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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to think a washing machine should last more than three years?

99 replies

TeddyBee · 26/02/2018 23:56

Our washing machine has tripped all the electrics so is presumably stuffed. It’s frankly been shit anyway (ate socks regularly requiring messy filter clearance and no drain hose so flooded the utility every time), but I’m pretty certain that something will be catastrophically wrong with the motherfucker since I can’t even plug it in without throwing the master fuse. It’s three years, just, since I bought it. It was £400. The last one made it to 3.5 years and cost £300. Stupidly I thought I would pay a bit more to get a better machine. Should I just buy the £200 one now and treat them as disposable?

OP posts:
SluttyButty · 27/02/2018 08:14

I spoke to trading standards about the issue of spending a few hundred on a washing machine and it only lasting a couple of years. He said that you can challenge the seller about this because they should last longer.

Cerseilannisterinthesnow · 27/02/2018 08:18

Yes I’m the same with the maintenance of the machine, I wipe and dry round all the seals and wash and dry the drawer and inside the drawer when each wash is finished, I also leave the door open.

My machine also tells me when a maintenance wash is needed so I use a cleaner and run it with no washing in

RollTopBath · 27/02/2018 08:22

Ours is about 9 years old, we think. Might be more. It still works perfectly. We’ve changed the bushes a few times and the door seal once but otherwise never had any problems.
We were very heavy users but now only usually do two loads a day.

TheInvisiblePieceofShit · 27/02/2018 08:22

After being a brand snob I feel I am doing very well on Beko White goods. Cheap and a few years in almost upto where my top brand goods were when they threw a hissy fit and died.
So cheap to buy no need to buy the 5.99 or £72 a year extended warranty shit either! 2.5 years of thst would replace my washer that actually has a better selection of useable programmes than my previous "premium brand" washer.

k2p2k2tog · 27/02/2018 08:24

We moved into our house 11 years ago and the washing machine was here when we arrived, still going strong. It has had a repair during that time, think it needed a motor replaced.

ShatnersWig · 27/02/2018 08:25

My machine was kindly left by the lady I bought my flat off. She had said she was taking the white goods but in the end left the washing machine (Zanussi), dishwasher (Bosch), and fridge freezer(can't recall). The washing machine was the oldest and was 4 years old.

As I've been there almost 8 years, that makes my machine 12 years old so I expect it will very soon be time for a new one! I've recently replaced the fridge freezer and oven. So thank you lovely lady.

SneakyGremlins · 27/02/2018 08:25

LifeBeginsAtGin That's the exact washer I have! I've had it a year and a half and it had an issue once but resolved itself and carrying on fine so far Grin

beargrass · 27/02/2018 08:37

Barbara didn't know that about the energy although it won't stop me using it.* I'm a convert! The drum on ours is big - it was the biggest we could get from what I remember about buying it. As it's built in, I didn't care about the branding, but also I just couldn't bring myself to spend a lot on it for some reason. We've had it 3 years - it's still fine.* But if we have to replace it, at least it didn't cost a fortune to begin with.

I'm surprised lots of people pay for insurance.* I wouldn't for a washing machine, I would just expect it to last.* However...

I think - I'm sure this is right - Which? magazine did an investigation in in-built obsolence in washing machines.* Basically, the way they're built (like iPhones) is such that you can't easily repair many of them.*

Original poster
TeddyBee · 27/02/2018 08:39

I’m tempted by the £240 beko on AO. We mostly use the 40 degree cotton wash too - I gave the last machine a pass for dying so soon because it did all our cloth nappies for two kids for three years, but this one has only had to deal with one in cloth nappies . Although we do wash five or six times a week. It’s very hard water round us, and I wouldn’t have been so surprised if it had just been the heating element going. But this feels more like the electrics are blown/damp/frayed.

