[jdbower]

I think the jury's still out as to whether you paid too much, but it seems like the feedback is the cheaper units do just as good a job but for less time since they break more quickly. If you've got a lot of stuff to wash now you'll probably have to wash it more later. Especially if you're a fix-it-yourself kind of guy I think your model may pay for itself with extra longevity and easier repair (with the only downside being that it's a lot bulkier), Northern also offers the Karcher units at a cheap price so they think there's much more value in the similarly-speced model you've bought.

Since I'm a "use-it-till-it-breaks-and-then-probably-upgrade" kind of guy the cheaper Karcher seems right up my alley. I had an older handheld model from them that lasted a few years (granted, mostly on a shelf) but I "gave" it away when I loaned it to someone and I'm looking for something a little more powerful.