In asking for your views on the BEST washing machine you can buy?

[plobsalt]

My beloved Bosch of 10 years has shit the bed.

I'm tempted to just get another one but would like to canvas opinions.

I'm in the States so also have GE, Electrolux and other brands the UK might not have if anyone wants to chip in with those too.

I'm prepared to spend quite a bit, I do probably at least one load a day and use it for hand wash stuff a lot too.

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MNHQ

I was looking at Miele but their weight put me off.

They have extra weight at the bottom on purpose. The low center of gravity provides stability that allows for faster spin speed without the dreaded "washer walk". The faster spin gives better water extraction, so saves time and energy in the drying process.

Oh, and the Miele is incredibly quiet too.

However, since you're in the States, can I also put in a vote for the "GE Big Boy Home Appliance" range ?

it travelled the full length of the hose and then started going round in circles

I misread this as “it travelled the full length of the house” and was momentarily alarmed

OP, we have the automatic dosing thing on our Bosch and I never would have imagined how handy it is. It’s just way less faff, I love it.

My Bosch washing machine and dryer are both still going strong after 15 years.

I wouldn't touch Miele with a barge pole after their customer service was non existent and we nearly lost a lot of money on a new machine. Was resolved in the end but only because we threatened to go to the press.

I have an LG which takes a 12kg load and it's amazing. Cuts down the hassle of washing by half, you won't need to do a wash every day. I can now get our washing done in a day. The more expensive brands like Bosch don't seem to do machines with such a big drum.

I agree that Miele customer service is not good. I have all Miele white goods and vacs and have had for over 15 years now and it is a testament to their quality that I have only needed to contact customer services twice in that time but each time it’s been a long drawn out saga of unreturned calls and misinformation. One time I only got the replacement part for my vacuum by sending a signed for ‘private and confidential’ letter directly to the CEO.

Plobsalt, none of the Miele have a paise function,which i use all the time. The salesman looked at me like i was crazy when i asked about whether the Miele had it, saying nobody has ever asked about it!

Also adding Miele came out many, many times to my equipment, and customer service was rubbish. Couldn't tell you what the Bosch service is like, because in all the years i have run machines i have never had them out.

• pause, not paise

Another Bosch fan. We just replaced our 10yo Logik with a Vario Silence. 9kg load, very quiet and cleans much more thoroughly then the old model - it's rated A++ for energy. It's a mid-range model.

Oh flipping heck. We'd just decided on a Emilie from these comments and are now wavering back to Bosch again!

The reality is that if it breaks we can't get it fixed so customer service issues won't really effect us well just have to buy a new one.

Hence being so picky about getting the most reliable washer!

Having to get an electrician to rewrite for a Bosch is annoying. But is it better that the machine heats its own water rather than using the house hot water?

Launderette Lad told me Miele when I asked same question.

Meile is the best on the market, I think it gives you a 10 year warranty.
I bought a zanussi machine, I find it great, the best is you can stop the wash when running, if the water is low it will open to add an extra sock.
Whatever you buy, unless it has a long warranty, I'd advise ti take up extended 3 year insurance.
I didn't on my zanussi dryer, just over a year the PCB went, I had to replace the unit, with an extended warranty.
Machines are not made with the durability they were, unless it is meile.

Sorry I’m going to add to the not Miele crowd. Yes it’ll probably last an age, but I’m so bloody fed up with it I want it to die so I can get a new one. Mine balls everything up, you spend ages unwinding shirts and sheets. It’s awful. I used to be able to do a whole load of sheets in my cheap washer dryer, yet the Miele struggles to wash it without knotting it all up. Honestly, it can take 10 mins to unknot them. The tumble dryer is the same. I’ve had engineers out to look at it but it’s never been resolved.

Anyway, I decided never to buy Miele again after my steam oven caught on fire and the dishwasher had to be replaced within a year (that was a fight). Quality isn’t what it used to be and customer service is rubbish. Warranty wasn’t more than 2 years on any of our products, I think the days of 10 years have gone sadly.

Samsung seems to be the golden one too, though I bet it costs if it breaks down.

We have a Samsung Ecobubble after a long discussion with the salesperson in John Lewis. We did not need all the bells and whistles of the Miele/Bosch and it suits us fine.

Also, after out last washing machine had lasted 15 years, any washing machine is going to be a massive improvement on what you had before, regardless of make. 5 minutes spent discussing machines with man in John Lewis made us realise machines had changed a lot in that time and we would not be replacing like with like.

And very much it is better to get a machine that heats it's own water.

Miele. Mines ancient& washes beautifully & quietly. I love it

I have a Samsung ecobubble too. I’m three years in and in a very hard water area (calgon in every wash) and no problems. I looked at the various reviews vs price point but ended up taking the view that no machine would go much further than 5-7 years so went mid range. The ultimate deciding factor was the hand wash cycle which means that I no longer store hand wash only clothes at the bottom of the laundry basket for 6 months at a time. The only downside is the irritating little song it sings when it’s finished a load.

The only downside is the irritating little song it sings when it’s finished a load.

Used to that with dh so that wouldn't bother me.

We love the song! It's The Trout by Schubert.

This was a big selling point for me

Miele is the best. Got to experience them when I rented. Wish I could afford one now. They really do not break down for years and years.

I have an LG which takes 12kg. Massive. It’s brilliant, means I do far fewer loads a week as I can fit (for example) the whole family’s bedlinen or towels in at once. I have had an engineer round, can’t remember why now, so I can’t claim it’s been totally problem free but it was only once and a while ago. I wouldn’t swap to a smaller capacity machine now for anything.

We replaced our Bosch with a Samsung eco bubble, it’s much better. The tumble dryer is way better than our old Bosch one too.

Is Maytag still a brand in the States and do they do domestic washers?
I used to own a Laundrette that was equipped with Maytag appliances and they were bombproof! Top loaders, very quick and very water efficient - and that was 30 years ago.