Asko...Miele...Samsung

[wilkinsservis]

I always follow and enjoy this site but I don't post very often partly because I am in awe of your skills and persistence in pulling off some fabulous restorations. I went shopping today in Melbourne for a new front loader. I don't really need as we have a Fisher+Paykel 5.5kg with the extra bells and whistles (cant find the model code) which is going strong at 6.5 years but I feel like a change or an addition to the family. One lady sales assistant was all for the entry level Miele at $1600 delivered, a gentleman said the Asko at $1629 was better. The Asko does seem to have the most sensible door seal of the frontloaders, a simple gasket around port rather than a boot. But for less than half I can have an Electorlux $835 delivered with 4 year extended warranty or a Samsung cheap at <$700 with extended warranty because it only has the 800 rpm spin.

Now I like buying washing machines so I don't mind if a cheaper one only lasts 5 years because then I can buy a new one! But what I can't tolerate is waiting around for repairmen even if it is covered by warranty-time off work, prolonged periods of not being able to use while waiting for parts etc. I don't mind a shorter life but can't cope with it being unreliable.

Do I buy the more expensive and hope to get 15 years trouble free service out of it or do I take my luck with the "cheap and cheerful"?

Thoughts on any of the above or other brands would be greatly appreciated.

Peter

 

[ronhic]

Peter....

....My mother had an ASEA for just over of 19yrs and it is still going at someones house, just not hers.

Having said that.....

ASKO is a completely different company compared to what it was in 1989. I would like to have faith in their products, but something tells me that they are unlikely to do the 15yrs that you, and I would want out of a machine costing $1600+

Miele, on the other hand, trade on their name for quality and reliability more than ASKO do. I have never heard a negative report on a Miele washer, dryer, dishwasher, vacuum cleaner, oven (apart from being smaller) or cooktop. If it were my money, and I was considering spending that amount, I would go Miele....

....and

They are having a sale at the moment. According to the website, if you order or buy any Miele machine between 1/12 and 31/1 you get $200 off which is why you can get it for $1600 not $1800...

NOW...

You have thrown a spanner at me with Electrolux. With the exception of their top end machines, all Electrolux and Simpson front loaders now come out of Thailand...as do lower end Bosch.

I have an Italian made Westinghouse which is effectively a Zanussi...and the machines that come out of Thailand are also effectively Zanussi machines. I have had mine for 3 1/2yrs and it has done up to 20 loads of washing a week. Lets average it at 14 which is approximately 7yrs work in 3 1/2yrs...It has just had its suspension done and is purring nicely.

The crux of the matter comes to this.

I am a firm believer of buying the model that does the job with as few 'extras' that I won't probably use especially if they come out of the same factory...

So......

Why not consider the 7kg 1000rpm Simpson which you should be able to get for under well $700. It is the same machine underneath, has a standard range of cycles and should last exactly the same with the same usage. It does, however, miss out on the display....but is it worth the extra? Compare the cycles on both (are you considering the Electrolux EWF1074?)..and have a read of the instruction manuals. Also, consider that they will be repaired by the same people...

Simpson or Miele would be my question?

 

[wilkinsservis]

Choice results

Hi Chris,

It did vaguely occur to me that Simpson was a very similar machine under the skin compared to the Electrolux but according to the Choice review in 2009 as far as I could tell if I was comparing apples with apples they scored dramatically different results. That of course may say more about Choice and their methodology...

 

[brisnat81]

I bought mum the W1511 about 2 years ago for $1599 and it hasnt missed a beat. It was the replacement for the old W5xx series machines so is 5kg and has the Microhole drum rather than the Honeycomb. It does all she needs it to do.

The W1611 for the same price is a good buy. Check out the cycle times, I can pack any of my Miele's full and in 40mins a load of average soiled clothes are clean. No need to lighten the load, the short cycle does as well as you need most levels of soil.

Plus with the Miele, you can switch between programming modes for different countries, and tweak a multitude of settings once you enter programming mode.

If you like swappinng them out though, go for the Electrolux stuff and that way it wont hurt when you go to replace it in a few years time.

 

[ronhic]

The rinse performance score is different. Other than that, their scores are almost identical.

Interestingly, the Simpson is meant to use more water than the Electrolux EWF1074....so I wonder why in this report, it used far less....

Could be worthwhile, if you can be bothered, finding somewhere that lets you have a 30day money back g'tee....and trying it out....bear in mind too, that Choice test at capacity and the vast majority of users don't fill to that level with the average wash load being about 4.5kg

 

[arrrooohhh]

All the Electrolux models come with Jetsystem. The Simpson models dont. I don't know what impact that makes on rinsing performance scores.

The Base model Electrolux also has a faster spin speed and the option of an extra rinse. This is more features than offered by the 7kg capacity Simpson.

What I often though would be a good idea in the past and still do think would be, is to make a large capacity Frigidaire front loader available for the Australian market. I used to think that if Simpson was to manufacture this in Australia it would be onto a winner but what would I know? The appliance companies never ask us fans do they

 

[favorit]

large capacity Frigidaire front loader

Last summer they introduced here the Affinity, badged as REX (our Zanussi brand). Maybe E'lux is about to do the same there too. Pity it hasn't a inspectionable coin trap as european made E'lux .......

Anyway I see that Whirlpool doesn't sell the Dreamspace (Duet) in AU. Their biggest AU machine is made here in IT (even Eltek hoses/waterstops)

http://www.rex.it/node38.aspx?productid=38163&QPProducts=30478,30480,30482,30483,38034,30484,37454,38035,38036,30485,38037,38038,38039,38040,38041,30490,38163