Why a Miele?

[hoover1100]

the little dinky Mieles are just not made as good

Actually, the Speed Queens in an apartment building I lived in, which were a couple of years old at most, broke down on an almost weekly basis under light commercial use (there was always at least one out of order, literally.) You could probably get more laundry into a Miele anyway, since you can actually use them at full capacity and still get clean, well rinsed clothes (not a chance in those Speed Queens.) The Miele little giant they had in the in the same room just went on and on, and was far older.

I would buy Miele because I know from experience they wash and rinse far better than ALL other brands I have used, are by far the most well made and are very gentle on clothing.

Even the commercial Mieles have proper wash cycles like a domestic machine, unlike most commercial machines with their pathetic 30min wash times which barely clean a thing

Mieles may be expensive and hard to find in the U.S., but they aren't TOO bad here. My parents bought one in January for £650, considering how much better it will be and how much longer it will last than the reast of the machines on the market, even similarly priced machines, it's well worth it IMO.

As for the styling, I think they are far more sophisticated and classy than most machines made today, the fact the styling hasn't changed much since the early 80s goes to show how timless it is, an LG or a Samsung or whatever will look very dated in 20 years (maybe it's a good job they won't last anywhere near that long!) a Miele will still look good.

Here is my parents W3204

Matt

 

[3beltwesty]

Why a Miele? also why NEVER to buy one is some places!

Here where I live I consider the total cost of ownership of the items I buy. Maybe this is a "foreign concept" to many on this thread.

To buy a small 24" frame Miele W3033 FL washer here via mailorder would be 2049 via mailorder via AJ Madison. A typical person then would have to pay somebody to pickup their dead washer. If one wants to really follow the tax laws too one is suppose to pay the state sales taxes too on this out of state purchase. Thus the total cost is really 2200 to 2300 bucks for a small 24" washer that will not wash an american comforter.

If the Miele has issues at some time, no local repair shop has ever seen one. Thus one would have to have a repair chap from New Orleans or Atlanta vist.

I already went through "repair hell" with our oddball 1972 Hotpoint 1200 buck dual oven electronic (microwave) rig. Local folks had never seen one; a repair chap from New Orleans vist was 100 bucks back in the late 1970's. It got to where we stopped repairing the 945 Mhz microwave portion since repairs required somebody to vist from New Orleans. One needed to own an oil well to pay for all the repair and travel costs.

Thus in the wastefull ways of some here, one could buy a little 24" Miele here for 2300 bucks. Then one could several times a year travel to the laundromat to wash comforters and large items. One could after several years have somebody vist from New Orleans for 300 bucks just to arrive at ones door for a repair.

With the local shipyard that services yachts or oil rig service boats, they just pull the 24" Miele if the unit has issues and replace it with a brand new one. The 2300 to 2500 bucks is peanuts in their scheme of things, and they know nobody local can fix one. They might too pull the unit out and drive it 160km to New Orleans for repairs, if the yacht is laid up for hull repairs for awhile.

A lot of high end oddball foreign freak consumer items that are not normally bought here are junked once a major problem arises. It use to be like this with foreign cars decades ago. To keep one running via repairs was super expensive. Thus locally folks do consider if the machi9ne is serviced locally; or is one buying some freakish brand nobody has seen of before. Folks do not care a rats rear if the "Quality" brand is cheap to repair 10,000 Km away across the ocean, the are concerned if there are buying a repair total boondoggle, one that will be a total nightmare in parts and service costs. Here in the usa, some of use consider the TOTAL cost of ownership. If about all the tractors in Anywhere USA are Fords, most sane farmers will not buy an imported Yugo tractor or Miele Tractor if nobody for 160km has worked on one before.

Miele in this area is a brand nobody really has heard off. No local service folks have seen one either. If one self services, repair clinic.com has about 27 brands of washers listed, but no Miele.

