I got a new Panasonic!

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Good Heavens!!!

Cheap Mieles? I nearly swooned to the floor in a dead faint!

I does indeed pay to keep an eye out, but with my luck (as usual), I get a new machine and a few days later, there is a magnificent bargain on a superior machine. Thanks anyway.

I know what you mean about security of a trusted seller, some of those online entities seem to be 'fly-by-nights'. I prefer a physical shop, face to face with sales staff.
 
Cheap Miele

they were end of line models though.....the price of current models seem to have shot up. My machine is now £90 more in John Lewis.
 
Panasonic

Yes thanks, the machine seems to be fine and I'm getting used to its operation.

I was comparing the Panasonic's drum perforations to my mum's Bosch Exxcel. The Bosch has an awful lot of holes that seem to keep the laundry plastered to the drum wall. The Panasonic has more sheet metal in proportion to the holes - like the way the Hoover 'New Wave' had fewer holes but more drum sheeting than the AEGs of its time.
 
My machine is now £90 more in John Lewis.

So much for the credit crunch! Do you think those retailers are coming it?
 
Rolls

Yea.....totally!!! J/L is not the only one though....Comet had an Indesit Prime for £400, I do like Indesit but would NEVER pay that amount for one!
 
"but would NEVER pay that amount for one!"

Me neither: never in a month of Sundays! Probably has the same quality (or should that be cheapness?) as a £200 model.
 
The Panasonic is a nice looking machine. I saw it in Comet a while back, seems very solid. Its a shame your Zanussi IZ is no longer working. The Zanussi IZ is a good machine, very much the same as my AEG in the programming. The only thing is the the IZ has the reclined drum and the underside isn't covered like the AEG? I maybe wrong. Is the IZ made in Italy or Germany? I should know this lol
 
IZ

Made in Italy. The underside had no coverplate, just a substantial 'Carboran' base peppered with slots/holes and a wide rectangularish hole in the middle. Silly design, as a water leak would cause damage to surroundings. I would imagine its purpose is to reduce noise rather than totally obliterate it. Also, the carbon dust made a horrible mess on the flooring. You could always smell the ozone and carbon dust from that machine.

The Panasonic on the other hand has no such odour (just a new rubbery smell) and the base seems to be sealed.

With regard to special programmes like 'Shirts' as on the Panasonic, are the Public so bloody stupid that they can't work out that certain fabrics should be washed on 'Minimum Iron' or 'Delicates'?

Speaking of 'Minimum Iron', why did the International Textile Labelling codes disappear off of washing machines? The Hoover and Hotpoint machines had it right - dial a letter or number that corresponded with the proper wash programme. Even better if the control panel number corresponded exactly with ITLC code, like '5' = 5/40°, or '2' = 2/60°, or '1' = 1/95°.

Absolutely everything now is dumbed down to the lowest common denominator - i.e. idiots, which pisses me right off.
 
Did the Zanussi IZ use Fuzzy Logic at the beginning of the wash cycle. As the Zanussi is similar to my AEG OKO Lavamat. I know that when you press the start button, the pump comes on for few seconds then the machine fills with a little bit of water, tumbles a few times and then continues to fill with the drum tumbling in one direction until the machine has filled up. Is this a Fuzzy Logic thing or just the way the machine fills up as other Zanussi's don't do this and it would seem a little unnecessary if its just filling up with water. The washing must def use fuzzy logic control for the rinse cycles.

Where is the IZ now? When did you buy it? I got my AEG in 2002.
 
The IZ had a similar start-up routine. I believe it had a form of fuzzy logic, but not advanced fuzzy logic like my previous AEG had. That machine could handle excess foaming by adding an extra rinse. The IZ was not able to insert an extra rinse automatically.

The IZ has been sent for recycling (I deliberately snipped motor cables and flex, just to be on the safe side). Originally bought in June 2001.

I was just thinking, that with the cost of the AEG, Zanussi and Panasonic all added together, I could have purchased the 1800rpm Miele for the same price! EEK!!! And the Miele would probably outlast all three machines. Scary thought!
 
Panasonic spin with full load

I just ran a full load on Cottons-Eco at 40° and 1600rpm spin.

The final spin was the most stable I think I have ever seen. It ran as though it was running empty - it was in perfect balance. I am very impressed.
 
Zanussi start up sequence...

