Your Washing Machine!

Posh Bosch?

we ordered it from comet: it's come to about 330 quid all-in, including fitting (and the fucking silver colour scheme that mrs F demanded). i looked at a shitload of washer-dryers online: this was the only one that seemed to have a decent number of features, good user reports, and a half-decent price.

x-post - that sounds absolutely ideal. I too quite fancy silver.

I vowed that next time the machine broke down, I'd sling it out and buy a new one - but it's been okay for a long time now (ha! I bet that's put the mockers on it now!)

I bought a washer/dryer because I thought it might stop me using the tumble dryer part of it too much - if I am washing, then I can't be drying (which is expensive), so the idea was to just use the dryer only for emergencies. It isn't a particularly quick dryer anyway, and the wash cycles take for ever too (even a 40 degree quick wash with the ecowash button selected). I've been a bit disappointed with it all round, really.

When I replace it, I'm going to revert to separate washing and drying machines. I don't think you can go far wrong with Bosch.

it is good

mrs F used to say exactly the same, but then her dad got a washer-dryer that seemed to work surprisingly well. so we've taken the plunge. and, to be honest, our washing machine's been so wonky for the past couple of years that anything will be an improvement.

rumpie: comet claim they'll take away your old one free of charge as long as it's disconnected. irritatingly, disconnecting ours means hacking apart bits of our two-year-old fitted kitchen, but fuck it: it's a small price to pay.

to be honest, this whole comet thing - cheapness, plumbing, uplift, delivery when you want it - sounds too good to be true. the woe and misery of dealing with B&Q and ikea has left me with a deep mistrust of such places. if comet actually perform here, i'll be a) amazed and b) eternally grateful.

I can't remember what kind of washing machine I've got. I inherited it with the house and it works fine, which is all I care about.

(They don't have them in the US, you see.)

I got stung by the half-load dryer thing: I thought mine was broken until I realised you have to press half-load to make it tumble dry. Grr.

Miele is one of the best brands you can buy, but at a price. They do last an awfully long time though, so are probably worth twice the price of a hoover as you'd probably need two hoover machines before the miele gave up the ghost.

There's a really good website by a washing machine repair guy, but I can't find it at the minute, I think it's been linked to on an ile thread before, too

... and "oh," says the fitter, "you've got an extended waste pipe. i can't deal with that, sorry"

so much for comet's "we'll fit the new one and take away the old one" promise. fucking wankers. i've effectively paid, what, 15 quid for them to suck air through their teeth and make some half-assed excuse.

angry letters will be fired off. but so far, the kids: fuck comet!

I think we'll just uplift ours ourself and take the old one to the skip. We're rather embarrassed by the condition of it.

Still haven't decided on our new machine, it's come down to three - a Samsung, a silver Indesit, or a Zanussi - the Appliance of Science dontcha know.

because B&Q made such a shit job of our kitchen, we need their (sub-contracted) plumber to come out and fit new taps under warranty. so the trick now is to get him to plumb in the washing machine at the same time. heh :)

getting rid of the old machine shouldn't be too much of a hassle: we've got one of those little trolley things. i'm just pissed off that comet made a shit excuse and fucked off.

I'm a bit dubious about the man fitting it himself, I'll leave him to it and go out for the day - I can't bear the shouting and swearing involved in DIY.

to be fair, comet have been quite decent about this. i've just called them and they'll sort out a refund for the fitting charge. they also claim they can still come round and pick up the old washing machine at a date of our choosing.

anyway: we're going on holiday tomorrow, so all this is going to have to wait :)

i got to help the plumber fit it. i feel ever so manly.

My washing has never smelt so clean, I keep wondering what the old machine was actually doing all that time, wetting the clothes?

What a palaver ...better not to have to do all this again for another 10 years at least:

Like Grimly above I needed to arrange not just delivery of a new washing machine, but also for a plumber to uninstall the old machine and plumb the new one in. Gratifyingly he found both tasks quite difficult, relieving any guilt I might feel about not being able to do this myself. A lot of waiting about though - "anytime from 7am - 1pm" is not an acceptable delivery slot in my view, and inevitably they were late. And I've still got a old washing machine to dispose in my kitchen, though apparently John Lewis will collect it.

The cost though!

Zanussi Washing machine -£415 from John Lewis

Plumber - £80

One day's annual leave - priceless

Very surprised to find out there's a community for washing machine videos on youtube (imagine there's msg boards etc too)

http://youtu.be/VudegAtS8xg

http://youtu.be/m6PacMA1GMg

We bought the most basic model of Maytag washing machine in 1987. We've washed an average of 3 to 4 loads a week ever since. It has never given us the first hint of trouble, let alone ever required service. I strongly doubt any contemporary Maytag would demonstrate a similar durability.

We got a combo LG washer/dryer (ventless) last year & though I was skeptical it works pretty good!

Takes a longer to dry but uses v little power. And it plays a happy song when it's done :D

having my own washing machine is enough, some days

interview with some washing machine enthusiasts here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmmmxI-Y_6U

imagine there's msg boards etc too

there are! http://www.automaticwasher.org/

The angriest I've ever seen my father in law was when he heard how much our washing machine cost (It's a Miele).

He went *mental*.

He thought we should have bought a cheap one and then called in a repair man every now and then.

He was too angry to hear that having to take days off work was a false economy.

I have an insanely expensive LG pair, washer and dryer, I love them. though I actually liked the old top loading, water wasting washing machines more, I really do think they cleaned better and I like looking into a big tub of soapy water.