Thread Number: 28304
Out with the old, in with the not-so-old...
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Post# 432784   5/3/2010 at 13:39 (5,078 days old) by SuperElectronic (London, UK)        

Time to play spot the difference...




Post# 432785 , Reply# 1   5/3/2010 at 13:44 (5,078 days old) by SuperElectronic (London, UK)        

Notice anything?

Post# 432788 , Reply# 2   5/3/2010 at 13:47 (5,078 days old) by aquarius1984 (Planet earth)        
OMG!!!!

aquarius1984's profile picture
TELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Post# 432794 , Reply# 3   5/3/2010 at 13:56 (5,078 days old) by SuperElectronic (London, UK)        
Bye bye, Proline! HA HA HA!!!

Yes folks, at long last, I am rid of the Proline that has cursed my washdays for 5 and a half years! "What matter?" I hear you ask. Well, little really...but I am one very happy man and just needed to share this with those who appreciate a good washer.

Thanks to my parents' sudden house move, I find myself the proud owner of a Hotpoint WM12. The very same machine I helped pick out on 23rd March 1996 (not that memorable a date - I wrote it in the instruction book); at first glance still as fresh looking as the day it was delivered!

From the days when the name was genuinely associated with a bit of quality...


Post# 432796 , Reply# 4   5/3/2010 at 14:00 (5,078 days old) by SuperElectronic (London, UK)        

The classic programmes...

Mmmmm...high gloss facia! Well, apart from where some bright spark has used a scratchy pad but it's only minor damage.


Post# 432797 , Reply# 5   5/3/2010 at 14:07 (5,078 days old) by SuperElectronic (London, UK)        

Only fairly basic operation but SO much of an improvement!

For the uninitiated:

SUPER RINSE - deeper rinses (high level instead of low level - about 20 litres instead of 12)

ECONOMY WASH - "no heat" option; washes clothes without heating the water (so it will be tepid on most washes or hot on 60 and 95...assuming one has hot water in the first place)


Post# 432799 , Reply# 6   5/3/2010 at 14:13 (5,078 days old) by SuperElectronic (London, UK)        

Nothing like the classic Hotpoint wash action to give the clothes a good pounding!

This was the white wash on 60 degree C cottons with 3 Ariel tablets. I'd forgotton how much it churns up the suds!


Post# 432800 , Reply# 7   5/3/2010 at 14:18 (5,078 days old) by SuperElectronic (London, UK)        

This is where those tablets went in...not a sign of any leftovers! Actually, more to do with the detergent - Mum had been using Aldi's Almat which left huge clumps behind!

The conditioner goes in the back of the left hand side...and gets dispensed on the final rinse as it should be (quite a novelty for me)!


Post# 432801 , Reply# 8   5/3/2010 at 14:22 (5,078 days old) by SuperElectronic (London, UK)        

A truly super 1st rinse...

Post# 432802 , Reply# 9   5/3/2010 at 14:26 (5,078 days old) by SuperElectronic (London, UK)        

And just for some fun, a bit of sudslock! Totally normal with a big absorbent load such as the one here.

Post# 432804 , Reply# 10   5/3/2010 at 14:47 (5,078 days old) by SuperElectronic (London, UK)        

All seems to be working fairly well despite its age; I did get Mum to call out her repairman to give it the once over. He replaced the motor brushes - no surprise there - and gave it a clean bill of health! I was a bit concerned because the fast spin cycle is still not quite as it ought to be - doesn't seem to gather speed and hold it properly. Usually it should hit 500, raise to 700, then onto 800 in distinct stages on the very final spin...thankfully on my final load today it did that. Maybe the motor's getting used to its new brushes or something simple like that (I hope...but it was always a bit iffy on an unbalanced load).

I am LOVING the ability to open the door when it stops. Such a simple touch but so convenient! No more switching off and waiting 2 minutes EVERY SINGLE TIME.

The cycles are wonderfully quick too. And the miracle of a proper synthetics cycle (including 50 deg)...well...it's heaven!

Installation on carpet tiles has a bonus...I keep wondering why it's so quiet! The racket it used to make was the very reason it was to be pensioned off.

