Miele W4840

Automatic Washer - The world's coolest Washing Machines, Dryers and Dishwashers

Help Support :

Kevin - Thank you so much for taking the time to document your experience with dog hair. I'm impressed the lint filter isn't completely full of blanket fluff, that's how my filter always looks! Also, Westy is completely adorable and looks cozy with their fresh blanket :)

Jerrod - It's funny you mention that because I was just reading somewhere that there were some expectations that Miele would be releasing a new washer sometime this year. I thought about emailing Miele to see if there is any more information on that.
 
Here's a link to the UK Miele website. Except the WDA models, all models are of the new generation. The new models on the American market will have about the same design.

 
IIRC, the large Miele series also had a gas dryer option. I believe the washer ran on 110V, so one could operate the washer and gas dryer with just a 110V outlet and a gas pipe. This was a selling point, since with most Miele and Bosch one needed a 220V plug. The 4800 series featured US-style hot and cold fill valves, which would have allowed use of an integral heater at only 110V, since most of the heat would come via the hot water in the hot water pipe.

Where I live, the city in the mid-1990s banned the installation of 220V outlets in laundry areas of newly-built homes, to conserve generating capacity and to force people to use more abundant--and cheaper--natural gas; I don't know if they still have the restriction, since solar panels have changed the game. One could of course install a 220 after purchasing the house, but the company that built the houses could not install one as part of the original design. My home was built a few years before the "220 ban" and does have a 220v plug in the laundry area, though I've always owned gas dryers and the 220V plug has never been used. There is no 220V in the kitchen, because a gas range was part of the original design when new and the architect likely assumed the owner would simply upgrade to a better gas range when ready, which is what I eventually did: a free standing gas convection range. There was also a capped-off outside 220V outlet for an air conditioner (outside condenser unit), which went unused until two years ago, when I finally installed central A/C.
 
people in Europe get along fine with smaller washers

Absolutely true, but that's purely because we're used to them. Front loaders have always dominated our market, so it's not even thought of by the general consumer that any other type of washer would be better or worse.

There's pro's & con's to both European FL's and US TL's/large capacity FL's, but ultimately there's very little difference in the results.

Front loaders use less water & spin faster, so usually means quicker drying and better for the environmentally concious consumer.

Top loaders use a lot more water & a lot more detergent but are considerably quicker.

Not sure what it's like on the US market, but over here, detergents are all formulated for front loaders. The biological detergents especially work far better when the machine fills with cold water & heats up. It pretty much removes the need for in-wash additives and bleaches.
 
While Miele does make some good laundry appliances

There are other European machines one would love to get one's mitts upon. Especially the older incarnations of some German washers.

Large capacity vs. small for front loaders.

Five kilo or about capacity H-axis washing machines have served most European homes since post WWII rather well. But then again households long adapted to doing wash every day or other instead of holding to the old "blue Monday". By that one means saving the laundry up for one day of the week.

Across the pond where top loading washing machines (semi and fully automatic) dominated things were different. American housewives and others were used to saving laundry for one day, but because of speed offered by such washers could plow through tons of washing rather quickly.

The other reason for uber sized front loaders in USA is the *thing* many Americans have about washing duvets and other large/bulky items at home, and also doing so frequently. In Europe by and large IIRC such things are normally aired (outdoors if one can swing it by draping over a balcony railing or whatever), each morning when the beds are done, or maybe every week or so. It is the covers that are washed frequently. When large bulky things do need washing it is sent out to a commercial laundry.
 
I guess there is also a difference in what there is on the bed. In Europe a double bed is often two single mattresses in one bed. The duvets are often single ones too. The duvet covers are washed weekly, the duvets not so often. I was them every season. The single duvets fit easily in a regular European frontloader, there is less need for an ubersized washing machine.
 
I am gonna chime in on this.

I had a Miele Euro-sized pair, W 3038 and T 8023C. I loved that pair. A customer needed something ASAP for his camper so I sold them to him.

I have a LG WM3997HWA. It is alright but it doesn't clean like my Miele did. I do the same exact loads in the LG, my white shirts aren't as white, and stuff just doesn't feel as clean as when I used my Miele's.

I have my eye on the stainless little giants, but am hoping to hold out and see if the W1 models come to the US.

