Thread Number: 57208
/ Tag: Modern Automatic Washers
Need help choosing a washer dryer |
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Post# 795233   11/21/2014 at 09:36 (3,435 days old) by oliveoiltinfoil (England, UK)   |   | |
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Hello everyone! Newbie on this site, having come from vacuumland!
Also, thanks unimatic1140 for activating me after the hitch up :3 I am in the market for a washer dryer. Now I don't know yours opinions on washer dryers, but I currently have a Hotpoint Aquiltis XXXL or whatever its called, which I got in 2006 and in fairness has given me complete trouble free service. Well I say that, around 2 years ago, the control panel started acting funny, where it wouldn't register button presses, and the panel wouldn't light up. Also, a more serious problem, is it has started rusting, badly. It is a poor design on hotpoints part. I will try and post a picture shortly which shall point out what I mean. It has never actually let me down, however. Any of you familiar with these machine, the detergent draw it hidden inside the door, but the draw hole is surrounded in a metal frame. I thought this was normal until I went to Currys yesterday and found most machine these days, they have like a plastic surround. Obviously the front of the machine around the door and lower is metal, but the detergent draw is vulnerable to rust as moister build up there. Anyways, it is rusting badly, so it is time for a new machine. I have a BEKO condenser dryer which I have had for about 6 years which is OKAY, although it is now making an awful racket and has got really noisy. I preferably want a combo machine. I have been eying up Bosch machines. My mother has a 12 year old Bosch which has been as solid as a rock. Nothing has broken off it, think she had the bearings and belt replaced about 4 years ago, but that's it. She religiously maintains it, running it on a hot 90 degrees wash with Dr. Beckmann Service-it. I have heard other similar stories of Bosch domestic appliances giving solid year on year performance. I have a Bosch fridge freezer I have had for 10 years and it has been fine. I don't know how long white appliances last for these days. I hear that if a washing machine lasts 10 years, you are doing very well. I spoke to a guy at Euronics and he also recommends Bosch. He said they are essentially the VW of appliances. Above average quality with an above average price tag, although when I was looking in currys yesterday, the prices of the Bosch appliances was much more similar to the likes of Samsung and Hotpoint than I thought. Speaking of which, I spent a time prodding and poking the fridge freezers and washing machines because I appreciate well made things. I found hotpoint and indiset stuff to be quite good, and LG make some lovely washing machines. I was very disappointed with Samsung however. Their washing machines aren't so bad but their fridge freezers are quite poor. None of the doors aligned properly. On the American styled ones, one door was lower than the other. I doubt that is a design feature, because they had other Samsung models, and each one had a different door dropped. The LG ones were perfect though. LG make more of their machines and fridges in Korea as well, where as I looked at a £1400 Samsung American styled fridge freezer and it was made in China! All the Bosch appliances however look just as well made as my German built fridge freezer, even though the new ones are made in Turkey. I want a washer dryer with an inverter motor. Bosch do one which I have posted a link to. It looks very nice and has some good features like optiflow this and eco that. Acronyms which hopefully save time and money and keep my clothes clean! There is also an LG washer dryer that has taken my interest. Keep in mind that the LG is less than half the cost of the bosch and come with a much longer warrantee. Can the Bosch really be worth that much more? The LG's seem beautifully built and designed. Long term reliability and durability I do not know, but I have not heard of any horror stories or major complaints, not at least in Europe. I know in North America, LG and Samsung top loaders were exploding! Hope that doesn't happen. The 10 year guarantee on the motors and 5 year for parts and labour on the LG machines looks impressive, as I believe all their motors are direct drive brushless jobs. The link to the LG - www.lg.com/uk/washer-dryers/lg-F1... I hear inverter motors are superior in terms of durability and energy efficiency. Anyways, would just like some thoughts and opinions if possible. CLICK HERE TO GO TO oliveoiltinfoil's LINK |
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Post# 795237 , Reply# 2   11/21/2014 at 10:12 (3,435 days old) by oliveoiltinfoil (England, UK)   |   | |
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Post# 795240 , Reply# 4   11/21/2014 at 10:35 (3,435 days old) by oliveoiltinfoil (England, UK)   |   | |
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Yepp. I am aware of Bosch appliances and appreciate they are good quality. To be honest, I thought the LG machines looked better built, at least the perceived quality was just as good, if not better.
