How long does your slow cooker take?

[Elouera]

I recently bought a crock pot, and even on the low setting, I'm amazed at how hot it gets. The edges simmer and most recipes so far have been ready in 3-4hrs. My very old one would take at least 8hrs, and even then, it was never hot enough to simmer. I thought that point was that theoretically, you could start it before work, and return in the evening to have it all ready? I'm worried that if I did this with my new machine, everything would be mush!
What is your machine like?

All machines are different. Does the manufacturer's handbook give any guidance?
I used to have a large Tower s/c, & timings are very different to my current, smaller Tesco cheapie.

Yes the new ones are hardly slow cookers at all.

My old one takes 8 hours to cook a casserole. It's done in about 4 in my new one which is about the same size. Whilst it's convenient if I'm home it would have been useless when I was out of the house for 12 hours.

I can leave mine all day on low with a bit of extra water, particularly if I put ingredients in cold. But it tastes better if I am home and can put in browned meat and hot stock at lunchtime, and then cook for about 6 hours.