seem strong enough - Rolls easy enough - Value for money ($391 paid) - good due to quality, included warranty and accessories on the basic side

Neutral: - Noise - seems ok, I don't have enough experience with others washers to compare - Longevity / reliability - I haven't had it long enough to help on this one. Every washer has a chance of being a dud, but no idea if mine will be or if Stihl are worse or better than the others.

Negatives (minor items for me) - Fan nozzle is just ok power wise, the rotating nozzle is needed for hard jobs - No dry-run automatic shut off, so more care is needed to avoid damaging it - Needs a lot of force to disconnect the hose from the machine - Heavy-ish. People with low strength might struggle lifting it when needed

Well built machine – I checked the reviews and decided to go with the Stihl RE120 as I have had many Stihl products and all have served me well. I was after a machine for use at home, concrete driveway and paved area cleaning as I have a heavy tree coverage on my block, which causes a lot of staining and mould build up. I also picked up the RA82 surface cleaner as I… Read more

thought it would be suitable for the surfaces I mentioned. The first use really surprised me just how effective the unit was, it stripped the stains and mould with ease, sealed concrete, concrete pavers, treated pine steps, all came up like new. The machine was easy to setup, was quiet enough as to not need hearing protection, safety boots and eye protection an absolute must. I have mainly used maximum pressure setting but also wound it back when I was just cleaning up at the end of the jobs, very impressive at all levels. The braided hose and hand piece have been faultless, as with all the accessories. I recommend this machine for any job at your house that you can throw at it.

Not as good as it should be for the money – I bought this as I wa sure it would be better than a cheaper one from Bunnings. Was great initially but have had a few problems in the first year or so and have had to send it back for repair which have taken forever!! 2 month on one repair and 3 months on another (due to covid). I make sure that I start it and end how you are meant to but it has overall been a poor purchase I would say. Expected more for the $$ Show details