Washing Machines - which makes are generally thought of as the best these days?

[CBW]

We have an AEG which is superb

That was our predecessor machine. AEG were part of the Electrolux group, not sure if they still are.

 

[opps]

It was on a promotion at the time. 10 year guarantee and £200 cashback! I think we paid £1200 for it though but we were getting through Hotpoints at an alarming rate.

Our previous washing machine was a Hotpoint. It died after a few years, the Hotpoint tumble drier however lasted about 18 yrs. I replace the belt after 10 years and replaced the overheat cut outs. It did however become rather noisy as time went on. The bearings were worn down.

 

[Nope]

I had a Miele washing machine that I purchased about 15 yrs ago I paid about £700. I purchased it because I had to build the cupboard around it. I wanted a machine that would last for years.

I was disappointed that the PCB failed after less than 2 years. I rang up their customer services. The guy was pretty dismissive given that our machine was over 12 months old. I spent 30+ minutes on the phone, explaining that if had purchased a cheap washing machine ever 2 years, I would have been better off. I think that I wore him down.

He plucked a number out of the air and said that if I could prove that the washing machine was less than 19 months, then the engineer would fix the washing machine for free.

I could not find the original email invoice. I registered a domain name. Created a fake invoice from a non existent company. Left a holding page saying that the retailer had gone out of business

The engineer turned up, looked at the fake invoice and replaced the PCB.

I am not proud of the fact that I lied, however, it was cheaper than forcing them to go down the small claims path.

In spite of the above, I still recommend Miele... The build quality is admirable.

I wonder if the Miele representative was dragging his heels a bit because of their excellent reputation - I.e. “Well this customer claims their PCB has failed after just 2 years, but our machines are built to last at least 10 years so the customer must be lying.”

 

[Nope]

We have a Hotpoint washer dryer. We bought it in 2014 before moving into a house we’d bought. It’s been used several times a week since then, and even moved with us into our new house earlier this year. We’ve never had any issues with it and never had to call out a service engineer for anything. Great machine. I do know that Hotpoint don’t always have the best reputation so maybe we got lucky?

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

My washing machine (Hotpoint WML540) is starting to sound pretty rough when on the spin cycle (and only on that cycle) and I guess the bearings are on the way out. From doing some reading it seems that the drum is glued shut so pretty it's impossible to replace the bearings.

Our machine is a now quite ancient Hotpoint WD420. It must be 10 plus years old, though I have lost track. It had PCB issues just out of warranty, which I fixed with a simple repair, for a few pence. This year, the drum bearings failed, which were replaceable, so I replaced them for around £20. Other than that, it's been a good 'an.

 

[opps]

I wonder if the Miele representative was dragging his heels a bit because of their excellent reputation - I.e. “Well this customer claims their PCB has failed after just 2 years, but our machines are built to last at least 10 years so the customer must be lying.”

Possibly. I rang them because when I selected a wash, the machine instantly went in to full spin (without slowly increasing the RPM). The CS agent told me that I would have to pay for someone to turn up and fix it. I asked how much it would cost (they didn't have fixed costs at the time). He told me that the site engineer would determine the price. I did tell him that I would be willing to swap out the PCB if they posted me a new one. He reused to take me on the offer.

The engineer turned up, connected his laptop to the washing machine and, presumably, saw that the usage was domestic.

 

[Rollerball]

Be careful with Bosch as most of them are now of Chinese extraction. My mate who specialises in appliance repairs doesn’t rate them anymore

what’s your budget ?

We have an AEG which is superb

I'd rather not pay much over £500, but I may be able to go a little higher in exceptional circumstances.

Shame about Bosch as, going by early comments, they were looking good until now.

About AEG - how old is yours?

So the build quality is good, how about customer service?

Also, where are they manufactured?

 

[opps]

Our machine is a now quite ancient Hotpoint WD420. It must be 10 plus years old, though I have lost track. It had PCB issues just out of warranty, which I fixed with a simple repair, for a few pence. This year, the drum bearings failed, which were replaceable, so I replaced them for around £20. Other than that, it's been a good 'an.

Fair play. However many machines now have sealed bearings. I can only imagine that it makes manufacturing about 1% cheaper. As an owner, I would be 99% more likely to seek out another manufacturer.

 

[Rodders53]

Google alleges that:
Bosch Serie 8
AEG
Miele
and
Neff are made in Germany. (Probably some Siemens too as also part of the Bosch-Neff-Siemens BSH group)

YMMV but check out the rating/serial plates in stores? Some online retailer include that 'made in' info in the description, too.

Certainly my integrated dishwasher from Neff is German made. As are the Miele Heat Pump Dryer and the Washer. {The latter developed a fault within a few weeks of delivery and the Miele Tech checked it over (laptop) and said he could repair it but would rather supply another brand new machine and have the faulty machine back for a tear-down investigation into why it had hit the bathtub curve so early.}

I'm sort of hoping they will outlive me.

 

[carmanmemoranda]

I have a bosch, previously 2 hotpoints (but never again).

Same. Won't have Bosch in my house again.

Poor quality, poor back up, expensive

 

[Rollerball]

After reading this thread I'm even more confused regarding which machine to buy ..........

 

[Mr Chibs]

I've got a Neff, was a replacement for an old Bosch.

The Bosch was very reliable, but at the end wasn't worth fixing (economically).

Been impressed with the Neff, very quiet and simple to operate. So far been good. It's also made in Germany.

Good luck in your purchase.

 

[Rodders53]

After reading this thread I'm even more confused regarding which machine to buy ..........

Not surprised - been there after our last washer failed.
Check out other forums for views (MSE, AVForums, DigitalSpy - possibly even Mumsnet) if you want get your head really spinning.
UKWhitegoods has some interesting if maybe a tad biased advice and information.

BUDGET? What money do you want to spend on a new one as that will be the major consideration.

 

[Rollerball]

Thanks - budget is maybe £500 or so, I may be able to go a little higher is the machine in question is something amazing ..........

 

[JohnD]

I don't think randoms on the net are as good a source as a consumer organisation that polls literally thousands of owners every year.