Miele W4840

[wisherwasher]

Hi folks,

I've been lurking for a while, trying to do research for buying my first front load washer. I've found a Miele 4840 for sale, they are asking $450. I've looked the machine up a bit, but was hoping to see if anyone had any experience with the machine, or these larger North American Miele.

Does this feel like a good price? It seems a bit high to me, considering it appears to be nearly 10 years old, but I realize Miele commands a premium.

I like the appeal of the larger sized model, is the capacity significantly bigger than the currently available compact models? We have a plain top loader that does okay for us. It's a bit hard on the clothes, but in terms of capacity it seems okay. Though I wouldn't shun being able to do larger loads if I could.

Are there any questions that I should ask the seller before making a 3 hour trip to look at it?

Thanks!

 

[revvinkevin]

 

 

Ask #1 about the condition of it.   #2 any problems with it.   #3 why they are selling it.  Also confirm the power requirements.  I'm pretty sure all Mieles require 240V power, even for the washer.  

 

If you go look at it, make sure it's in an area you can plug it in and test it.  Put it into drain, then spin, make sure the drain pump works and it's quite while spinning (bearings).  Test the various controls to make sure everything seems to function.

 

I recently bought an 18 year old 7kg Miele washer & vented dryer from a local yard sale ($45!).  At first the pump didn't work, but it was only a bad connection at the pump.  It also desperately needed shocks.  Otherwise they works great!

 

If this washer doesn't have the owners manual, they are easily found online and downloadable as a PDF.

 

I hope this helps!

Kevin

 

[wisherwasher]

Kevin,

I recognize your story, I read your thread not too long ago. I was jealous of your amazing deal!

The ad says it is in excellent condition and has been lightly used, but I was still planning to ask again. Miele machines don't show up in the used market around here too often, so I feel I should jump on it. Something tells me this isn't a super wonderful deal though. Especially once I factor in time and gas just to look at it.

The online manual I saw indicated it was a 120v washer, but I'd need to confirm. My husband said he'd be able to run me a proper outlet if it was the higher voltage. It would be nice to have higher, but my washer has no heater at all right now so I try not to be too picky.

When testing it, is empty adequate or would having something in there be better? I'm hopeful they'll say they have the shipping strut for it to make things easier.

I went to a Miele dealer about an hour from me, but they didn't have any washers on display. They had a Bosch, which seemed nice. We don't need a compact washer, just want a quality one that will work well, be gentle on clothes, and last a long while. I missed out on a 3037 for $300 and I'm still bummed about it. Even though we would have had to pick it up while on an out of state visit.

 

[foraloysius]

The Miele W4840 is the American sized machine that runs on 120V. It was especially designed for the American market to compete with the bigger American frontloaders. Miele had quite a few problems with them, so be careful with buying one.

Here's a thread with a picture of the ubersized Mieles.

http://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?26941

 

[revvinkevin]

 

 

Thanks for the info Louis!   I may have heard these large capacity Miele's were 120V, but paid little attention due to their high cost.   I guess their larger capacity machines didn't sell well as I believe they were only on the market a few years.  It looks like they (Miele) only offers one washer & one dryer in the US market and they appear to be the Euro size capacity.  

 

WW: Yes testing it empty is fine.   The main point is to make sure it functions as it's supposed to and the bearings are quiet during spin.  If it's still connected to water, perhaps start a cycle and let it fill, tumble a minute or so, stop, then drain and spin.   Let it spin long enough to reach max rpm (3-5 minutes).

 

Kevin

 

 

 

[appnut]

nmassman44 used to have a set of these. 

