Tumble dryer-worth the bells and whistles?

hotcookie101

I think our old integrated TD is dead so we may have to buy a new one (will just get a freestanding one, as I don't care about the cupboard door thing and already have a freestanding DW and freezer beside where it is.
Looking online, they obviously vary in price and was wondering if its worth paying the extra to get the ones with the sensors that only dry until stuff is dry? Or just use a regular timer thingy as I do at the moment.
We mainly use it for sheets and towels, occasionally work tshirts, shirts and underwear etc if we have a huge backlog of washing, and in summer I hardly use it..
Looking on the JL website I can get an AEG bells and whistles one for 309, with a 5 year guarantee, a JL sensor one for 299, with 3 year warranty, or a bog standard hotpoint one with just a timer for 179 and a 2 year warranty...

I know TD aren't very MSE , but for us, in winter its a god send for drying towels and sheets, as we just don't have the space for radiator drying and there is nowhere to hang out a double duvet cover to dry....
I am leaning towards cheap and cheerful, but what do you all think?

rachbc

TD is the only appliance we have gone for cheap and cheerful on - figured we use it very little and there can't be that much diffeence between what they do...

Linda32

I'd go for cheap and cheerful, I didn't know you could buy them with sensors, but I get the idea.

You can easily work it out for yourself though. For example, I know that a small load of clothes take 40 mins, if these sheets/towels etc then maybe 50 mins.

My TD is a Indesit G74, we've had it for a few years now, so I guess these a new version.

I couldn't be without one either, these only the two of us here.

Mind you, thinking about it, these the option of getting one where it tumbles one way and then the other, make sure you get this option. Our first one just went one way, so sheets were impossible as they just wrapped around everything else
Maybe they all do the alternate spins now, not sure.

tattycath

my last td was a white knight condensor but it sounded like a tank!! When it gave up the ghost we looked at the options and bought another condensor-hotpoint aquarius-it was £229- but it's much quieter. Neither had sensors but the cheaper model was more noisy.
hth

Molly41

Yes cheap and cheerful for me too!!

squeakysue

We have a hotpoint condensor with a big load, it's a godsend, it was middle of the range but we took out extra 5 yr cover which I have had to use twice already in 3 yrs, one for the door clip breaking, once for the sump (?) blocking and I am about to call them again as it now is making noises like a car screeching while it's on. Just read this back and it's prob not very helpful:rotfl: but I would recommend getting extra cover on the warranty

beemuzed

My TD is out in the garage and I so often forget to set a buzzer to remind me it's done. And then things get damp again, so costs more! If it's indoors and you're aware of when it finishes I'd go for cheap and cheerful! Sensors wouldn't help me either - I just need to set a bizzer indoors and then all is well!

hotcookie101

Thanks everyone. Think mine may not be completely dead, so I may be able to save that little bit of dosh and not replace it yet but it will be dead soon, so its good to know that I dont need a top range one (Would be nice to have one thats not F rated though:rotfl:)

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Sensor definitely - crispy clothes from getting the timing wrong are a thing of the past!

hotcookie101

Ah no! thats confusing the issue lol! There are some that have a sensor only (no time dial) and they seem more expensive, then you have time dial ones with sensors that switch off when dry if still timeleft, then time only ones....

I do think it might be worth getting a new one, as they will dry much bigger loads, are more energy efficient, and seem to dry a cotton load in 1 hour (currently a king size duvet cover, double sheet and 3 pillowcases takes at least about 90mins -and you have to keep stopping it to untangle the sheets!)

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

I couldn't believe how much went into a new machine - easily 2 and probably 3 loads of washing. Mine is the type in the middle of your list.

Trouble is, now I want to replace the washing machine for one with a larger capacity!