Thus it really does not matter here locally if Miele washer parts are on every street corner in Europe and they are free and the government has free repairs! . We wonder if that so called quality is like the other oddball freak poor purchases we made. ie that Peugeot car that went through alternators every year than cost 450 each. Thus one started self repair, the blown diodes can be pressed out and ones from a NAPA store were only 2 bucks from a GM alternator. One gets into self repair due to frustrations of being raped with high costs in fixing the freak oddball item one bought.

The title of this thread is : Why a Miele?

Less Mieles are sold in areas where the units are sold via only mailorder, where no local home owns one, where no local store has one, where no local repair man has seen one in his life, where no usa parts house like repairclinic.com carry any Miele parts.

Buying a Miele here is only done by the local shipyard for small yachts and oil service boats. If the washer lasts 5 years and leaks, they just buy another one for 2300 bucks and the old one goes in a landfill.

If one asks "Why a Miele?" one might get answers of why many folks will never buy them. It is just an darn expensive small machine that costs 3 to 4 times what a normal machine costs, that nobody locally will work on. Thus the confidence factor is low. ie feel better buying a 400 to 600 Maytag, Whirlpool or LG and having it last 5 years. The 2300 buck Miele too might last 10 to 20 years, or one might spend 1000 bucks in repairs via 300km round trips for small things and go broke.

If I decided to build a commercial coin laundromat or buy a washer for a house in Supremewhirlpool's town, I would ask him what machines he has worked one before and what he likes to work on. If he has never seen a Miele before, only a total fool would buy a Miele. The repairs and service do have a bearing on many folks purchases.

 

[lavamat_jon]

3beltwesty

This thread is mainly aimed where Miele is an option, and has evolved into an opportunity to discuss Miele machines in markets in which they are available.  If it isn't available to you for whatever reason, then please move on.  I think we have pretty much established by now that you have no desire/facility/opportunity (whatever you want to call it) to own one, there is no need to continue making the somewhat tiresome point on every thread where 60cm washers (that is 24" to you) are mentioned.  This does not discount their credibility as a machine, regardless as to their availability or not.

 

The ironic thing is, Miele breakdowns are not that common anyway for there to be much hassle with repairing.

 

Have a nice day,

 

Jon

 

[mrb627]

Servicing

I wonder if it is easier to get a Speed Queen serviced in the UK than it is to get a Miele serviced in the US.

 

Just wondering...

 

Malcolm

 

[lavamat_jon]

I imagine as Speed Queens are sold commercially here, you would most likely have to get a commercial distributor to repair any Speed Queens installed domestically.  Seeming as here it is practically impossible for the typical domestic consumer to evenpurchase a commercial machine for home use (most distributors are strictly trade only), I imagine trying to get one repaired would be just as difficult.  Otherwise I would probably have a Speed Queen toploader in my collection

 

Take care,

 

Jon

 

[3beltwesty]

Mieles are available via mailorder, thus they are an option

Jon; The thread's title.

It is "Why a Miele?"

(A)Here locally they use them for reason #1 , a compact small quality machine on a multi millionaires luxury yacht, where money is no issue.

(B)Here locally they use them for reason #2 a compact small quality machine on a million buck plus oil rig service boat, where money is no issue.

(C)Here locally most normal folks do not use a Miele for many reasons, nobody has heard of the brand, no local store carries the brand, no local service place has seen any before. 99.999 percent of the Joe and Jan averages CAN order a Miele mailorder but choose not to. Probably one in 1000 local has even heard of the Miele brand before.

When one asks why a brand brand X is used, it opens up too why it is not used too since the usage is really nothing in some places. It may not be as easy to understand as why snow shovels are not sold in Miami stores.

Thus both cases were mentioned; ie "Why a Miele?" and why not too, to increase understanding.

The facts and reality of why Miele usage is higher and lower in places might be interesting to some.