I am half German and travel to Germany a lot, and a lot of the appliances in hotels and places such as are Siemens, Bosch and Miele. If someone can convince me the Bosch is worth twice the money of the LG, then I shall go for the Bosch. |
Post# 795254 , Reply# 7   11/21/2014 at 12:44 (3,435 days old) by oliveoiltinfoil (England, UK)   |   | |
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To be honest, and I am going to sound ignorant here, I do not entirely trust Which. They do not measure or comment on build quality. They give stats about reliability however. I go on a variety of website, review critics and owners reviews and than make an independent decision based on these things, not just what one company says. I can't see how a Bosch straight suction vacuum got a which best buy with not brushbar for agitation, and I have purchased things based on which best buys and found them not to be that good.
Haven't really considered AEG. Of course they are Electrolux. They used to be good, don't know what they are like now. A lot of people say good things about the LG's and Bosch. The one I am looking at does have the 5 year warranty, and a 10 year motor warranty is good peace of mind. Like I said, the build quality seemed excellent on the LG with the biggest and more stable door hinges I have ever seen on a washing machine. Don't really want anything from the Indesit or Candy group as upon looking at a few of their machines, they seem relatively average in terms of energy efficiency and performance. |
Post# 795262 , Reply# 9   11/21/2014 at 14:17 (3,435 days old) by oliveoiltinfoil (England, UK)   |   | |
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I wasn't impressed with AEG to be honest. Build quality was average. Considering the Bosch and LG's were the same price but were better made, I would opt for them based on that.
Hotpoint, Indesit, AEG, Hoover and BEKO seem around the same in terms of build quality - quite poor. I am very particular. I didn't even think the Mieles were much to write home about, although the longevity of them may be very different. Things like the button, dials, detergent draws, the solidity of the panels and how solid the door is on the machines is what I look for. A friend of mine has his own repair service for machines. He said as soon as the Italians took over Hotpoint, the quality dropped a lot. Bosch are also not what they used to be according to him, but I can easily see why. So many manufacturers are adoption policies of pile it high sell it cheap, through away items and outsourcing more of their manufacturing. I am looking at EBAC at the moment. British made washing machines with 10 year guarantees, interior lights, touchscreen control panels and inverter motors all make this company seem attractive. The head of the company also says she wants to produce quality. They are manufacturing their owns motors, pressing their metal, injection moulding their plastics as well. She says that her rivals (hotpoinn, hoover etc) it has cost them money making their machines cheaper and less durable. Making them tough and good quality will save her money, which is common sense for the rest of us, and means the end user will appreciate the product and have trust in the company. She certainly knows what she is on about. Some of you may be aware of EBAC, but I have posted a link to the website. They even give tips on how to look after and prolong the life of your washing machine. I reckon I'll go for the LG, until someone convinces me the Bosch is better. CLICK HERE TO GO TO oliveoiltinfoil's LINK |
Post# 795292 , Reply# 11   11/21/2014 at 17:18 (3,435 days old) by mrboilwash (Munich,Germany)   |   | |
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The Bosch washer dryer you are considering to buy features an air condensing technology as opposed to the usual water condensing.
I don`t know how reliable this system will be in a combo, but I can tell you from experience that water condensing means lots of trouble if you live in a hard water area. Lint and limescale build up and block the condenser channel. The air condensing thing could be an advantage even if your water isn`t metered. |
Post# 795297 , Reply# 13   11/21/2014 at 17:33 (3,435 days old) by oliveoiltinfoil (England, UK)   |   | |
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**Would like to apologise for the grammar mistakes in my last post. Damn autocorrect !**
Danke for the advice mrboilwash! I've been to Munich. It was very green and German. I went to France once but found it far too French. I get the feeling a lot of the terminology manufacturers use (words we cant understand) are done for the sake of it, to outdo the competition. In reality, does it really make that much difference? I imagine a company like Bosch would be legit in their new inventions such as air condensing technology, but Samsung foam creating pump thing is surely just a gimmick. |
Post# 795299 , Reply# 14   11/21/2014 at 17:39 (3,435 days old) by oliveoiltinfoil (England, UK)   |   | |
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Thank you for the information dascot. That is interesting seeing Indesit being more reliable than hotpoint. I imagine they both use the same components, or are the hotpoints built to a cheaper cost?
