Motoring forum Pistonheads isn’t just a hotbed of automotive experts as we’ve seen before on Forever Better. Their knowledge also runs to domestic appliances too and this is demonstrated in the latest discussion started by Dibble in his quest for a new washing machine.

His Zanussi has “given up the ghost” so would like suggestions for a replacement. While he initially baulks at the expense of Miele after recommendations from Fume Troll, randlemarcus and plotless, it’s Red Firecracker’s description of them as “…Built like a tank and I don’t expect to replace it.” which changes his mind. Defblade too chips in with “Miele. It will never break, and when it does, they keep parts even for discontinued models for years and years. Beats hell out of a cheapie breaking every 2-3 years…”.

Tonker also explains that he “…sold the 7 year old Miele dishwasher from the old kitchen on Fleabay - they gave me just under £200 for it. People want Miele stuff. It’s worth the money in my book…” So this got us thinking, have you sold on your old Miele for good money? Let us know your story.

Over at the UK Parents Lounge Forum, Scrummy mummy has something of an urgent request. Her Hotpoint tumble dryer has just short-circuited the entire house and as a busy mum with lots of laundry needs a reliable machine that won’t let her down. Her quandary is whether to “go for a Miele” or “can someone recommend me a reliable make with a large large drum which will last more than 2 years?”

Crank Parent immediately recommends Miele as “you can get a free 5 year labour and parts warranty on lots of models just now and they have a life expectancy of twenty years.” as does plopcar and traciej who’s mother-in-law’s machine “…lasted over 20 years with excessive usage!”

While scrummy mummy is sold on Miele’s reputation for longevity, the question has arisen whether the extending the standard two-year warranty is worth the extra outlay? The unanimous decision being that for a further £60 an further five-years peace-of-mind is definitely worth it.

To read the rest of the discussion, pop over to the forum and if you’ve got something to share get involved.

Looking back at the subjects we cover most often at Forever Better, washing machines are the second most common household appliance after vacuum cleaners on which people seek recommendations before buying.

While not necessarily the most expensive whitegoods item, the time and cost of removing an old machine and plumbing in a new one, especially if it’s to be fitted under a work surface, means that the wrong decision can lead to a lot of inconvenience not to mention a mountain of unwashed laundry.

Which is why Countrymouse69 has once again turned to fellow members of the Weight Watchers community for their suggestions for the best washing machine and the responses are as varied as the owners themselves. AEG, Bosch, Dyson, Miele and Zanussi all have their advocates, covering such areas as durability, reliability and load capacity, the consensus being though to avoid cheaper brands as these are often a false economy.

If you’re particularly fond of your machine or have had a bad experience with a lesser brand why not drop by the Weight Watchers Forum and share your experiences.

Getting a foot on the property ladder has never been more difficult, so you can imagine Claire484’s delight when she finally bought her first home. Now she’s looking for a washing machine and fridge freezer and is finding it hard to make a decision over the best ones for her.

So she’s turned to her fellow Money Saving Expert’s for advice and Miele once again come out as the preferred choice. Kay41 bought a Miele washing machine to replace her old Zanussi as “…they are built to last (15-20 years)” and is “…chuffed to bits with it”.

Likewise Snapelover has just ordered a new Miele machine and is taking delivery tomorrow. After contacting Miele and “being advised to go for the W3922WPS” she compared it against a Bosch and decided that Miele’s reputation for longevity and ten-year guarantees against Bosch’s two-year warranty was a no-brainer. Such is her excitement she concludes with “…Got lots of washing waiting and longing for Friday to come!!!”

The dilemma of the best fridge freezer for Claire484 remains unresolved however so if you’ve got a recommendation for her, why not drop by the forum and share your thoughts.

Members of the financial and money-matters emporium Fool.co.uk know a great deal when it comes to all things fiscal and value for money, so any recommendations for whitegoods are bound to be worth taking notice of.

None more so than this thread from AwoodbMaven who’s looking for a new washing machine and wants pointers as to which brands to go for and which deals are available. Both Bosch and Miele receive the lion’s share of the recommendations, but it’s Miele that really gets the thumbs-up, with elaine27 describing hers thus: “Washes beautifully, tons of programmes and reasonably quiet.”, RedSturgeon: “…Built like a tank outlasted my first marriage…she took it with her…” and drusse13: “having spoken to their sales and technical service they all seemed to know their stuff”.

