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gizmo

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Choice (Australia's consumer publication) has recently published an article on the worst washing machines in their tests.

See which top loader came worst, but was one of the most expensive washers tested...

 

I can link here because it is NOT a subscriber-only article.

 

The detailed reviews for each machine are subscriber-only.

https://www.choice.com.au/home-and-...living/laundry-and-cleaning/washing-machines%
 
Funny, the Dutch consumer organisation (Consumentenbond) published a survey this week among the members about their contentment with their appliances. The outcome:

Washing machines: best: Miele, worst: Indesit, Whirlpool and Beko.

Dryers: best: Miele, worst: Whirlpool

Dishwashers: best: Miele, worst: Etna

Refrigerators: best: LG, worst: Etna

Vacuums: best: Numatic, worst: Dirt Devil

Espresso machines: best: Jura, worst: Philips
 
Worst I have used

were the COIN-OP Speed Queen machines at my last apartment! If they were the only SQs I had experienced, I would hate them with the heat of 1,000,000,000,000 suns.

I used either Tide or Persil. hot water, heavy soil...and rarely got a fresh smelling wash. I did not overload. I very slightly underloaded.

Lawrence/Maytagbear
 
Hmm

I am really shocked to see that LG on there. Especially considering similar models over here are rated quite high. Not sure what the variations in testing are.

The worst machine I have ever used would have to be the newer Whirlpool Cabrio/Maytag Bravos machines. Horrible. Second? Frigidaire built TL stacked towers. I never had good luck with them.
 
What are they basing the ratings on?

Is it function? Repairs? Overall cost of ownership? Performance?

I will have to defend Whirlpool. I have a Maytag/Duet clone, I must have low standards, but it is one of the best machines I have owned. As I have said before if it is the worst, it must be one of the best of the worst as I am always getting complements on my laundry, how white my whites are, how brights my colors are. I did not get these with my previous machines.

With that also said, I didn't spend $5 grand on a new machine either, but the local Miele dealer who also sells Speed Queen, Whirlpool and Samsung will steer you away from Miele siting the high cost of repairs, and limited availability of parts and expense of said parts when they can be found.
 
foraloysius

Thank you,
That makes sense.

Though they are still "budget"models compared to Miele, I still don't consider the full size machines that bad.
 
Miele

Let me also make clear that the Miele's I was talking about are also the European models, that are much more affordable than Miele appliances in the USA. Miele is a mainstream product here with a big market share in the Netherlands. A TOL Bosch or Siemens is more expensive than a BOL Miele. A lot of people choose a BOL Miele for that reason.
 
Ha

chetlaham, I actually didn't even think about the GEs. Yes, they were not great

Iheartmaytag, I loved our German built Duet. It is out in the garage because I hate thinking about parting with it. Not perfect, but good overall. Like a VW product.
 
I’ll admit I was a bit overboard with my comment on how ALL modern machines are the worst, but I honestly have had NO luck with newer machines in terms of washing and rinsing performance and once you use a older Whirlpool belt drive washer you’ll never want to go back to the newer machines.

The designs and engineering in most modern machines is a joke and I am not gullible and fall for all the technology crap which is all style and no substance. I’d rather have something that’s older and proven over something that’s newer and not proven and has more problems compared to the older stuff.
 
I would have to agree that the "post FF GE washers" were the worst. Mine lasted a whole four years. Following that would be any Amana washers built by Goodman - they were the owners of Amana after Raytheon and before Maytag. That machine lasted three years and had to be scrapped because of the faulty tub seal - the worst part there was that three different repair people couldn't figure out the actual problem and just kept replacing the spin bearing. By the time it was finally diagnosed correctly, Amana ownership passed to Maytag and I recall the poor Maytag repairman spending four hours trying to fix that mess but having never worked on an Amana machine before just couldn't do it. I was lucky though - the store where I purchased the machine exchanged it for me - one of the advantages of buying from a local dealer rather than a big box store.
 
