Please help me make an admittedly boring decision - whether to replace my washing machine with a cheap and cheerful zanussi at circa £200 and accept it may conk out after 2 years or spend more...

[hmc]

Background (scintillating this one, sorry )- purchased a Bosch, not long ago, circa 3 years. Can't remember cost but probably £500 ish. Today the f**ker broke down again (for 3rd time in 6 months) - I can't be ARSED (aggghhh!)

Decided to replace it - cannot be doing with it. It is obviously a dud.

Having looked on John Lewis website am thinking might be better just buying the cheap zanussi for £200 with the 2 year guarantee, accepting that it might well go kaput at 2 years and 1 month, in which case I'll replace with another cheapie (not good for landfill )

...am put off buying a good make (always though Bosch were meant to be quality btw!) since my recent experience has not served me well.

Not interested in paying to extend warranty, becaue when I rang to enquire about that apparently there is no guaranteed response time within which they are obliged to send a repairman. You could be waiting severals days. Bugger that for a game of soldiers!

So would it be irrational to go for the cheap as chips approach with a view to replacing as soon as it conks?

I had a Zanussi that lasted 11 years (the baby and small children years too) and finally gave up the ghost. I replaced it with a cheapie hotpoint which lasted me two years.

SO I went for the MIele in JL about five years ago (cost around £550) as the guy that repaired the hotpoint said Miele would last the longest and were in his experience the most reliable!! Hasn't gone wrong yet (famous last words)

i am interested as well - our bosch has I think given up the ghost....time for a new one (it is 6 years old though).....also looked at JL website today....! Am shocked at how long some machines take to do a simple wash though...ours is 42 mins on an easy care 30degree - some seem to be 145mins!

i agree - i'm on my third washer in 10 years - no point spending loads they all break in the end.

I also buy as expensive a machine as I can.

BUt then, I have had bad experiences with cheapo ones.

One chewed up my clothes when the drum split - only seemed to chew up the ones I was particularly fond of. always left sheets and towels alone

another set fire to the washing inside it when the thermostat bit went haywire. pulled out loads of incredibly hot wet washing, with charred holes in - was bizarre.

anyway, both those were cheapos, just after the end of guarantee....

so these days it is Miele all the way with me, sorry.

Go cheap - we get through washing machines like anything. Forgotten the Miele and the Bosch now - anything will do!

What about a John Lewis own brand? They are known for being very good and come with a 3 year guarantee. Their cheapest one is £299 so a little more but not too expensive.

oh, for Miele reliability:

my friend's mum has had one for 15 years now, all fine with it, and she regularly washes dog beds/horse blankets in it.

my uncle has had his Miele washer and drer (separates) for over 25 years now. still going strong.

i have a hotpoint that has never gone wrong but wil probably conk out tonight it was a top of the range one that was on special offer so came to low/mid range price iyswim. Have you got a local euronics type place- ours is great, always willing to help with any probs even years down the line.... they always know 'a man' who can fix things quickly and cheaply.

Oh no - 2 camps of opposing thought!

Perhaps the JL one might be a good middle way - after all JL have a reputation to maintain. Ummm - I shall ponder that one

I do hear good thing about Miele however

isn't the jl one bosch- if not who IS it made by?

my zanussi has lasted 14 years

Don't know really - will go back and have another look

Not bosch, AEG/Zanussi.

sorry, that should be it is AEG/Zanussi who make the John Lewis ones.

We're on our second machine in 8 years- the first I can't remember, but 2 years ago we got the Candy and it's doing pretty well.

Isn't it annoying how they don't make things to last these days!!!!! (sounding like my mother)

My Bendix and Hoover (both as cheap as possible) washing machines have both lasted more than 10 years each!

We've had a Miele washer-dryer for 10 years (with 3 children) and it's still fine. We only had one call-out for something minor.

We decided to repair our 10yo tried and trusted bosch, based on the fact that it is of a better build quality than the new bosch washing machines! That was a year ago, and its been fine since. They just don't build them to last any more, like many have said!

"They just don't build them to last any more, like many have said!"

In which case I might as well go for a cheapie.

Criminal though isn't it! Not very green - how do the manufacturers get away with it. Bloody capitalism

I've had two whirlpools since I left home over 20 years ago. First one lasted forever and I've had the second one for about 4 years and it's not gone wrong yet.

Cool - thanks Fio