Nomad also make 12V washers that run off either battery or your car’s 12V outlet. But if you want truly portable washing, the 18V cordless is your only realistic powered option. Yes, it costs £100 more than the 12V version, but you can take this washer anywhere.
Don’t be misled by the pressure figure quoted above – that’s the actual working pressure in the hose, not the maximum figure quoted by most other washer manufacturers.
In practice the jet is noticeably powerful. With 14L of water in the tank there’s enough pressure and capacity to wash two or three bikes, so long as you’re both careful and patient.
The lithium ion battery pack is new for 2013 and gives more consistent performance than the old NiCad unit, and for longer. Nomad claim up to 50 minutes run time, but at a bit over 2L a minute you’ll be out of water in seven minutes anyway.
With a built-in strainer in the water tank you can refill from streams or ponds without fear of damaging the pump.
This article was originally published in What Mountain Bike magazine, available on Apple Newsstand and Zinio.