I will probably get the Electrolux EFLS617STT pair before I get the Mieles because I sell a ton of the Luxs. I bought my mom the 617's in white to replace her neptunes and she has started washing things in the luxs that she never washed in the neptune. I'm not sure if it is because there is a window in the washer and she can see what it is doing or if she is more confident in the tub size. Anyways, she seems to enjoy them.

The one quark I had with my Miele washer was sometimes the load wouldn't balance properly for a spin and the tub would lunge. When it did that, it would pop the hose off to the pressure switch and the machine would fill and fill then indicate a no fill and drain everything. I'd have to take the lid off, pop the hose back on and away we went. About the third time it did that, I pulled the hose through a different direction and used a zip tie as a clamp to keep it on. Didn't have issues with it after that.

I absolutely miss my Miele dryer. I miss the reverse tumbling, and it seemed to be quicker than the maytag Dependable care I am using right now.

Anyways, good luck on your search!
 
Hi Josh,

Its interesting you mention your love of the 8000 series dryer.

I have a T4888C and an T8xxx series dryer. The T4000 series has really long reverse tumbles and stuff rarely balls up. I got the T8xxx recently and I've been amazed at how badly stuff ropes together, the 15 second reverse tumble just isnt long enough. The drum is deeper and there is a lot more air flow through the condensor, but I find it not as good.

Id read with the T1 Series they too have a really short reverse tumble as well, I wonder why Miele did that.

Cheers

Nathan
 
Thanks for chiming in, Josh and Nathan.

I love watching Miele videos and seeing how much thought and design goes into their appliances. Looking at Miele sites for the UK and Canada makes me wish we had some of the same benefits offered elsewhere. The ForeverCare and 10 year warranties seem appealing. One thing that bothers me is that Miele offers the same warranty on their appliances that is available on bottom of the line machines you can buy anywhere. Seems like with a premium product you should expect more. Perhaps their warranties are more generous than they initially appear.

I emailed Miele about their new washer. The lady said they are pushing the release to 2018. So, if I want a new washer ASAP I may have to think of purchasing something else. If I'm going for a brand new Miele I'd rather wait and get the newest available. That gives me a bit more time to save up if we decide to go that route.

I let the seller know that we will be in the area next week, they said they'd let me know if it sold in the meantime. I decided I am still interested enough to look, but not to make a special trip just for it.
 
Rather puny warranty

Was another turn off for many regarding the 4XXX series washers and matching dryers.

I mean you read about those Miele machines having all sorts of issues in their first year or so, but the warranty expires after only one. This coupled with the face Miele wasn't giving those machines away, and their call out charges are dear.

Imagine if the member above had his washer problem (rear bearing failure) after the warranty expired? That is *NOT* a repair job MieleUSA normally does on location. Rather the machine must be packed up and shipped to Princeton, NJ, repaired, then packed and shipped back to customer. Guess who pays for all that transport, repair work, parts and so forth?

When Miele laundry appliances are working properly they are a dream to own. But heaven help you should this not prove the case. More so if you do not live anywhere near acess to a Miele authorized repair service. Thank God we live in NYC, but even then dealing with Miele in New Jersey often has been a maddening experience.

Don't know how Miele did it, but they have managed to export (pardon my saying) German stubbornness to American employees.

When you call MieleUSA for service you'll be told "no, the machine cannot be doing that....". If you insist it is not working properly you'll be further told "what did *YOU* do to the machine"? You'll further be treated to a lecture about how Americans do not understand German laundry equipment or whatever. Miele will insist for instance the washer is kaput because *YOU* used too much of an inferior detergent.

This is not universal, and sometimes you'll get a really good old school tech on the phone who is happy to help no matter how long it takes. But it happens often enough to turn people off Miele appliances.
 
"two single mattresses in one bed"

In my experience, not in the UK.

The de facto standard is a normal double-size mattress, or king-size.

We have several brands on sale here, including "Sealy", with their 'Posturepaedic' models.

"Silentnight" in particular, ran adverts for years about "no roll together", featuring a hippopotamus and a duckling.

And I agree with comments about washing machines with recirculation jets. I have had two with such a feature, and they do saturate the load much quicker. If you use powder detergent, it has the benefit of being frequently mixed by the recirculation pump, thus you can use less detergent.

 
animal hair and my miele 1215

Wife's a full time mobile groomer and I do 1 full towels load per day of furred up and soiled towels.

I have way more hair to deal with than anyone not in the animal business.

My 1215 handles it perfectly.

The hair really comes off in the dryer where the 1415s lint screen catches it.

UD
 
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