So bosch are slightly above average in reliability it seems. Not surprising to be honest. However one thing that I keep thinking to myself is the LG is half the price of the Bosch and has a much longer warranty. Hmm. |
Post# 795569 , Reply# 16   11/23/2014 at 05:06 (3,433 days old) by AquaCycle (West Yorkshire, UK)   |   | |
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Just bear in mind Oli that the longer warranty on the LG covers the motor only. The most common failure of LG machines is the PCB.
LG certainly look impressive with flashy bells and whistles, but at the end of the day, its a washing machine. It needs to be reliable and wash well. A lot of machines these days have a pretty poor wash action, especially Hotpoint/Indesit. They tumble far too slowly on the cottons cycles. So it's not just reliability you want to be looking at, it's performance too. Bosch have a much stronger reputation for performance than LG, so you'd likely end up with a much higher performing machine overall with the Bosch. Personally, I wouldn't have a washer dryer. I'd always have separates. Not least of which because it takes twice as long to do your laundry - you obviously can't get one load out of the washer, into the dryer and the next load in the washer. But if you're dead set on a WD, Bosch, Miele, AEG or John Lewis branded machines are definitely your best bet. Just be careful with drying clothes in it, they get very hot and have a habit of shrinking things. |
Post# 795675 , Reply# 20   11/23/2014 at 19:07 (3,433 days old) by oliveoiltinfoil (England, UK)   |   | |
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Hmm, lots to think about. Thank you everyone so far sharing your opinion and experience.
Without sounding stereotypical, (but is largely true) Korean firms and products tend to be style over substance. That's what worries me about the lG. The build quality seems very nice, but how long will that chrome stay on the knob, how long will the rubber seals last, the door on the LG was very light as well. Hmm, I really don't know. I find myself again going towards the Bosch, which I initially intended on getting. It is relatively pricey at £1,400, but I have seen them on several other sites such as appliance city for £800. In fact I phone up ao.com and asked about price matching theirs and they said "because they don't offer next day delivery service, we cant math them". Whatever the hell that has to do with things, I don't know, but I would wait one week as opposed to one day if It meant I was saving over £600 !! She said things like "oh it could be graded" but as it turns out the retailers which have the bosch much cheaper than ao.com get their direct from bosch, which is why you have to wait a few days. What do you guys think of this? I bought my bosch dishwasher from an obscure website I had never heard of, which was a couple of hundred pounds cheaper than currys at the time and had no problems with service or anything. I have a feeling the Bosch will age better in terms of appearance. I prefer the more Teutonic, simple design. Does anyone know where the Bosch washing machines /washer dryers are made? I have a feeling it is turkey, but I found on another forum that in Australia, they Bosch washer dryers are made in China, with stickers on the front of the machines saying "German engineered". |
Post# 795740 , Reply# 21   11/24/2014 at 04:28 (3,432 days old) by AquaCycle (West Yorkshire, UK)   |   | |
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Being honest, if you're willing to spend that amount of money, you'd be best off getting a Miele and knowing you're getting a reliable, high performing all rounder. I certainly wouldn't be without mine.
CLICK HERE TO GO TO AquaCycle's LINK |
Post# 795755 , Reply# 24   11/24/2014 at 07:11 (3,432 days old) by oliveoiltinfoil (England, UK)   |   | |
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I trust Bosch enough to produce a quality built, durable appliance, wherever they are made. It's just if you are paying a grand and a half on one of their appliances, it would be nice to have it made in the country of origin. I know my fridge freezer which is bosch has been solid throughout its 12 year life - it is made in Germany. The new Bosch fridge freezers are built in Turkey and there seems to be no variation in quality.
