Merloni Quality

[aquarius1984]

Hey Guys and Gals,

i feel its time to express my views and concerns about the quality of appliances leaving various Merloni production lines.
Under any circumstances is this NOT a threatening, arrogant or generally mischevious thread and i certainly dont wish to make any enemies with any members here or passers by. its just a general emotion im feeling and would like to express this with out making anybody feeling inadequate in any way.

well now ive said that il get to point perhaps lol.

in light of the recent problems several members have been having here with their AQAULTIS machines under various "Merloni brand" names it seems that aqualtis purchasers are not getting what they paid for and i feel this is wrong.
after looking at all post and views good and bad i do want to know what Merloni are playing at. They have trashed the good name Hotpoint have built up over the yeas in the UK. Readers Digest named them Most Trusted Brand based on Hotpoint over the past many years and now Merloni are making the machines many people are being conned out of good money for rubbish, thinking they are gettin the same Hotpoint standards or better than they were getting 10 years ago.

im not being rude or unsociable etc but i cant help but get the feeling the italian designers like to mess and try too many things and tend to attempt to fix whats not broken. Sure Hotpoints used more water, not the best rinsers and OK wash results but after 25 years with the basic inside design things were getting better with better motors and brushes. bigger capacitys and features the UK public want not think they want but wont use. who uses Rinse Hold? i bet 1 in 90. i dont and my WM62 didnt have it so it was not a waste of a button. i used economy sometimes and super rinse. it had these genuinely valuable features.
But with a few tweaks and keeping the same general machine they could have had a good priced well made machine that brits would buy.

now we have indesit motors lasting 18 months, cheap noisy pumps, drums, shoddy flimsy cabinets, bendy drawers, bendy doors, drum lifters falling off i could carry on all for the same price............. ?

i guess maybe one of our italian friends will comment but let me just point out that whilst they may look nice thats counts to nothing in my opinion if the machine does not do or last, what i bought it for.

i think the Italians are generally satisfied with Merloni washers because

either

A thay have always been this poorly made and our fellow Italians are used to it.

B merloni make seperate better quality machines for the Italian market

or C the Italians are extremely loyal and dont mind.

like i said please dont be offended by my thread it is only my feelings on the subject and this does not make me a bad person.
everybody is free to recommend or buy any machine they choose to do so and i wish for that to happen but i would like to maybe have some kind of FRIENDLY healthy debate/discussion on this manufacturer.

Peace, Love, and Best Wishes to you all.

Nick
xxx

 

[seamusuk]

Totally agree......

The last decent Hotpoint washers were the WM series(British designed and Built)- the WMA series was the begining of the end as far as quality goes!!- Same as im my opinion the Ecologic series were the last quality Hoover machines!!

Seamus

 

[seamusuk]

The best feature of the pre WMA models..

Was in my opinion the Economy button that allowed the machine to wash at the temp of the water in your tank or whatever. For anyone with a tank of water heated overnight of water heated by gas they were so economical!

Seamus

 

[robm]

Nick, on most things I agree with you. Merloni it seems have always taken the lower end of the market. Unfortunately, now they have taken our brands and have cheapened them. I am essentially happy with my WD640 bought this year but have said the over sensitive balance sensor compensates a lot for cheap workmanship. I'm sure my machine would smash to bits if it were to spin unbalanced.

The only thing I not sure about is actually how good Hotpoint was before the take over. My grandand had a 1983 model (photo attached) which was great and lasted years. However, just a few years later (87) my mother purchased a Hotpoint 1000 and it was very cheap inside. It used to leap across the kitchen and burnt out after just a few years. The later machines looked cheaper and cheaper.

I feel very sad we are not able to produce our own great washing machines. I would have loved to have supported Hotpoint more. I remember Hotpoints excellent dishwashers were taken over by merloni and were appaulling. I would love to design our own British make.

Rob

Pic 1983 Hotpoint, when they were great!

 

[seamusuk]

Hotpoint dishwashers........

