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Thread: buying a new washing machine - advise please!

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    Registered User marty_baby's Avatar
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    buying a new washing machine - advise please!

    Hiya all,

    Bit of a oddball question. Scratching my head on his one, have asked all the immediate friends and family... no one has had their washing go wrong recently and so no repair stories. I've had my washing machine for 14 years, its had a good innings! The heating element has gone, and... a number of other things are starting to go... time for a new one!.... I thought i'd look for one in the xmas sales.... the headache started about then....


    A couple of questions:
    1) Is the manufacturers warranty worth the paper they are written on?
    * Or is it like the sales woman said: The manufacturers take ages to come out. The Comet in house warranty is the one to go for...... (yeah right!)


    2) Are the in-house warranties worth the paper they are written on?
    * Or do the repair guys take ages to come out as well?

    3) Is it worth spending the extra for an expensive one, with a 5 year manufacturer's warranty? and forget the in-house warranties? (Like i did with the old one.... no troubles for 14 years... sigh... I'll miss her!)


    Hope you can advise!

    Cheers
    Martin

    PS:
    Hope you have a fab New year!
    I'm hoping I don't have an car accident again - like I did last NYE!
    Last edited by marty_baby; 27th-December-2009 at 12:24 PM. Reason: spelling!

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    Re: buying a new washing machine - advise please!

    I need a new washing machine too so I'm watching the answers to this one.

    I reckon the answer to the warranty question depends on how much you use it?

    For instance, although my washing machine had to do more work when I started dancing (all those tops...) I still don't use mine nearly as much as a family with 3 young kids, for instance.

    Edit: I expect the sales will be busy before 31 Dec as VAT goes up another 2.5% on 1st Jan.
    Love dance, will travel

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    Registered User marty_baby's Avatar
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    Re: buying a new washing machine - advise please!

    Quote Originally Posted by DavidY View Post
    I need a new washing machine too so I'm watching the answers to this one.

    I reckon the answer to the warranty question depends on how much you use it?

    For instance, although my washing machine had to do more work when I started dancing (all those tops...) I still don't use mine nearly as much as a family with 3 young kids, for instance.

    Edit: I expect the sales will be busy before 31 Dec as VAT goes up another 2.5% on 1st Jan.

    Hiya David,

    ...its also a case of the convenience factor! If it breaks, its a pain, whether you use it once a week or once a day!

    I'm guessing things could have changed in 14years.... Warranties are less of a con - hopefully!



    Cheers
    Martin

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    Registered User Twirly's Avatar
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    Re: buying a new washing machine - advise please!

    Best bet is to buy a make known to be reliable. I embraced middle age a while back and took out a subscription to Which magazine... here's a few pointers from their website:

    Most reliable brands of washing machine:

    Miele
    Bosch
    John Lewis
    Siemens

    1st 6 best buys:

    Miele W3740
    Miele W562 Prestige Plus 6
    Bosch WIS28440GB Logixx
    AEG-Electrolux L 62642 VI
    Miele W1613
    Zanussi ZWF16581 (this is the cheapest of those I've listed)

    However, having bought all new kitchen appliances in the last year, I'd say also look at reviews on websites such as Sainsbury's or other retailers to see what users think of the model you are interested in. On some things, I either didn't like the look of some of the Which best buys, or they were simply too expensive. So I used the review websites to do my research, then went around Comet, Curry's etc. to look at the actual model (mainly with the fridge and cooker though) and then looked for the cheapest version online. Lasky's and Kitchen Science proved to be the cheapest/provide the best delivery options on the whole. Just because the high street retailers have something on sale, don't assume that's the cheapest you can find - one of the online retailers non-sale prices might well be the same or cheaper.

    My last washing machine was a Zanussi, and it was great (actually gave it away on freecycle as it was still going strong after 11 years when I changed to a washer/dryer this year). I had the repair men out under the shop-bought guarantee once, but that was because I'd forgotten to empty the filter it had on it which resulted in something breaking. If I'd maintained it, it would have been fine. I've not used any of the other shop-bought guarantee's I've bought, and I've read that they are not usually worth buying. If something is faulty, it's likely to go wrong pretty quickly and be covered under the manufacturer's 1 year guarantee (so why pay more for it?). I don't bother any more. But obviously, it's up to you.

    HTH

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    Re: buying a new washing machine - advise please!

    Quote Originally Posted by marty_baby View Post
    ... no one has had their washing go wrong recently and so no repair stories. I've had my washing machine for 14 years, its had a good innings!
    Quote Originally Posted by Twirly View Post
    If something is faulty, it's likely to go wrong pretty quickly and be covered under the manufacturer's 1 year guarantee (so why pay more for it?). I don't bother any more.
    I have bought many washing machines, as I used to rent out houses, often multi-tenanted, so the washing machine would have a lot of use.

