Some people absolutely hate them (and some brands/models can be unreliable, they seem to be getting better with time maybe?), but if you know what you're getting, and are sure it'll suit you, it can be great.

We have a Samsung 10kg washer/6kg dryer, I really like it. The dryer does error in really warm weather (our laundry faces West), I think the thermostat decides the machine's too hot, and I have to go stop that annoying beeping by pressing start to resume the cycle. We probably should get it checked under extended warranty, but on the other hand, it doesn't happen that often and really I have no business using the dryer in hot weather. It serves me right.

The dryer in combos will be a condenser dryer. These I think are gentler on your clothes but can take hours. So for people who like to decide their jeans need washing 2 hours before they have to be somewhere, it might not be the best option. We have the old dryer in the garage still for these situations. But I've read reviews of people hating the combos because of the time they take - but you know, that's not the condenser dryer's fault. It's a condender dryer. You can probably read up on condenser dryers, I think they use less power but they do use water. You can't really stop a condenser dryer halfway through like you can a hot air dryer. They won't make your laundry humid though, that's a plus.

My model has something called 'air refresh' - sort of washing without water. Sort of. Anyway, I put dry cleanable stuff through to prolong the time before I have to take it to the actual dry cleaners, and that's pretty cool. It also has a bunch of other features I use once a year lol.

With the massive capacity, I've been known to chuck on a massive load, pull out half to hang up, and then leave the tougher stuff in for a drying cycle.

It doesn't bother me that it takes awhile because I am a 'crap we have no clothes' at 11pm washer, so I just chuck it in before bed. It does play a freaking 12 hour sonata at the end, but it doesn't seem to wake anyone. There's a timer too, not that I've ever used it.

If you overfill the dryer, it won't dry the clothes properly - or if your load is towel & jeans heavy, you'll need to choose a longer cycle. My husband chooses the longest cycle because he can, but I like the art of figuring out the shortest cycle that will work for the load. It doesn't take long to figure it out, and then you'll be an artist just like me.

It's pros and cons really. You have to decide if you want a condenser dryer. It saves space but takes longer. You need to read reviews to find a reliable brand (keeping in mind that most people with no problems, like me, tend not to post reviews, and the disgruntled people have quite a bit to say), and maybe look into an extended warranty, since if one breaks, both do. If I had a massive laundry, maybe I'd get a separate big washer and condenser dryer (I really like it, it doesn't seem to ruin my clothes and husband chucks underwear and stockings and lacy frilly stuff indiscriminately into the machine). The machine's massive as it is, though part of that is the handy drawer underneath. I appreciate the extra laundry space one machine gives us. It's nice to set and wake up to clean dry clothing. Really nice. If you want a total dead certainty of reliability, you'll need to go review reading - reliability seems to be getting better, but probably two separate units have the edge there. Like I said, some love them and some hate them - I love ours but I walked into the relationship with my eyes wide open, so already knew I was trading time for convenience, and so on. All the best deciding. =)