Hi - thanks for the kind comments guys. As those who make videos will know it does take time and effort to make the videos - especially when you're trying to film them around people bursting in and whatever! Lol. AEG 86741 videos in a similar series will come along in a week or two's time, before it's retired but that's another story...
Chesire Nick... aye, I do miss good old motor noise on a washer but I tell you to see a machine like a washer work so quietly is just strange at first and you do grow to appreciate it. Though the machine does emit a nice quiet, whine noise I would say as it tumbles (not loud enough for the camera to pick up), and the spin is audible and it does sound quite like a Hotpoint I think, especially when it goes to 1600rpm. (The spin cycle is sort of a better version of a Hotpoint pulse spin, with the burst of high speed at the end after a few minutes at a lower speed). I love the powerful chugging noise of the drain pump too.
I actually prefer the dial Miele's, I like how smooth the dials clunk round, but as most of you know I managed to get the W2652WPS (which was one below the Navitronic at the time) for about £10 more than the cheapest 1200rpm honeycomb machine - and it was an offer I couldn't refuse
. But yes, I would have been happy with the W2240 (predecessor of the W3240 on the market today) which was the Miele I was originally eyeing up.
My Nana's Hotpoint WM25 (similar to yours but with a 1000rpm spin, and was a De Luxe model with 4 buttons instead of 3 like the cheaper 800 and 1000rpm models) was a great machine and I couldn't believe it when they replaced it with the WF340 they have now - though I must admit I am taking it to a liking, I wouldn't have one myself just for the reliability/moral issues from it being an Indesit Company machine! Mind you the older Hotpoint's were more reliable than today's lot, but I have to say in our Creda and Hotpoint years (1996-2003) we spent a fortune on carbon brushes, and the WM64 had 2 timers, 3 pumps, a new element, and 3 new hot fill valves I believe between 98 and 03. The Creda we had before that was a much better machine than the WM64 for reliability bar the brushes (which was Hotpoint's main problem really with those machines). But I'm blabbering now so I digress
.
In terms of who has Miele stuff - from working in Euronics for a few years I learnt that it was mainly the average family in suburbia who bought Miele's, and not so many posh people. The posh people were often the stingy ones too refusing to spend more than £300 let's say on a washing machine!
Carl - your Miele isn't inferior to mine at all
. Same guts inside, only thing I have on mine I admit I would miss on yours is the 1600rpm spin but since we got the 1400 spin on the Bosch a few years ago I won't settle for anything less now LOL. Mind you I do like to use the 50*C cottosn wash too, but if I had your model I would just do what I used to do with the Hotpoint and Creda and wash the load on synthetics 50 then give it a separate fast spin at the end
.
Rob - the Miele in that picture is one that would have been 3 models below in the range I think... below mine was one with a digital display like mine but with a programme dial instead of touchbuttons, below that was the scroll button Zanussi XC style machine, and then there was the dial machine with the light ring & 1600rpm spin. I have to say I do prefer the W800 range like you have, if they were still on the market today I would have bought one of those long ago - my auntie had one before the 2240 she has now, and the rinse tumbling was the same as in the wash - 55rpm and instantly reversed rather than the slow 40rpm tumbles with 5 second long pauses like on mine.
Askomiele/Louis - if you both wish REALLY hard enough, I'm sure Santa will bring you a nice new Miele this Christmas
. (And no, not Santa in the form of a credit card :-D).
Take care all, and thanks again for the comments, it's much appreciated.
Jon
