Zanussi Nexus Washing Machines

[servisslimline]

hi there, just been having a look throgh ebay as i usually do and i keep spotting these zanussi nexus washers every now and then, id love to have a set in almond but i want to know how good they are and if its really worth getting a set later on

 

[aegokocarat]

hay Phil! you know i dont like the newer zanussi's but i like the older ones and this one is actually in my like list and they are gr8 machines! they work on a simular wash system as my skinny zanussi washing machine. sadly my skinny zanussi dosentr ave its origional plug but the origional plug is clipped to the back of it so i will always have it! the almond nexus machinres are super rare! you should go for it!
Tom =]

 

[hoover1100]

Well...

They aren't a patch on eariler (pre-1991) machines, but they are pretty good and I guess in a few years they will be almost old enough to be considered 'vintage'! (How time flies!)

They are notorious for becoming horrendously unbalanced and shaking/jumping/walking all over the place, and often seem to suffer from interlock issues, but overall I guess they were pretty well made by the standards of some modern machines.

I must admit, the white ones are fairly common but almond seem few and far between, the colour was rather out of fashion by the time these machines were sold though!

Matt

 

[servisslimline]

nexus

are they better than my current zanussi, the fla1002w?

 

[aegokocarat]

way better! well, water level wise

 

[hoover1100]

hmmm...

I'd personally say no.

I think the later machines are a lot more refined and a lot of the problems with the earlier machines had been ironed out.

They seem a bit more stable on spin too.

Other than that mechanically I don't think they're that different.

Matt

 

[haxisfan]

Memory lane with Nexus!

Hey... I never knew that Zanussi Nexus came in that colour! I had a white Nexus till 2004, my friend bought it in 1997 and we sold it on eBay in 2004.

Some1 suggested water levels... yeah... no problem when it comes to that! However, depending on the model it might be more or less suitable for a headache when it happens to deal with an unbalanced load on spin. Mine was horrid… not just for that… it was totally inflexible as to programme choice, however, it was fairly faithful and it was sold fully working.

It only developed a problem in the last year of ownership (approx 7 years of age), a small plastic dowel from the programmer designed to push a mechanism to move the water jet between the 3 departments in the detergent drawer had snapped, so it was no longer possible to prewash (not that I ever did with that washer) not to add fabric conditioner in advance. However this issue was solved simply by the insertion of a self tapping screw in place of the missing plastic pin.

Is what I see in your profile picture a Bendix washing machine? I had one of those... indestructible!

 

[servisslimline]

is that a bendix

yes its my 7128, what are the nexus's like with wash times and do they add softner early like on first rinse like my fla1002w?

 

[hoover1100]

wash times and softner

If your machine is adding softener before final rinse then there is a fault.

The wash times will be shorter, but the result of that is the wash results are probably not quite as good.

Matt

 

[haxisfan]

I might know the model number...

You can download the user's manual for that Nexus you're looking at, I'm not 100% sure what the model number is but you can find the manual for FL1084AL on Zanussi's site (link below) which is probably very similar or it's the very one.

That machine is a hot and cold fill model, virtually the same as my old Zanussi except for those lovely options that my model didn't have. The wash times would be quite flexible because you have the Economy feature which boosts your cycle choice. This also has an added cycle at the end of the synthetics section which lets you spin your items gently: in mine instead it stopped and I had to use the manual spin cycle. The softner should be taken on the last rinse provided that everything is in order.

The only thing you might find disappointing (on top of the other issues suggested above) would be the fact that you won't have the use of cold or cool cycles (30 degrees) as the only programme at 30 degrees is totally useless due to the extremely short duration of the main wash. The 40 degrees cycles are on the short side too but they seem fairly appropriate, especially for a load of dark garments.

Bye now.

http://www.zanussi.co.uk/en-gb/Support/Manuals

 

[optima]

Not exactly sure if it was the Nexus or the 70% sure Aqua Cycle machines that had the extra quick & clean dial on certain models. The Nexus & Aqua Cycle machines were a far more exiting range than the boring same old looking Electrolux Zanussi range of today.

 

[aquacycle]

We had a Jetsystem in this style from 1995 - 2006. 11 years and no repairs isn't bad at all by todays standards. Wash results were excellent, but as Matt said it did become very shakey in the end and the bearings went eventually. This was after 11 years of constant use for a family of 6, mind you. I still say that was the best washer my parents ever had

 

[newwave1]

I would rather have a zanussi nexus than the zanussi essential I have now! My friend had that same model in the pic the FL1084/al which was gorgeous in person. I've always loved that oldschool colour. It washed day in day out for a family of 4 and they replaced when it started to leak with a Hotpoint WMA in that metalic sort of shelly modern version of almond which was only around for the first range.