 

[nmassman44]

I have a set of these. Mine are the 4800 washer and the 9800 electric dryer. The washer I have is not much different than the 4840 except that the 4800 does not have the screen to show how much time is left and the it doesn't have the MasterCare cycles that the 4840 has. The washer capacity is ok, on par with a Whirlpool direct drive top loader I would say. If you have pets, beware, the washer does not handle pet hair well at all. I used to find cat hair matted up on occasion. Washing is good as it uses Miele' Hydromatic wash action. This washer does run on 120 volts yet it's no slouch at heating it's own water. The water temps in this washer are not dumbed down. It does run quietly during wash, spin is a tad louder but not excessive in sound. This washer is gawd awful heavy though, comes in at near 300 pounds because of the cast iron counter weights in the front and the cast iron bearing cross in the back. The outer drum is a fiberglass hybrid called Glaron K that causes the water to glide over its surface.
I sold my condo in Maine after my mom passed away this past February and they are going with the condo. I will say this though about the Miele, they are built like tanks and they do perform, but, having used my LG's I find that they have more flexibility and they perform better over all. And not just those two points but the fact that the capacity is greater in the LG. If you think you are going to wash a king sized comforter in the Miele, you will be disappointed. Would I buy them again? No.

 

[launderess]

Why Miele discontinued these uber sized washers & dryers

Varies by who you speak with regarding the matter.

Miele claims the units were built to near commercial standards and that low sales were causing them to lose money. It didn't help that units were assembled in Europe and had to shipped to North America.

Many consumers claim both the 4800 and 4840 washers were nothing but trouble from nearly day one, and certainly weren't up to Miele standards of old.

Dispenser drawers popping open and or refusing to remain closed. Bits of plastic breaking or falling off. Internal leaks triggering the water protection system causing machine to shut itself down. One woman wrote on some review site that when she contacted MieleUSA about that recurring issue the was advised to "tip the washer forward so the water could drain".

Seem to recall one member had a 4XXX series washer where the rear bearings went after barely one or two years of use. Miele offered to repair but the same member stood his ground and got a new machine.

No, capacity wise those large Miele washers weren't what they seemed. Clue was that owner's manual directed to load the tub only three-quarters full on "normal/cottons", and even less for various special cycles. What is the good of having an "18lb" capacity washer if you can only wash 12 to 15 pounds?

Was considering going after a 4840 while there were still many NIB units to be found. Amex would have doubled the manufactures warranty which would have taken some of the apprehension off the purchase. But in the end just didn't feel it worth the bother. MieleUSA had already done it to me over "Big Bertha" and wasn't looking forward to having more rounds over another washer.

As for buying a used 4XXX series washer; by all means follow the advice above. Look over the thing carefully and if possible run a test load. You want to check the bearings/suspension system are in good condition.

 

[toploader55]

Good Memory Laundress.

That would be me. I have the 4842. Yes, after 2 months the Main Bearing was bad. Miele replaced the machine. Also true, the dispenser drawer did pop open/

Since the replacement, I did take out the non renewable 3 year warranty and have not any issues since.

Perhaps just mentioning that, I've given myself the "Kiss of Death". LOL

 

[wisherwasher]

You have all been wonderfully helpful. Thank you so much.

I do have a dog, so a washer that can deal with some pet hair is important. If something is quite covered I try to remove some of the hair, but it's impossible to get everything. So far our washer and dryer seem to handle things okay. I think the washer tends to mostly wash the hair because the dryer lint trap has a lot of hair (and lint) when I wash blankets he's known to lay on. Do most Miele machines struggle with pet hair, or is it just the larger machines?

I've become a tiny bit obsessed with Miele after reading so much and watching so many videos. I love that they aren't cheaply built and are supposed to last a long time (though I think it would be nice if Miele backed their claims up with a longer warranty). But, they are pricey, so I've been keeping an eye on the used market. Bosch comes up a bit more regularly - there is a set a few hours away that is the larger series with a gas dryer (which we have), but it seems as if Bosch was like Miele in their struggle to make the larger line with the same quality as their compact.

I'm trying to decide if I should keep saving up to buy a new machine, keep waiting for something on the used market, or if I should purchase something else. Nmassman mentioned LG, which is the brand I keep gravitating towards (I like that the lint trap is easy to access). One of their washers with TurboWash seems like it could be a good fit. It's just two people and a dog now, but hopefully kids someday, so extra capacity could be nice. But, people in Europe get along fine with the smaller washers, so maybe we could too.

Is there a way to know what Miele (or other companies) will be releasing to the US market soon? I have a bit of worry that I'll finally buy a new washer and boom, the long awaited release of the next machine is here and it's everything everyone always wanted.