If people are saying the Bosch will perform better than the LG, I will obviously go for the Bosch. Yes, the 10 year guarantee for the motor is attractive, but considering there are many other parts and components in washer dryers that can and do go wrong, I don't suppose it looks as good. Both the LG and Bosch have two year warranty's, which mean absolutely nothing as thanks to the sale of goods act '79, all appliances including washing machines and TV's should last a minimum of 6 years, and more companies and especially retailers are actually begrudging it less. They cant say or do anything to not merit this - it's the law. |
Post# 796703 , Reply# 26   11/30/2014 at 17:32 (3,426 days old) by oliveoiltinfoil (England, UK)   |   | |
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It's settled.
I have ordered the Bosch washer/dryer. Spoken to a few people about which one would be best and nearly all of them said Bosch. I have a few Bosch home appliances including a kettle and toaster, as well as a fridge freezer, the FF being 12 years old. All I can say is based on my experience, their products are high quality and they do the job properly. I shall post a thread once I have received it in 10 days. The wait is due to re-stocking. |
Post# 796844 , Reply# 28   12/1/2014 at 17:17 (3,425 days old) by oliveoiltinfoil (England, UK)   |   | |
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Very interesting. Thank you passatdoc.
Well, there is only two of us in this household, so I hope the Bosch washer/dryer is able to cope with our laundry loads. My next purchase will be a Bosch fridge freezer, as the one we have is approaching 12 years old, and although it has never let us down, a couple of bits of trim are starting to fall off, such as the handle which has a rather silly cheap design, and a couple of the draws in the fridge and freezer are cracked. Looking at getting a frost-free FF this time round. With these two new appliances, I shall nearly have a complete Bosch kitchen ahah! A slim line dishwasher or something along those lines and a bosch microwave will finish it all off, as I don't have a dish washer and the microwave we have is very poor, only 700 watts, but we hardly use it. I have only had this house for just over a year now, and all the kitchen appliances my parents gave me as their hand me downs, purely as stop gaps. They now have bosch appliances as well, only they have a separate washer and dryer and they love them. May I ask the background to your user name, passatdoc? Anything to do with the car?? |
Post# 796914 , Reply# 30   12/2/2014 at 02:39 (3,424 days old) by BoschExxcel ()   |   | |
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Jetta estate? We don't have those here, I think you meant a Golf estate. :) |
Post# 796993 , Reply# 33   12/2/2014 at 13:16 (3,424 days old) by BoschExxcel ()   |   | |
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Golf here is the usual hatchback, same size as the Focus, and well, the Golf lol. Exept here we can get estates of both cars which you can't in the US. Apparently the car market there is very different to here! |
Post# 797018 , Reply# 34   12/2/2014 at 18:24 (3,424 days old) by oliveoiltinfoil (England, UK)   |   | |
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I thought so. Very interesting man. My late father predominantly drove Volkswagen group cars, 18 Audis and 11 Volkswagens during his 50 years in the auto industry and he found them to be the finest built cars on the road, and they still are to this day. I drive an Audi A3 2.0 TDI. Bought it at 4,000 miles. It has now done 110,000 and I have had nothing go wrong with it at all. Of course some will say VW's are POS and are un-reliable, I find this not to be the case, but on the contrary. Over in the UK and possibly Europe, Japanese cars (which have a reputation for reliability a most of us know) are actually quite expensive for what they are and not cheap at all when things do go wrong, which they can and do. TDI diesels are fantastic. One of the best was the old 1.9 PD. They were bomb proof, although my cousin has a Golf 2.0 common rail 06 plate which has now just turned over to 190,000 and doesn't even use a drop of oil. Incredible cars really.
My bather had a B5 Passat, 1.8 20v non-turbo model. had that for 8 years and clocked up over 150,000 and was running as sweet as nut even when he got rid of it. Partially the reason why I am buying Bosch. There are exceptions, but on the whole, German quality is unbeatable, although home built domestic appliances made in Britain and the US are also very good, but much harder to get hold of. |
Post# 818387 , Reply# 38   4/10/2015 at 05:37 (3,295 days old) by oliveoiltinfoil (England, UK)   |   | |
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So it has been a few months since I posted this. I couldn't make my mind up, only I am investing quite a bit of money, I want to make the right decision as you can imagine.
