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Rona

Advice on washing machines please

By Rona, in The Nesting Box

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Rona All Knowing Superchicken

Rona

Posted
Posted

I need to get a new washing machine soon and I plan to put it where I used to have a tall fridge/freezer, so the worktop stops short of that space. I don't want to put in a new bit of worktop but I don't want it to look as if I should have done. (Are you with me so far?).

 

Width isn't a problem but I need it to be more than 90 cm high so it won't look as if it should be under a worktop. I would also like it to be big enough to wash duvets and blankets in.

 

I had planned to get a top-loader but see that they don't have a very good efficiency rating so am now thinking of getting a 10kg capacity front loader and have seen some on kelkoo or price runner that are taller than 90cm.

 

Before I commit a big lump of money, I thought I would ask on here in case anyone has any info/advice/opinion to offer.

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Shirl Chatty Chicken

Shirl

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I have a Miele, it cost about a £1k but it came with a 10 year parts and labour warranty and after my Hotpoint and Zanussi machines I needed something very reliable. Of course it is more environmentally friendly too to have a machine for as long as possible before replacing. Most machines have feet on them don't they that you can adjust so they are level. I don't know if they'd adjust that much though. I can't measure mine as it's built in.

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redhotchick Chatty Chicken

redhotchick

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Rona, why don't you want to put a new piece of work top in?

You could get a new piece spliced in, and even if it wasn't an exact match you could put a pretty cloth there or a chopping board, or a piece of equipment like a mixer or a microwave.

I don't know of any machines that are designed to be higher than a worktop these days.

My machine is a Hotpoint Aquarius Extra. It has a variable temperature dial. You can get them with a variable spin speed now too. I got it because it has a 24 minute wash! I've had it for 5 or 6 years, no problem so far (touches wood)

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Guest

Guest

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Go for a Hoover or a Hotpoint - when they go wrong they are cheap and easy to fix.

 

Go for an expensive German brand and the smallest part will be part of a bigger part and even a minor repair will cost you ££££. It's advice I was given a long time ago by a friend who has a repair business.

 

In my rental property there is a Bosch diswasher, a small clip is broken and can only be replaced with a whole assembly part at at cost of £97 - equivelent clip on a Hotpoint model is just under £2.

 

I'm just gonna replace the whole dishwasher with a secondhand Hotpoint off Ebay.

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Shirl Chatty Chicken

Shirl

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I have a Miele, it cost about a £1k

 

:shock::shock::shock: say that again! I think I had something crazy in my ear!

 

Seriously I have heard that they are fab so probably worth it :D

 

Definitely worth it. My Hotpoint cost me £10 a month in spare parts. I got sick of it in the end. I used to buy them in bulk off the internet but if I forgot to order them then I had a wait until they arrived. With a child in cloth nappies it just wasn't fun!

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Olly SUPER CHICKEN!!!

Olly

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Another Hotpoint Aquarius fan here, had mine about seven years and no problems (touch wood) and as redhotchick says, you can vary the temperature and the spin speed. Having said that, and I am guessing most of us are the same, I only use about two programmes - a 40 degree 'synthetics' one for most things, and a 'delicates' one for the lighter stuff!

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Lesley Eggsistentialist

Lesley

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Another Hotpoint Aquarius fan here, had mine about seven years and no problems (touch wood) and as redhotchick says, you can vary the temperature and the spin speed. Having said that, and I am guessing most of us are the same, I only use about two programmes - a 40 degree 'synthetics' one for most things, and a 'delicates' one for the lighter stuff!

 

....and a 'once a fortnight' hot wash for whites........ :D

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..lay a little egg for me Chatty Chicken

..lay a little egg for me

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Check out this website: http://www.washerhelp.co.uk/ run by a retired washing machine repair man. He gives loads of useful information about how to choose a washing machine and why Hotpoint etc are only designed to last 5 years or so. I took his advice and bought the cheapest Miele (£500). It is fab...one of the best things about it is that you can open the door even after the programme has started to put in that sock that fell out of your arms as you carried the bundle of dirty washing down the stairs (as long as the water is not too hot/high at the time)!!!

 

I can't remember about the washing machine, but the Miele dishwasher we bought has a huge adjustment on the legs so I'm sure it could be raised up to worktop height.

 

Good luck with your researches.

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chickencam SUPER CHICKEN!!!

chickencam

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I know nothing about the height issue, but when I needed to replace my washing machine which had broken down so many times in 18 months of use, the repair guy said nothing was worth buying except Meile, he said even with our family of 5 it should last for a minimum of 15 years. We are 6 years in and no problems, better than any other I have ever had. My Mum and Grandad have also bought Meile and they are very happy too.

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Blackrocksrock Effusive Egg Layer

Blackrocksrock

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I have a very quiet LG - its not belt driven - its called direct drive and I love it - huge door and large capacity - the two of us most weeks not many full loads. It does a 30 minute quick wash with any speed you like from 400 to 1400 to choose from - I have only one fault with it - when it gets an uneven load it will not spin at all - not often but annoying when it happens.

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..lay a little egg for me Chatty Chicken

..lay a little egg for me

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I have a John Lewis washing machine which I am very pleased with.

Why oh why did I allow myself to post this? Talk about tempting fate. :?

 

Dead as a doornail this morning. *tuts* Luckily it is still under warranty.

 

 

Aaaarrrrgggghhhh.

 

 

Oh dear!

 

The first time I had to call out the engineer to my previous machine, it turned out that it wasn't the machine's fault...a small rodent brought in by the cats was living under it (in it?) and had chewed through the cables :oops::oops:

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Valkyrie Cocka-doodle-loopy

Valkyrie

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OH always consults the "best buys" in Which magazine and now I only have the items I feel I can trust. Hotpoint was never, ever again. Bosch was really good and lasted donkeys years. At the moment I have a Zanussi (a "best buy"), but while it is OK at the moment, I intend to replace it with a Miele eventually - while expensive they really are the Rolls Royce of appliances. I have a Miele dishwasher which is better than my old Bosch (also lasted yonks and I was quite happy with it) and a condenser tumble dryer, which is quite new but at least it doesn't make my clothes smell of stagnant pond water like my old one (can't remember what it was but it was one of OH's best buys) When I complained to the manufacturer they told me to put Milton in the tumbler but it didn't work - it was only 2 years old but I had had enough of it by then.

 

I do find that when one item snuffs it, then something else seems to die on me at the same time! :shock:

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bronze Feathery Fanatic

bronze

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I have a very quiet LG - its not belt driven - its called direct drive and I love it - huge door and large capacity - the two of us most weeks not many full loads. It does a 30 minute quick wash with any speed you like from 400 to 1400 to choose from - I have only one fault with it - when it gets an uneven load it will not spin at all - not often but annoying when it happens.

 

 

Mines lg too and 8ish years old.

 

I really think everything like this has gone downhill in the last 5 years though

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