For others case (C) might bother Europeans since it is reality and "low zilch numbers" are not what many want to hear about. ie the usages of Miele's is totally zilch in most places in the usa. There is probably one Miele in 1/2 million homes around here. It really has nothing to do with quality at all. Every Tom, Dick and Harry here has heard of the Maytag brand, this goes back many many generations. Joe sixpack and Jane SUV will buy a Whirlpool or Maytag over a Miele. Joe Japan will buy a Hitachi or National widget over some obscure brand name they have never heard of before.

Most folks here will not buy a washer brand that has no local repair knowledge base. Maybe in Europe the other case is true?

One can here buy a 24" Miele via mailorder/internet and have it trucked in, thus they are available. If it leaks in one week one has no local store to whine too. One gets into a ruckus with the truck line or mail order store 1600 km away as to is at fault. If one complains enough and used a credit card one might be able to void the transaction; and have the leaky hulk returned. Ebay is full of dented and as-is new machines ruined in truck deliveries due to returns of consumer items.

Folks in non usa places can preach 24" machines all they want to. You get to buy one locally and see them at a store. Your local service folks have actually worked on one before, or actually seen the brand washer before. You have zero risk compared to us.

Here I really have no clues of "why an XXX brand" is or is not used in place YYY unless I ask or do research. Thus if PLUTO is a great quality local brand washer here, I might wonder why the UK has few owners of these washers.

Those very few here locally who have heard of a Miele and can afford one still have no local service, and it is a machine in size small than most want. Multiplying these three factors means the "Why a Miele?" is in the parts per millions of users in most places in the usa. Low usage here has nothing to do with quality, it has to do with parts and service being about none.

 

[supremewhirlpol]

Before I became a member here, I had NEVER heard of anything being made by Miele before. The reason for that is they simply don't exist in a normal store. Then after having to track down prices on the Internet, see why they are not as common in the US. Very high prices, parts are hard to find here and expensive too. Not only that, who will you find locally to repair it(at a reasonable price), without having the repair man to travel a long distance. I've read several reviews about the mieles, several a lot of people seem to like them, however after getting some close-up pictures of parts, such as water valves, wiring, electronics. I would have expected more in the parts quality area, since the machine itself costs several thousand dollars. When I actually find a miele and bust it open, my opinion of the brand of machine might change, but until then I don't consider them real commercial machines, I consider Wascomat, Continental, True Ipso, not Alliance Ipso, as having machines of better build and parts quality than the Miele. I even consider SQ's as having a leg up on the Miele's, now that's sad. Yes, the miele machines in the pictures above are little and dinky, but still cute. More like something I'd have to stick in a hallway somewhere, not something I'd take seriously for cleaning any type of real work. Over here ~30min is good enough, granted, you have proper amounts of water at the right temp., lots of agitation, a good amount of soap/agents to remove the dirt/stains etc. Nothing wrong with using ~30min commercial machines. What matters is how they are configured , what settings you have it on, what type and amount of soap and additives are used.

 

[ronhic]

Well.....

....you do have to ask why anyone would buy a machine for their home if they can't get it serviced should it require it.....

 

So here's the kicker.....

 

A Miele is known to be a hard working, beautifully built machine that, as a manufacturer, top the reliability feedback scores in the UK and here (and probably everywhere else they are sold)....

 

...but if you can't get it serviced without paying a fortune to bring someone from another area, then DON'T BUY ONE.

 

On another note: Paying $450 to your mechanic for Peugeot (505?) alternators when they could have been fixed is just silly.....

 

[jerrod6]

Good points are being made about the recognition of Miele within the USA.  A lot also depends on how close you are to one of the Miele display centers.  The closer you are the more likely you will know about the brand.  Living less than 50 miles from one helped give me the opportunity to learn about the brand. 

