Worst appliance purchase?

[VFR]

If you have the room (ie: a utility room) then a top loading washing machine is the way to go, easy to load, very flexible in use, bearings where the should be for long life.

Like this ............. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/184378170354?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

[Malc]

not seen a top loader washing machine since my first marriage days in 1971 with the Hoover Twin Tub . it worked fine till the front loader came along ............

[Phil xxkr]

On 3/30/2021 at 6:41 PM, LenT said:

I think I see something of a trend here.

We too have a Bosch - a dishwasher.  It had an attractive selection of wash programs printed on the top of the door edge.  Above it was a handy sticker describing those programs.  Well, that was the first to peel off.

I contacted Bosch in MK, supplying photos, and they eventually sourced a replacement sticker from Germany.  Naturally that didn’t last much longer than the original.  But by then another problem had surfaced.

The printed programs on the top edge, which related to the touch sensitive buttons under the metal, were also fast disappearing.  So apart from already knowing where the On, Rinse and Start buttons were, the other 11 program buttons had become a kind of lucky dip.

So back to Bosch who, after more pictures, offered to send an engineer round with a replacement door frame, FOC.

Engineer duly arrived and left having fitted new frame, resplendent with fresh, printed programs.  Unfortunately he’d left his mark in other ways.  The combination of his work boots and heavy metal tool box had left a lattice work of scratches on our polished laminate oak floor.

So back to Bosch.  They immediately sent someone round to assess the damage - which turned out to be the same engineer who’d caused it.  But credit to him, he accepted liability and Bosch then contacted me to arrange repair.  

Four months later, after several companies had turned down the challenge, a French Polisher (not a Polisher who was French, you  understand) sourced by me, turned up and removed the scratches.

To prevent the problem recurring I fashioned some strips out of screen protectors and stuck them over the printed lettering.  Now, six years on, some of the lettering is showing signs of giving up again.

I should add that throughout this saga, everyone at Bosch was helpful and concerned.  But really, how hard can it be to devise a method of marking  stainless steel that steam won’t remove?  Or to train engineers to wear soft overshoes and put their tool boxes on protective mats - as other visiting tradesfolk usually did.

 

Great line that, "How hard can it be"? Should be the title of the topic 😊

[VFR]

1 hour ago, Malc said:

not seen a top loader washing machine since my first marriage days in 1971 with the Hoover Twin Tub . it worked fine till the front loader came along ............

In many parts of Asia / Aus etc these are what sell the most (like the link I gave)

[Malc]

and harking back a little .  a couple of years ago, just pre-covid, I was holidaying in Sri Lanka and seeing, selling  brand new from the high street shops, treddle non-electric sewing machines by Singer, were certainly available too

Malc

[KentColin]

My worst purchase was definitely a Ferroli combi central heating boiler we had in our last house,it was terrible. It's speciality was when the hot tap was turned on it would trip out the heating. We replaced it with a Vaillant.

[Malc]

1 hour ago, KentColin said:

We replaced it with a Vaillant.

we replaced our not so old gas boiler too a while back with a Vaillant .....  touch wood, so far so good ..  just had it's annual service etc and the guy who installed it recommended it to us, as the one in his house had been there 15 years or so with zero issues  

I am of course expecting superb longevity, just like my Ls400 

Malc

[KentColin]

Vaillant are the Lexus of the boiler world but they are German so not quite as reliable as Japanese! 

[Sherra]

2 hours ago, KentColin said:

Vaillant are the Lexus of the boiler world but they are German so not quite as reliable as Japanese! 

As a retired time served (43yrs) gas engineer and last 10 yrs of work a Technical Trainer I second the idea that Vaillant are Lexus equivalent of the boiler world, however Vaillant (German) and Glow Worm (British) merged some years back and many are made in their Belper factory.