Prior to the Merloni takeover for 20-25 years 90% of Hotpoint dishwashers had been Bosch machines in disguise- because of this they were pretty good

Seamus

 

[aquarius1984]

Rob

i would love it to last you a good many years but i really cant see it happening. Its such a shame. Your mum must have got a lemon. But even 5 years is a good age for a well used washer and the main problem hotpoint had with its machines was carbon brush motor problems. This was solved with new brushes costing £20 and had most machines up and running like new. The odd bearing change but never much else. Now merloni make machines with so many problems its unreal.

 

[vivalalavatrice]

mhm... well...

Nick, I appreciate what you said. At end you have been honest
I should spend several words to answer many of your questions and doubts, but I start to say that some of the points you have explained are true!

Merloni's appliances, looked in the European market, are NOT so high rated, we all know that German's brands are the best (Miele, Bosch, AEG), then come others such as Zanussi, or Brandt, or Candy...

Here Ariston, wich is the most important brand which Merloni sells with, are the right combination price-quality. They don't costs so much as other brands but they offer you the same (almost the same) features

Then the goodlooking of Ariston's appliances is not to be forgotten. And that's parhaps one reason because people here prefer this products: better a washer goodlooking which lasts few years instead of one badlooking that lasts forever - this is in a few word the though of an Italian consumer, and that's why here, the consumer have to be fascinated by the exterior shaped forms first and then goes to choose by features and price... I've never heard one to ask whether the product it's reliable and whether there's an efficient assistence net... these are secondary questions to be considerated... and believe me I DONT' AGREE AT ALL!

So that's how works here, and however italian design have to be so developed... the same happens in furniture, cabinets have to to goodlooking, no matter if they're strong or if they're humidity resistent...

I HATE ALL THIS! And this is one of the several reason becasuse I want to leave Italy...
Anyway this is the link of Merlonis

Goodnight
Diomede

PS: Don't worry! The same Aqualtis you have there we have got here the same! ) Only Hotpoint are for UK only, but Ariston and Indesit as they're here they're there... perhaps there you have the hot-fill valves in those washers that here there aren't...but I'm not sure

http://www.indesitcompany.com/pages/

 

[aquarius1984]

thankyou viva!

for you kind words. I would like to say that your ariston looks great and if the unreliability is not a problem when the machine looks great to italian folk then thats your choice. As also the price you want to pay however in the Uk we want reliability good looks and performance. And we simply are not getting it withd Merloni appliances. 2 countries with 2 needs are not being met. Ariston are really cheap £250 here now but not much has changed with poor reliability. But to spend £500 on a hotpoint containing the same motor drum timer and bearings Merloni are taking the mickey. When £450 buys a Miele and yes they not look as sexy but thats something miele are looking at the minute but its not much of an issue to normal brit folk and indesits look cheap anyway imo so i dont feel they look good myself. Its not fair an italian company with different ethics should be allowed to con another unsuspecting country. Well anyway im trying to keep the peace so il be quiet for a while. All the best Nick x

 

[robm]

Going back to the Rinse Hold

This is of course my personal opinion but I love the rinse hold button and use it frequently.

a, it allows the clothes to hold in water without creasing.

b, I can see how it spins

I like machines to have that option on all cycles not just synthetics.

I seem to remember Bosch did a survey on the prewash cycle on their dishwashers. They removed the option but have now replaced it because it turned out that people wanted it, even if they said they didn't. This was again something I used occasionally.

Going back to build quality there is something my Hotpoint/Merloni has a problem with. I need to slam the door shut for the lock to engage. Fortunately, I barely use this machine as it's at my flat in London. I wanted something cheap with lots of features and a nice look, build wasn't as important because of the little use. For lots of use though I would not select Merloni.

 

[seamusuk]

Rob...

It needs a door interlock if you have to slam the door- if its under gtee get Hotpoint out, if not order one for about a tenner and sort it- most timer failures on Hotpoint machines are caused by a faulty door lock- slamming the door can create shorts and allsorts!

Seamus

 

[fredriksam]

Hey you know what? On our job we have two washing machines. One Ariston and one Whirlpool. The Ariston is Merloni made and i have to say. I dont like the Ariston machine as much as the Whirlpool.

The Ariston is for the moment broken. Some big electronics failure. Amazingly it does spin but sounds really weird when spinning. It creates a high knocking noise that is VERY annoying. I,ve checked the bearings and they seem to be fine.

