New washing machine advice

Like Fool.co.uk, Overclockers UK is another community full of worldly-wise heads whose recommendations among its members are given with the up-most consideration of the facts.

This has been demonstrated once again by the suggestions given to malc30 in his pursuit of a new washing machine. While the eminently quotable Which? is again touted as a good starting point, the recommendations for particular brands come in thick and fast: Bosch, Gorenje, Hotpoint, Whirlpool and Zanussi all have their advocates, but the debate ultimately revolves around the false economy of buying a cheaper machine.

Jez is the first to sing Miele’s praises citing his girlfriend’s parent’s twenty year-old Miele which according to them “has never had to even be looked at…thats with a family of 7, since new”, while Ninjabib describes Miele as “the Rolls Royce of the white goods industry. If you can stretch to one get one, think they all come with 10 yrs full guarantee as standard if i remember rightly”

This last point turns the conversation to the issue of guarantees and extended warranties, which as always, makes interesting reading. Jump over to the forum and have your say.

“Follow your Miele instinct!”

Dishwashers are the order of the day over at Fool.co.uk and more specifically PrincessBouncy whose old Hotpoint machine “has proven to be totally useless” so is “going to consign it to the dump and buy a proper unit”. With a budget of £500, she’s “leaning towards a Miele”, but would consider another brand if it came with personal recommendations.

Fellow fool ahini tells PrincessBouncy to “follow your Miele instinct” and as a Miele owner herself is “very happy with mine after 4 years. It does a really good job, quietly, and I love the tray for cutlery”. Aquarius59 is other Miele advocate who points out that while “they can be more expensive but last for absolutely ages and are considered to be more cost effective than cheaper brands over time. I have been delighted with mine.”

Both Bosch and Siemens aren’t without their fans and are recommended as cheaper alternatives to Miele although Diziet points out that while Bosch and Siemens are roughly the same standard “Miele is several notches up again!”

If you’ve got a suggestion for PrincessBouncy pop over to the Fool.co.uk message board and have your say.

Time to replace an old Bosch washing machine

Unbefitting their ‘fools’ moniker, members of Fool.co.uk are no mugs when it comes to parting with their hard-earned cash. That’s why when one of their number looks for a product recommendation, the suggestions will be carefully weighted and based on plenty of personal experience.

One such is ArchieTrave whose old Bosch Exccel has just about washed its last load. “Grateful for any thoughts”, he wants a reliable washer that’s “relatively simple to use”, has a “decent spin speed” and a “timer so we can set to wash in the early hours on Economy 7″.

Fool Gwynee recommends visiting all-round whitegoods expert Washerhelp.co.uk for his independent reviews and buying advice on a number of brands including Miele, while jfgw echoes the overall Miele sentiment of “good but expensive.”

Despite initial cost concerns, the subject of Miele’s reputation for reliability coupled with lengthy guarantees is highlighted for extra piece of mind. As RaspberryFool ultimately points out: “Whilst our Bosch has been fairly reliable, it has needed the engineer out 3 times in 6 years. Add the costs of those visits up and it would nearly pay for a new machine! We will certainly consider a Miele next time if it means 10 years of peace of mind.”

Jump across to Fool.co.uk to pick up on the rest of the conversation.

Which Miele tumble dryer? The toss of a coin decides

Over at Digital Spy, Delightful faces something of a dilemma.

Luckily for her though she’s faced with the choice of not one, but two Miele tumble dryers and is unsure of which one to go for. After “researching tumble dryers a while now” she’s narrowed it down to either a T8422C or the T7644C, but “just can’t decide between them”.

While she prefers the T8422C her other-half prefers the other as “it’s cheaper”, so she’s looking for some ammo to backup her decision. While redfrog comments that “these 2 models are, apparently, not very popular with DS users”, COSMO 911 defends Miele on the grounds that “DS users have a pound stretcher mentality and could never appreciate the quality of a Miele product”

Inspite of Whirlpool owner Chessie’s recommendation of “T8422C, definitely!!!!” and “I think Miele are one of the best, and have read excellent reviews on their items”, the decision rested on the toss of a coin. Luckily for Delightful, the best-of-three strategy worked and the T82422C it is.

Check out the discussion in full over at the forum.

Eleven years and time to say goodbye?

According to Cariad from UK Parents Lounge, it’s over. It seems her long-lasting love affair with her Zanussi washing machine is coming to an end as it’s making “a godawful noise on its final spin”. Here’s hoping it rusts in peace.

However, helpful as ever, the good denizens of said forum have already got involved keen to offer suggestions of what she should go for, should the inevitable happen. “At the risk of embarrassingly repeating myself as I always do on any washing machine threads – I would highly recommend a Miele” says Caroline J – while yorkshire lass offers some more Miele related comfort for Cariad. “My Zanussi lasted 9 years for a family of six, we got a Miele and that is just as good with how much use it gets.”

Lozenge does offer a word of warning suggesting that he has “a Miele but I think it is heavy on the clothes” and while plopcar gives Miele the thumbs-up he’s less than complimentary about a certain other brand.

Head on over to the forum and see for yourself.