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The most useful thing in my toolbox is probably the box itself. It’s got wheels and an extending handle. Very useful for trogging round the town centre when you can’t park where you want.
Obvious really.
Penguin.Brushes for induction motors? Howzabout 054870? THe old Bosch motor was an induction motor AND a brush motor for spin.
Total anorack …………..
Was sent to new Creda 17 series a LONG time ago – bouncing round kitchen.
“You have removed the transit packaging” says the Penguin.
“Oh yes”, says customer, “Mind you we had a hell of a job getting those bits of concrete out”.
I blew it and burst out laughing. He found the brackets, but had to ring his wife to find the 3 blocks – they were in the rockery!Penguin.
We actually had one of these as our own dryer for a short while – it had two replacement rear bearings and one tub inside a year and went to the tip aged 15 months.
Diabolical.
Penguin.
Are the end jets clear? This is what applies the rotational force to the rotor. Being the furthest point out it is also where the crud collects.
Failing that, yes, these motors can run slow due to partial failure of the plastic drive shaft. Unlikely if you’re getting 3″ jets from the rest of the rotor.
Penguin.
Re: Miele dishwasher sticking
Amazing! Had something very similar about a year back, where the roof rotor kept blasting off its mounting. And almost the same conversation with the customer as well. New top rotor insert kit and away it went, sweet as you like.
Funny old game!
Penguin.
Re: Andy’s last paragraph.
As Ken said, the only way to influence the manufacturers is to affect their sales. If we have to create a BIG STICK, we have to influence public opinion. I suggest that we do this by creating a REAL reliability/value for money etc review and when ready, make it publically available. THEN, we may start to hold some sway.
There 30 million odd households in the UK, each one has at least 3 domestic appliances, so there are AT LEAST 100,000,000 machines out there to be serviced or replaced.
By comparison, helping out the half dozen punters each day who wish to risk life and limb and try to fix it themselves is very small beer indeed, and is an outstanding example of good will.
18 months from now, it could all be changing for the better!
Penguin.
Re: One Million!
Gentlemen.
This thread is nudging the way of so many threads; towards the “poor us” attitude. I am trying to demonstrate a way to empower the independent service network, in a reasoned, impartial, analytical and accountable way.
Have you any idea of the tremors that go through the car industry each year as the JD Power results come along? I have a mate who is a sales manager for Renault (Who always do well!) and even he starts to get fretful. As for Ford with the Galaxy, well………
We have some choices to make. We can either continue making a lot of noise in here about how bad the product/rates/supply/prices are, or we start accumulating quantifiable, analyitical assessments of the various machines we are all working on every day and publish them as either a rolling catalogue; or better (in a blaze of publicity) once a year announce the review as the UKW Product Review and see how they like that!
We could even play the guardians of the public interest card, “UKW says don’t buy HotHooWhiPerloni” – page 5 of the Daily Mail. Thought, eh?
As things currently stand, we are absolutely at the bottom of the white goods food chain and we’re going to stay there unless we come out fighting. This has the potential to be a powerbase to change the industry.
Points against as things currently stand. We have some 700+ members, of whom 300 – 350 are trade based. Obviously, we need to recruit. We are desperately underfunded. I chip in a nominal sum each month, I hope it’s some use. If I (and the rest of you) put in (say) £20 a month x 300 = £60,000, we have a) a salary, b) some dosh for consultation/analysis, c) a little bit for advertising (White goods engineer? Contact UKW.com; we could change your life!), d) a few bob spare so Ken and Dave can get sloshed at our expense for once!
I have been a mushroom before and I don’t like being in the dark having bullsh*t dropped on me from time to time. What I suggest, even if we get a “tick the boxes” set up will be labour intensive, and will take time to develop into a reasonable sample size, but in perhaps 18 months from now we could have the potential to drop a reasoned, analytical, well publicised bombshell right in the limelight.
Up to us really.
Penguin.
One Million!
Good, innit?
Surely demonstrates how little confidence the public has in the manufacturers and the main retailers that they seek out a truly independent opinion!To this end, a couple of thoughts. Obviously, the public are coming in for advice and opinions on new products, not just advice in the public forums as to how to fix it themselves. (Fascinating really – been messing about in here for 6+ months and I’m still finding new things) I did go through a phase of thinking the public to be a bit of a labour intensive nuisance, but it’s nothing in proportion to the number of hits! We are a bit thin on the ground on the “new” reviews. I would say that our opinion in this area, if developed, would not only give the public informed advice but would give us external influence. The ones we have are beautifully written and highly informative, but having done a bit if creative writing for UKW last weekend I must say it’s damn hard work and therefore an inefficient use of an engineers time.
The only independent external source of advice currently is “Which?”. They are very good at the evaluation of product, but never actually pass an opinion; and there is certainly no follow up with regard to reliability and customer satisfaction.
Can you imagine what would have happened if “Which?” had done that kind analysis of the WMA series 4 years ago and said “This is cr@p”? We have, between us, the ability to do this.
As an independent, I don’t get to work on new appliances until they pass out of the initial guarantee period, but as we know, the ranges update on the same platform year by year, so opinion would be relevant. Some of you guys are out there doing it for THE COMPANY, some of you are subcontracting for THE COMPANY and are getting a feel of things much earlier.
If I had some “Fill-in-the-numbers-and-tick-the-boxes” forms from UKW on my work pad, it would be the work of moments to log problems and customer opinions with regard to newer appliances. What a database we could build that way!
The point I’m blundering towards is that:
a) I doubt that “Which?” gets anything like a million hits a year with regards to white goods.
b) This site is a great club for us, and there is no harm in that whatsoever, and should be roundly applauded (Anyone clapping in a circular fashion leave now………)
c) When it becomes even more widely known that the public can get an honest, unbiased, informed and quantifiable (That’s the tick the boxes bit) opinion on a wide range of appliances, sooner or later the manufacturers will have to sit up and take notice. After all, what we say can and WILL affect YOUR business………… A million hits this year? It’s only going to grow isn’t it?With the growth of the internet making communication so much easier and faster, we have an opportunity to develop a truly independent voice with huge potential to push this market place back to where it should be – IF we can present the facts! It could be just beautiful if we work it right.
Think on Brothers, and prepare for leadeship.
Penguin.
Ha! That’s called a rotary hoist over here.
These digital machines can take some figuring out, but can give you very flexible programming. Good luck with it,
Regards,
Penguin45.Hi Valvo,
Been following this with interest, as I’ve got family in Adelaide. Just curious about tumble dryer – I thought you had masses of sunshine down there? Got to be cheaper than a TD!Regards from cold, wet Yorkshire,
Penguin45.