One other bad thing with the machine also involves the spinning. When just a little unbalanced it will not spin. However if it is so unbalanced the drum bangs it does. Hmmmmm... Weird. I have seen the machine nearly falling off the pidestal one time.

 

[nickuk]

Yes Frederiksam.....

You know, that problem is not unique to Ariston. I have seen my Zanussi fiff and faff over a slight imbalance, and then spin so much it bangs and stops again. I'm sure I have seen this happen on other machines too but I can't recall which ones...maybe there is some sort of software fault? One theory I have with the Zanussi is that selecting `quick' somehow reduces the sensitivity because it's working to a time limit.....though this theory may be a pile of toss.

RobM, yes I also use rinse hold sometimes and certainly wouldn't want to be without it

But Nick you are so right about Merloni - it's shocking really isn't it. I owned a Merloni Hotpoint dishwasher and washer because my wife liked the way the looked, and they were both refunded within two months. Dreadful, just dreadful.

I have to say that the Zanussi I have is really good - I like it, it does what I want.....but I wouldn't buy one again. I just threw a Zanussi out at work which was 5 years old - bearing failure. The drum went TOTALLY solid. Jon on this site, his Mum had a Lemon Zanussi. It seems that only Miele is really worth the money these days especially since the base model is £450 I believe and I think you still get the quality for that model. The only issue I have is I like a matching dryer and I think Miele dryers are on the expensive side. Are they worth it? Anyone?

Nick

 

[lavamat_jon]

Dryers

The Miele dryers do look expensive, seeming as you can get a basic White Knight or whatever for £150. However an advantage with Miele dryers is that they have superly fast drying times, are very even, and are super silent. My AEG dryer cost about the same as an equivalently specified Miele dryer, I only bought the AEG dryer to match the washer, and to be honest with you it is a complete pile of shite. It's noisy, takes a long time to dry and is so poorly designed for something that's supposed to be German engineered. In hind's sight I would have bought a Miele dryer; something which I'm planning to do once funds are sufficient but at the moment seeming as I seldom use the dryer the AEG will have to do for now.

BTW; Miele dryers only seem to be about £30 or more than the AEG equivalents. The AEG dryers are a rip off IMO, judging from this model that I have (which is the 3rd AEG dryer I've had...), especially seeming as the new ones are essentially rebadged Zanussi dryers.

In relation to the thread, everyone knows my opinions of Indesit. I won't say anything more in case I'm labelled as being arrogant or whatever again.

Jon

 

[bewitched]

Opinion from an Italian who would never buy an italian washi

Hi everybody! I totally agree with all your opinions about Merloni products. Heare are so popular because they are very cheap! Once all machines were of better quality and could last for several years but now only the very best can survive more than four to five years and certainly machine aging is not something to worry about if you do have an Ariston or Indesit machine. If my memory is good they have ever been cheap products. Early Margherita series were awful! I rememeber bearings, timers etc gone after few years. These were the only machines having the motor weight who rested almost entirely on its belt! Once the belt broken out the front part of the motor falled on the floor often breaking tiles! And these are things of 15 and more years ago! Would you espect things to be better nowadays? Ok they are fancy with all theirs bells and whistles and the aqualtis is nice to look at but in my opinion the price is what people looks at when the moment comes to buy a new washing machine or dishwasher. Zanussi is, in my opinion, slightly better but not too much. I think Miele is the only manufacturer still making excellent products. My washing machines and drier are fabulous. My first Miele washing machine is now almost 30 y.o. and it still goes strong without any need for repairs during all this years. Nick, don't be afraid about your words. You're not offending anyone, you're simply telling the truth.

