Can this Washing Machine be Saved? Or which one should I buy?

[NotQuiteCockney]

Our washing machine, which is 8? 7? years old, has started making a sound like a bucket of washers, instead of spinning things dry.

Is it worth getting the bloke out? Or should I just replace it? (And is the Dyson worth it?)

Your bearings sound like they are loose or buckled, will probably cost you a bit to get it repaired, unless you know someone who can do it for you, new bearings cost about £20

we got a Bosch when our 8-y-o Zanussi gave up the ghost (much in the manner you describe).
We were quoted about £150. The new Bosch (bigger load, faster spin cycle) cost less than the Zanussi had 8yrs before

Oooh, really, waterfalls? It's a reasonably good washing machine. It doesn't try to go around at all, I assumed it was the motor or something expensive. (It was making the noise the other night, but still going round, I think ...)

We have a Miele and it has been fantastic (just wait it'll break down tomorrow), it's almost 7 years old now and hasn't been a bit of bother. Miele are not as expensive as they used to be either.

You will need the model number of your washer as all bearings are different, they should sell or order them in at any electrical store.

What level of expertise do you need to change bearings? Can a normal plumber do it? (Could I do it?)

Yes a plumber can do it, I should think.

Well I could'nt do it, the whole drum needs taking out to reach the bearings.

If it can't be fixed we've got a Servis washer/dryer - had it 4 1/2yrs, and it's been worked very hard in that time - still going strong

Yes, whole drum has to come out to replace the bearings. It cost me about £125 to have them replaced in our machine last year and took the repair man over an hour IIRC.

DH is very very impressed with mumsnet now!

see us weak small woman do know a thing or 2

Oh, no, it's not an anti-woman thing, it's an anti-online-timewasting thing. (Oh, and he was startled and impressed by the speed results came back!)

Ok, blokes came today, turned out to be a blocked pump. Some coins and a broken pencil blocking the intake. £40, all sorted. Rather a lot cheaper than a new washing machine!

They said that if the bearings go, generally you get black marks on white clothes. (Don't know how, they came while I was making tea, so my listening wasn't good.)

Glad it is sorted

Oh boy, so am I. Were it not for Mumsnet, I probably would have just given up and bought a new one, which wouldn't have been here by now. So, more expensive and slower.

We particularly desperately need a working washing machine because DS1 has some sort of strange tummy bug involving lots of diarrhoea, with the sort of unpleasant results you'd expect.

We had to call an emergency plumber out twice yesterday. The first time the toilet flooded (just would'nt stop flushing) and it flooded the flat downstairs too.

Then in the evening I had a knock on my door, it was the guy downstairs, water was dripping through his kitchen ceiling, Turns out the kitchen sink was leaking.

Think I might change my nickname

If the bearings go, you get a truly awful screeching sound on the spin cycle and a smell of burning metal

As they're on the way out, you can hear/feel it as you spin the drum round.