[rayaans]

Havent had any major issues with appliances

I tend to go for Bosch/AEG and theyve been running for over 10 years. The AEG freezer died out of warranty after 3 years and they replaced it for £200, less than half of original cost

[Thackeray]

20 hours ago, Sherra said:

As a retired time served (43yrs) gas engineer and last 10 yrs of work a Technical Trainer I second the idea that Vaillant are Lexus equivalent of the boiler world, however Vaillant (German) and Glow Worm (British) merged some years back and many are made in their Belper factory.

Vaillant has been the boiler of choice for many, many years and still recommended by older gas engineers I know after a lifetime of reliability. But I've noticed the younger engineers, while acknowledging the strengths of Vaillant suggest they're fading and being challenged by a similarly large German company Viessmann. They say, for example, the stainless steel heat exchangers used by Viessmann are more durable than the aluminium used on some Vaillants. They also say some Vaillants are rebadged Gloworms.

What do you think, Paul. Is Viessmann the up and coming boiler to choose nowadays?

[Thackeray]

On 11/21/2021 at 8:52 PM, VFR said:

a top loading washing machine is the way to go, easy to load, very flexible in use, bearings where the should be for long life.

I remember a radio programme many years ago which was discussing the difference between American and European kitchens. One speaker said a European kitchen was the one where you couldn't find the appliances. Less true today than it was then, I imagine, as more American kitchens have appliances hidden behind cupboard doors!

But every home washing machine I've seen in America has been a top loader. And the speaker on this programme said the problem with top loaders (at that time, anyway - I can't say that I make much effort to keep up with toploader news) was that the clothes on the outside of the drum get all the action but the ones in the middle of the drum near the impeller rotating back and forth just wobble about a bit and don't get properly clean.

By contrast, a front loading machine gives equal cleaning action to all the clothes because every item is spun to the top of the drum and then dropped forcibly onto the bottom of the drum, like an Indian riverside outdoor laundry service with employees smashing the clothes down on the rocks as the river flows over the garments.

[VFR]

Those days are long gone as the machines with impellers are only sold in the state, these modern top loaders move all of the items around and from top to bottom that you can watch while it is going on should you wish with the lid open, you can also simply add another item in at any time as well.

you also have none of the hygiene issues that effect front loaders. 

[Malc]

17 hours ago, Thackeray said:

like an Indian riverside outdoor laundry service with employees smashing the clothes down on the rocks as the river flows over the garments.

with no local unskilled labour shortages and COP26 in mind isn't it time to just ditch the washing machine .....  all that wasted electricity, energy and mining stuff to make 'em ..... let alone the manufacturing process, delivery issues, lack of HGV drivers etc to bring them to and from factories and warehouses ....

WEAR LESS clothes I say ..  c'mon Greta, show your mettle ..  BAN the washing machine ............  it's anti-social too ...  oh for the conviviality of chatting around the scrubbing board .......... maybe over a cuppa eh !

DISCUSS ?

Malc

[Sherra]

On 11/27/2021 at 3:03 PM, Thackeray said:

Vaillant has been the boiler of choice for many, many years and still recommended by older gas engineers I know after a lifetime of reliability. But I've noticed the younger engineers, while acknowledging the strengths of Vaillant suggest they're fading and being challenged by a similarly large German company Viessmann. They say, for example, the stainless steel heat exchangers used by Viessmann are more durable than the aluminium used on some Vaillants. They also say some Vaillants are rebadged Gloworms.

What do you think, Paul. Is Viessmann the up and coming boiler to choose nowadays?

Having been retired since 2010 I have no direct knowledge of Viessmann but have heard good reports. I recently replaced my stainless  Glow Worm with a Vaillant also with stainless heat exchanger. I remember well the trouble alloy heat exchangers had.

[Phil xxkr]

2 hours ago, Sherra said:

Having been retired since 2010 I have no direct knowledge of Viessmann but have heard good reports. I recently replaced my stainless  Glow Worm with a Vaillant also with stainless heat exchanger. I remember well the trouble alloy heat exchangers had.

