New Washing Machine For Family Of 3-4

[Samuel Pattuzzi]

I’m moving to a new house from rented so for the first time in my life I’m in the market for a washing machine. My experience so far has been any old rubbish that the landlord wanted to install (mostly cheap Beko’s that kept breaking). So having been burnt by this, I’m very on board with paying more to save more in the long run.

We are a family of 3 with a 2 y/o boy. We will likely be having another child in the next few years and we will be using cloth nappies again. I think this puts us in the above-average category of washing machine users. We probably run a wash every other day as it stands and this will likely only increase with nappies and another child. So a robust washing machine with excellent performance is a must (especially when washing baby poop).

I’ve had a read through the guides and it seems like recommendations are to steer away from the large drum sizes and the high spins and all the other wizz-bang features. In terms of brands, Miele seems to stand out as the best for longevity and performance. I was slightly concerned that the repair costs can be exorbitant. That makes it sound like it’s a bit of a lottery. Either it doesn’t fail for 10 years, in which case you really got your money’s worth, or it does and you have to splash out.

I’m not really worried about the upfront cost but I would like to make the most cost-effective decision for the long run. Are any other brands better in this respect or is this just the way it goes?

Assuming that I do go with Miele, which models would you folks recommend for my situation? Is it worth going to the higher-priced models for the 10-year warranty or better to stick with the 5-year range?

I also had a little confusion over the drum size guide. In the guide, it suggests that 6kg is more than ample for most families. However, these days it seems almost impossible to find a 6kg machine and all the ranges seem to start at 7kg+. Have drum sizes all been pushed up by marketing hype? Or has the way the capacity is measures been changed such that the real capacity hasn’t really shifted?

Thanks in advance for the advice!

Edit: I forgot to mention that a quiet spin is quite important too. My other half gets annoyed by loud washes. And seeing as we do them often, it would be good to keep this down.

[don]

There is a raft of good info here to keep anyone awake into the early hours of the morning.

Miele with a five year guarantee is sufficient for most households.

You need to research the Miele models and then research some more.

Don

[Samuel Pattuzzi]

When you say research the models. What should I be looking for? Presumably not just the manufacturer’s literature.

I have had a good read through the main guides already. Just wondering if there were any specific models you might recommend.

Should I be considering any other brands or not really worth it?

[don]

Miele washing machine models can be found on their site https://www.miele.co.uk/e/washing-machines-1015696-c

No other brand comes close in the current quality of build etc.

Don

[Samuel Pattuzzi]

Are there any real structural differences between the range of W1 machines? Will washing performance get better as you go for the more expensive machines? Are they all the same and you are just paying for a few extra features and the extra warranty? If that’s the case then I suppose buying the more expensive machines is just a type of insurance.

[don]

No it’s purely bells and whistles. Personally I would not be looking at the TDOS either, I’m probably to old fashioned and I would rather be in control 😉

You have to weigh up the ten year warranty against the five if you want the increased gizmo’s.

Don

[Samuel Pattuzzi]

I was thinking I could even just get the 2-year warranty models. If it’s just a question of gambling for the repair cost, I would rather self insure. They are bound to put a markup, such that on average they come up better off.

[thrombel]

I’ve got an entry model Miele & it’s superb. it’s 3 years old & gets used heavily – family of 4. Badly stained kids clothing, grass stains/mud stains, curry stains etc. The Cleaning power is phenomenal.

everything comes out spotless whereas I’ve had cheap washing machines in the past & they just don’t clean as well…

The entry level suits my needs fine. I don’t need bells & whistles.

As for 7kg or 8kg it’s strange because in the showroom both drums were exactly the same size…. I measured the internal size. So I’m not sure what the difference is for 7kg & 8kg…

You won’t be disappointed with a Miele. You can pick up an entry level for around £600. Money well spent…

[Author]

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