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Hi, we’re trying to “do our bit” for jobs and transport miles by buying products made (or assembled!) in the UK, but are really struggling with white goods. We need to buy new washing machines, tumble driers, dishwashers, fridges, freezers and cookers. We have found Belling and Stoves for the cookers, and understand that Crosslee and Indesit both make tumble driers here, but we’re really struggling with the rest 😥 Any advice? Thanks!
Re: British manufacturers?
Crosslee do make dryers in Yorkshire. Indesit are an Italian company that have totally destroyed Hotpoint within the last nine years and shut the last major factory last year. Their equipment is at the very bottom of the market in terms of quality in any event. Crosslee ( White Knight ) are also budget machines, vented dryer is not bad, avoid their condensor dryer at all costs. 😥
There is little point buying what you think might be British if it is dubious quality.
As for saving the planet etc, you would be far better of investing in much higher spec machines than any of the above, even if they are imported they will not be going to landfill within three or four years like a large part of Indesit’s current offerings are. In the long run it is actually sound economic sense and ‘greener’ to buy the best you can afford regardless of the source.
Re: British manufacturers?
Hi,
For the washing machine and tumble drier what about ISE?
The machines arn’t British but the company is, also you would buy it through your local independant, putting money into your own local economy as well as keeping local business thriving and people in their jobs. Plus if you buy the ISE 10 it will last a very long time thus reducing what goes into landfill, so this would seem the “greenest” way to go.
I have a Crosslee drier (an 84 AW to be precise) not bought for the 8 hour A class rubbish but beacause I wanted a vented sensordry, so it fit the bill. I is about three and a half years old and has more rattles and squeaks than I care to mention, it is very noisy as well. It does dry very well and quickly which are plus points and they are made 2 miles up the road from my home. I however will not have another when it is beyond economical repair, I will certainly look at the best vented driers when that day comes.
HTH,
Oliver.
Re: British manufacturers?
Hi, thanks both for the replies. I guess we were hoping that – hope against hope! – we could combine both quality AND being made in Britain (for the jobs bit more than the greenwash to be honest … although it still does seem mad shipping those heavy goods all over the world when we should be able to make them here).
Anyway, we’ll try and find an ISE stockist here in Suffolk for the reasons you suggest (at least the machines are European!). Any views on Belling and the other brands in that Group company for the cookers? Notice that Crosslee import fridges as well – on the basis that at least they’re a British company, any views? Otherwise we’ll just try and find the best we can for the money we’ve got.
Thanks again
DanRe: British manufacturers?
Hi Dan,
I looked into what came from where regarding Crosslee a little while back. The Driers are British, the refrigeration is imported from China and I have heard of their washing machines being made by a Turkish company called Vestel, also heard Merloni too, they could have changed recently?
A friend of mine has a White Knight washing machine, it is very noisy like the driers and dosen’t seem to wash that well.I could be wrong on the above so if anyone wants to correct me feel free.
We used to have a good manufacturing base in Britain, but cheap imports have ruined that, look at Hoover and Hotpoint they used to make good machines and take a look now both Italians in dresses. It is very sad as our nations skills are rapidly depleating. I have found recently that any machine made in Britain (not that there is many left) is having its quality massivley reduced so the manufacturer can keep up with the cheap imports prices. :rolls:
Don is the man with his finger on the pulse regarding new appliances. He can advise alot better than me. 😆
Oliver.
EDIT: Looking at Vestels website the current White Knight washing machines must be Vestel made, there are a of alot of similaritres. 😕
lol @ vestel
the amount of stuff thats made by them is astonishing….
the ammount of tv manufacturers who use their tv lcd panels is shocking, and theyre rubbish too
the refigeration is worse than anything ive ever seen
worse than haier? debatable, but one things for sure, its heading to the point where everythings pants, and thats worrying. even bosch are starting using bekos stuff… market values, etc
when ppl stop trying to look for the perfect bargain that simply isnt, things cant change
ill never comment on the ise scenario cos i simply dont know.. some of the earlier ones where very beko – ish..
i pray for the day when people realise that actually, you do get what you pay for, and , it would be nice, so very very nice when someone DOESNT stand there pointing their finger at me, sayin that they paid £169 for their machine, and it should last a lot longer
well, i can dream
although, saying that the beko stuff isnt that bad if im honest
Re: British manufacturers?
The ISE CI555 was built for us by Beko, there’s no secret or mystery about it. However, it should be borne in mind that the machine was made to a custom specification for ISE and there is no current product in the Beko range which matches or beats that specification. This is contract manufacturing, rather than “badge engineering”. ISE as the customer didn’t buy an off the shelf product and stick our badge on it, Beko built us what we wanted, and quite well, too.
They have, however, moved on in terms of their own production, which is a route that ISE have not chosen to follow.
All manufacturers (Including the Chinese!) are perfectly capable of manufacturing to any standard required; they are, however, driven by market forces and are often forced to compromise themselves to meet the demands of the major high street retailers for cheap and (not very) cheerful product. “We’ll sell your nice mid-range product with good warranty, providing you give us some bit of cheap tat to give us plenty of volume” is the way it’s usually done. No tat, no frontage on the shop floor, so no sales.
Personally, I’d consider it a form of blackmail. As a consequence, no ISE products are available through the major retailers. Independents and sole traders sell, install, maintain and service the products. This offers the consumer personal, friendly service from people who are trained on the products and know and understand them.
