Thread Number: 32837
Services UK
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Post# 494662   2/7/2011 at 11:25 (4,797 days old) by keiththomas ()        

On looking at washing machines and dryers and dishwashes I noticed that Services has dissapeared. Then cking the website they had gone bust in 2008. I must admit there range looked cheap and nasty I wonder what other people thought of them




Post# 494671 , Reply# 1   2/7/2011 at 12:21 (4,797 days old) by hoover1100 (U.K.)        
You mean 'Servis'?

They were an excellent brand, up to 1991, when they were taken over by Antionio Merloni.

From then until their bankruptcy in 2008, they were by quite a long way the worst machines available here. Very poorly made all round (especially the later electronic models) and the models with the 4 shallow bumps for paddles in the drum gave particularly poor wash results.

I had the misfortune of using one of these machines couple of years ago, it was a pretty painful experience all round!

Such a shame cosnidering how good they were years ago.

Matt


Post# 494688 , Reply# 2   2/7/2011 at 13:45 (4,797 days old) by keiththomas ()        

Thanks for that Matt, Yes I saw two machines in November at a Friends flat and they looked like large toys awful.

Post# 494871 , Reply# 3   2/8/2011 at 09:58 (4,796 days old) by robliverpool (england Liverpool)        

robliverpool's profile picture
I totally agree the older servis washers were great machines. my nan had hers for 20 odd years and replaced with a newer servis in 2005 and the machine was awaful.
it would bounce across the kitchen on spin and the control board burnt out after 14 months of little use

my friend who deals in 2nd hand machines had a load of them in stock a few years back and the door seals were all mouldy and black on them. prob as a result of not enough water in the drum to rinse properly (could be wrong just opinion) i had a servis millenium for a short time in 2004 and i had no probs with it at all. adjusted it to use more water and it was great.



Post# 494921 , Reply# 4   2/8/2011 at 13:34 (4,796 days old) by aegokocarat (United Kingdom)        

my servis was from 2007 and lasted me 4 years without playing up apart from the crap drum and balancing

Post# 494927 , Reply# 5   2/8/2011 at 13:41 (4,796 days old) by nrones ()        
They still exist...

Maybe Servis as name doesn"t, but I am sure that exact same machines exist here with name ARDO and ELIN in Germany and Austria ;)

Post# 494946 , Reply# 6   2/8/2011 at 14:54 (4,796 days old) by foraloysius (Leeuwarden, Friesland, the Netherlands)        

foraloysius's profile picture
OK,

Here's my list again. Those Antonio Merloni turn up under all kind of brand names, partly they bought up old names in a lot of countries all over Europe. Here are the brand names I have seen so far on Antonio Merloni machines:

Ardo, Nordland, Servis, Edy, EBD, EFS, Elin, Upo, Tecnogas, Baumatic, Elto, Bompani, Blücher, Eurotech, Clatronic, Novomatic, Philco, Selectro, WegaWhite, Nardi, Eudora, Studio, Atlantic and Thor.


Post# 495190 , Reply# 7   2/9/2011 at 10:39 (4,795 days old) by aegokocarat (United Kingdom)        

Louis you fogot gala

Post# 495202 , Reply# 8   2/9/2011 at 11:24 (4,795 days old) by reversomatic (east anglia,england,u.k.)        
also sold in the UK as....

reversomatic's profile picture
Here are some of the badged Antonio Merloni washers ive seen over my time ,and some big names as well.Bendix,Frigidair,Whirlpool,Sovereign,Caravelle,Phillips,Hygena in fact the only name ive never seen on one is Merloni.They were not a totaly bad machine they were what they were which was a budget washer and quality wise probably no worse than the Hotpoint machines being built in Poland today.Someone from Italy correct me if im wrong but werent they protected from going bust by some sort of Italian law ,so may still be buissines.I also once saw one badged as a Hoover down at the local waste recycling center,somebody could have brought it back from another part of europe.Anyway its a shame to see any manufacture close in europe as we will just end up getting even more Chinese Built washers.For example theres a Zanssi washer on sale in the UK currently ,made by a Chinese company called Wuxi Little Swan. Oh well ive had my rant.Regards Nige.