    I once bought an extended warrenty, on one of them - but never used it.

    If after the warrenty period it does go wrong, get a local repair man/woman round - either it can be fixed cheap, or you get another one. This I have found much cheaper than warrenties.

    Now which repair man/woman would you use? The best tip I have found is go into a local property rental agent, one who deals with many properties, and ask them who they use, and how long they have been using them... They will not keep a duff repair man/woman on thier books too long as it adds hassle for the agency. [and they come to you, and come the same day or the next day usually]

    I have found washing machines last a long time, even with a lot of use. My preference is push button, not those clicky turny things to change the settings, as that is another point of wear.

    In the shops they are likely to recommend warenties, as often this gives them extra commission or bonuses.

    The "worst" experience I have had, was a machine going wrong after 7 years (in a multi- tennanted house) - Which I though was perfectly acceptable, due to the number of people using it, and due to the fact that is has moving parts.

    (Warrenties, might, or might not be less of a con now - but if you do not need it... why buy it)

    When I get offered an extended warrenty, the first thing I ask is, "why, does this model tend to go wrong?"

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    Registered User NickC's Avatar
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    Re: buying a new washing machine - advise please!

    Buy a Bosh, you dont need a shop (con) extended warrenty then as it will be unlikely to break down, in the words of the great sage Toney the Tiger therrrr grrrreat
    Nick

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    Re: buying a new washing machine - advise please!

    Quote Originally Posted by marty_baby View Post
    1) Is the manufacturers warranty worth the paper they are written on?
    * Or is it like the sales woman said: The manufacturers take ages to come out. The Comet in house warranty is the one to go for...... (yeah right!)
    Typically a small proportion of products as-manufactured suffer from 'infant mortality' which is where some component in the product contained a defect in its as-manufactured state. The manufacturers warranty will catch you if you are unlucky enough to get one of the few that has a defective component causing a failure in the first year or two.

    Quote Originally Posted by marty_baby View Post
    2) Are the in-house warranties worth the paper they are written on?
    * Or do the repair guys take ages to come out as well?
    As I said above, if it's going to break it will usually be well within the manufacturers warranty period. At the other end of the scale, above around 10 years washing machines die of old age/intensive use. Basically, the salesperson is offering you insurance for when it's already covered by the manufacturer (1-2 years) and when it's least likely to go wrong (3-5 years).

    http://www.consumerdirect.gov.uk/bef...ed-warranties/

    Having said all that, the user has a large influence over the longevity of their machine. I think I once heard that the most frequent call-out is for the drain-pump. This is often due to things like coins and other objects left in pockets. You can also save drain-pump trouble by avoiding powders and using only liquid detergents. Powders can cause a lot of sludge and after a few years the drain-pump can become fouled.

    Quote Originally Posted by marty_baby View Post

    3) Is it worth spending the extra for an expensive one, with a 5 year manufacturer's warranty? and forget the in-house warranties? (Like i did with the old one.... no troubles for 14 years... sigh... I'll miss her!)
    You pays your money and takes your choice. I tend to favour long term investment and so would go for a Bosch. If you can't stretch to one of the higher quality brands then choose carefully.


    Quote Originally Posted by Martin View Post
    (Warrenties, might, or might not be less of a con now - but if you do not need it... why buy it)

    When I get offered an extended warrenty, the first thing I ask is, "why, does this model tend to go wrong?"


    Quote Originally Posted by NickC View Post
    Buy a Bosh, you dont need a shop (con) extended warrenty then as it will be unlikely to break down, in the words of the great sage Toney the Tiger therrrr grrrreat
    Nick

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    Registered User martingold's Avatar
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    Re: buying a new washing machine - advise please!

    miele every time
    the engineering is first class we have one and will never go back to a "noral machine" although was very expensive about £300 more than others it is well worth paying for the quietest/heaviest (without using concrete blocks) machine on the market the balance of thenmachine is such that you can hardly hear the main spin motor even when standing right next to it at full speed
    we did have a problem which was sorted by a miele engineer (under the free 2 yr manufacturers warrenty) after 1 yr he ended up replacing the main circuit board
    the machine is controlled by a programmable proccesor (which means they can add new programs etc like cold wash at a later date) and the engineer can connect his laptop to it via an inductance lead watching all of the many (possibly too many) sensors telling him exactly whats wrong with the machine
    which he mended very quickly and no trouble since
    when he stripped it down each panel came off seperately meaning its easy to get to for service purpoises. The enamel on these panels is so tough you cant scratch it with a coin
    And belive it or not it washes and drys clothes as well

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    Re: buying a new washing machine - advise please!