 

I bought my first Miele appliance in 1996.  Up until that time I had never heard of them.  Two years ago an older office building around the corner from me was turned into condos and each one has all Miele appliances, Excella DW's and 1215 or something washers(the 24 inch units).  My local appliance store carries Miele appliances, detergent, Persil....along with all of the other brands of appliances...but you won't find Miele anything(dishwasher, larger washer or smaller washer) at larger super stores like Sears, Lowes, and Home depot, stores that are common throughout  the USA. I can get service from Miele headquarters in Trenton or from a repair shop a few miles away, but  I think this still depends on where you are located in the USA 

 

Something else has also happened in the area of service.....now many washers of different brand names are made by the same company so essentially their mechanicals are similar. Service is now done by outside contractor companies that service all of these brands of machines....this works well...but it won't work  well  Miele because they have differences and they have the laptop computer interface used to diagnose a problem before the machine is opened  This software is not available to non Miele service companies, so they start off at a disadvantage.    If you can't get your Miele serviced  it is probably not a good idea to buy one.

 

 

[hoover1100]

I don't consider them real commercial machines

That would be because the machines we are reffering to are NOT commerical machines.

Personally, I have no interest whatsoever in commercial machines. I do not believe they wash or rinse well at all, and have yet to be convinced they do.

What we are talking about here is domestic machines, and in terms of domestic machines Miele are leaps and bounds ahead of any other brand.

Also, as has become apparent from other threads, these "cute little dinky machines" will hold more laundry, and wash rings around most oversized American domestic machines.

Matt

 

[3beltwesty]

re 450 buck alternator.

ronhic Re ; On another note: Paying $450 to your mechanic for Peugeot (505?) alternators when they could have been fixed is just silly.....

That price of 450 was for another working alternator, not to have somebody to fix it. The dealer's price to you as a end user back in the 1980's no less. A alternator rebuild shop wanted only 290 bucks.

The car was actually driven to and from work for a month with no working alternator. In today's prices is actual dollars double these numbers.

Thus the alternator was taken apart and we found out that the pressed in diodes in the "diode trio" are the same as GM's diodes. ie one fixes the issue oneself to not be raped via the owning the weird foreign item where one gets sometimes raped in costs.

NO mechanic was paid 450 dollars, that was the cost if one bought an alternator from the dealer; before labor to install.

Aftermarket rebuilt alternators were also over 250 bucks; at the same place where a dumb Ford or GM one was often as low as 15 bucks in the 1980's and might last 15 years or 1.5 months; ie total crapshoot

One farts around and goes to junkyards and the junkers if you find one have no alternators, some other chap did not want to get raped either in repair costs.

 

[3beltwesty]

repair software might not be availible

Re Jerrod6's "Miele because they have differences and they have the laptop computer interface used to diagnose a problem before the machine is opened This software is not available to non Miele service companies, so they start off at a disadvantage. "

In cars in the USA; we have a war with what the NON dealer repair shops want in software, and what the car makers will give.

There are actually some lawsuits no about this matter. ie one replaces a dumb switch and ones car cannot start anymore. The software has to be reset to accept the switch; and only the dealer has the software key. Thus this locks out the non dealer repair shops and home repair folks; they have one now held by ones privates. Thus to crank ones car the car has to be towed to the dealer and one pays dealer prices.

One has other risks with repairs, can one get a parts breakdown or manual even.

 

[3beltwesty]

24" machines hold less; the spin basket is smaller

<Matt; RE

"Also, as has become apparent from other threads, these "cute little dinky machines" will hold more laundry, and wash rings around most oversized American domestic machines.

The 24" machines have a smaller drum; with a smaller diameter and less deep than a 27" frame machine's spin basket.

Your statement that the smaller machine holds more than a larger one is what we call here snake oil.

Anybody here that looks at a 24" machine sees they are smaller.

Plus legally they are since the legal IEC volumes are smaller in a proper sales advert.

A slick salesman at a store might say that to make as sale; an TV advert would get into deep trouble with outlandish statements that the little machines hold more than larger ones. Lawyers eat companies for a living here; the live for infractions.