Our 2007 Zanussi Essential (ZWF 14170W) runs the pump for a few seconds after pressing start, then fills up abit, stops, then continues. However, it doesn't turn the drum until it's completed filling with water.

It also turns the drain pump off as the spin slows down, then starts it again a few seconds later. Ive thought about why it may do it, but it really doesn't seem to make much sence, just seems to faff for the sake of it!

Those IZ (plus XC) machines seem very well made for the money. 8 years seems the norm and that is pretty excellent for a modern machine i think. It's worrying that ive already seen several of the latest generation Zanussis for sale as spares/repairs, due to PCB or bearing failure. Hope they don't go the same way as the other middle of the market machines :-(
 
The Panasonic gives a couple of small spins with redistribution tumbling in between. Then it ramps up, holding at an intermediate speed for a few minutes, then gently powering up to full speed for the last couple of mins. Drain pump cuts in and out all the time. Much better than the constant 'GLUG! GLUG!' of the previous machine.

The spin programme time is preset for 20 mins, but in practice, it seems to only take around 10 to 12 minutes. I think the 20 mins is the 'worst case scenario' for out of balance loads.

I am dying to try all the different programmes.

The only thing that concerned me, was the powder drawer. I used Lidl's powder, and noticed mid-way through the wash phase that there was a clump right in the middle of the mainwash compartment. I put it down to the detergent not being as fine as other makers. But I'll keep an eye on that.

The old IZ had a little problem with powder too, in the drawer. In its case, the water flushed the powder out the drawer, but there seemed to be a slight back flow under the drawer, on the floor of the soapbox. Powder used to build up there, but I took to periodically pouring a jug of hot water through the drawer when on a wash cycle, flushing the soapbox clean.
 
Congratulations

Looks a smart machine, looking forward to hearing how it performs, have sent off for the build diagrams am very intreagued as to how they have built the drum & bearing especially with the plastic cover on the drum backplate,

I wonder if it could be a simpler bearing arrangement etc??

Do you have mains pressure?? could the tap be turned "Low" so not flushing the powder dispenser??

Cheers, Mike
 
"Do you have mains pressure?? could the tap be turned &

Full mains pressure.

I think the reason was on my part: I had seen a very small quantity of powder remain in the drawer from a previous wash. I merely added new powder on top. Obviously the two lots of powder stuck together. (The manual does say to add powder only to a clean dry drawer, so I've only myself to blame).

I tried the 'Quick 60' (minutes) programme on a load of whites that had a couple of stained tea towels (cheese sauce and sweet 'n' sour sauce). I increased the temp to 60° and ramped the speed up to 1600rpm, but didn't activate any options. There was just the faintest shadow of the sweet/sour sauce - not bad for a speedy programme, with Lidl's powder. The powder drawer was perfectly clear.

I think this machine washes cleaner than the Zanussi IZ.
 
how long did it take with 1600rpm spin and 60oc?

And whats the max temp n spin on the rpaid 15 mins wash? How long does it take with max spin and temp on the rapid program?

Cool, the quick 60 washes well, my aunt uses that most of the time on her hotpoint ultima wf860, she uses 50oc and 1600rpm most of the time.
 
Quick 60' really does take an hour, even though the display suggested that increasing the temperature to 60° would add 5 minutes to the length of the programme.

The 15 minute rapid wash: cold or 30°; 400 - 800rpm only. 15 minutes. This might only be useful for the odd silk shirt!

I tried washing a lone dressing-gown, on Cottons-Eco at 40° and 1600rpm, to see how the out of balance sensor coped. The machine span (spun? spinned? whatever!) first time. There was a little tub movement, yet the machine carried on gently increasing speed until it reached an intermediate speed. As it increased in speed, the vibrations lessened. It held this for a few minutes, then at 3 mins to end, it gently powered up to full speed and became even more stable. On this occasion, the programme ended pretty swiftly, without a final deplastering tumble. Maybe that is to save on electricity? Who knows. I'll have to pay more attention and do even more testing.
 
Alas poor Panasonic...!

My Chinese Panasonic washing machine is on the verge of drum bearing failure, 7.5 years later. It is not economical to repair.

So, out with the old, and in with the new model (which will be arriving fairly soon)... It's a Panasonic too! Apparently of Slovenian "Gorenje" origin.

rolls_rapide-2017021621201102011_1.jpg
 

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