These zanussi's would spin regardless. However when my older zanussi with the solid drum paddles would spin majorly out of balance the machine wouldn't move. My later jetsystem from the range before the nexus range did tend to walk slightly.

Darren

 

[fl1012]

servisslimline....

As many people have mentioned, it will more than likely get the shakes during the spin - this trait seems to effect any Zanussi machine made from when they introduced the Nexus Tub (not to be confused with Nexus model name), which started with the light grey facia models like the FJ1033 etc around 1990/1 onwards.

Im not sure if the Nexus model being discussed has an out of balance sensor, but if it does then the machine doesn't take much notice of it, they still jump about a fair bit! The house we moved into in September has the Washer Dryer version of your current FLA1002W - this has a balance sensor, but the machine tends to spin regardless unless the OOB is major. It often ends up sat at an angle in the middle of the Utility Room, as did our Electrolux Premier washer of the same era a few years back. I wouldn't let this trait concern you though, as apart from the racket they make when out of balance, they don't seem to break as a result of it.

The water levels should be marginally higher than your FLA1002W, but from watching videos and seeing my Grans Tricity Bendix AW405 of the same era in action, they don't top up enough when needed, so some loads wash in alot less water than others. Our newer WDA1055W seems to go out of its way to top up - it's not uncommon for it to top up 4 or 5 times at start of the wash. I would imagine your FLA1002W is similarly sensitive on water levels?

Programming i cannot help with i'm afraid, but i suspect it'll take somewhere between the length of my 1988 FL1012 (Cottons 40 in 1 hour) and our WDA1055W (Cottons 40 in 1hr 45).

Personally if i were going for a Zanussi machine of this era i'd go for the more interesting FJ1295 or (minor facelifted) FL1296, as these have Jetsystem & therefore the lower water consumption is negated by the spraying of water from the Jetsystem. I don't think you'll find an Almond version of these though.

Liam.

 

[fl1012]

Quick N Clean

Optima mentioned the Quick N Clean models. These were available on the Nexus style machines and the later (slightly facelifted) Aquacycle machines.

The initial range roughly comprised of:

*Delta (using older cabinet with rectangular filter door like some Tricity Bendix machines)

*Nexus (800rpm & 1000rpm. Ive seen some with just one option button and others with 4 buttons)

*Quick N Clean (similar to Nexus but with soil level selector dial)

*Jetsystem (with Jetsystem now through a single spray spout rather than through the drum holes like in previous models. Also Pop-In, Pop-Out dials)

*Directa (digital push-button controls)

The photo below shows the Jetsystem FJ1295 from this range.

 

[fl1012]

Facelift....

The range underwent a facelift, during which time the Nexus (and i believe Delta) names were dropped. The coloured stripes across the option buttons were removed, the dials got slightly curved fronts instead of the flat finish shown in the above photo, and the cabinet edges were 'rounded off'. See the photo below of a Jetsystem Excel FJS1397W, of which the changes were more visually dramatic than on lower models.

The new range consisted of the following models:

*Aquacycle (new name for Nexus - ive only seen 4 button machines)

*Sensorcycle (a new 3 button machine with Automatic Half Load - fairly rare)

*Quick N Clean (as before but with the updated styling to fit the rest of the range)

*Jetsystem Excell (totally new facia with program info on curved panel at the top)

Im not sure if Directa models continued at this point. Maybe someone could clarify.

Liam

 

[fl1012]

FJ1296.....

This model appears to sit somewhere between the two ranges as it incorporates the curved dials & rounded off cabinet of later models, but keeps the stripes across the option buttons and the text styles used on older models, ie the font for Jetsystem (although very faded here) is the same as early Jetsystem & Nexus models, etc.

See photo below.

 

[fl1012]

Replacement....

After the facelifted models like the FJS1397W shown in my second photo, the range was completely revised, which was when the FLA1002W range of machines was introduced (around Year 2000), complete with Yellow power button.

Hope this helps,

Liam

 

[ultimafan]

Liam...

The successor to the Zanussi Directa was the Zanussi Input (not Input System) which had top spins of 1200 and 1500. They were the first models with XC styling, and remained until 2000 when the entire range got the XC styling. A dead ringer for this series is that it had the same dispenser drawer.