Washing machine buying advice please

[blu2222]

Hi there – new here, but always been interested in appliances since I was a little boy (I used to have favourite makes, etc… don’t ask!). Now has come the time to buy my first washing machine and I’m looking for the most reliable option in my budget.

The ones I’ve narrowed it down to are… can an expert here please let me know what the best choice is here?

Bosch WAB24161GB
http://www.very.co.uk/bosch-wab24161gb- … age.recs_2

This is sold as Balay overseas with the same fascia etc so I’m guessing it’s quite low down for Bosch as it only seems to appear in the UK as Bosch, but I’m guessing it still has their quality and an in-house motor.

Zanussi ZWF81240W
http://www.very.co.uk/zanussi-zwf81240w … 288433.prd

Never had a problem with Electrolux reliability and often see the washers in laundrettes are by Electrolux, so I’m assuming this is a safe bet, but why do they do that unusual thing with the filter inside the drum? Is that a good method?

Whirlpool DLCE71469
http://www.very.co.uk/whirlpool-dlce714 … 101798.prd

No personal experience of Whirlpool, although I remember family members having Philips-Whirlpool fridges that lasted forever and I’m wondering if some of that DNA is still there in the company. Says made in Italy and I understand that they recently bought the Indesit group… does this mean it’s just made using Indesit internals (who I gather are difficult to service).

I’m avoiding Indesit/Hotpoint as I take they’re not the most reliable choice (is this correct?), and Beko because even though I think they’re maybe ok for fridges (my fridge freezer is a LEC rebadged Beko and although going strong has poor quality plastics that have broken already), I’ve seen many people’s Beko washers and not been overly impressed.

Hope to hear your thoughts…

[iadom]

Re: Washing machine buying advice please

The best thing to do is to give us your budget and expected usage.
Our resident retail expert Don can then advise.

[blu2222]

Re: Washing machine buying advice please

I can’t really go over £280, and it would be used about 3 times a week, maybe more. I can only buy from Very as I have a voucher code for there.

[Martin]

Re: Washing machine buying advice please

Choose Beko, excellent value for your £280, reliable and cheap to fix should it ever fail.

[don]

Re: Washing machine buying advice please

Hi

Out of the list I would go for the Bosch every time. It has been a good model for them over the last eighteen months or so and the reliability has not been an issue either. A good all round solid basic machine which does what it is supposed to do with a two year included in the price.

I will wager the Bosch against Martin’s beko anytime 😉

HTH

Don

[blu2222]

Re: Washing machine buying advice please

Many thanks… Bosch is definitely the frontrunner, but can you let me know, is Whirlpool no good these days? Especially from a reliability point of view?

[iadom]

Re: Washing machine buying advice please

Very little is as good as it was. 🙁 Stands to reason, if the public want ‘cheap’ throw away machines then the manufacturers and the large retail outlets are only too happy to produce and sell them. No good to them if your machine lasts 15 to 20 years.

Your budget would have got you a very decent machine 25 years ago, now there is very little to chose as far as reliability goes in that price bracket.

I would opt for a Bosch over a Whirlpool every time but wouldn’t buy a £280 Bosch. 😉

[blu2222]

Re: Washing machine buying advice please

I’m totally tied to that budget. Are you saying basically everything in the entry level is poor quality now? How long can you expect them to last? I remember older family members having Philips-Whirlpool washing machines that must have been 20 years old when they were still working when I was a kid.

Is this right for a reliability/quality scale (best to worst)?
1. Bosch/Miele
2. Electrolux companies e.g. Zanussi
3. Whirlpool
4. Beko (I guess Panasonic at this level too?)
5. Indesit/Hotpoint
6. Samsung and LG
7. Chinese makes like Hisense
8. Vestel rebrands and Daewoo (like Argos and AO own brand stuff)

[don]

Re: Washing machine buying advice please

I would go with that list to a degree.

The new Whirlpool machines are a lot better than they have been in recent years and I would now out them one place higher and drop Zanussi down a couple more places.

For your budget I would still go with the Bosch.

Don

[iadom]

Re: Washing machine buying advice please

And I wouldn’t put Bosch alongside Miele. 😉

I still repair Hotpoint machines that are 15 to 25 years old but find that these days almost 50{e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d} of my calls to machines made in the last ten years are BER on first visit, mainly due to sealed drums or expensive electronics.

[blu2222]

Re: Washing machine buying advice please

Great – thanks for the advice guys. So based on everything you’ve said, I’ve upped my budget a little to the Bosch WAN24100GB (the next model up from the entry level Bosch I originally suggested). Does this mean I’ll get an increase in reliability and build quality by going one rung up the range, or for my basic needs might I just as well stick to their entry level model?

Surprised to hear that about Zanussi/Electrolux – always thought of them as a great brand.

[Martin]

Re: Washing machine buying advice please

blu2222 wrote: Does this mean I’ll get an increase in reliability and build quality by going one rung up the range, or for my basic needs might I just as well stick to their entry level model?

There is no way one can associate ‘ladder rungs’ based on price in white goods directly indicating better quality. It doesn’t work that way by any stretch. Often the opposite tends to apply. It’s just a gamble these days, quality went out the window long ago. Spend wisely my friend, do not overspend, those ladder rings are very iffy 😉

[blu2222]

Re: Washing machine buying advice please

Thank you to all you guys who offered advice. Really appreciate it. I went for the Bosch WAN24100GB in the end. Now I have the fun of modifying my kitchen units to make it room and plumbing.

Interestingly they make the same model but under their Siemens name in Europe and the lower Bosch 6kg below it in the range isn’t called Bosch anywhere in Europe but branded as Balay etc. Only the ones with the round ridges on the side get the Bosch or Siemens branding in Europe. Maybe these are made in Bosch’s own factories and of a higher spec and that Balay Bosch is just to get a foothold in the UK budget market where Bosch is a great name to have?

[Author]

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