I had a Viesmann installed 2 years ago and so far so good. Made the decision after reading up a lot. One thing I did discover was every engineer I spoke had a different view of what's best so no help there. Another thing I liked is they employ their own service engineers so no "who sold you this then" comments 😊

[Michalincroove]

My advice is to buy your next boiler from a local dealer. That way, you are not going to have to pay for delivery, and you can get someone to install the appliance for you. brokers such as Smart Home Boilers Based in London, this is one of the largest online retailers for boilers and heating products. They have a wide variety of boilers available to meet your needs. 

[RONNIE W HODGEKINSON]

On 3/27/2021 at 8:31 AM, First_Lexus said:

Doing some housework this morning and, as usual, frustrated by the Miele vacuum cleaner I bought a few years ago. The reviews - including from Which magazine - were excellent, so I spent more than I would normally to buy a ‘great’ product. A few years later, I still find it incredibly badly designed, expensive, cumbersome to use, and with poor pick up. It was a dreadful buy, and easily the worst purchase I’ve made in recent years. 

Not a purchase as such, but I moved into my current house a few years ago. The kitchen has integrated NEFF appliances. Quality, right? WRONG! They’ve been dreadful, and I’m currently replacing them as they go wrong...one of the repair men told me that in the trade they’re known as NEEDS EVERYTHING FIXED FREQUENTLY 😆

So, what are your worst purchases, or the ones you regret most? And do you ‘get what you pay for’ with such things any more, or are you wiser to buy cheap but more often?

 
 

 

For Me.. It must be The Samsung upright Hoover we bought a Few years ago.. Looked great.. But was so Heavy It was like pushing a tractor And there customer service was Diabolical  The worst i have EVER come across..

[Illogan]

On 3/27/2021 at 10:54 AM, royoftherovers said:

They do on a Miele old friend.

We bought our Miele Washer/dryer in 2010, we have since completed 2,021 wash cycles on it, and it hasn't missed a beat!  Everything about it still works perfectly.  Stunning result.

[Las Palmas]

  

Bosch with all bells and automatic delay start a lot of possibilities to program for different types of soap; dishwasher 2½ year old. Almost all the plastic covering on the metal gone.

Had a Miele where we lived before but did not bring it. Should have. It was 7 years old and still looked and functioned like new.

Maybe Bosch has cheap models too; this is not one of them. All made in China now, but do not blame China, but Bosch.

Also have a Nilfisk vacuum cleaner made in China and that is first class. Bosch buy cheap stuff in China and sell expensive.

[royoftherovers]

2 hours ago, RONNIE W HODGEKINSON said:

For Me.. It must be The Samsung upright Hoover we bought a Few years ago.. Looked great.. But was so Heavy It was like pushing a tractor And there customer service was Diabolical  The worst i have EVER come across..

I`ve never pushed a Tractor Ronnie.

[Malc1]

3 hours ago, Las Palmas said:

Had a Miele

my late in-laws in Germany had a Miele washing machine that was at least 20 years old at the time .  probably outlasted them .........    hahahahahaha.  outlasted my marriage to my German wife too I'm sure  .........🤣

Malc

[RONNIE W HODGEKINSON]

20 hours ago, royoftherovers said:

I`ve never pushed a Tractor Ronnie.

Actually John  A Tractor Would have been Much Easier to Push..lol

[Bluemarlin]

On 11/28/2021 at 9:09 AM, Malc said:

WEAR LESS clothes I say ..  c'mon Greta, show your mettle ..  BAN the washing machine ............  it's anti-social too ...  oh for the conviviality of chatting around the scrubbing board .......... maybe over a cuppa eh !

DISCUSS ?

Malc

Buy more clothes, I say Malc.

I used to put a wash on once a week, based on when I run out of clean socks and boxers. So, I just bought more socks and boxers, and now the machine goes on once a fortnight 🙂

[Bluemarlin]

Worst appliance I bought was a vegetable drainer, but it took 24 days to drain the vegetables...

...it was an advent colander.