The Bauknecht name is owned by Whirlpool. Current Bauknecht washers are mostly rebranded Hotpoint machines (yet another drop in quality). The factory that made these Duets (like mine) is long gone.
 
in my collection: VMW Cabrio...

2010 Cabrio: suspect durability,but the worst feature is the goofy balance routine this thing can get on before giving up and doing a slow spin...Machine will do a good wash job if all conditions are right :) This Cabrio gets rotated into use on occaision and will be kept as a historic artifact :)
 
IIRC those early Whirlpool Duet washers (built in Germany's Bauknecht plant) were pretty decent if not down right good machines. Famous Germany quality and so forth, like Miele almost commercial washers in terms of quality...

As noted yes, WP shut down three Bauknecht plants moving production out of Germany all together.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bauknecht_(company)





Look familiar?

 
Regarding SQ Coin-Op Washing Machines

Our local laundromat has them, and has have said many times best results are obtained by thinking about these machines are they are designed.

By this mean they come from commercial side of things were chemicals are still widely used instead of say enzymes. Pre-wash cycle is barely a few minutes (at least at our local), followed by a main wash of barely 12 or so minutes. That just isn't time enough for modern enzyme detergents to do their thing.

Without built in heaters "hot" or even "warm" wash relies upon whatever comes out of taps. Keeping in mind pre-wash is cold or warm (depending upon what owner has machines set for), meaning unless "hot" water is a or over about 160F it is going to be substantially cooled by coming into contact with cold laundry.

Machines seen in video are same our local has, and will give them points for what you can see. When fully loaded (but not over loaded) mechanical wash action is actually quite good. Standing near washer you can hear laundry being slapped about inside tub.

 
I like that my 2004 Neptune FL will do a pre-wash with hot when hot is the temperature selected for the main wash.  Is it the best washer I've ever owned?  Not quite, I suppose.  That would be our 2007 Bauknecht Whirlpool Duet HT.   It was a joy to use and it still had knobs and dials, which are superior from an ease of use standpoint IMO.

 

The question further up about criteria is key here.  Effective washing?  Reliability?  Cost of ownership?  Worst washer in the history of washing machines IME by far:  Wards Signature sourced from Norge.  Effective washing?  Some will say very effective -- if you like to buy clothes a lot.  Reliability?  Don't make me laugh.  Caust (intentional spelling) of ownership?  Worst by far.  Unless you like to pay for your machine twice due transmission failure not much more than a year after purchase.  My hate knows no bounds.  The least they could have done was provide a lifetime supply (that would be a little over a year's worth) of earplugs with the purchase.

 

 
 
"The least they could have done was provide a lifetime supply (that would be a little over a year's worth) of earplugs with the purchase."

I'm assuming you never experienced a Frigidaire Rollermatic or 1-18 in person. I'll take a thundering Norge with solenoids a snappin over those any day.
 
I’ll take the woo woo sound of my ‘63 Whirlpool along with it’s unique wig wag sounds along with the solenoids engaging for the wash and spin and I can put up with that but will NOT put up with something newer that supposedly saves water and energy but yet will take forever and will use all of my energy up just having to watch over the machine to make sure it doesn’t destroy itself or anything around it.

Again I’ll rephrase what I said reply #2, not every single newer machine is terrible but since Speed Queen has the first spin on the lower speed it doesn’t spin out enough of the soapy water and detergent which will result in poor rinsing performance. Since machines don’t wash or rinse like they used to, might as well say a good majority of machines aren’t what they used to be.
 
mark_wpduet

The bearings are shot. Considering replacing the bearings and donating to my brother when he moves out. Will not be a bad first machine. Especially a free one, at that.
 
For me the worst washing machine is the Indesit Moon and the newer Hoovers and Candys as the brushed ones have a whiny motor that is noisy as hell and the paddles are pretty much non existant. They don't heat up properly, they only heat to 55*C which is pretty shocking and horrific for what is meant to be a boilwash. The paddles on the newer Hoovers and Candys are so weak they can't grab the garments very well and the laundry is pretty much floating in the drum
 

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