I don't think I will go for the LG. Too concerned about their safety and reliability, after hearing about exploding machines and from a technician who came out to service our stove the other week, saying that LG are not as durable or as reliable as European brands. He said they have weak seals and fragile water pumps. That 10 year motor warranty is of course only for the motor and Bosch do the same for their brushless motor models. Apparently LG's are quite expensive and difficult to repair, so I will steer clear of them. I would have gone for the Bosch but they have had stock issues all this time but they are back in stock. Only reason I haven't gone for it yet is because I searched for AEG and noticed they do quite an attractive model (linked below). It has a larger drum capacity (8KG), brushless motor of course but according to the comparison statistics, is more energy efficient than the Bosch by around £30 per year, but more important has A ratings for wash and spin performance, versus the Bosch's B performance for spinning. The AEG is rated at 1600 rpm. Would the AEG be a better choice then ? CLICK HERE TO GO TO oliveoiltinfoil's LINK |
Post# 818391 , Reply# 39   4/10/2015 at 06:24 (3,295 days old) by AquaCycle (West Yorkshire, UK)   |   | |
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I don't know about a BETTER choice, but it would certainly be a good choice. I never pay any attention to those ratings to be honest. My Miele is a B rated spin but it spins things dryer than an A rated Hotpoint of the same speed. Performance between the Bosch and the AEG should be fairly similar, if not the same.
In my experience, Electrolux group washer-dryers tend to be one of the better machines for drying and AEG are pretty solid machines (although with most brands, they're not what they used to be). Certainly looks to be a wise choice, spec wise :). |
Post# 818413 , Reply# 41   4/10/2015 at 08:03 (3,295 days old) by oliveoiltinfoil (England, UK)   |   | |
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The thing is, the top of the line AEG has a brushless motor which is going to be quitter and longer lasting than a standard brushed motor.
I would not go for BEKO at all. My auntie once had a BEKO cooker and it literally lasted 2 and a half years before it gave up an she meticulously looks after her cookers. Elements warped, fan motor needed replacing it burnt itself near the hob. No. I am after a nice washer dryer that will last a few years. Again, it is down between the Bosch and the AEG. The AEG on paper looks like a better machine and also it is £250 less expensive, however, it is made in Italy. That makes me wonder if its made by the Candy group with there horrible metal bodies which rust out. Everything else in my kitchen is Bosch, from the kettle to the fridge freezer, and I love all of them. The oldest of which is the kettle which is about 7 years old gets used several times a day and has been flawless. The fridge freezer I got back in January is lovely and quite and really well made, so I have no reason to not go for the Bosch, but I do want to get my moneys worth regarding longevity and performance and I trust Bosch more over AEG which I am not familiar with, although the AEG has scored well according to "Which?" So many swings and roundabouts ! |
Post# 818416 , Reply# 42   4/10/2015 at 08:22 (3,295 days old) by AquaCycle (West Yorkshire, UK)   |   | |
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My best friend has a bog standard Beko - 1200rpm, 5kg, variable spin. It's just gone 6 years old and it washes for 2 adults and 2 kids. Never been any trouble *touch wood* and it's not too loud either.
Beko seem to get a bed rep, because they're cheap. But in reality, they're no less reliable than any other modern brand. They're certainly a lot better than anything else in the low-mid price range of the market (Indesit, Whirlpool, Candy, Haier and low end Vestel made machines). |
Post# 818418 , Reply# 43   4/10/2015 at 08:24 (3,295 days old) by AquaCycle (West Yorkshire, UK)   |   | |
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Post# 818459 , Reply# 45   4/10/2015 at 11:19 (3,295 days old) by oliveoiltinfoil (England, UK)   |   | |
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Well put it this way, my friend replaced a heating element on his Beko washing machine which was just under 2 years old and all I can say is I can see why they are cheap. They are not built to last and they are very crude. They are not flimsy or terrible quality, but they are deserving of their price, but their are better ones out there, and I don't buy the " it may only last half as long but it costs half as much" as I think that is a false economy. Based on my personal experience with bosch products and family who have bosch washers and dishwasher which last years and years with no problems, I would rather spend a little bit more on something which will last and may do the job better.
