Yes & no
I bought the Harvey’s one after really looking into them. I forget all the details now but it has the best/greatest amount of the stuff that actually softens the water and they are well made. It was £1600, twice the price of many of them, but best quality/value for the money (IMO).
No
More
Limescale
...and to me, for that alone, it’s worth it.
I was SO fed up of the limescale. I couldn’t leave dishes to drain because it marked them all. It left the drainer in a state. The taps always looked a mess. The bathroom was a nightmare.
We live in a VERY hard water area, it’s worse than other relatively local areas. I was really fed up of having to use anti limescale stuff daily.
The kitchen and bathroom are now so easy to clean & stay cleaner.
If it got damaged beyond repair, I’d get another one tomorrow.
I had an issue with it leaking, just a small amount, a few weeks after the guarantee ran out. I called them to see about getting it looked at, the guy came out, saw it was a seal and replaced the entire inner workings. He said it’s very rare for it to happen, and they used to replace the seal, but now they just replace the entire inner bit. No charge at all.
I can’t really say re the taste as everyone is different. But there’s no more ‘film’ on a cup of tea...
However, I’m disappointed that it’s not the same as showering in naturally soft water. It hasn’t made the difference to my hair I was hoping it would (like when I’m up north or in France etc).
Eczema is such a personal thing. It may or may not make a difference to DD, the only good thing is, it won’t make it any worse.
The other stuff they say about saving money on shampoo/dishwashing liquid/laundry detergent/softener...🤷🏻♀️ Possibly/probably - but hugely dependent on your own habits & products I think. For example I use liquid tabs, you can’t use half a one. But I do use less of it when I use the wool wash liquid. I didn’t buy it to save money on those things, so I’m not really that observant or bothered.
It takes a couple of weeks to really see the benefit as it’s clearing out the build up in the pipes and takes a bit longer to be fully clear but some difference is noticeable immediately.
As I say, if it got damaged beyond repair (I’m busy having the kitchen renovated, it’s on my mind 🤣) I’d replace it immediately without a second thought.
Harvey’s do a 12 week free trial. You’ve nothing to lose (they change about £50 per month but it’s either refunded when they collect the unit or deducted from the cost. They had to start doing that because people were keeping the units and not paying for them 😳🙄).
The salt use varies depending on how much water you use. It comes in blocks that are easy to put into the unit - I did NOT want one with salt that had to be scooped into the machine. Far too much faff.
I promise I don’t work for them 🤣 but maybe I should...I could definitely rave about them!
I think this War & Peace should have covered everything 
but feel free to ask if you have any questions!