Post# 495216 , Reply# 9   2/9/2011 at 12:12 (4,795 days old) by dj-gabriele ()        
Antonio Merloni still in business

Yup, the company is still operating but it is under "controlled administration".

Anyway Philco is a name belonging to the other Merloni, Indesit company.

We had two Antonio Merloni washers, one in Bologna under WegaWhite name and one at my parents' under Electramatic name, before the current one. Both were a "standard" 4 paddles-in-the-drum machines. My parents' machine lasted 17 years without any major repair (only a new door as it broke when my mother tipped on it), it was scrapped because it started leaking from the drainage pipe and it was only a 400 rpm machine so they sought a new one. The one I had in Bologna lasted 6 years before the bearings broke, it was repaired and it's still going after 4 years. The repair costed 180€ when with 50€ you could buy a new low cost Whirlpool or Indesit


CLICK HERE TO GO TO dj-gabriele's LINK


Post# 495227 , Reply# 10   2/9/2011 at 13:01 (4,795 days old) by nrones ()        
connections?

first about the Hoover badged, merloni machine.. there are videos on youtbe with one like this.. It is from the last "NO-Candy" Hoover that was built in 1994, just before Candy bought it...
Everyone forgets that from 1992 to 1995 (when Candy bought hoover) Hoover actually killed itself slowly (beginning with free flights scandal).. went so down - To Antonio merloni machine! (Personally I think it passed much better like this, instead of staying with Merloni).

And the "base" question.. Why do people constantly tell that Indesit company, and call it "Merloni company" I never seen a connection between Indesit and Ardo.. maybe you know why?


Post# 495279 , Reply# 11   2/9/2011 at 16:10 (4,795 days old) by foraloysius (Leeuwarden, Friesland, the Netherlands)        
Tom

foraloysius's profile picture
I can't add Gala to my list until I have seen a picture of a Gala machine and recognized it as a Merloni machine. Same for the other brands mentioned.

Post# 495287 , Reply# 12   2/9/2011 at 16:24 (4,795 days old) by Haxisfan (Europe - UK / Italy)        
@Nrones

haxisfan's profile picture
Mr Aristotele Merloni is behind the foundation of Merloni in the first quarter of last century who started off by producing gas boilers (I'm not sure about this though... I know they weren't washing machines) then the company was split between his 2 sons... I think they were together for a little while but what we know as Antonio Merloni nowadays has nothing to do with Indesit/Hotpoint/Ariston (of Vittorio Merloni) as they are two separate companies. These have recently been renamed from 'Merloni Elettrodomestici Spa' to 'Indesit Group' as the Indesit brand was the most popular amongst all the european countries. Hotpoint has a different history altogether.

There's a lot of info on their website... or just Wiki it.


Post# 495306 , Reply# 13   2/9/2011 at 17:54 (4,795 days old) by liberator1509 (Ireland)        
Louis you fogot gala

Gala is an Indesit (i.e. ex Hotpoint) brand - not Antonio Merloni...

Post# 495433 , Reply# 14   2/10/2011 at 09:29 (4,794 days old) by aegokocarat (United Kingdom)        

here is a vid of an antonio meroloni gala (not hotpoint)

CLICK HERE TO GO TO aegokocarat's LINK


Post# 495447 , Reply# 15   2/10/2011 at 10:39 (4,794 days old) by foraloysius (Leeuwarden, Friesland, the Netherlands)        

foraloysius's profile picture
This video and the other one about the machine is useless for identifying this as a Gala machine from Antonio Merloni. The name is not visible in the video and furthermore I'm not so sure if this is an Antonio Merloni product. Could be an Ariston too (a Merloni Elettrodomestici product, later Indesit company)

Post# 495497 , Reply# 16   2/10/2011 at 13:59 (4,794 days old) by AquaCycle (West Yorkshire, UK)        
Gala is an Indesit (i.e. ex Hotpoint) brand - not Antonio Me

aquacycle's profile picture
Indesit have always been Merloni, haven't they? And Hotpoint are still Indesit. This statement makes no sense :S

Post# 495505 , Reply# 17   2/10/2011 at 14:13 (4,794 days old) by foraloysius (Leeuwarden, Friesland, the Netherlands)        

foraloysius's profile picture
There were two Merloni companies.