Launderess - Your comments about the true capacity of the larger models makes me feel like it's not terribly important to seize the opportunity to purchase one compared to a new or used Euro-sized model, thank you for helping me with that. You're very knowledgeable about Miele, would you purchase a new W3048 at full price to get Miele quality, or consider other options if you were in the market today?

Nmassman44, your comments about the quality are what draws me into the Miele brand, but I'm worried I will be left underwhelmed like you were. At the price the seller is asking it feels like a big gamble. I wish the machine had a better track record like many other Miele I read about, it'd be easier to take the risk.

The seller said they are firm on the price, so I don't think I'll make a special trip just to see it. We'll be driving through the area in 7-10 days, if it's still available then we'll check it out. They said it didn't have much use, maybe a load a week, which I like and don't like. Perhaps with such little use some of the issues people experienced haven't had a chance to pop up yet.

toploader55 - I hope you haven't been jinxed

 

[wisherwasher]

Also, I'm sorry I'm a little all over the place talking about Bosch, LG, new Miele, etc. in addition to the machine I'm currently inquiring about. There's so much to consider and I've been researching for what feels like an eternity. I never realized there was so much to learn about washing actions, temperature capabilities, and the like. When I started this journey I thought it would be more about capacity and brand quality. But here I am obsessed with honeycomb drums and cast iron balances, circuit board quality, and internal heaters. I've spent a lot of time on this forum and appreciate the helpful community you have built here!

 

[nmassman44]

If you are still looking for a washer and gawd I hate to say this, but, I would go wth the LG washer. I think you would be happier with it than the Miele. Why I say that is because the LG handles loads better in my experience and washes better as well. I have the 3570 series with TurboWash and it works quite well at shaving time off a cycle. I like that it recirculates the water in the drum so the detergent doesn't just sit in the outer drum. The washer capacity is awesome and holds more than the Miele does.
One thing wth the Miele is that if you select the Heavy Soil function, it will give you a prewash and then extend the main wash cycle, and its long to begin with, even longer with that and if you select Extended, sweet jeezus that washer will wash for an hour + and that's just the main wash part. The clothes look worn out after that. So I used it once and that was it. The Honeycomb drum is nice but the smaller holes don't help in sand removal or lint removal.
If you were looking at the dryer, it isn't quiet by any means and the drum size is only 6.4 cu ft. It does match the Miele washer load for load. But one cannot use dryer sheets in the dryer since the wax from the sheets will plug up the fine pored filter. It's a bitch to clean I might add. Also the dryer is prone to belt breakage. Had one break and I can tell you the repair guy from Miele was dreading replacing it. He had to take the whole dryer apart and it was no quick change out either.
When I bought these two back in 08 they were not cheap. The washer arrived at my home DOA. The motor klixon switch was defective and Miele brought a new motor the next day. The washer has been running since. I did not use the washer for a few years as I was rotating washers out from time to time. But that said the washer seen little use on my end.
I have a Miele dishwasher that I do love, but the racks are rusting badly and I called Miele since my vac dealer told me that Miele will replace the racks for free. I called and they said no and suggested that I go to Home Depot or Lowes and get a rack repair kit. I wasn't amused. So when I saw my vac dealer again I told her what I was told. Still waiting on the Miele rep to get back to me. My dishwasher is closing in on 10 years old now and I had one issue with it where the wash pump failed and Miele replaced it for free at the time. I had an error code pop up recently. I just finished putting a load of dishes away and I turned the dishwasher power button to off. The dishwasher restarted itself and gave An error code, I looked it up and the Electronic control computer got blasted with a power surge and was failing. I called and they said the control is a whopping $600 just to replace. Nope not going to happen. So I unplugged it, waited 10 mins and plugged it back in, been working since.

 

[revvinkevin]

 

 

If you've spent a lot of time on this site, I would assume you've read about Speed Queen machines also. I was going to suggest taking a look at their front loaders as they have good build quality as well. However if you are dead set on an internal heater, Speed Queen doesn't offer one as of yet, but otherwise they are very well build, high quality machines.

