Advice: Asko 12kg washer and Asko 11kg Dryer

[Jatsingh]

Hi all, I’m looking to purchase the Asko 7 series style + 12kg washing machine and 11kg dryer in the UK.

Only thing is they would need to be imported from Italy. Can anyone advise me on these machines?

12 kg and 11kg are only available in Italy and not in the UK. Style + is not available in the UK either.

Are modern Asko machines any good? Or am I about to make a big mistake?

 

[henene4]

I think you could get them from the Netherlands as well? Or France?

Driving to the tunnel and taking the train might be an adventure - but probably cheaper than getting them shipped internationally.


I personally wouldn't make such a fuzz about them.
The dryer is kind of special thing with it's 145l drum (I think that's it's size).
But in the end, it's just 1kg effectively you could do more going just by drum volume.

But for the washer, there are a bunch of pretty decent 80l drum machines out there aswell.



Not saying the Askos would be necessarily a bad choice.
Just saying you might find that doing all that is just not worth it...

 

[donprohel]

Just wonder: if you want to import in the UK from the EU, wouldn't you have to pay VAT and import duties?

 

[Jatsingh]

I think you could get them from the Netherlands as well? Or France?

Driving to the tunnel and taking the train might be an adventure - but probably cheaper than getting them shipped internationally.


I personally wouldn't make such a fuzz about them.
The dryer is kind of special thing with it's 145l drum (I think that's it's size).
But in the end, it's just 1kg effectively you could do more going just by drum volume.

But for the washer, there are a bunch of pretty decent 80l drum machines out there aswell.



Not saying the Askos would be necessarily a bad choice.
Just saying you might find that doing all that is just not worth it...

Just wonder: if you want to import in the UK from the EU, wouldn't you have to pay VAT and import duties?

Yes I would. But that size and hot and cold fill are not available in the UK

 

[Jatsingh]

I think you could get them from the Netherlands as well? Or France?

Driving to the tunnel and taking the train might be an adventure - but probably cheaper than getting them shipped internationally.


I personally wouldn't make such a fuzz about them.
The dryer is kind of special thing with it's 145l drum (I think that's it's size).
But in the end, it's just 1kg effectively you could do more going just by drum volume.

But for the washer, there are a bunch of pretty decent 80l drum machines out there aswell.



Not saying the Askos would be necessarily a bad choice.
Just saying you might find that doing all that is just not worth it...

Yes you have a point. But there is very little 12kg machines available in the UK especially with hot and cold fill.

 

[henene4]

Yeah. I faintly remembered you specifically and the hot fill "requirement" you have.

In general, these Askos are still Gorenje made.
They have basically NOTHING to do with the typical Gorenjes one knows.
But it has been known that in the past some Askos failed in weird, annoying ways. Stuff like with the ProWash recirculation system that uses a diverter - that diverter failing. Or just weird software glitches.
These don't happen often.
But you ALWAYS run the risk to have that happen.
And you will get 0 support in your case. So, even if it's just an unlucky production flaw, you will have no way to fix it without getting into it yourself and potentially spending days just to acquire a pricey part - to not fix your problem in the end.



And on top of that I know NOTHING of Askos hot fill system.
If the hot fill is so important to you and I can't even say if it does that well, I can't say go ahead.

There was a news story in Switzerland not long ago where Arcelik sourced hot fill machines only used hot fills at temps of 60°C or above. Makeing it basically useless for like half the washing one typically does.

If anybody could give reliable info on whether these do hot fill at any reasonable temp and cycle or only in specific cases, I wouldn't hesitate to say they can be decent machines - but I wouldn't spend that kind of worry to get one.


But I honestly just can't give you any constructive way out of that situation - the hot fill thing is becoming a very niche thing for home machines.
Rightfully so, in my opinion. But yours differs, and I'm not here to invalidate that.
I could give you a pretty lengthy explanation as to why I have that opinion - but again, that's not the point of this thread.

If that hot fill requirement wasn't a thing, there would be a bunch of options I would rather give you. There are a bunch of 80l-drum-class washers from decent enough companies, plus there are WAY bigger dryers for the household you can just buy in the UK.
If it's just getting laundry throughput up, and you are already spending 6k£ for the Askos after machines+shipping/transport+import duties, there are also way better options on the small commercial site if you'd either go the used route or be willing to spend maybe slightly more. But those just don't have drums that big.



But the requirements you set are the Askos - and you can't get the Askos without getting the Askos.
And I wouldn't even say don't get the Askos.
I just say don't spend days of labour and obscene amounts of money on machines you don't have any recourse of returning if you are worried you're making a mistake.

 

[Jatsingh]

Yeah. I faintly remembered you specifically and the hot fill "requirement" you have.

In general, these Askos are still Gorenje made.
They have basically NOTHING to do with the typical Gorenjes one knows.
But it has been known that in the past some Askos failed in weird, annoying ways. Stuff like with the ProWash recirculation system that uses a diverter - that diverter failing. Or just weird software glitches.
These don't happen often.
But you ALWAYS run the risk to have that happen.
And you will get 0 support in your case. So, even if it's just an unlucky production flaw, you will have no way to fix it without getting into it yourself and potentially spending days just to acquire a pricey part - to not fix your problem in the end.



And on top of that I know NOTHING of Askos hot fill system.
If the hot fill is so important to you and I can't even say if it does that well, I can't say go ahead.

There was a news story in Switzerland not long ago where Arcelik sourced hot fill machines only used hot fills at temps of 60°C or above. Makeing it basically useless for like half the washing one typically does.

If anybody could give reliable info on whether these do hot fill at any reasonable temp and cycle or only in specific cases, I wouldn't hesitate to say they can be decent machines - but I wouldn't spend that kind of worry to get one.


But I honestly just can't give you any constructive way out of that situation - the hot fill thing is becoming a very niche thing for home machines.
Rightfully so, in my opinion. But yours differs, and I'm not here to invalidate that.
I could give you a pretty lengthy explanation as to why I have that opinion - but again, that's not the point of this thread.

If that hot fill requirement wasn't a thing, there would be a bunch of options I would rather give you. There are a bunch of 80l-drum-class washers from decent enough companies, plus there are WAY bigger dryers for the household you can just buy in the UK.
If it's just getting laundry throughput up, and you are already spending 6k£ for the Askos after machines+shipping/transport+import duties, there are also way better options on the small commercial site if you'd either go the used route or be willing to spend maybe slightly more. But those just don't have drums that big.



But the requirements you set are the Askos - and you can't get the Askos without getting the Askos.
And I wouldn't even say don't get the Askos.
I just say don't spend days of labour and obscene amounts of money on machines you don't have any recourse of returning if you are worried you're making a mistake.

Thank you for a very detailed response. I fully take on board your opinions and thoughts.

These would potentially replace the Miele W2 and T2 machines which Miele have agreed to take back for me and issue me with a refund due to the issues I’ve had with the W2 washer.

 

[Marky_Mark]

I think you'd be better off buying a Speed Queen set in the UK. Much easier to just order the Speed Queens from a UK company and have the set delivered to your home. You can choose a gas or electric dryer and have your choice of a matching front load or top load washer.