Incidentally, the new machine at the parents' is a HOOVER OPH616. Mummy dearest went on an unsupervised shopping trip whilst I was dragged off to Berlin on a business trip during the volcanic ash saga. A bit of a curve ball - at least it wasn't a predictable choice (e.g. Hotpoint). Not sure I'd have recommeded it but that's the fickle hand of fate for you. I'm reserving judgement...as I would urge you to do. We know what many think of new Hoovers, so if you can't say anything nice, DON'T SAY ANYTHING AT ALL! Please.



Post# 432806 , Reply# 11   5/3/2010 at 14:56 (5,078 days old) by SuperElectronic (London, UK)        
And the W850?

Banished to a corner by the cellar door awaiting its next fate. Either it will be mothballed or sold on; there was mention of Ebay for the odd items we no longer require in the house. Keep your eyes peeled! I shall not be staking a claim - if I'm going to add washing machines to my list of worldly goods, they'd better be ones I actually like.

I'll give it its due - it's a very sturdy little machine and very reliable; fine if your laundry needs run to towels and jeans only.


Post# 432807 , Reply# 12   5/3/2010 at 15:00 (5,078 days old) by SuperElectronic (London, UK)        
Mark it up, sell it on!

Think this would make a good shot for a sale...

Post# 432808 , Reply# 13   5/3/2010 at 15:04 (5,078 days old) by SuperElectronic (London, UK)        

Can't accommodate one of this manufacturer's machines at the mo...

Post# 432812 , Reply# 14   5/3/2010 at 15:09 (5,078 days old) by SuperElectronic (London, UK)        

But after around 3000 cycles with minimal repairs, who needs a Miele?

Here's to enjoying washdays again!

Alex


Post# 432902 , Reply# 15   5/3/2010 at 22:13 (5,078 days old) by vintagesearch ()        

i dig euro frontloaders and i cant figure out why! our american ones *cough NO but i dig the euro ones and how vastly different they are! enjoy it happy tumbles ;)

Post# 434615 , Reply# 16   5/11/2010 at 12:47 (5,070 days old) by matchboxpaul (U.K)        

Hiya Alex.

Congrats on the new acquisition to your collection.

really does look good in the kitchen (looks a lot smarter then the proline).

Though dont go getting rid of the proline! bear in mind that you have replaced the house machine, with one of your own and what happens when you move out. you might find yourself having to leave the good old point behind.

best put it discreetly in a corner, for future reinstallation.

have fun with the wm12.

saw a wm34 on ebay yesterday, but didnt notice that it ended soon after. grrrrrrrrrr! was considering a flutter.

paul


Post# 434677 , Reply# 17   5/11/2010 at 16:48 (5,070 days old) by SuperElectronic (London, UK)        
A collection of one...

Well I don't know as to whether one can call owning one machine a collection but it is a nice feeling! I have had two dryers in the past: one ended up with my sister who wore it out (!) and the other got left in another property. It is indeed a concern what will happen should I need to move...

The Proline hasn't gone anywhere - still sitting pretty as per the picture above on a set of gliders in case it needs to be moved out of the way. I suspect it will go into the utility room at the landlords' other house (next door but one) to keep the John Lewis washer and Indesit condensor dryer company...and probably outlive the pair of them!

After just over a week with the Hotpoint it's still a joy to behold, even if the rich brown facia actually looks a bit out of place to my eyes in an all-white kitchen. I'm gradually getting used to it being there, having spent the first few days wondering why it was sitting in my kitchen, expecting it to be snatched back at any moment! I'm re-learning the wash practices and pitfalls...e.g. a full load of polycottons at 50 degrees leads to a lot of creasing, even with a short spin and cooldown! Hot and cold fill is working well but I'm wondering if converting to cold fill would maximise performance (residual odour in the underarm area of a tshirt - didn't seem to happen with the cold fill on the Proline even with a non-bio liquid).

Does anyone know why the pumps in these machines are so noisy? The machine and floor vibrate when it's draining! I might get some of those rubber-filled gliders for it to sit on...or a thick rubber mat. Mind you, I don't mind the noise too much - seems less irritating on a suspended floor, oddly enough.

Seems getting a machine you like does nothing to quash interest in owning and using others or hankering after the lastest offerings (from the more reputable suppliers, of course)!


