Mark, just on the face of it, it appears that you did. But I'm not at all sure that's right. You're definitely getting a bigger cart for it, and it appears that the Northstar may be a lot easier to access everything for any needed service or repairs. I think there's a pretty good chance that you're getting a better quality machine than the rest of us have. So it might be worth the price difference.
Thanks Bird... I just have so much to clean... wife is really on me... decks, porches, barns, machine sheds, smoke house, straw sheds, garages, siding on two homes... the list is endless!
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.
I have two of those Northern Tool pressure washers I bought for our plant, they both get used everyday by non-technical and frequently inexperienced people. About the only thing that will kill one of them is if they leave it running with the water off. Those CAT pumps are very good, but when they fail the parts cost more than simply buying a new unit - which is what I did 5 years ago.
I think you bought a tool that with care will last you the rest of your life - you decide if you overpaid from there...........