The Federal Trade Commission gets involved with snake oil adverts; a major maker of goods can be fined for such hokem. If really bad they can be forced to pay each consumer for the fib; since they were given bad info.

Maybe the UK has no equalvalent of the FTC and Consumer Protections?

 

[supremewhirlpol]

For the amount of money that you spend on a Miele in the US, you might as well purchase a commercial machine, at least you'd have more service support for it. Oh, and yes there are 24" soft-mount commercial machines, I have one. I've tried getting Miele service manuals from the internet, No such luck. If anyone has a link, please let me know.

 

[mrb627]

Little Giants

Back when I was shopping the Miele Little Giant machines for their flexability, we happened to have a Miele Professional dealer here in the Atlanta area.  So I ventured down into the city to get some information.  Well, they didn't have the Little Giant machines on the floor and they didn't have any literature on the set either.  So, I contacted Miele directly.  They pointed me to the dealer showroom in Boca Raton FL.  Some 700 miles away.  I thought, hmmm.  They don't seem to really care about selling these machines do they.  Anyway, I just happened to be heading to South FL for the Xmas Holiday and decided I would take an afternoon and trek over to the shop in Boca.  Well, I got to the dealership and low and behold, they had never even heard of a model referred to as the Little Giant's.  I had to pull them up on the Miele website to prove that they actually existed.  Well, guess what, they directed me to a Miele showroom in New York or Chicago to see them in operation on the sales floor.  Now come on, if you want to stake a claim to the North American market, you need to at least get your machines out there where people can put their hands on them.

 

Come on Miele, get your act together...

 

Malcolm

 

[3beltwesty]

As far as Miele, I have long heard that the higher end machines are good machines. That is why the small units are uses on Yachts and ocean/river boats.

I saw some dead Miele FL washers at a steel scrap yard back in the early 1980's up in Pearl Miss. They were probably out of a hospital or scrap from a shipyards boat refurbishment of a boat.

I have also seen a Meile FL while in Germany in the late 1980's.

I also saw one at a high end store in Los Angeles back in the 1990's

If one looks at yachts to dream about in magazines, or ebay, a Miele washer is sometimes mentioned

Here is a Miele dishwasher for boats:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/MIEL...0033389QQptZBoatQ5fPartsQ5fAccessoriesQ5fGear

 

[supremewhirlpol]

Oh wow Malcolm, I bet that was disappointing. I have to give you props for going that far to see a machine that Miele claimed to have, but did not have. Perhaps they'd be more popular in the US if they lowered their prices, expanded their target audience, and applied more marketing.

 

[3beltwesty]

A Miele washer or dishwasher is probably in suppliers who cater and supply commercial boats and luxury yachts.

Thus if one is in Florida, a yacht supplier/fitter/chandler's warehouse is where a 24" Miele FL washer might be; ie not one really for the homeowner.

 

[3beltwesty]

Mieles USA showrooms in Higher Priced areas

This link shows Mieles USA showrooms.

The nearest ones to me are Dallas, Boca Raton and Chicago.. Dallas is about 800 Km away, Boca 1000Km away, Chicago 1300Km away.

I wonder if they have all 5 washers at each showroom, or does one get there and just look at the brochures?

I wonder if these cities have a repair chap? ie Dallas would be a 1600Km round trip to me!

http://www.mieleusa.com/usa/design-centers/design-centers.asp?ID=5&nav=600&snav=600&tnav=605&oT=71

 

[hoover1100]

I saw some dead Miele FL washers at a steel scrap yard back

That's interesting, considering they weren't introduced onto the North American market at all until 1988...

My statement that they hold more than most American sized machines comes from the fact you can cram them completely full and still get perfectly washed, perfectly rinsed, uncreased and undamaged clothes from them, without damage to the machine. It is apparent that most U.S. washers can't handle being more than perhaps two thirds full at most, so yes, I do believe they hold almost as much, if not as much, as most of these oversized machines.