As far as reliability goes, Hotpoint are very low down on the Which? list along with Indesit, but bosch are second only to Miele and there isn't a huge difference in the rating between them, but Beko got 68% reliability rate, bosch got 82% |
Post# 818479 , Reply# 46   4/10/2015 at 13:06 (3,295 days old) by AquaCycle (West Yorkshire, UK)   |   | |
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Well, speaking from my experience, I've had no issue with any Beko products. As mentioned above, my best friend has her bog standard model and a friend of my other half has one of the first Beko Eco Care 1000's with the mechanical timer that's at least 10 years old now and still going strong. Not bad for £200.
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Post# 818694 , Reply# 47   4/11/2015 at 05:08 (3,294 days old) by oliveoiltinfoil (England, UK)   |   | |
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I may have found exactly what I am looking for.
It appears to be a Siemens version of the Bosch washer dryer. I have compared the specs and there is no differences I can see. Both look visually identical, both have eco silence drive brushless motors, both are the same capacity and both have the same dimensions. The difference is, the Siemens is nearly £200 cheaper? Why on earth would that be? I know Siemens is part of Bosch but why would there be such a price difference? Are the Siemens versions seconds? Are they made from slightly lesser materials? I can't imagine so, but what justifies the price difference ? CLICK HERE TO GO TO oliveoiltinfoil's LINK |
Post# 818705 , Reply# 48   4/11/2015 at 05:33 (3,294 days old) by henene4 (Heidenheim a.d. Brenz (Germany))   |   | |
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Thats the first generation model. It uses more energy (Class B) and takes slightly longer. There are 3 generations of these by now, with the new ones haveing some different cycles like Hygenie which uses a low temp wash, rinses and then dries you clothes on extra high heat to disinfect them. |
Post# 818707 , Reply# 49   4/11/2015 at 05:41 (3,294 days old) by oliveoiltinfoil (England, UK)   |   | |
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Post# 818714 , Reply# 51   4/11/2015 at 06:16 (3,294 days old) by henene4 (Heidenheim a.d. Brenz (Germany))   |   | |
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Just checked the websites. Bosch and Siemens only offer these midrange machines in the UK. So, I guess, AO just made a good deal when buying them. Never recognized there was ao.de either... |
Post# 818746 , Reply# 52   4/11/2015 at 09:40 (3,294 days old) by oliveoiltinfoil (England, UK)   |   | |
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Post# 818754 , Reply# 53   4/11/2015 at 10:11 (3,294 days old) by AquaCycle (West Yorkshire, UK)   |   | |
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Post# 818761 , Reply# 55   4/11/2015 at 10:44 (3,294 days old) by oliveoiltinfoil (England, UK)   |   | |
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Post# 818953 , Reply# 56   4/12/2015 at 11:21 (3,293 days old) by oliveoiltinfoil (England, UK)   |   | |
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Post# 818954 , Reply# 57   4/12/2015 at 11:47 (3,293 days old) by dascot (Scotland)   |   | |
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Some certainly were, don't know about now. Either way, it was both Bosch and Siemens ones, so would've had no impact on price differences. The quality wasn't reduced at all either, going on reports. |
Post# 818971 , Reply# 58   4/12/2015 at 14:16 (3,293 days old) by oliveoiltinfoil (England, UK)   |   | |
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That is true. Bosch products built in other countries are built in Bosch factories with Bosch standards, I know that for a fact. They don't outsource any of their manufacturing, and I have Chinese made Bosch products, my kettle and toaster and they are 7 years old and are like new so haven't really got any worries thinking about it now. Cant wait for it to come :D
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Post# 818979 , Reply# 60   4/12/2015 at 15:25 (3,293 days old) by oliveoiltinfoil (England, UK)   |   | |
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Post# 819109 , Reply# 62   4/13/2015 at 15:30 (3,292 days old) by oliveoiltinfoil (England, UK)   |   | |
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Bosch have strict standards when it comes to quality and performance. Yeah, there stuff does last. Our previous fridge and freezer from them was 15 years old and there was nothing wrong with it, just needed something bigger.
