Miele engineer knows his noises

Stuart_Wright at AVForums had one of those sinking moments recently when his Miele condenser dryer started making unpleasant scraping noises. Thinking that the bearings were gone he was going to cut his losses (as a local shop had quoted quite a lot to fix it) and replace it. Before he did though he called Miele for some advice – and it was lucky he did…

Speaking to an engineer Stuart found himself kneeling before the dryer,

“The engineer on the phone listened to the sound while I hand turned the drum.
‘I know what it is!’ he said.
‘Have a look at the back - it’s a bra wire.’
And sure enough a white bra wire was wedged in the back grill. I got some pliers and yanked it out [and] the dryer is fine. The engineer had 25 years experience, and it showed.”

Stuart’s no longer looking at the cost of a new dryer… though his wife may have to fork out for some new underwear.

Brief encounters - Miele S5210 vacuum cleaner review

There’s been a trend in recent years which means many vacuum cleaners are designed to be a triumph of style over substance and this is reflected in this latest review for the Miele S5210 vacuum over at the Review Centre.

The anonymous ‘Guest’ reviewer thinks so too in their choice of the S5210 which they describe as “unassuming”. While not designed to make you “think funky thoughts about space ships or fwuffy kittens or something, its look just says ‘I’m going to pick the dust and dirt off your floor quickly and easily for the next 20 years’” which is something owners say frequently about Miele appliances.

Awarding the S5210 10/10 across the board and a 9/10 for style, the reviewer writes it “oozes quality…the hoses clip together positively, the accessories are all tightly engineered heavyweight plastics, and even the cable feels stronger and more flexible than most peers”. They think this build quality comes at a price though as they comment that “it weighs a fraction more than some others and well, it’s not what you’d call cheap”.

To read their thoughts in their entirety pop over to the Review Centre and if you find it useful, why not leave a comment.

Brief encounters - Miele Hepa 5280 vacuum cleaner review

“This is undoubtedly the best vacuum cleaner I have ever owned” opens Azana in her review of the Miele Hepa 5280 over on Dooyoo.

Having owned several other brands in the past and most recently a Dyson, she took the now well-travelled path of reading online reviews including Which? before making her purchase and she’s not been disappointed during the first six months of use: “Easy to manouvere, quiet and quite simply does the job beautifully” is how she describes ownership, highlighting the Hepa’s ‘quiet’ setting as ideal for vacuuming without waking the rest of the house.

With the three attachments housed in the body of the machine and a generous ten metre power cord, the 5280 “glides beautifully” her only “slight criticism” being “the bag change indicator is rather erratic”. Despite this little niggle she calls it “a pleasure to vacuum with this machine, as much as such a menial everyday task can be, anyway” and “really does live up to the hype”.

Concluding her testimonial by thinking of the day she ultimately has to replace the 5280 she comments that it will “definately be another Miele”. Pop over to Dooyoo and read her review in full.

Brief encounters - Miele T294C tumble dryer review

It’s not often we get a tumble dryer review on Forever Better. Perhaps it’s because it’s the unsung hero in the laundry room with the washer grabbing all the glory and more than its fair share of write-ups.

So with this review of the Miele T294C over at the Review Centre, it’s time for the humble tumble dryer to get five minutes in the limelight and what a better way to start than with a swathe of top marks from the Guest reviewer who’s awarded the T294C 10/10 for ease of use, durability, service and value.

‘Efficient’, ‘economical’, ‘quiet’ and ‘fast’ is how this owner describes using the dryer whose large family means it gets continuous usage and after “having cheaper brands that packed up every couple of months” the T294C is a “sheer delight”. Unable to fault with the dryer they point out the “the next model up gives time remaining but do you really sit and watch it decrease?…[the] buzzer is fine so you can get on with the next load!”

So the T294C gets this reviewer’s whole-hearted ‘thumbs-up’. Jump across to read their review in full and if you find it useful, why not rate it.

“What does a £1000 Miele washing machine do that makes it so good?”

Over at Pistonheads, Wattsie_2004 is urgently looking for a new washer and has short-listed Bosch, Hoover, Hotpoint, Indesit and Zanussi as potential candidates. Even with this selection he’s still not convinced and wants recommendations for others as long as they’re “reliable”.

“Top notch gear” is bomb’s description accompanying his Miele recommendation, while Alfa_75_Steve recommends the entire Miele product range: “Dishwasher: Miele, Washing Machine: Miele, Tumble Dryer: Miele, Vacuum Cleaner: Miele, Oven: Miele, Hob: Miele”. Although Andrew[MG] asks “What does a £1000 Miele washing machine do that makes it so good?”, both Alfa_75_Steve and Neil_H list the benefits of Miele ownership: “Efficient on water use, Very energy efficient, A program to look after any kind of fabric you can imagine, Deathly quiet, Will last you a lifetime.”

All of which leads to the question of the false economy of buying a cheaper brand which will have to be replaced sooner rather than later or spending the extra on a Miele and seeing it last twenty years. As usual this provokes a lively debate so jump across and get involved.