 

[sparkcymru]

I think the fact that the Indesit w103 or its newer equivilant cheap as chips machine is the biggest selling washer in the Uk says it all. Its all down to price usually less than £200. People rush into Currys and look for the cheapest machine and think it will last for 10 years plus like their last one. But 10 weeks or less seems to be the reality at the moment. Will it all catch up with the Indesit company? Time will tell but the comsumer usually decides and the net is a powerful communication tool. I'm waiting for some action group to spring up and actually kick their butt in the glare of the media and get some reality into them. Any thoughts? There are heaps and heaps of disgruntled customers posting on the net about their machines.
Anyway, thats my bit for today.
Steve

 

[kirk280980]

Hi all,

Although manufacturers have always tried to reduce production costs, I do believe that the price fixing laws which came into effect in recent years have not helped matters one bit either. What we have now is a price war between the major retailers, and in order to maintain profit margins, they are in turn dictating lower cost prices on the goods they buy in. Manufacturers have to comply with these demands, otherwise they don't get shelf space in the #1 retailer's stores - and for famous brands such as Hoover and Hotpoint, this is simply not an option. The only way they can accomodate this is by cutting their own costs, and we all know what that means.

Check out the retailers' websites and print ads, and ALL the emphasis is on "LOW, low prices" and other similar catchphrases. They're not exactly falling over themselves to wax lyrical about the quality of their merchanise or service, it's all about who's cheapest. Probably because that's all they have going for them right now.

Of course, when the consumer is constantly being bombarded with statements about low prices, it soon becomes an expectation. This only serves to fuel the price wars, and the vicious circle starts all over again. Concerns about quality and reliability and whether it will last as long as the previous one they had soon go out of the window if the price isn't right. So what if it breaks in three years, by that time they were probably bored of it anyway, and a shiny new one can be had for peanuts to take away today.

What a mess!

Regarding Miele, I remember not too long ago the least you could expect to pay for their most basic 1000 spin washer was £600+, and you had to go to a larger department store or upscale specialist outlet to find one. Now they start at under £500 and appear in most of the major stores. Is this simply a case of widening their brand exposure by entering more stores, or will they be tempted to relax the company ethos a bit once the pressure comes to squeeze prices? I sincerely hope (and would like to believe until proven otherwise) it's the former of the two.

Cheers,

Kirk

 

[brit]

tbh we have an ariston machne and it is fine, gets on with the job, is quiet and well built (guess its like italian cars, not very well built usually but if you get one built on a tuesday its very well built)

I have to be truithful and admit i do have reservations about the ariston/indisit brand after a story a while ago that made it onto british tv regarding there machcines that could be opened during the wash cycle (they showed this happening live on british tv) - aparently they knew about it for years and notified no-one, during that time a LOT of children became injured/disabled and ariston/indesist did nothing so if it was me who got to choose the machine it wouldent be an ariston/indesit ( http://www.london-fire.gov.uk/fire_safety/recalls/detail.asp?id=333 )

 

[arrrooohhh]

My two cents...

If we are going purely for style I think the Candy Grando/Hoover Vision wallops the Aqualtis into a square of scrap metal.

Being in Australia I have only seen the pictures of these machines but the Ariston Extendia is on sale here and I have seen that in the metal and quite like it.

I have noticed that the price on Ariston has come down somewhat these machines seem quite popular but expensive. I am sure the Electrolux front loaders must be giving them a real run for their money.

 

[aquarius1984]

Meile Quality. . . .

on the £450 miele you still get the 10 year guarantee so i think the price is really just a aim to get people on board with their appliances. A "Loss Leader" if you like. NICK After the faff i had with my AEG Fridge Freezer im really unsure about electrolux appliances. They really do have great solid cabinets, drums and external features but like you say bearings and mechanical problems are writing them off. Im really torn. Although last week i bought an Electrolux Velocity upright hoover (my house mate likes a cylinder and i dont get on with these type machines. Back problems and IMO they dont clean as well. I have 2 cats.btw.) And its great at cleaning being the pet version. The only real reason i bought it was the fact i cant afford a dyson and this seemed a snip at 90quid.And i will never be seen dead with a Hoover Pure Power in my hands . Time will tell if it lasts as long my my granddads 1993 AIRSTREAM which is still sucking strong. But back on to washers i think it high and dry Merloni were put on the Washing Line of Shame to hang. Jon further to your previous posts elsewhere, its not for me to comment on whether you were right or wrong attitude wise (staying unbiasedbut) one thing for sure is now the problems are arising you predicted them well. You know your stuff man! Lol ta ta all Nick