 

Back to the Miele set I bought. So far I like almost everything about them. The only thing that does bother me, when I let the 1 hr 40 min cycle run its course, the 45 minute main wash seems really excessive to me. The "rapid wash" option does cut the main wash down to around 25 minutes and eliminates 2 of the 4 rinses, but it does fill 1/3 of the way up the door glass for those two rinses.

 

Pet hair. I have a dog too and it seems that regardless of which washer are use (I have many) the majority of the pet hair is always makes it into the dryer lint filter. I have never really noticed pet hair remaining in the tub however, I usually find it in the door boot once the cycle is complete. Granted I have not washed many pet hair laden items in the little Miele yet, but it's also old enough that it does not have the "honeycomb" wash tub. With many more, larger holes in this tub then the "honeycomb" tub, I don't think there would be as much of a "pet hair" issue in this machine.

 

I have to agree about the LG with turbo wash! While I don't have one of those, a friend of mine does and I've used it and I really do like that turbo wash feature. The recirculating water really helps to make sure all garments are thoroughly saturated, which is one complaint about the 2005 LG washer I have. If you wash a pretty large load of anything, or bulky items like a comforter, it can take 10+ minutes of the wash time for the entire load to get completely saturated with water.  If I was in the market for a new washer, I would seriously consider one of these!

 

Kevin

 

[wisherwasher]

I can't thank you guys enough for your opinions and advice.

Kevin - I went to a dealer to check out machines and was able to see a couple Speed Queens. The only front loader they had on display was a stacked unit that could not be unbolted, the washer and dryer shared a control panel. It certainly seemed sturdy, but I am hoping for an internal heater. I very much like the idea of a quality machine built in America. Perhaps I should give them a bit more thought. It seems like I read somewhere recently that there are some rumors they'll be releasing a new model this year? I could be confusing things, I've read too much in a short amount of time.

Sam's Club has an LG WM3770 with matching gas dryer for $1629, which includes parts and delivery and a two year warranty. That seems like a reasonable deal and I wouldn't have to drive 6 hours round trip and deal with loading a heavy beast of a washer. The Miele is still calling my name a little though

 

[toploader55]

Hi Kevin...

How is dear Westy ???

 

[askolover]

Well, I have a Miele and 4 cats and I have zero issues with hair.  The Asko has never had any trouble with it either...but neither of these machines have honeycomb drums.

 

[revvinkevin]

An impromptu Miele W1926 pet hair test

 

 

After my earlier post and comments about pet hair this morning, I decided to do a little test.  So... I  took the blanket that's on my dog's (Westy's) outside (but covered) doggy bed and washed it in the little Miele without shaking off any of the dirt or hair.  

 

I rant a 140 degree cycle with pre-wash = 1hr 50 min.   The pre-wash added 10 minutes to the cycle, but the actual "pre-wash" lasted 14 mins.

 

Photos:  #1 The blanket before the wash.  

 

#2 The control panel at start of cycle.  

 

#3 During the main wash, some fur collecting on the glass.  By the end of the cycle however none was on the glass and only a little fur remained on the door boot.

 

#4 & 5  I set a colander in the sink to capture anything (fur) that came out of the drain.  #5 the fur expelled by the end of the cycle.  

 

#6 The majority of the hair was, of course, captured in the dryers lint filter.    

 

#7 Westy was laying on his bed when the blanket came out of the dryer, so my honey just covered him with it.  Too cute of a shot to pass up.  

 

Eddie, Westy is doing great as you can see!

 

Kevin

 

[suburbanmd]

Clothing wear with Extended option?

FWIW, we use the Extended option on almost every wash in our W4840, and never noticed any wear. Maybe I wouldn't notice it, but my wife would. And it gets our stuff really clean. Yes, it does take a long time. No pets.

 

[jerrod6]

You might want to wait for the W1 series machines. The USA Miele web site has references to this series machine,in the user manual section however there are no manuals or machines available yet. So it looks like they are working to bring these models to the USA.

From videos I've seen of this machine I would much rather have one of these than the 4xxx series.