I need a washing machine, soooo much choice

hethmar

When my hotpoint packed up (and I agree, avoid Hotpoint like the plague) I checked out Which for the best machines. I have a washer dryer. The Miele came top - second came AEG L16830 at virtually half the price so I went with that and added an extended warranty. Its been great so far.

jenniewb

I have a Bosch, its very good, very easy to use and now 5 and a half years old.

My mum had a Bosch, was abour 15 years before it died. She didn't want to get it fixed (I think she wanted to get a new up to date one anyway), she stupid;y (against my advice) got a Hotpoint.
The think is so noisy its affected the tumble drier next to it! (the vibrations) it moves across the floor, and despite its in another room you have to wait for it to finish its spin before you can speak, listen or watch TV. Always happens at the best moments! Never fails to amaze me...!

OP, can you get to a library? when I had to chose a machine I looked through back issues of Bosch to try to find what reputation each manufaturer had and spot the general style of their machines: eg Bosch machines as supposed to be sturdy and quiet, Hotpoint are known to be cheaper but loud and liable to problems. Its interesting also to see how for a different type of white goods, the reputation of the brand can completly turn on its head! (eg Hotpoint make good fridges which are quiet and reliable).

penrhyn

Hotpoint as a UK company don't exist, they have not existed for some time. If you buy a Hotpoint branded product you are getting an Indesit.

http://www.gda.uk.com/

Teterow

We recently had to buy a wasching machine and got a Zanussi-Electrolux. Electrolux is part of AEG, which in turn are German...
It was listed in the Which? guide as the best in its category....just under £400.
Quiet and lots of programme choice.

booboos123

another vote for miele. theyre ££ in the shops but got mine for £670 about 6 months ago when most sites were advertising £800+

girlfriends mother bought hers 22 years ago, not had 1 problem.

10yr parts + LABOUR guarantee on mine - this shows they know they have a good product

if not miele, then bosch or siemens. bit like buying a car. buy german and you cant go wrong.

hethmar

Isnt Miele French? Never realised they were German I got AEG. What would we do without German engineering, eh! If only Britain could go back to the time when it was buy British all over the world because of the quality and workmanship - what a shame.

curver_2

I think alot of people in this thread are not asking the main questions. What use does your washing machine have? If it is just yourself and one other than you dont need a fancy top of the range 10KG washing machine. Look for what you need and is cost-effective.

Ive personally had a Baumatic for years without any problems and their BA320W machine seams to be well priced and spec'd when having alook online. 2 Years guarantee, a 7kg load and a normal 1200 spin. You dont really want much more unless its a large family and you can get it for about £259 delivered when doing a quick search on kelkoo.

The 7kg is more than enough for normal use, most machines turn themselves down to 1200 spin automatically because its aparently better for your clothes and for the price you could buy 4 of them for a cost of a Miele at the moment.

penrhyn

hethmar wrote: »

Isnt Miele French? Never realised they were German I got AEG. What would we do without German engineering, eh! If only Britain could go back to the time when it was buy British all over the world because of the quality and workmanship - what a shame.

Indeed, its hard to believe that we are the country of Brunel, Stevenson, Faraday,Telford, Bolton,Watt, Wedgwood etc.
Still Tim Berners- Lee done well otherwise I wouldn't be typing this.

kwaks

Teterow wrote: »

We recently had to buy a wasching machine and got a Zanussi-Electrolux. Electrolux is part of AEG, which in turn are German...
It was listed in the Which? guide as the best in its category....just under £400.
Quiet and lots of programme choice.

Eh? Granted all three are owned under the same umbrella... however Zanussi are Italian, Electrolux were initially started by an Austrian however really took off as a Swedish company (reputation gained in refrigidation). I am confident that AEG would frown on too close an association with zanussi or electrolux as the brand quality of AEG is significantly higher.

As has been said to the OP, which machine is best for you depends on the loads/frequency and need for low noise levels. In addition the efficiency of the spin is critical if you have limited drying facilities.

Off the cuff, with price not being a limiting factor, the best manufacturer I have come across is Asko. These machines really lead the way however even 10 years ago they were priced at £1k.

Miele have a good reputation, and my experience with them is limited, however I would struggle to justify the price premium they hold over some other fantastic machines.

Bosch & Siemens are the same company, they have comparible models throughout the range. Bosch do tend to be a bit friendlier on the eye than the siemens equivalents, but the brand recognition carries a premium. These are good machines IF....and its a big IF... you buy a German built model as opposed to one of the spanish built. (back in the day the big give away was the door opening direction, the spanish was hinged on the opposite side to the german.)

Aeg, also good machines. Chunky controls and nothing fancy. Do the job well.

Zanussi & Electrolux, bit cheaper, bit noisier. However for a low use or one load a day this might be sufficient for your needs.

Hotpoint/Indesit etc etc, budget buys to be honest. Cheaper to repair than the premium brands, but needing repairs more often. (do Hotpoint machines still need brushes replaced every couple years?:mad:)

You will find many of the better machines will be cold fill only, do not let this put you off as hot and cold fill is a UK thing, and in reality they only take in about 1L of hot water for every 10L of cold. However in its infinite naievity/stupidity/stubbornness a large chunk of the UK public demand hot & cold fill.