Post# 434679 , Reply# 18   5/11/2010 at 17:02 (5,070 days old) by SuperElectronic (London, UK)        
If you can't say anything nice...

Should I take it that the silence on the new family acquisition of a Hoover Optima OPH616 indicates no-one has a good word to say? Ha ha!

Well I live in hope anyway...

Having installed it I don't think it was any better/worse than a modern Hotpoint offering. I liked the drum with its "hydro domes/pressure/something-or-other" and it was quieter than the Hotpoint (not that that's hard). The programmes are a bit odd, drawer a bit small and the knob didn't line up properly for the bottom settings. Fitting the corrugared material on the base was a bit of a pantomime too! Only had chance to try the rinse setting - nice high level; and see spin up to about 800-1000. I'm quite keen to try it out - maybe this weekend I'll pop round and give it a whirl whilst the parents are away! Can't go using the excuse my own machine isn't working, though...

Alex


Post# 436318 , Reply# 19   5/19/2010 at 23:02 (5,062 days old) by FL1012 ()        
Did you give it a try Alex?

Or did you not get chance to sneak round whilst the parents were away?!

I stayed quiet till now as i don't have much positive to say about modern Hoover machines! I want to like them, and i do think the Vision HD's have a certain quirky appeal to them, but the longevity of them seems to be questionable at best, with bearings, electronics and motors failing quite often.

Im not a big modern Hotpoint fan either, but whilst you see alot of broken Hotpoints for sale on eBay etc, i do also think they still sell in massive numbers so youre bound to have failures. Unfortunately with Hoover, they don't seem to sell anywhere near as much as Hotpoint, but you still see a similar proportion for sale as spares/repair, so im guessing the quality could be worse than Hotpoint, which is a shame.

The whole corregated metal panel that you have to fit underneath is a joke aswell. It should either be done at the factory or not bothered with. Expecting untrained owners to start tilting heavy machines to fit these panels is asking for trouble in my opinion. And probably causes alot of machines to be damaged as soon as they arrive with the customer.

Hopefully with your parents new machine, i'll be proved totally wrong!

Liam.




Post# 436759 , Reply# 20   5/22/2010 at 04:28 (5,059 days old) by SuperElectronic (London, UK)        
Future project?

Alas, Liam, I did not get to trying out the new Hoover last weekend. The combination of an unplanned heavy Friday night (with the usual consequences) and dodgy weather made the prospect of hauling a suitcase of washing across London and out to the sticks seem less than appealing! I'll have to make it a project for a later date...due to visit in a fortnight but this won't necessarily coincide with washday. Ho hum!

I did get to see the maiden load on the day I collected the Hotpoint but only the wash action on a 40C synthetics programme. It was certainly thorough! Still washing after a good 45 mins, seemed to heat up properly (so not underheating) and clothes moved well. If you've watched videos of the Hoover Nextra machines on YouTube there are similarities in the speed control - bit too fast to start, drop and stabilise rhythm - but maybe quieter. Apparently it took about 90 mins. Mum said the 60C cotton towel load went on "forever" and she's since been using the 44min wash for most things. I'm definitely intrigued and want to find out, for example, if the short washes + sensitive care = thorough but not too long washes.

Pleased to report the pump was quite quiet.

The somewhat chequered reputation for reliability is, of course, a cause for concern with this machine. For starters, I'm hoping it doesn't suffer with the dodgy disintegrating door gasket some of the Visions have had. The electrics and bearings issues are just par for the course a bit down the line for any mid-range machine these days. It probably won't get too much of a hammering washing for a retired couple - 2 cycles a week plus the specials (towels, bath mats, curtains and the like) and I suspect won't see the 1600 spin regularly. In the meantime, I might fish out the rosary beads and holy water: I'm not religious but anything's worth a shot!

Personally I'd be more than happy to own a Hoover, knowing what I might get myself into and possibly getting the extended warranty! Just not so sure I'd be happy to recommend one...

In the grand scheme of things, we've had such good service from the Hotpoint that if the Optima does turn out to be a turkey, I will move that we chalk it up to experience (and possibly source the replacement personally in the role of generous and dutiful son, as I had half-planned to do already).

If we can all channel some positive energy the way of the Hoover I'd be grateful... ;-)

Thanks

Alex



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