The remaining testimonials are as equally lofty in their praise, so hop over to the Fool and see for yourself.

A new Miele review has popped up at Review Centre, this time from member Moira Hollamby who’s decided to rate her Miele W1512 washing machine. It’s a very positive testimonial in which Moira says she would “recommend this machine to anyone!”

Moira thinks that the Miele W1512’s good points include “everything”, especially the fact that it’s “a well made machine”, the only negative thing she can think of is it’s “very heavy if you need to move it”. She goes on to say that though “it may seem expensive”, it’s well worth the money as it’s “a machine that is built to last”. Moira knows what she’s talking about too, as she declares she’s had “nearly every make of washing machine” and none of them made it past eighteen months of usage, plus the W1512 “washes cleaner than any machine I have ever owned”.

As well as being very happy with her Miele W1512, Moira also thought Customer Service “was brilliant too”, receiving an extra 5 years of warranty free after registering her guarantee. You can read the full review here.

Over at the hifi and sound system forum Talk Audio, John Dorian is interested in buying a new vacuum and wants to know whether Dyson are really the last word in bagless cleaners.

While several Dyson owners are happy with their machines, the concensus from Talk Audio members is that Dyson are “very flimsy and plasticy” and “the build quality doesn’t seem up to much” especially since moving their manufacturing to the Far East. The Rug Doctor who describes himself as “…in the dust business sort of” uses both a Henry and Karcher in his business, but has a Miele at home describes Dysons as “…crap for rugs/carpets so I have never owned one”.

Even Dyson owner R-P admits that the noise levels of a Miele are “about 20dB less loud than a Dyson” and “the emptying of the cylinder is messy”, but “…we (unconsiously) leave it in the room when we get visitors, something you won’t do with a Miele…”

If you’ve got any suggestions for John on the best bagless cleaner or have a Dyson story to share hop over to the forum and have your say.

We’ve posted two previous reviews of the Miele WT2670 Washer Dryer from the Review Centre on Forever Better and can now bring you a third courtesy of eosman who’s contributed the most detailed write-up to date.

Awarding the WT2670 full marks for ease of use and durability, 9/10 for Service and Overall Value and 8/10 for Style, eosman - who’s only had the machine for a few days - has been sufficiently impressed by its ease of use and versatility, coping “…very well with 3 months unwashed clothing and more within the last 5 days since we received it…” and build quality to express his thoughts so early on. His only concern so far is that “…clothes also tend not to dry completely at times…”, but does admit that it “…may mean a wrong programme was in use, or the drum is overloaded.”

To read eosman’s review in full, pop over to the Review Centre and if you’ve something to add leave a comment.

Over at wedding planning forum Hitched, Steph73 has experienced the death of her washing machine so is looking for recommendations for a new one that will “withstand daily usage”.

MrsB advocates a Miele, stating “Even the most basic Miele is built to last”, comparing them to how washing machines used to be “before manufacturers made them almost ‘disposable’”. She also mentions that she works for an insurance company that deals with whitegoods claims and “Miele were by far the most reliable”, especially with their long guarantees. Hers has lasted 4 years of almost daily use and “it’s fantastic”. Though Steph73 later reports that her husband has fixed the old machine, more votes for Miele come in from Rach123 and pink alien, who has a 23 year old machine that’s “still going strong”. She also says that when the time comes to replace it “we will only buy a Miele!!”

Head over to read the full thread and if you’ve anything to add let the Hitched members know.

After his old vacuum drew its final breath and sucked up its last strand of pet hair, Jon Frost at Overclockers UK is looking to buy a new cleaner. Although he’s got his eye on a Dyson he’s also asked for suggestions for something that is “robust” and “liable not to break”.

While Bissells, Electroluxs and Panasonics all receive their share of recommendations, along with vehement support for Henry’s, Miele vacuums are suggested immediately as the one to go for with Wiggins and [FnG]magnolia both recommending them ahead of Jon’s preferred choice even though they’re bagged cleaners.

The bagged vs bagless debate - a topic we also cover frequently on Forever Better - then continues as Overclockers members share their thoughts on the subject. If you’ve got a preference for one over the other and can help Jon out, hop over to the forum and have your say.