Matt

 

[dj-gabriele]

I'm ashamed to read this thread!

It's like spitting venom on yourselves!

I never liked Miele appliances and I'm never going to buy one but then again and as soon as I gave my opinion I stepped out of the "arena".
But this is over the limit of decency!

You American never stopped for a second insulting Europeans!

And many of the European guys on the other hand never really tried to understand the reasons behind the "no Miele please" that were tried to be explained.

Probably, if I were in the same situation, of spending 4-5 times more money that what I would have to do for a "standard, known" machine for a smaller, more costly, unknown one. I'd be sure to think twice.

But then again I've seen and used a few Miele machines and as much they can wash and rinse well (the latter, actually, not really well in my opinion...) and top loading American style machines (only a few times hopefully) that can't wash even light stains and really stress clothes but rinse with plenty of water (but you have to remember to put the softener at the right time, otherwise you'll waste 60 more litres to add it...).

If I were the average American guy, shopping for a machine I'd sure not recommend a Miele but I'd search around for a decent machine, with a built-in heater and reasonably long wash cycles that can wash a full load (I have the European experience in me!). Not being aware of the terrible reputation of LG I'd sure get one of those or a machine from Frigidaire.

PS: a European machine actually holds more in real term capacity than an American machine as it can be "overstuffed" and still was perfectly well and rinse accordingly. The only difference is that you can't stick in a double/queen/king size duvet. I did a thread especially for this and no American proved me wrong. Domestic American machines can't hold a full load of clothes so actually a standard 24 (60 cm) machine in reality holds more!

BTW: there are a few 10 kg machines in 24" frames, and they can wash at stated capacity as they're actually tested.

 

[paulinroyton]

Miele Washers

This has been an interesting post. My parents have Miele appliances and they have had their washer for years, think its so old it Noah had it in the ark, lol. I know there are only 2 in my paretns household but she washes every day, yet her machine goes on and on and on.

I once had a Bosch Maxx 5 washer. It was the worst washer I have ever had. It broke down after 5 months use, had to wait over 2 weeks before it was repaired, thank god I got legal advice from Which. When my friend bought his house there was appliances left in, one of which was a Miele washer, which he very kindly gave to me. The machine is fab, quiet at washing & spinning, no unbalanced load issues.

I read on here Matt,s parents buying a Miele for £650. That is a very good price to pay and will last them for such a long time and without any breakdowns. Some LG machines are now about the same price as Miele machines.

Paul

 

[hoover1100]

Going by a table posted a while back here

Which stated how much laundry American machines of various sizes can hold, to wash 6kg (13lb) of laundry, an American machine would need a 3.3 cubic foot drum (93.4l). A European Miele can wash 6kg (13lb) of laundry in in a 1.9 cubic foot (55l) drum. You can get standard size (24") European machines with up to 2.8 cubic foot (78l) drums as well, these machines can hold around 8kg (18lbs) of laundry.

So yes, you can fit a considerably larger amount of laundry in a European machine than a U.S. machine with the same size drum. Also, you can buy "dinky, weedy, wussy, tiny, cute" (whatever derogatory names you can think of) European sized machines which will wash the same amount as an American machine with a 4.3 cubic foot drum.

So much for my "snake oil" claims....

Matt

 

[hoover1100]

The table

Sorry it's a bit hard to read, these are the load sizes an American machine is capable of.