This is something I think I did mention earlier. How much better will this Bosch be at performance compared to what I have been used to for 10 years? It is a Hotpoint AQXXL 129 PM. |
Post# 821865 , Reply# 63   5/3/2015 at 10:14 (3,272 days old) by oliveoiltinfoil (England, UK)   |   | |
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Update**
AO contacted me to say they can not get stock of the Siemens washer dryer from their suppliers. Something tells me they will be discontinuing this model, which coincides with members on here saying Siemens are pulling out of the domestic appliance market all together. So about 2 and a half weeks ago, I ordered and received a Bosch washing machine. I am thinking that I can get a larger capacity for both the washing machine and dryer by having two separate machines, and also with everyone else saying two separate machines are better than one, and considering I have recently moved and now have a utilities room, I have more than enough room for both now. So I got this model form AO (link below) and it is a fantastic machine. Really nicely built and the performance is good. However, it is making a very strange banging noise which starts halfway through the program. The machine appears to be very unbalanced. It jolts so much it actually moves the machine a couple of inches. The load is not unbalanced, I have never had this before with my hotpoint and all the clothes are separated and placed in carefully. All 4 delivery bolts have been removed as well and the machine is level. Really doesn't make sense. One thing I have noticed is the lee-way for the drum moving backwards and forwards is only about two inches before the drum hits something at the back of the machine. My hotpoint drum you could moved back several inches before it would hit anything, if that makes sense. It doesn't make this noise when I am doing a drum clean or if I have half a dozen hand towels in, but any normal wash load it keep making this noise. So just contacted AO. They are ringing bosch tomorrow to discuss what to do, to probably send an engineer out. I don't like the idea of my machine already being repaired at less than 3 weeks old. Will be having words if that's their way of dealing with it. CLICK HERE TO GO TO oliveoiltinfoil's LINK |
Post# 821940 , Reply# 65   5/4/2015 at 01:50 (3,271 days old) by foraloysius (Leeuwarden, Friesland, the Netherlands)   |   | |
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Post# 821945 , Reply# 66   5/4/2015 at 03:02 (3,271 days old) by oliveoiltinfoil (England, UK)   |   | |
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Thank you BoschExxcel. Otherwise it is a beautiful machine, beautifully made, and has shown up my hotpoint for washing performance, as my whites are now coming out a much crisper white! The normal everyday program "mixed" takes half the time to complete than the hotpoint.
A handful of picture here. One thing I did notice was the detergent draw. Must have been a Friday built machine as the panel gaps are a bit sloppy. Not really that impressive on a £480 machine, but it is nit picking. It closes with a nice "clunk". Also, the drain plug hole thing has a tube which I haven't seen before. Do most machines have them now? Does it make draining easier ? |
Post# 821950 , Reply# 67   5/4/2015 at 05:55 (3,271 days old) by Krisirl ()   |   | |
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Can you try the Allergy+ programme with Aqua Plus to see what the water levels are like? |
Post# 821952 , Reply# 68   5/4/2015 at 06:48 (3,271 days old) by BoschExxcel ()   |   | |
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Many thanks for the pictures! It looks lovely, helpfully I can have another Bosch at my mums soon to replace the Whirlpool. What temperature options does it have? I presume the normal cold,20,30,40,60,90? Thanks. |
Post# 821955 , Reply# 69   5/4/2015 at 07:34 (3,271 days old) by oliveoiltinfoil (England, UK)   |   | |
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Post# 821963 , Reply# 72   5/4/2015 at 09:15 (3,271 days old) by BoschExxcel ()   |   | |
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oliveoiltinfoil, (cool name btw) Would it be possible if you could upload a video so we could hear the knocking? Thanks |
Post# 822017 , Reply# 73   5/4/2015 at 16:51 (3,271 days old) by oliveoiltinfoil (England, UK)   |   | |
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Post# 822076 , Reply# 75   5/5/2015 at 02:02 (3,270 days old) by oliveoiltinfoil (England, UK)   |   | |
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Yes I did think that may be the point, but its only half a kilo more than my hotpoint, but the drums itself may be bigger than that would suggest.
