Convenience of use
The FC 8 Smart Signature Line retains the strengths of the previous model, starting with its unparalleled maneuverability.
Maneuverability and lightness as watchwords
So this Kärcher moves without any difficulty and takes tight turns without worrying about obstacles. Its flexibility also allows it to slip under furniture to track down the slightest dust, which is no easy feat in the small world of floor scrubbers. Indeed, few models are happy to brush the floor to scrub under a coffee table or kitchen cabinet. In our comparison, the Tineco Stretch S6 was the first to benefit from this skill.
LEDs are installed on the front of the washing head to better detect dust and debris to be swallowed. It’s a small detail that is very important to ensure that you don’t forget an area to clean.
The lightness of the Kärcher FC 8 Smart Signature Line also aims to make its use more pleasant. Although, if the broom still weighs 4.3 kg, it is above all its design which makes it lighter. Unlike massive floor cleaners, such as the Ezviz RH1, this one opts for a slim, slender silhouette. To do this, its clean water tank contains only 400 ml, compared to 880 ml for the Dreame H14 Pro, for example. The capacity of its dirty water tank, for its part, has been reduced to just 200 ml.
As such, rather than being securely attached to the mop handle, this dirty water tank takes place under the washing head, between the microfiber rollers. Far from being airtight, it is sometimes difficult to handle it once filled. Above all, we fear the numerous trips to the water point to empty it during cleaning.
The water tank is in two pieces.
To unhook it, Kärcher asks the user to press a button with their foot. Located on the washing head, it releases the dirty water tank, which then remains planted on the ground.
Well-equipped wash head
This same washing head also accommodates four microfiber rollers, like the cordless FC 7. The two in front rotate in the opposite direction to those placed at the rear of the broom, at a speed of 400 rpm.
Always paying attention to detail, the manufacturer has designed its FC 8 Smart Signature Line so that it runs as close as possible to the walls. This is when we don’t notice any days between rollers and obstacles, which is unusual for a floor cleaner. For comparison, the Eureka RapidWash NEW430 is far from thorough, ignoring 1 inch along walls.
LCD screen and connectivity
On the opposite side, at the end of the thin handle of the Kärcher FC 8 Smart Signature Line, there is an LCD screen. Not the most responsive, it allows you to navigate between the three available washing powers and a fourth, customizable via the Kärcher Home & Garden application. The screen also provides access to the battery level, the broom’s self-cleaning program and settings (language, Bluetooth connection).
The application therefore allows you to choose the settings for the fourth washing mode. The user can precisely select the water flow and roller rotation speed, but also a pre-recorded soil type. Each floor then has its predefined settings.
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The app allows you to customize the fourth washing mode.
Interview
Maintenance is the bane of the FC 8 Smart Signature Line. As we mentioned, the dirty water tank is indeed very messy and it gets everywhere! Made up of two parts – like a base and a lid – this tank is not waterproof and it is quite possible to spill water on the ground and splash it on yourself. We would obviously have preferred a closed tank, like the Dyson WashG1, especially since its low capacity requires the user to empty it very regularly. A tough one!
When emptying this tank, you should also expect to find hair and debris within it, which is not very pleasant. Other devices attempt to install a filter to separate water from dirt.
The clean water tank, for its part, is capricious when attaching to the floor cleaner. You have to force it to hook it and pull to remove it. This system is not at all optimal and takes away from the Kärcher.
You must place the broom in the black bin at the top right before starting the self-cleaning cycle.
The self-cleaning cycle is also not very advanced. The manufacturer asks the user to put the broom in the black bin so that the FC 8 Smart Signature Line can rinse the rollers without splashing around it. Other brooms are very good at rinsing their rollers while remaining on their base. In short, the method is not at all optimal.
And if Kärcher offers to put the rollers in the washing machine, we do not necessarily recommend this procedure for the sake of your washing machine. Manual washing is therefore necessary from time to time to support the automatic mode. To remove the rollers, a control is installed on the washing head, which separates the shell to release them.
Lavage
We were banking heavily on the four rollers on FC 8 Smart Signature Line, which were already formidable during the FC 7 tests. Indeed, even lipstick, which is particularly tough, fades very quickly. In total, 12 round trips are necessary to wash the floor. Carbon black requires only five round trips, while soda and oil require three. For comparison, the Dyson V15 Submarine removes carbon black after 10 passes.
The trend is the same with the stains that appeared with our new protocol, such as wine and ketchup.
On the other hand, if the Kärcher FC 8 Smart Signature Line is formidable for cleaning the floor, it quickly finds it difficult to vacuum up waste. The broom cannot suck up the cereal or the egg, even after twenty passes.
Although Kärcher claims that it is not obligatory to vacuum with the FC 8, the latter is still not suitable for all uses. If your floor is littered with trash, prior cleaning will be necessary.
Points forts
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Very good maneuverability: does not weigh on the arm and moves very easily, even under furniture.
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Terrific against stubborn stains.
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Very good autonomy.
Weak points
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Bright LCD screen, but not very practical; a button dedicated to modes would have been preferable.
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Laborious broom maintenance: very poorly designed dirty water tank
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Water tanks too small.
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Do not vacuum up large waste.
Conclusion
How does the rating work?
Kärcher reiterates and signs a new formidable floor scrubber. The FC 8 Smart Signature Line retains the four microfiber rollers of the previous model, uncompromising with stubborn stains. Its outstanding maneuverability is always the same: the broom turns and twirls without difficulty and slips easily under furniture. On the other hand, the FC 8 Smart Signature Line also retains its shortcomings. Its dirty water tank puts it everywhere and its low capacity forces the user to go back and forth to the water point. Above all, unlike some competing brooms, the Kärcher does not vacuum up large residues: the vacuum cleaner will have to be passed beforehand.