Container volume Test load
cu. ft.¡Ý< liter¡Ý< lb kg
0-0.80 0-22.7 3.00 1.36
0.80-0.90 22.7-25.5 3.50 1.59
0.90-1.00 25.5-28.3 3.90 1.77
1.00-1.10 28.3-31.1 4.30 1.95
1.10-1.20 31.1-34.0 4.70 2.13
1.20-1.30 34.0-36.8 5.10 2.31
1.30-1.40 36.8-39.6 5.50 2.49
1.40-1.50 39.6-42.5 5.90 2.68
1.50-1.60 42.5-45.3 6.40 2.90
1.60-1.70 45.3-48.1 6.80 3.08
1.70-1.80 48.1-51.0 7.20 3.27
1.80-1.90 51.0-53.8 7.60 3.45
1.90-2.00 53.8-56.6 8.00 3.63
2.00-2.10 56.6-59.5 8.40 3.81
2.10-2.20 59.5-62.3 8.80 3.99
2.20-2.30 62.3-65.1 9.20 4.17
2.30-2.40 65.1-68.0 9.60 4.35
2.40-2.50 68.0-70.8 10.00 4.54
2.50-2.60 70.8-73.6 10.50 4.76
2.60-2.70 73.6-76.5 10.90 4.94
2.70-2.80 76.5-79.3 11.30 5.13
2.80-2.90 79.3-82.1 11.70 5.31
2.90-3.00 82.1-85.0 12.10 5.49
3.00-3.10 85.0-87.8 12.50 5.67
3.10-3.20 87.8-90.6 12.90 5.85
3.20-3.30 90.6-93.4 13.30 6.03
3.30-3.40 93.4-96.3 13.70 6.21
3.40-3.50 96.3-99.1 14.10 6.40
3.50-3.60 99.1-101.9 14.60 6.62
3.60-3.70 101.9-104.8 15.00 6.80
3.70-3.80 104.8-107.6 15.40 6.99
Notes: (1) All test load weights are bone dry weights.

 

[3beltwesty]

Legally in the USA a 24" frame FL Miele is smaller than

Here is a screen shot of the USA Miele web page, where I have added the legally defined IEC volumes that Miele USA washers are sold by.

In all cases the 24" frame machines have smaller volumes than the 27" frame Mieles. Also added is the internet price in the USA to buy a Miele washer.

Here in the usa one cannot legally say that a machine that is a 2.3 or 2.52 cuft is larger or holds more clothes than one that is 4.0 cuft.

The laws protect the public from snake oil of marketing chaps, or frothy specs used elsewhere that inflate a products size. Thus a level playing field is used, all washers sold in the usa are defined by IEC specs

The IEC legal volumes that washers are legally marked is such a larger number means the washer holds more clothes. The numbers provide a basis to compare different washer models sold in one time frame in the USA. It is not a perfect spec; but clearly a 4.0 model holds vastly more clothes than a 2.52 model.

Todays 24" frame FL washer in the usa has a smaller spin basket than a 27" FL washer. It holds less clothes. It has a legally smaller volume for marketing.

Here legally one cannot state in any USA washer specs or adverts :

"So yes, you can fit a considerably larger amount of laundry in a European machine than a U.S. machine with the same size drum. "

It is the IEC legal specs that matter. *IF* the European machine is sold here legally, it has to use USA rules, so washers sold here can be compared. Thus if a car in Europe is hawked as 300HP and it really is 225HP via USA specs , the usa number has to be used . This is so a buyer is not duped by the frothy European specs defined differently.

The average Joe the Plummer or Jane the SUV here goes into a local store to buy a washer. The average FL washer size here on the show floors is about 4.0 cuft IEC. A 24" frame machine with a 2.52 cuft IEC is thus 2.52/4 = 63 percent in size; and it is not on any local stores floor here since few want such a dinky washer.

Joe the Plumber in the usa can call the smaller 24" machine all sorts of goofy slang words for small; ie smaller, a runt, dinky, a cute toy, a compact, dorm sized, tiny, whussy, boat sized, midget, petite, girlie sized, neat, European sized, European frame size, 24" frame size, trailer sized. Joe uses these same terms for guns, ammo, trucks, houses, saws, drills, hammers, houses, lawn mowers, cameras too. Whether these terms translate well to another culture is open for debate. The same smaller buzzwords are used with saws. A standard circular saw here is 7 1/4" blade. I have had circular saws with 10", 7 1/4", 6 1/2", 6 1/4", 5 1/2" blades. Last weekend a coworker wanted one of us to carry the girlie saw up on the roof for a tight space that required a small saw. We had 2 saws the 7 1/4 and 5 1/2, thus the smaller saw was for that moment called a girlie saw. The giant 10" saw has BIG FOOT on its frame, thus Big Foot might be offended.

