Third washing machine in 5 years - recommendations

[Decoart]

Hi looking to replace another washing machine! Bosch stopped working 2 months out of warranty!
Replaced with a Haier machine which keeps randomly shrinking clothes on 30 degree washes. It is still in warranty but engineer keeps cancelling and £80 call out if can't find anything wrong.
It was £350 ish but has shrank clothes more than now so think am going to just bite the bullet and buy a new machine. So reliable non shrinking machine recommendations please up to £500.

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MNHQ

Look on the Miele outlet site to see if you can get anything in your budget. I just spent £700 on a new (not outlet) Miele to replace the Miele which died after 19 years of service (over half that time was heavy use). My new machine came with a 5 year warranty - the last one had a 10 year warranty but the first call out was as 19 years and Miele said easier to replace than wait for the parts to rebuild it.

I think my hesitation with Miele - apart from initial cost - is we live in a really hard water area and think limescale even with cleaning will limit its life.

My Bosch is 18yo, and I live in a v hard water area - it basically all comes through solid chalk.

I'm happy with my John Lewis brand machine and they have three years guarantee.

There's two adults, three teens and two dogs in our house so the washing machine takes a beating! They usually last us around 5 years, but we have soft water.
I've always sworn by hotpoint washing machines but my last one wouldn't spin anything heavy and drove me insane. I hated an LG one we bought and it was the most expensive and died after 3 years.
I bought a Samsung ecobubble last year and it's brilliant. It takes a 12kg load and it cost £550. Easily the best machine I've ever owned and worth every penny.
Be careful with detergents too of you are having to replace your machine often. Some can really clog your machine up.

Samsung eco bubble mine was one of the older generation ones but was around £470ish only bought last year but after using it I now realise my previous 2 (hotpoint and indesit) hadn’t been washing things properly

What sort of clothes are you washing that are shrinking? Are you sure it's the washing machine and not the tumble dryer?

I live in a hard water area and washing machines last a minimum of 7/8 years. Hard use, family life.

I have always done a weekly maintenance wash: 95°, ariel capsule, with the cleaning cloths. Stops gunk and smells building up.

I don't think a machine can randomly shrink clothes unless it's running at completely the wrong temperature?
Miele here. There's another thread about washing machines the other day if you have a look.
Those who say they've had their x brand machine for 15 or 20 years, just bear in mind that they aren't made to the same quality now.

We are in a hard water area , I put washing soda in every single wash and my Bosch is at least 5 and is going well .

I've been to two holiday cottages in the last year where for some unknown reason they both ran hotter than the dial told me.
So in the first one I think it just did a 60°wash every single time and the second it washed cold but then rinsed hot. It was baffling.
Both almost new machines. Theres probably something in the programming thats wrong.

For OP i just buy the biggest, highest spin at around £200 and replace whenever.
I find that easier than buying a 'good' one and waiting for repairs. Then spending hundreds at the launderette while waiting for said repairs.

I've put on weight so thought it was me, then shouted at DH for washing things on too high a temperature. Then had some time away from home due to DD medical treatments, bought some new clothes washed ok at 30 at accomodation. Got home washed on 30 and they shrank.

Clothes are a mix from different retailers hush, boden, tesco, m and s. The best are DH PJ bottoms in Medium that DD size 6 is wearing! DD is upset as new trousers she's bought have shrunk too.

It is very random so currently gingerly washing on 20 and looking for new machine.

My Miele is a workhorse, several daily loads. Been going strong 10 years and not missed a beat.

Our LG is brilliant. We are hardwater too and use a regular decsaler and cleaner

Another vote for Samsung eco bubble - you can get a 5 year guarantee if you register online after purchase. We live in an incredibly hard water area and ours has been fab.

That is so odd. The shrinkage I mean.

I would just wash everything on cold for now .

I also have a Miele, mine was quite reasonable as it was a shop demo. As pp says, it really is a workhorse.

Another Miele user here, my machine has been going for 14 years so far and I find their customer service good too. We tore the rubber seal and the engineer came out reasonably quickly and did a free service on our dryer while he was there.

If you're in a hard water area then white vinegar is your friend. Put it into the fabric conditioner compartment (instead of fabric conditioner, I never use it) with every wash and every so often do an empty boil wash with a cupful or two of vinegar in the drum. It'll dissolve the hard water deposits before they have a chance to build up.

I've got a Hoover, 4 years old, very happy with it. I couldn't be doing with one of the al singing all dancing pay me attention machines that play a song when the wash ends until you deal with it!

I’ve got an LG one. I’m very happy with it. We live in a hard water area so use a Calgon tablet every couple of washes

I did see on the Haier it has some Steam plus agitation system which could be the culprit. Or I have just have a glitchy machine with the temperature settings. In my 30yrs of owning washing machines it's a first for me!

Yes soda crystals are an excellent water softener arent they. Great for other jobs too!

This is why I much prefer a plain old basic bottom of the range machine that doesn't have all the bells and whistles.

Like a drawer that I can put detergent and softener in instead of all the dos stuff too.

I hope you manage to find something user friendy this time. It's a minefield these days isn't it.

Oh yet another thing to look out for is the length of the cycle. Shortest wash of 3 hrs is just not going to work for me either.

Mine's a Zanussi, been going for 10 years every day in a hard water area, never needed even a repair. Im amazed by it!

We’ve had our John Lewis own brand for at least 10 years- probably closer to 15!

John Lewis own brand. No frills, does the job. Chaps who installed it could not have been more helpful and polite. Extended warranty too.

McDonald's use domestic Miele washer and they stand up to a lot of abuse including being overloaded with disgusting greasy mops.