    My advice is to look on ebay. Some people change their appliances just because they change their kitchen. And they dispose of their appliances because they don't match or fit the new kitchen.

    Speaking from personal experience, we had our fitted, double oven & grill go wrong recently. The glass fell out of the door and something went wrong with a hinge. So I looked on ebay and brought a double oven for 99p. That's right, less than the price of a lottery ticket! And it's a great oven too - although it is less modern than our one that broke. Here is the listing which you can still view for a few weeks. It actually matches our kitchen better than the old one.

    This listing started at 99p had no reserve and there were no other bidders. I'd left a maximum bid of £36 - this was still much cheaper than fixing our old oven.

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    Re: buying a new washing machine - advise please!

    I just found this thread half an hour after buying myself a new washing machine online!

    I had a fantastically good LG washing machine that I had to leave behind when I moved a few months ago. Never had any problems with it, had it probably about 5 years, quiet, efficient, easy to use, etc. so I just bought a similar model.

    I actually bought it today but I went on the pricerunner site a couple of days ago, which led me onto a review site called revoo, I think. The price runner site had a good price and feature comparison, so effectively did a lot of legwork for me. Like the last one, I bought one with a 7kg capacity - wouldn't ever go back to a 5kg drum size; also it supposedly senses how much you put in and washes accordingly. As I say, loved the last one, expect to love this one. 2 year manufacturer's warranty, 10 year manufacturer's warranty on the motor.

    Good luck

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    Basically lazy robd's Avatar
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    Re: buying a new washing machine - advise please!

    I bought a Bosch WM 7 years ago and, touch wood (no, not that wood ) it hasn't given me a problem since. It cost £400 or so and there were cheaper options available but if I was in the market for a new one I'd go Bosch again without a doubt.

    I'd also buy it from John Lewis again. Use their price match if you see it available elsewhere more cheaply.

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    Re: buying a new washing machine - advise please!

    Quote Originally Posted by Moondancer View Post
    I just found this thread half an hour after buying myself a new washing machine online!

    I had a fantastically good LG washing machine that I had to leave behind when I moved a few months ago. Never had any problems with it, had it probably about 5 years, quiet, efficient, easy to use, etc. so I just bought a similar model.

    I actually bought it today but I went on the pricerunner site a couple of days ago, which led me onto a review site called revoo, I think. The price runner site had a good price and feature comparison, so effectively did a lot of legwork for me. Like the last one, I bought one with a 7kg capacity - wouldn't ever go back to a 5kg drum size; also it supposedly senses how much you put in and washes accordingly. As I say, loved the last one, expect to love this one. 2 year manufacturer's warranty, 10 year manufacturer's warranty on the motor.

    Good luck
    Yup, I've got an LG washing machine after doing a lot of research on different brands whilst buying a new machine last year - great capacity and the quietest machine I've ever owned (although it plays a tune when it's finished )

    Bought it from my local electrical shop who, although not the cheapest, were only about £20 more expensive and provided great service. Local businesses are always worth checking out - they're also more likely to give a good deal after haggling. Sometimes extras are more valuable than a price reduction.

    Try this website for a vast amount of advice/reviews - http://www.washerhelp.co.uk/

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    Re: buying a new washing machine - advise please!

    why not pop along to your local branch of John Lewisthey have sale on at the moment and their service and advice is second to none

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    Re: buying a new washing machine - advise please!

    Was suprised to see that M&S sell them on their website too and they have some January offers at the moment.

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    Re: buying a new washing machine - advise please!

    Hi Marty - long time no see - hope you are well!

    anyway, buy a Miele or a Miele. If you want something else, make it a Miele!

    I have owned a Miele vacuum cleaner for over 25 years now and it is still going strong, despite clearing builders rubble from an extension! Also own a Miele washing machine - it has a different type of set up on the drum to conventional washing machines and is virtually noiseless. It can also work out how much washing is in the drum and how much water is needed. The cost of running it is at the bottom end of the spectrum - with fuel costs expected to rise, this is something to consider!

    No problems with either item. Washing machine came with a 5 year guarantee which I think speaks for itself! It is an expensive make, but you won't be sorry if you part with the extra cash.

    As some others have said, buy whichever make you want from John Lewis, as they have a really good back up service.

    Warranties are a waste of money - keep your cash in the bank!


    Elaine x
    Last edited by ElaineB; 10th-January-2010 at 04:45 PM.

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