I need a new washing machine...looking at 2, want opinions.

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My extremely old washing machine that I bought second hand who knows how many years ago has failed in a spectacular way. During the spin cycle, it started clunking very loudly, so I rushed in to turn it off. A smell of excessively hot something and a few wisps of smoke. It's dead, Jim.

So I need a new one. A reliable machine that washes clothes. That's it.

I have hardly any clue, but a quick look around shows LG widely recommended and so I'm considering LG FH4U2VCN2. They have such convenient names. Anyway, that's £400 plus delivery plus installation plus taking away the old one, so £465. There is a free delivery option, but I'd rather pay £20 for a 4 hour window than nothing for a 12 hour window from 0700 to 1900.

https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/house...2vcn2-washing-machine-white-10139011-pdt.html

Well that's fine, but it's quite a bit of money and it's remote controlled, wi-fi enabled blah de blah and therefore insecure. I don't want that.


I read that Beko is OK at the cheaper end, so I had a look around and I'm considering WTG921B2W_WH. An even more convenient name. That's £200, free installatiion, £15 take away charge and an unspecified amount for buying delivery for morning or afternoon rather than "some time between 0700 and 1900". So probably about £240 rather than £465 and it's free from Internet of Things stupidity.

https://ao.com/product/wtg921b2w-beko-washing-machine-white-48538-1.aspx

Is the LG really worth double the price and the constant lack of security caused by IoT stupidity? It's a washing machine - you have to be physically present to put the clothes in and take them out.

Or is there something better I've missed due to know almost nothing about washing machines?
 
I'm pretty clueless, but in my research for a tumble dryer and dishwasher a couple of years ago the brands that stood out most at the midrange were Bosch and Siemens.

As for washing machines... we've had a <£200 Beko for 5 years and it's still doing the business :p
 
We had a burnout of a second hand machine, a quick look and went for a Bosch. IIRC 9kg load.

Washes geat, no stupid WiFi etc just capacity and eco mode does a good job. About the only futuristic thing it does is have a delay start program.

Decent energy saving and water saving but also extremely quiet.
 
I can't see anything that says that LG is internet-connected. It has Bluetooth for downloading new wash cycles (for some reason).
 
As above, I'd go for the most cost effective that has the longest warranty.
Have you checked Ikea offerings? Typically Bosch or whirlpool wiht Ikea slapped on them from what Im aware of
 
Shame you didn’t ask this question yesterday as I’ve just got I believe the LG washer but in grey from currys for £325 when the eBay 20% off code was floating around last night. Purchased it for our new build so I can’t give feeeback until end of Jan. however it does come with a 5 year warranty and a 10 year motor warranty same as Samsung. I don’t think you can go wrong with either brand really.
 
Bosch/Siemens/Nef are the same company by the way. 9in much the same way that VW/Audi/Skoda/SEAT cars are all the same)
I recently bought a Bosch @£600 (had to pay about a £150 premium because we have bloody integrated appliances)

Ours is silent and seems fine to me.
 
We've had a 9kg beko for a while now, no issues at all and have a matching beko tumble drier too... For the money they're great, when these go pop I'll likely by the sane again.
Mums have been going for years.
 
The LG would be my choice. @OldCoals will be along sooner or later to confirm this. Beko = if their fridge freezers are anything to go by I'd steer clear.
 
I was in the same situation about 2 years ago and i ended up with a £200 Beko, i couldn't see the others being over twice as well made or lasting over twice as long.

I only ever use 2 or 3 programs and set the timer so it comes on while we're at work ready to put in the tumble dryer when we get home so anything more is a waste for me personally so as long as it could handle 8kg i was happy.
 
If its clunking it sounds like the bearing. If its a metallic clicking type of noise it'll be the bushes. Both a few quid to fix and an hour of your time.

First things first I'd be whipping the back of to find the fault, then go from there.

Older washing machines are very simple to diagnose and repair. Just depends if you have a cba mindset or not :P
 
We have an LG which has a direct drive, so no belts etc that can snap and go wrong. Lasted us 5 years so far.

This looks about the same as the one your looking at and comes recommended
 
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So...I tried to order a Beko from AO last night. They wanted £60 to deliver some time between 07:00 and 12:00 on Sunday. That's one hell of a delivery charge for an extremely inconvenient delivery window, but I went for it anyway...and the purchase failed. I whitelisted the 24 sites ao.com runs scripts from, but clicking on the purchase button after entering my card details tried to run scripts from at least 3 more websites and that failed. So I'll have to phone them on the supplied number and see if I can get to speak to a person who can do something. It might happen.

Anyway...what is the depth measurement of a washing machine actually measuring? Is it the physical depth of the machine or the clearance required? I'm asking because I have a small, narrow kitchen with the plumbing for a washing machine at a choke point. A washing machine more than a little deeper than my old one would be a problem. I measured the old one directly along the side, front to back and got 49.5cm from front panel to rear panel. However, I also looked at the manual for it and the depth is stated to be 55cm. So I'm thinking that it might be 55cm required clearance from the wall to the front of the washing machine due to the water connection at the back. Does anyone know for sure? The 9Kg Beko I was looking at is 60cm deep, so that's no go but there's an 8Kg model that's 54cm deep so I'm fairly sure that would fit. Well, actually there are two 8Kg models with almost identical codenames and identical stated specs, but they look different and of course there's no way of getting a proper comparison (Beko's website is just meaningless marketing blathering) or real reviews. The "reviews" available are a few lines allegedly from people who've bought them and which have been approved by the companies selling them and, unsurprisingly, the "reviews" say very little and often contradict each other (e.g. in two adjacent "reviews" of the 8Kg Beko I was looking at on ao, one reviewed described it as very quiet and the other was very noisy). What I want, of course, is a standardised testing procedure with a decibel meter. Objective information that's useful so I can make an informed decision. I know that's unfashionable nowadays, but I think it's a good idea.

If its clunking it sounds like the bearing. If its a metallic clicking type of noise it'll be the bushes. Both a few quid to fix and an hour of your time.

First things first I'd be whipping the back of to find the fault, then go from there.

Older washing machines are very simple to diagnose and repair. Just depends if you have a cba mindset or not :p

It's an Indesit that's at least 15 years old. I'ved used it so much that the brushes on the motor wore down and I replaced them a couple of years ago. I found that a huge pain in the backside because I had to manhandle the washing machine in a very limited space to get it upside-down to get at the motor...which is a bad idea with a washing machine anyway as they're not meant to be upside down. Also, I am ill. Called in sick today for the first time in about 10 years. So no, I'm not going to wrestle with the machine in a tight space in the hope that I might be able to get it working again for some amount of time. I wouldn't trust my own repairs, especially on a washing machine since they can easily set your house on fire when they fail.
 
If its clunking it sounds like the bearing. If its a metallic clicking type of noise it'll be the bushes. Both a few quid to fix and an hour of your time.
An hour to change bearings you must be an expert - I dsimantled a 15 year old Asko(Nordic) top loader to try and do this, but failed, some drums are sealed too etc etc.
(62072RS Genuine SKF Bearing, 35mmX72mmX17mm Sealed Metric Ball Bearing )

i couldn't see the others being over twice as well made or lasting over twice as long.
you can consider too, how gently it washes your clothes - the value of the clothes you put through the machine usually dwarfes the machine cost, and if they have their life time cut short, that justifies a machine with a better engineered drum (holes, rough edges, motion, ....)

Although my last one is a Siemens, I would consider Gorenge for next one since I understand they bought Asko.
 
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