The one “budget” appliance sold by ISE was the ISE2 and it was a super machine. No frills, just a “turn the knob and press the button” appliance, BUT – it has bearings the size of dustbin lids, a door seal which virtually shuts the gap at the front of the machine and is so simple that it’s very reliable. Built to a contract specification, by Vestel in Turkey.
The simplest rule of thumb you can follow is that you will get what you are prepared to pay for. Curry’s finest HEC autowasher for £160 has no more than comedy value as far as the independent trade is concerned. As a self-employed sole trader, I won’t even accept a call on these appliances. As for poor old Helo, he’s dealing with the rubbish sold by Haier every day, and, it’s not his fault.
Bear that in mind when the cheap and shoddy product you thought was a bargain conks out. Again.
Penguin45.
Afternoon lads, your comments sum up this situation very well indeed. 😉
helo_75 wrote: even bosch are starting using bekos stuff… market values, etc
That is very sad, Bosch used to make excellent appliances, I have a Bosch washing machine not that far of 16 years old, it works properly and only simple things go wrong, not PCBs etc. I had a look at the latest offerings from Bosch and compared to mine they were garbage, the doors are very flimsy and have heard comments about the noise levels. Mine is very quiet even after all these years.
People will happily spend £300 on a Dyson vacuum cleaner but want the cheapest piece of junk when it comes to a washing machine, the hardest working appliance in the house. It makes no sense. It reminds me of a comment a friend useds to make, “A Mercedes in the drive and an Indesit in the kitchen”.
My parents have an IAR Siltal integrated washing machine, it has just broken the 6000 wash limit in 9 years. This March it had, new bearings, belt and a pair of brushes oh and a pump last summer. Not bad for a machine that sees commercial use in a house!! I have seen the latest from Siltal and again it is utter garbage with the sealled tanks etc. All maintaince of the Bosch and Siltal are done by ourselves as they are simple and very easy to work on. God only knows what they will buy when the Siltal packs up for good in 50 years time. 😆
Jim made the best point earlier, why buy British if it is knowingly rubbish? There is no point what so ever. :rolls:
People will spend all the money in the world on gadgets, computers and some of it is just put in a cupboard and forgotten about, but things that really matter they can be very tight about indeed.
The things that sell machines are pointless anyway, 3 million different wash cycles, rediculous spin speeds and options you will never use. Many years ago buying a new washing machine was a very serious descision and was reasearched properly, but now it is just a whim in one of the big C’s, oh I like the features or the capacity etc. Reliability is rarley a consideration these days.
Oliver.
PS. By the way Chris, who makes the AW23?
which is why i said beko ish! there are differences, i could see that
cynical people will always dispute it, engineers can see it
hotpoint are using complete doors now, no more front/back trims/glass OR handles
its really sad, but, ultimately, people have done it to themselves!
helo_75 wrote:
its really sad, but, ultimately, people have done it to themselves!
Yep, I have to agree with that. People won’t pay the money, so they get rubbish. At the end of the day manufactureres are only pandering to what people want, and best of all they do. Whilst doing this have ruined some very good companies in the process.
Hotpoint using complete doors is laughable, this is the throwaway society at its best especially as the doors are so flimsy the could break if you look at them the wrong way. Modern life = green? , not really. :rolls:
This is why I get mad when I hear about modern appliances using little energy and water, when this is all compromised by build quality, spares and monopoly servicing practices.
Higher-water-level wrote:This is why I get mad when I hear about modern appliances using little energy and water, when this is all compromised by build quality, spares and monopoly servicing practices.
I agree with best part of what you guys say but we are only talking of a tin box with a tub that goes round and round or a tin box that gets cold or one chucks a few microwaves about or cooks the Sunday roast. So with that fact on the design drawing board there’s not too much to ponder over is there? Add to that an enthusiastic eastern European or far eastern Chinese manufacturing base that shells them out like peas and job done!
There’s a wide open marketplace on which to purvey their goods all over the place and a hungry market for disposable energy saving goods like that here in the UK….so that’s OK too! The money here in the UK from that is either by shifting them or scrapping them and those in the middle can pick a few bones if they wish. Modern whitegoods in a nutshell! 😈
I think the intention to support local economy is good, but I believe the zeal is slightly misplaced. While it is good to help out, but priority should be in getting the best appliance first, regardless of where it came from.
Re: British manufacturers?
Just for an update on this forum I have white night washer and its a work horse as its taken a lot of hammer over the three or four years I have had it. Only got it as the tumbler was so reliable compared to other brands I have had. Probably over ten years old. The local appliance repair guy who worked on our cooker says they are the more reliable ones and they make for bosch. Also LEC fridges, Henry Hoover and belling cookers are all UK as far as I am aware.
Re: British manufacturers?
White Knight have never ‘made’ a washing machine, they are imported, possibly from Vestel in Turkey. 😉 Bosch have not used a White Knight produced dryer for many years. As a tumble dryer they are one of the better budget priced appliances although I am not a fan of their condensor dryer, the vented one is a very basic, cheap to fix appliance most of the time.
As for Belling then this article will give you some information. Belling, includes LEC as well.
Bear in mind that was written in 2007, since that time I fear that all Belling products may be imported, someone else may know better. All recent Belling cookers I see are imported.
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