Quality machines – how much…?

[dwelly]

I’ve used an AEG OKO Lavamat 6100 for about 12 years and just a few days ago it stopped working (no power to the machine and have no idea what the problem is). I am assuming that the cost of repair – call-out charge, labour, parts – will be more than the actual value of the machine so a search for a new machine has taken me here.

Surprise surprise a new quality machine will be expensive and easily £500+ so it looks like a deep breath is needed before the wife hears about this one! I like the ideals of the “solid” built brands from the Northern European countries and the ethos of ISE is great but the products are a bit above my budget…is there no value out there any more? Or am I just behind the times…? 🙂

[gandh1]

Re: Quality machines – how much…?

Sounds obvious but have you done the silly checks?

i.e
– plugged in & switched on? (including isolation switches that get
accidentally turned off located 3 inches above the worksurface)
– fusebox tripped?
– tested another knowingly working appliance like a kettle or hair dryer
out in the w/m socket?
– that the power lead hasnt been munched through by rodents/pets…?

Eliminate those first.

As for the value of the machine, it will depend how well you have looked after it! Indie repair engineers are about the £50-65 mark for a call-out. If theyre an ISE supplier chances are if the machines seen too much wear they wont charge you the call out if you get the ISE through them.

Likewise for any other brand, if they arent an ISE retailer, depends where in the world you are…

And if its a economically viable repair youre quids in. New AEGS arent as solid as those ones, and no longer made in germany.

[dwelly]

Re: Quality machines – how much…?

Thanks gandh1. Tried the obvious stuff straight away but no joy. Should also have said although I don’t know what the problem is, my brother, an electronics engineer, had a look and wondered if the main pcb or control unit could be at fault. I’m in Renfrewshire so could get someone out for £30 and maybe take a chance he finds the fault and could supply parts. Don’t know about cost but guess wouldn’t be as expensive as new machine and would last a few more years. Only three of us in house so wasn’t overly used machine anyway.

Didn’t know AEGs were made outside Germany nowadays. Would hate to think about buying a “name” and find it’s not as well built as I thought it would be, based on past reputation.

[Penguin45]

Re: Quality machines – how much…?

If you are replacing and want something decent, you need to set a budget of at least £350, which pitches you into the lower end Bosch machines. Reasonable quality and a 2 year warranty is attractive, probably won’t be German-built though.

Penguin45.

[kwatt]

Re: Quality machines – how much…?

Penguin45 wrote:Reasonable quality and a 2 year warranty is attractive, probably won’t be German-built though.

From what I understand of the current crop of BSH products, you’re into £650+ territory to get a pukka German made machine. Anything under that is from Poland, Spain and China for the most part so far as I know.

HTH

K.

[dwelly]

Re: Quality machines – how much…?

So what’s happened to washing machines in the last 10-15 years? It sounds like we were lucky our AEG has lasted as long as it did – and I still wish we could get it working again – but this thread and many others on this forum seem to show that the quality of washing machines has really gone downhill. What’s gone wrong?

[kwatt]

Re: Quality machines – how much…?

Nothing has gone wrong really, people just think that they can get the same quality for the same money over a decade later. That can’t happen obviously.

People voted with their feet and moved to cheaper and cheaper machines which will be, generally, poor quality, built to a price in some low labour cost country is the result of what consumers demanded.

That has led to shorter and shorter lifespans… more waste… worse for the environment and your wallet but, heh, it’s okay because they’re all A rated and save the planet… really, honest.

People obviously thought (or think) that they can get the same for less, better performance, more efficient and as well if not better built for less money which, if you stop and think about it, simply isn’t possible in what is primarily a mechanical device.

Basically, a lot of what you see is marketing hype dreamt up by PR guys to sell you the idea that you save money buying a new machine on running costs and that you get quality and durability but the reality is all too often far removed from that. The “it saves energy over previous machines” is the positive spin, you won’t be told about the detrimental effects. Also you won’t be told is that to get any saving on cost will take at least 2-3 years and that a lot of cheap machines won’t live that long.

And loads of people buy into that hype, swallowing it hook line and sinker.

There’s much more to it of course and this article should serve as a good starting point.

HTH

K.

[dwelly]

Re: Quality machines – how much…?

Interesting article and loads of useful knowledge. Like many others I’m really pleased to have found this forum….

Going back to my original post, I now have a decision to make – repair or replace. How cost effective will the repair of a 12 year old AEG be? If the call-out engineer tells me I need a new pcb, according to your spare parts section this will cost over £100. Can AEG Lavamats pcbs or control units be picked up second hand? On the other hand, if I go for a new machine, I’ll be paying £400-500 minimum but at least it should last me another 8-10 years. Anyone had this dilemma before and how did you weigh up the pros and cons?

[Penguin45]

Re: Quality machines – how much…?

There is a small electronic board which runs the motor on the back of the timer unit – that would not stop the machine starting, so the problem is elsewhere. Burnt out wiring, failed mains suppressor or the like is possible. There is a reasonable chance of a simple repair.

However………. at 12 years old, the machine is well into it’s design life (They are designed to last X,000 cycles, depending on the build quality), so there may be other problems in the near future. Also, there is no longer full parts availability – a lot of the cosmetic parts are now obsolete.

If you can get a local call-out for £30, I’d do it and keep your fingers crossed.

Penguin45.

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