OP posts:
beargrass · 27/02/2018 08:39

Sorry about all the bold! No idea how I did that

JaceLancs · 27/02/2018 08:46

My washing machines last on average 6 years

TinDogTavern · 27/02/2018 08:55

Two in 25 years here - current Bosch is five years old. Last one was Indesit and lasted 20 years (with a couple of cheap repairs). No idea what I'm doing right.

Roussette · 27/02/2018 08:57

We were very heavy users but now only usually do two loads a day

That to me is a heavy user! DCs now left home so we are about 2 a week but we're not wash-towels-every-time-they-are-used people! I reckon we did 1-2 a day when the DCs were living here. Are we just slatterns?!

Roussette · 27/02/2018 08:58

P.S. No wonder my washing machine has lasted over two decades!

ElinoristhenewEnid · 27/02/2018 09:02

@Rolltopbath - down to only 2 loads a day now? How many were you doing before? I used to do about 8-10 loads a week when 2 dcs in cloth nappies at the same time now down to 3-4 loads a week with no dcs just 2 of us!

TheSeasonOfTheWitch · 27/02/2018 09:37

Basic Miele from John Lewis is £650...
Over ten years that's £65 a year, about £5.50 a month. I do at least 10 washes a week with a family of 5. So 40 washes for £5.50. Seems like a bargain to me- never broken, excellent customer service from John Lewis and Miele, free maintenance checks etc
And honestly? The way it cleans clothes is fab.

ScattyCharly · 27/02/2018 09:43

I treat them as disposable sadly. I had a Bosch which was about 2 days outside the 3 year warranty and the motherboard fucked. Absolutely disgraceful. Before that I had one that lasted 3.5 years so again just outside the warranty. That one, the motor was buggered and oil came out over the kitchen floor. It’s shocking that companies are allowed to produce and sell this low quality shite. I felt bad for the environment chucking those machines out but wtf are you supposed to do?? I got a £500 Siemens with a 5yr warranty this time.

However it can be that the manufacturers take so long for a call out (10 day wait) that you are stuffed anyway. Me and my kids wear everything we have in 10 days!

TheSeasonOfTheWitch · 27/02/2018 09:44

Mine is the basic Miele by the way, not one of the ones that is about a grand.

ThankYouGillian · 27/02/2018 10:11

Samsung ecobubble here - it's just broke down at 26 months old. Electrical problem. It is under a 5 year warranty and I'm in the middle of a weeks wait for an engineer. Not impressed.
Last machine, cheap Indesit, lasted 10 years and even then I think I killed it by doing a boil wash with soda crystals!

TheInvisiblePieceofShit · 27/02/2018 10:24

My Beko cost 189 quid
4 years old - still going strong.
I do a load every day and sometimes 2 loads a day. I reckon I average 12 washes a week.

Youshallnotpass · 27/02/2018 10:31

We have a 9 year old LG with direct drive motor. The only thing that has gone wrong on it was the water pump (waste) which I replaced myself.

We only use it 3-4 times a week though

Ellendegeneres · 27/02/2018 10:39

life my last was a candy- never again hope yours works out better though.
Op they’re not made like they used to be. I now have a beko, bought the extended 5yr warranty and thank god I did. Just over a month ago, at 3yrs old they had to replace the ‘motherboard’. I called again last night, repair booked in for next week- same issue as before.
Difference is, if they can’t fix within two weeks (or something like that) they have to replace the machine with new. I bought from curry’s.

So the £30 a year or whatever it was is totally worth it imo- thing cost me £250 but it has to be serviced yearly by them and any faults fixed or machine replacement. I think it’s pretty good value for money.

Worieddd · 27/02/2018 10:43

We bought a used Hoover washing machine off ebay 10 years ago - it lasted us 7 years.
Our current Bosch is around 4 years and i don’t expect to replace it any time soon!

YANBU.

Tumble dryers on the other hand...

maggiecate · 27/02/2018 10:46

Co-op electrical do warranties at cost price so they aren't making any profit on them, three year warranty is about £60.

Allthewaves · 27/02/2018 10:49

I always get one with 5 yr guarantee