Recommend me a washing machine

[raceboy]

My current machine that was in the house when I moved in has just about given up, so it's shopping time.
Originally thought I wanted a silver one (to be honest thats as far as my washing machine knowledge goes) but after a walk around the big retailers to get an idea I think it might have to be white.
As far as tech spec goes I haven't really got much of a clue but the other half says it must have a biggish load and a quick wash.
Having a pull of a few doors the new Panasonic units look very nice but are they any good? At £450 they are at the top of my budget but they actually look like someone has thought about the design, I liked the look of the Indisit 'moon' thing which is probably a pants unit but was disappointed by the general plastic-ness of the whole thing.
Oh and the door must have a button release and not one you just yank open as to me thats a callout waiting to happen....

the panny does look nice though

[MrsMiggins]

When I was shopping for a new washing machine I ended up with this one after sifting through loads of reviews and even signing up for a Which? trial membership.

http://www.johnlewis.com/230482278/Product.aspx

Plenty of program options, 7kg (large) load capacity, not too loud.

Only problems are:

1. doesn't have the button release you want
2. it beeps very loudly when it's finished

[Rollin]

Bosch

[raceboy]

MrsMiggins said:

1. doesn't have the button release you want

When I say 'button' I just mean some sort of latch that opens the door, some you just appear to yank open with brute force instead of there being come sort of propper handle.

[UpTheIron]

We've recently bought a Panasonic - http://www.panasonic.co.uk/html/en_GB/Products/Was...

Pleased so far.

[jamoor]

Miele.

[henrycrun]

Some of the less expensive machines may not have a drain hole in the bottom of the big rubber door seal.
Which means that you get a build up of crud (and a pong unless you leave the door open)

BTW all W/machines these days are cold fill only.

[Simpo Two]

raceboy said:

When I say 'button' I just mean some sort of latch that opens the door, some you just appear to yank open with brute force instead of there being come sort of propper handle.

Well a button means an electromechanical device - which can break. A latch is simply mechanical (ie you yank it open) and should be pretty idiot-proof.

Siemens integrated model here, very happy with it.

[condor]

Go to the public library and read the lates Which guides.

[pokethepope]

Miele if you can afford it.

Bosch/AEG/John Lewis if you can't.

Panasonic have only just started making them, so I would research them heavily, but also any long term design issues may not have surfaced by now. Having said that, they make good cameras, microwaves and TV's, so theres no reason to doubt their quality.

[Isoproturon1]

If you value your clothes coming out unshredded, and you like good customer service, DO NOT BUY A HOOVER washing machine.

Zanussi or Bosch for me.

[grumbledoak]

pokethepope said:

Miele if you can afford it.

Bosch/AEG/John Lewis if you can't.

^^^ This, as far as I can tell. Bosch/AEG/Siemens are all the same these days; not quite the 'excessive' quality that you'd have got from Ze Djermans twenty years ago, but still very good.

[pokethepope]

Isoproturon1 said:

If you value your clothes coming out unshredded, and you like good customer service, DO NOT BUY A HOOVER washing machine.

Zanussi or Bosch for me.

grumbledoak said:

pokethepope said:

Miele if you can afford it.

Bosch/AEG/John Lewis if you can't.

^^^ This, as far as I can tell. Bosch/AEG/Siemens are all the same these days; not quite the 'excessive' quality that you'd have got from Ze Djermans twenty years ago, but still very good.

---

Zanussi, Electrolux and AEG are the same company.

Bosch, Neff (limited w/m range so not relevant) and Siemens are the same company.

John Lewis are rebranded AEG machines, with a 3 year warranty.

Most of the parts you find on an AEG are identical to the parts on a Zanussi, and likewise for a Siemens and Bosch, the main sell up point is comestics, extra features, be it programmes, safety features, anti-flood features etc etc, and a couple of parts may be made from a more durable material, for example. It is often difficult to tell if the step up from one manafacturer to the next is worth the extra cash - to a certain extent it is paying simply for a brand perceived to be better, but in reality uses many of the same (and I mean identical) parts. Siemens are mostly Bosches with extra programmes and look a bit nicer, and the same can be said for most AEG's with regard to Electrolux & Zanussi.

As the posters I quoted said, its hard to go wrong with a Bosch, AEG or John Lewis. If you can stretch to a Miele, or 'only' need the 7kg capacity they go up to its worth it, especially if they have the 5/10 year warranty deal on (usually twice a year, for a couple of months at a time), but if not, the Bosch/AEG/JL are the next best things.

Steer clear of Indesit, and as above Hoover.

[raceboy]

I'm sure I'm not being 100% clear by what I mean about the door, before I went pulling doors today I thought they all had what I'll call a latch, you press something usually behind the handle and the door opens, but some had nothing to press you just yanked it open, these models are an instant nono, along with anything I think belong to the same family as Whirlpool.

Currently quite tempted by This one I like their thinking, and they seem to use small dealers, which I like as I don't need to talk to the muppets in retail parks, and even better one of them is about a mile away.
I wish I could find more out about the Panasonic it just seems too new to have any reviews but I do trust the name, unlike any of the names I associate with Koren tat. although I am a sucker for flashing lights and fancy displays

[grumbledoak]

raceboy said:

I'm sure I'm not being 100% clear by what I mean about the door, before I went pulling doors today I thought they all had what I'll call a latch, you press something usually behind the handle and the door opens, but some had nothing to press you just yanked it open, these models are an instant nono,

Not sure why you are so fixated on this. The 'ones with just a latch' have a lock. You cannot simply open the door while they are full of water.

Edited by grumbledoak on Sunday 16th August 22:36

[raceboy]

It was more to do with my mechanical sypathies the action of just yanking the door open without releasing the door in some way when it's load time just felt like within a year the door hinge would be sprained and the cheap plastic catch would fail a month after any warrenty ran out.

[grumbledoak]

I'd expect the catch and the lock to be metal. Though you might break the plastic handle off, I suppose.

You could try being less "Hulk smash!"...

[northwest monkey]

Bosch all the way mate. Ours is on at least once a day over the last 4 years & works great. Same goes for the dryer as well.

[raceboy]

grumbledoak said:

I'd expect the catch and the lock to be metal. Though you might break the plastic handle off, I suppose.

No, had a close look and all the catches looked like plastic

grumbledoak said:

You could try being less "Hulk smash!"...

Theres no choice, you have to just pull it hard to open it, obvious design fault and any that are like that are off the menu.

[grumbledoak]

Just checked ours (Bosch), the catch is indeed plastic. Fairly sturdy looking, in truth.

But, you've gotta find one you are happy with. Best of luck...