Plastic washer paddles in drums.. WHY?

[robliverpool]

Does anyone know why nearly all machines now have plastic paddles in the drum as i personally find them a pain, i seem to go thru new paddles in my hotpoint every year or so...

Is it because the companies know they are going to break, hence the need to spend on new ones or can they not make the shape they desire when they press the drums etc...

any info would be great as its been doing my head in again today i have had to buy another paddle at £14 a go

 

[ronhic]

Neither of our Zanussi based machines have ever had a problem...

 

[favorit]

it's cheaper to insert plastic paddles...

rather than working on stainless steel.

Only all the Miele and some Bosch/siemens and some Indesit/Ariston have SS paddles

once i read a review on ciao.it about a TOL Lavamat that missed a paddle and tore all the load into small stripes :-((

 

[thomasortega]

it's cheaper to insert plastic paddles...

not only cheaper, but it also makes possible to use different designs to enhance the wash quality.

I've never heard about an Electrolux machine with a broken paddle.

And even if it happen and you have a missing paddle, the drum won't damage the clothes because there will be only a few more series or holes. Nothing too serious.

Don't know about the other manufacturers.

 

[favorit]

ex-Wascator E'luxes

so Thomas, why the ex-Wascator E'luxes don't have plastic baffles ?? ;-))

 

[mr_sparkle]

Never had one!

I have never, ever had a paddel break and I wash some pretty hard stuff, like tons of jeans, my trainers, various shoes etc

Ive never heard of any of my friends with then broken either?

 

[electron800]

Never had a problem with them here either

My mum's boss had an early WMA Hotpoint where the paddles kept breaking off but I've heard that was a design fault on those particular machines.

I wash shoes and all sorts in many machines with plastic paddles and have never had a single problem.

Matt

 

[robliverpool]

hi matt

yup sounds like my machine, mine is an early WMA 30, never had anything go on the machine even tho its doing in excess of 4 loads a day, just the paddles. I have had it a few years now and i am thinking of an upgrade. been looking around for miele commercial washer that can be converted to 240v...

its getting harder to get the paddles for my machine as my machine they changed the drum desin for the paddles and the normal ones dont fit proper, the normal ones just have six little sliders that lock into place, mine has them plus two little prongs that also have to lock in, nightmare...

thanks guys for the advice

 

[arrrooohhh]

I have had a Hootag (Hoover front loader badged as Maytag) for five years and never had a problem with plastic paddles.

What would you have to do to go through so many plastic paddles?

Really I cant see why plastic paddles should be a problem, after all top loaders have plastic agitators and they seem to be fine.

 

[robliverpool]

arrroooohh

As mentioned by matt there must of been a problem with the design, i know loads of other people who have no problems with plastic paddles it just seems to be me lol might even be coz i do a lot of 90 degree wash loads at least one a day the rest being 60 or 50 so maybe that is weakining the platic i dunno, next one is gonna all in one

 

[rolls_rapide]

Hotpoint UK...

Did have some kind of design flaw in their paddles - I've seen other people ask advice on www.ukwhitegoods.co.uk about dislodged and broken paddles. Probably something to do with the 'much cheapness' that Indesit introduced.

Never seen a problem in UK Hoovers that my mother and granny owned, or the Zanussis that I, my grandfather, or a friend have owned.

 

[thomasortega]

Favorit

I have no idea.

Maybe because of the drum capacity (consequentially the need of a too long paddle that could not resist)

Or maybe because of some chemicals used on commercial laundries that can damage plastics.

or even "why spend money in a new mould if the already have this one that works ok?"

or... the most plausible: "The engineers just did it because they wanted to."

The little time I spent in Sweden freezing (i mean, working on wascator projects) was to help them with tips about the Clarus, Selecta and Exacta controls and a card reader that after many hours making something very beautiful, the engineers decided it was too fancy and used a square box. (as you can see, I hate engineers)

 

[newwave1]

The only machines i hear of havin knackered paddles are indesit and servis machines. Need i say more.

I've NEVER heard of zanussi paddles coming off, or bosch ones from the WFFseries like i had. WMA/WF hotpoints are renowed for it as has already been discussed. Ties in with indesits obv...

