Which Washing Machine To Buy

[Sara Brown]

Hi, I am about to buy a new washing machine and tumble dryer and can't decide which ones are best to buy. I currently have basic Bosch machines both around 10 years old. The tumble dryer is vented and my utility room does not have an outside wall so I need to change it for a condenser dryer. The washing machine hasn't really been used for the last 4 years and I would prefer more of the modern features.

The 3 machines I have on my short list are the following.

Miele W3922, AEG Lavalogic LL1620 and the Siemens WM16S794. The Siemens and AEG both have 5 year guarantees and the Miele currently still has a 10 year guarantee. The Siemens and Miele are close in price and the 10 year guarantee means the slightly higher cost of the Miele is worth it but the Siemens is a 7kg washer. But is the cost difference worth it between the Miele and the AEG? I would prefer to spend the smaller amount but am prepared to spend more if the cost of running, part availabilty and reliability is better. Have been bitten by a 14 month old fitted Hotpoint in my current house, luckily it was still under builder's warranty as despite age of the washer the part was no longer available and we had to have a new washer/dryer.

Are these all really clever enough to reduce the water and detergent usage on smaller loads? I won't always use the full 7kg capacity on the AEG or Siemens but I do have large bath towels which mean I can only really wash 2 in a 6kg washer so this would be handy. I only have really small loads for handwash/woollens which is normal and I am assuming that these loads are programmed to be smaller. The other loads are probably 5-6kg except whites as we have a new baby!

Frustratingly the top AEG washer is 7kg but their new A rated dryer is only 6kg!!

Any advice - I never realised buying a washer would be so difficult. Every washer I chose was slated by the Which report!

Thanks Sara

[Whitegoodshelp (Andy)]

Hi, I am about to buy a new washing machine and tumble dryer and can't decide which ones are best to buy. The 3 machines I have on my short list are the following. Miele W3922, AEG Lavalogic LL1620 and the Siemens WM16S794.

All the washing machines you have shortlisted are good. The Siemens and AEG both have 5 year guarantees and the Miele currently still has a 10 year guarantee. It's also a lot better build quality so yes it is worth the extra if you can afford it.

The Siemens has the advantage of having a slightly bigger 7kg drum and it's about £200 cheaper than the Miele, but then it has a slower spin speed (although perfectly respectable), lower build quality (again still respectable) and 5 year guarantee instead of 10. The AEG is quite similar to the Siemens but the Siemens should have slightly better build quality.

Are these all really clever enough to reduce the water and detergent usage on smaller loads? I won't always use the full 7kg capacity on the AEG or Siemens but I do have large bath towels which mean I can only really wash 2 in a 6kg washer so this would be handy. I only have really small loads for handwash/woollens which is normal and I am assuming that these loads are programmed to be smaller. The other loads are probably 5-6kg except whites as we have a new baby!

It should have fuzzy logic that reduces water according to the weight of laundry. 7 kg is undeniably useful but for many people it's only useful occasionally. If you have a lot of washing it should work out more economical if you can fill one for the majority of loads. Miele are currently behind everyone else when it comes to large drum sizes and have only recently made 6kg drums available. I imagine they are being cautious about them but they are pretty far behind and there seems to be a growing demand for bigger and bigger drums.

[Sara Brown]

Thanks for the advice. Will look to order them shortly. Will let you know what I ended up with

Sara

[Sara Brown]

I have bought the miele W3922 washer and T8622 tumble dryer. Should be delivered within the next 10 days. Will let you know what I think

Sara

[Whitegoodshelp (Andy)]

Thanks Sara, I look forward to hearing your views.