CLICK HERE TO GO TO oliveoiltinfoil's LINK |
Post# 822087 , Reply# 76   5/5/2015 at 06:01 (3,270 days old) by BoschExxcel ()   |   | |
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Look forward to the video. :) Also my old Bosch from 2005 had a tube for draining excess water too. So must have been around for a while. I a good idea I think! |
Post# 822193 , Reply# 77   5/6/2015 at 04:28 (3,269 days old) by oliveoiltinfoil (England, UK)   |   | |
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So I rang up AO on Sunday of all days, they said they would contact Bosch and get them to call me to arrange an engineer visit. Bosch rung up and were really very understanding and polite and I pointed out I didn't want to machine pulled apart at under 3 weeks old, they said that is fine. If the engineer finds a fault, tell them not to repair it, they will then report that back to Bosch, then back to AO. They booked me an engineer the following day, for today! Said they would come between 8am and 4pm.
Had a text come through to give me an hours time slot, which was also good. A genuine Bosch engineer arrived in his VW Caddy, very nice bloke. Pulled the machine out form the counter to discover these plastic lugs were still attached. These are what the transit bolts screw into, and at the end of the lugs as you can see, stops the drum from moving to much. You can probably guess the rest. Although these lugs were loose, the drum was hitting two of them, hence why they are damaged. In my defence, and the Bosch engineer actually said this, there is no where in the instruction which tells you to remove them, it just tells you to remove the transit "bolts". He just pulled them out, chucked two large bath towels in, spun it and it was as solid as a rock, and the drum actually has suspension now as it should. Thought my instincts served me well ! He said no damage would have been done to the machine, just those plastic things. No call out charge either which again was good of them. Anyways, I got talking to him while the program was running, saying why I chose a Bosch machine and that particular one. I mentioned actually I wanted a Siemens washer dryer. He said while washer dryers are much better than they were and Bosch group probably make the best, they are still not as good as having two separate machine, like having a two in one shampoo and conditioner for your hair. Any good hair dresser will tell you they are never as good for you as two separate ones. He said he used to be a Hotpoint engineer for 15 years, and what a great company they were to work for, producing good quality machines, but Indiset ruined them, reducing the quality and closing down all British manufacturing of their products. He knew about EBAC producing British made machine in country Durham because as it turns out, they have been working with Bosch to produce the wash programs and manufacturing the drums for them ! Wouldn't you know that ! So now I have an all up together machine that doesn't clout and bang about. He said the feet don't have to be level as it is very difficult to do so on a washing machine because they are so bloody heavy, they just have to be sitting on a solid, relatively level floor, which mine is. So sorry, I can no longer do no video of a bouncing Bosch machine! Other than a very quite wash cycle :P |
Post# 822227 , Reply# 79   5/6/2015 at 10:02 (3,269 days old) by oliveoiltinfoil (England, UK)   |   | |
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If you want, I will make a video of a mixed load. It is actually quite interesting, as like when my auntie came round I was just putting a load on and she actually commented on it. The water come running down the inside of the door and the drums turn slowly as the water is coming in, rather than every other machine I have seen where the water fill the drum and then it turns.
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Post# 822260 , Reply# 80   5/6/2015 at 13:12 (3,269 days old) by BoschExxcel ()   |   | |
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Ahh yes please. My Whirlpool senses the load like an LG before filing so it's rather interesting to watch. My dads Classixx sometimes fills without tumbling and sometimes it moves, depending on programme. :) |
Post# 822284 , Reply# 81   5/6/2015 at 15:31 (3,269 days old) by oliveoiltinfoil (England, UK)   |   | |
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Post# 822294 , Reply# 83   5/6/2015 at 16:49 (3,269 days old) by oliveoiltinfoil (England, UK)   |   | |
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Well, however it works, it works very well. My clothes are actually brighter than they have been in a long time, and it applies the fabric softener better than the hotpoint. With my hotpoint, it wouldn't really make a difference if you used softener or not, it was pretty useless, but on the bosch, they feel softer and you can smell the softener, the clothes themselves are softer!
One of my aunties has a 12 year old Bosch machine and it doesn't look a million miles apart from this. Major difference is my display panel and the silver shiny knob. One thing I wish Bosch and many other manufactures wold do is to tilt forward the control panel like EBAC have done. Makes selecting the program much easier, no need to bend down. The engineer says this model is made in Germany, which is nice, although whoever fitted the detergent draw was having an off day as it isn't completely lined up, but that is serious nit picking. Both the door and the draw close with a click and clunk. |