1. Antonio Merloni with all the brands I mentioned before.

2. Merloni Elettrodomestici that was later renamed to the Indesit company. This brand ofcourse carries the brands Indesit, Hotpoint, Ariston etc.


Post# 495508 , Reply# 18   2/10/2011 at 14:39 (4,794 days old) by dj-gabriele ()        

Actually there are three Merloni companies and the third, the one that still carries the name Ariston is

Ariston Thermo Group (ex Merloni termosanitari)

and they produce boilers, air conditioner, solar collectors and everything else that's needed for hot water and air conditioning


CLICK HERE TO GO TO dj-gabriele's LINK


Post# 495511 , Reply# 19   2/10/2011 at 14:54 (4,794 days old) by nrones ()        
foraloysius

This is an advert I found on the internet ;)
In the video you might have noticed by the drum design in the spin, but anyway I understand not being so sure :)


Post# 495524 , Reply# 20   2/10/2011 at 16:14 (4,794 days old) by foraloysius (Leeuwarden, Friesland, the Netherlands)        

foraloysius's profile picture
That's an Antonio Merloni machine labeled Gala indeed. Gala is added to the list.

Post# 495531 , Reply# 21   2/10/2011 at 16:29 (4,794 days old) by liberator1509 (Ireland)        
Gala from both branches

Hi

Yes, and sorry, I stand corrected - Galas by Antonio Merloni (as opposed to Indesit, formerly Merloni Elettrodomestici) do exist, and are also sold in Malta. The Maltese connection is probably an importer one - in the 60s UK Hotpoints were exported as Gala and sold in Malta under that brand - I imagine the importer (Frank Borda) has continued to market Gala as a brand, using other suppliers. Some of their current 'Gala' products look rather like Haier to me. As far as I know, Antonio Merloni mainly wholesale supply washers to importers rather than direct market themselves, so they aren't technically their own brand?

Confusingly, Hotpoint (now Indesit and therefore part of the other Merloni) continued to use the Gala brand to rebadge models now and then for specials in the UK market (i.e. as 'exclusive' lines for particular stores).


CLICK HERE TO GO TO liberator1509's LINK


Post# 495537 , Reply# 22   2/10/2011 at 16:41 (4,794 days old) by hotpoint9534 (UK)        

Weren't Antonio Merloni machines ever badged as Electra in the UK? Electra being the UK electricity boards' brand name.

Tom.


Post# 495626 , Reply# 23   2/11/2011 at 05:26 (4,793 days old) by dyson2drums (United Kingdom)        

dyson2drums's profile picture
Sevis... absolute rubbish before they went bust, I remember seeing the older servis from 80's I guess being quite good.

I had a servis m6115 1100rpm washer which lasted 6 motnhs in our house, with repairs more or less every few weeks. Finally it was written off and the Hotpoint aquarius WMA58 came which is still going strong after 6/7 years.



Post# 495734 , Reply# 24   2/11/2011 at 16:07 (4,793 days old) by hotpoint9534 (UK)        

The electronics on the last range of Servis machines would fall over if the wind blew in the wrong direction. Pushing that drum up to spin speeds of 1600rpm caused premature bearing failure too.

Your 1993 'Antonio Merloni' Servis Gem or Rainwave might have lasted a while, but that was because it had a mechanical timer and induction motor and only spun at 800rpm!

Very cheap and cheerful machines when they were purely mechanical and they should have stayed that way and not got too clever with electronics (which Antonio Merloni were clearly no good at).

...ohh and that drum with the 4 shallow paddles was never a good idea.

Tom.



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