Darren

 

[favorit]

Thomas

Why doesn't E'lux sell the 5.5 - 7 - 10 kg Wascators as TOL household machines ??
If they sold them with historically "sturdy" badges (I'm thinkin' of AEG in EU and Frigidaire in US) they could compete with Mieles.

Ok, I know the 10kg machines maybe costs as five or six Duets ... but a MOL 6.5 kg miele little giant costs 2500 € ... and miele isn't as big as e'lux ....

The only (semi) commercial machine having plastic paddles is ... a Whirlpool ! It's the MAXY 100, a 10kg washer. It is said to have a stronger build than the Duet/Dreamspace and to be able to withstand 100kg of laundry per week... but 100/10 = 10 loads per week, less than 2 loads per day on a commercial machine ?!? Now I understand why it has plastic baffles, by the way it costs about 1000/1100 € only

 

[launderess]

IIRC,

An American company or person purchased the rights for selling "Wascomat" appliances ages ago. Apparently the man saw how well built the units were and that the design was far better than the standard top loading washing machines then in use in laundromats, including being able to withstand the abuse such machines must take.

All Wascomat washing machines sold in the United States require 220v power. Though some if not all can have steam heat lines attached, the motors are what require 220v. Also do not think Wascomat is interested in "diluting" their brand by going into the domestic laundry appliance market. It would require major costs to set up and service such a market, and not sure how many Americans would pay the several thousands even the cheapest Wascomat unit costs.

Being as all this may, there are homes with Wascomat units, especially the soft mount models. One can find them easy enough on eBay and commercial laundry machine resellers. Long as one has the proper plumbing and power (not to mention a strong and solid floor), not much else is required.

L.

 

[favorit]

Electrolux, thinkin' of .... the whole world ;-)

Launderess, i'm not thinking of US market only

This W455H is the E'lux version of Little Giants (so a euro sized washer). And it is a real tank

The point is : E'lux covers all world markets. Miele does it too, despite it is a smaller co than elux.
My guess is that Miele hosuehold machines are so strong cause they share many components with the commercial ones. They are rather expensive, yet their market is ever growing.
So why doesn't elux use wascator resources to produce TOL models ?
If they keep on producing cheaper and cheaper household aappliances they 'll get worse than whirlpool ...

http://www.opl-ltd.co.uk/product_sub_detail.asp?CatID=1&ProdID=37&SubID=2

 

[hotpoint9534]

Electrolux TOL models

The alternative would be to use the 1980s Zanussi solid tub again for TOL models, I'm sure it could be adapted for a larger 6kg drum. The design even looks sleek and modern to this day!
The bearings are much easier to change too, no splitting of the tub, just a cast iron cross piece to remove from the back.

 

[launderess]

Miele's Domestic Washing Machine

Quality is a reflection of what the brand stands for, and indeed what most TOL German laundry appliances stand. While nothing an the Amercian market compares for household use, that is simply because on this side of the pond the market concentrated mainly if not wholly on top loading washing machines. That is where R&D went and for the part where appliance makers put all their efforts. Why? Because consumers demanded (well at back then), value for money.

Wascomat had a long tradition in Sweden for quality washing machines for domestic use as well, but you aren't going to see near or commercial grade units from Electrolux in the US or elsewhere for along time if ever? Why? Cost.

Even Miele has begun "dumbing" down (if that is the right word), domestic washing machines sold not only in North America, but elsewhere as well. Look at the price difference between even an entry level commercial washing machine from Miele or Wascomat, and a TOL domestic unit. Consumers just aren't willing to spend upwards of 2,000 USD or more, for "just a washing" machine. We see more of this as laundry appliances as with most other major appliances become more a throw away consumer good than a durable item designed to last ten or more years.

L.

 

[ronhic]

Am I dreaming again or....

....isn't the base model Wascomat from the link above just a rebadged ASKO?

...and if so, well that pretty much answers the question of 'commercial quality for domestic use'

On another note. When we bought an ASEA Cylinda 12000 in 1989 it was an expensive machine (AUD$1300)...no issue there, but the sales man described ASEA and Miele as follows from a quality and reliablity point of view...

ASEA is basically a 'beefed up' domestic machine...
Miele is essentially a slightly lightened commercial machine.

Given we had 19yrs from the ASEA, I have no reason to question his 'logic'. I hope people who bought Miele in 1989 have had the same run.