Sorry if this is in the wrong place, obviously we don't have a laundry section and I figured it didn't quite fin in the kitchen section.
Has anyone done research recently into washing machines?
We have a Front Loader Electrolux 6.5kg. Now I've been pretty happy with it, sure could always use a bit more room to do a larger load, but the 54 min fast cycle works well and it's easy to get two or three loads done a day. The longer cycle is more like a couple of hours.
Anyway due to about 3 or 4 moves in the last five years we've had it it's become very temperamental now. It won't beep when it's finished but if it gets shaken up during the spin cycle sometimes it will beep an error, and of course sometimes it is slow to show the led numbers on the little screen. So yeah the day will come where it will take more than a kick to get it going again!
I figured being in a small town it probably won't be viable to repair, I'd pull it apart myself but I don't see any screws either! It could be as simple as a loose wire!
Anyway what is the go in washing machines these days? Is it worth going for one of those $900 ones over the models that are half the price? I'm thinking that I'll stick to whatever is the most water efficient for starters since we're rural and water saving counts big time. Our current one has a 3 star energy rating, but I think that's before WELS came in. I'm also wondering if a good water rating means higher energy use?
If you have a newish one then what have you got? What do you think of it? How noisy is it? I must admit I never realized how quiet the Electrolux really is until I heard someone elses Wirlpool spinning away - it had a much louder whine to the engine. Of course that's something you don't find out till you get home! And partly why I had been wondering why people find it an issue when the laundry is located next to the bedrooms!
I think I saw a Fisher & Pykel in a catalogue for $969 (819 after rebate), it's a front loader 4.5 star Wells rating 69L/washand 8kg capacity. It seems like a good thing and it has a knob instead of electronic buttons, but still has an led display.
So what do you guys think, what do you like and why? Any brand preference.
And yes I'm a research nut when it comes to buying something (maybe cos I'm a Libra?) anyway no doubt when I get a shortlist I'll be comparing all the specs I can find!!! Sad isn't it! My husband even gets me to research car related stuff for him! Anyone got a job going for a research assistant?