Since the average washer here has a 4.0 cuft IEC; Mieles 2.52 cuft FL models sold here are viewed as smaller; ie 63 percent of a normal washer via legally defined specs.

The Average usa Joe/Jane's rational buying a washer process is such about nobody wants to pay 2000 plus bucks for a dinky washer that holds legally only 63 percent of one 4.0 model available locally that costs only 600.

Is is common for non usa folks to spend 2000 + dollars for a washer?

Would non usa folks spend 2000 + bucks buying a washer that is only 63 percent of a normal 24" machine there?

 

[3beltwesty]

What do folks in Europe, OZ, SA etc pay for their Miele was

This I wonder since I cannot fathom the average person who buys a Miele spends 2000 dollars in Europe etc for washer.

 

[GrahamW]

miele

One of the factors to consider is that (at least in Canada) Miele offers a 10 year, manufacturer's warranty (albeit at a fairly hefty price). I know this was a big selling feature for friends who bought a pair last year. If it ever breaks, it will be repaired or replaced PDQ. Every other manufacturer they looked at was offering a 1-3 year parts warranty (it often depends on which part) with only 1 year for labour. Their previous washer was only 2 years old (LG) had a failed electronic control unit and wasn't worth fixing according to the dealer tech (there would have been a 6 week wait on parts).

As for myself, I've bought two used Miele washers, one used dryer, and couldn't be happier*. I paid a total of $200 for the 3 units and I consider them to be 'worth fixing' as opposed to many of the other machines on the market currently. The days of appliances lasting 20 years is rapidly coming to an end, unfortunately.

* Okay, I'll be happier once I finally get the bearing replaced...

http://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?32606_29

 

[lavamat_jon]

Prices for Miele washers in the UK start at about £600-650 if you get a good deal online... up until a few years ago before the recession and everything going up in price you could easily grab one for £450 - they've gone up slightly in price again recently due to the very nice recent VAT rise.

 

Of course, you also have to bear in mind that the Miele model sold in the US is equivalent to their TOL model sold here, the TOL ones sell for about £1000, however we get much more "basic" versions here too - still the same quality with all the basics you need to wash, just without the fancier control panels.

 

Take care,

 

Jon

 

[Pingmeep]

So because the greenback is low $1620 would be a good start for a top of the line Miele in the US. Of course they have to ship em and have a markup for the dealer etc. I can't wait for the Maytag Maxima's to come out in April. Will be interesting to see the prices and build quality compared to a Miele.

 

[brisnat81]

Hi 3Belt,

 

In Australia they start from $1699 and go all the way up to $3699, we only get the 6.5kg 24" machines here.

 

You need to use one to compare what it holds.  Going from a DD 27" whirlpool to an older generation 5.5kg Miele, I fit more in the Miele every time.  I can pack the Miele full, and I mean pack and still get a clean wash with three rinses in about 60 minutes.  In the DD Whirly, you lightly load or run the risk of getting things chewed up.  In the Australian progams, a cottons 40degC wash, with two rinses takes 40mins by default.

 

I would like a little extra capacity some days, and when the 7.5kg models make it Australia, I would consider replacing my machine.  The 7.5kg machine is still 24" but has an extra 10L of volume over my older model.  That 10L will give me all the capacity I need.  I would never manage to fill a machine that has a 80-100L volume.

 

Regarding costs, when the Duet and Neptune were both available here, the Neptune started at around $2600 and the Duet at $3600, which is probably a good reason why they didnt sell too many.

 

Regards

 

Nathan

 

[this post was last edited: 2/17/2011-14:03]