to ask about automatic washing machines

[VeganFromSveden]

As title really… my faithful Hoover auto, purchased well over twenty years ago, has finally died… funeral pending 😪

So I’m not up to date at all on which machine I should buy next.

I expect all the new ones are digital, and technical and scary.

I’m in my very late sixties, but hopefully with an open mind.

Theres only me and my man at home, so no huge demands on the weekly wash.

If anyone could give me advice on what to look for, that’d be so helpful.

I’ve also no idea of what a reasonable cost would be, and which machine is easiest to obtain parts.

I’ve heard good things about Miele, but the cost seems outrageous?
I wouldn’t mind a high cost, it it buys me reliability and longevity.

I like the idea of Bosch, Samsung too.

Look forward to seeing responses, and ask me anything if I’ve not included enough info.
Tia….

Washing machines haven't moved on all that far in that time! I'd say that when I moved in ten yrs ago the washer the previous owners left was over 10 yrs old so probably about 20 yrs old when it died, my new ones have been basically the same but better. They're all controlled be computers yes but the bit you control it with is the same.

Re the brands - I'd steer well clear of Samsung, I had one and it hardly lasted 2 yrs - when I looked it up it turned out this is quite common on the newer ones. Cheap to buy and cheaply made I'd say.

My parents have had a miele for well over a decade, has never needed a repair, great value for money in the long run.

I have a Bosch currently - didn't have the money for a Miele at the time or I would have gone for one of those! I love my washer tho, it's really sturdy and reliable. I bought it from a local well established independent home appliance dealer and he recommended the Bosch if I couldn't get a Miele.

Mine was about £500 I think, my parents paid over £1k for theirs, the Samsung was about £200.

Bosch here. It's good but Miele is best.

Sign up to Which? for a trial period- you get researched reliable and independent advice. I find their Best Buys are throughly reliable. You're spending £100s so a small investment in Which is well worth it in my experience

Prices have come down a lot over the r past decade or so

I would say look for one which has features you would value. For example the ability to stop a wash and add a forgotten item. Or a very quick wash cycle. Or an Eco wash setting.

We have an LG and it’s been brilliant.

My Samsung ecobubble is at least 8 or 9 years old. Cost about £400/500

LG has worked really well for me, they have a 14 minute 40degree wash which is great.
When I was replacing my last one getting a fast wash programme was really difficult and it's very useful for freshening up items

I expect all the new ones are digital, and technical and scary.

Loads of non-digital models at the budget end of the market, which is where I buy. I just go to Currys and wander round opening and closing them etc. till I find one I like.

The cheapest 'Best Buy' on Which is Bosch WAJ28008GB

The top scoring 'Best Buy' on Which is LG FH4G1BCS2

The top Eco machine 'Best Buy' on Which is Miele WWG360

Miele are brilliant, totally worth the money. I’ve found Siemens to be very good too.

I've had all the ones you mentioned and the miele was ace until the plumber dropped it down cellar steps. Have a Samsung now, about 6 years old and fine. Plays a cheery tune at the end which is useful (schubert I think)
Would definitely go for a miele next time, money permitting

And don't worry about the digital aspect, perfectly easy to navigate

My current Bosch is around 10 years old I think. The last one (also Bosch) was 20 years old when it died.

My current Bosch is around 10 years old I think. The last one (also Bosch) was 20 years old when it died.

Washing machines mix water and soap, agitate the clothes in this mix for a while then spin to get the water out. The basic principles haven't changed.

For sure, you can get digital programs and options to blue tooth your machine from the train, but the washing operation remains the same across nearly all machines.

At the bottom of the price range, the finish may not be as good, for example, poorly drilled holes in the drum, leading to snagging of clothes. Expect pricier machines to have a better build quality. Above the basic range, the brands have various patterns in their drums to "oxygenate" the water as it mixes with soap suds, supposedly leading to cleaner clothes. But honestly, I struggle to imagine how a pattern made of waves/hexagons/diamonds makes that much difference.

My heart always says Miele on these threads. They are supposed to have a better build quality and are tested to destruction. Unfortunately their expectation that they should last for twenty years in normal use, isn't backed up by their measly guarantees. And if your £1000 machine is the one that goes wrong, that's a lot of money.

Samsung, on the other hand offer 5 year guarantees and LG are similar. They are also cheaper.

If going for a Bosch - remember they are bottom of the Bosch/Neff/Siemens range. On here I often see them recommend as quality machines, when they are the Zanussi to AEG and haven't been a quality product for about 20 years. If you must go for Bosch, buy series 6, not series 4.

My Miele is 17. They are more expensive than most other brands but their customer service is the best, they often come with a 10 year warranty and are built to last at least 20 years.

I am a fan of Miele - washing machine, tumble dryer, dishwasher (has been repaired as a plumber caused an issue which caused a fault in the machine which Miele repaired), oven and hoover. When we redo our kitchen we will also swap the hob and extraction fan for Miele ones!

Bosch or LG are a good bet. The biggest difference compared to older machines is the time taken for a wash. In order to be really economical some machines take 3 hours!

Mines a Bosch - cheap and cheerful with not scary digital bits - just a dial and a few buttons to change temp, spin and time

You need a Samsung Ecobubble. It’s the best washing machine I’ve ever owned.

Oh, and they probably all have them these days, but I couldn't be without the countdown timer thingy on the display.

We have a Siemens which is over 15 years old ( but don't tell it ! 😂 )
I would happily repurchase another.

I have a 5 year old Samsung ecobubble, no issues and very easy to use. My previous machine was a Siemens, had it for 10 years and it was also brilliant - might still be working fine now, we left it in the house when we sold.

I’ve heard good things about Miele, but the cost seems outrageous?
I wouldn’t mind a high cost, it it buys me reliability and longevity.

The brand new Miele at my hospital was a pile of expensive scrap within a year. The Miele engineers van had a reserved parking spot in the porters compound and I knew everything about that engineers life before the machine was written off.

All you need is the cheapest machine from Argos. A years guarantee and chuck a few quid in a jar every time you do a wash to put towards the replacement. Few washing machines are repairable these days so treat them as a consumable.

I'm 67 so probably about your age! I've got a 9 kilo Hoover, which has a 1600 spin. I can programme it from my phone if I want but frankly I have never wanted or needed to. It has a quick wash of 14/30 or 45 minutes and a daily wash of 59 minutes that will wash at 60. Lots of other programmes but I only use those plus a 20c eco wash. It seems to do the job well. I've a matching tumble dryer and that's fine too.

We have a Bosch , it’s lovely and has a quick was programme . Best way to choose is to see what current machines have the equivalent to the programmes you used most on the old machine .