what washing machine do you have/recommend

ok, our washing machine appears to be on it's last legs. not that i'm concerned. it was cheap when i bought it (i was a broke 21 year old) and it's worked damn hard the past 7 years! if it's something small wrong with it (it leaks) it will get moved out to the shed, connected to tank water, and used for washing DH's horrible work stuff - if it's completely dead, then we'll get rid of it.

anyway, now that i've finished waffling - i need to know - what machine do you all recommend? the reason i'm posting in the nappy section is cos i primarily want recommendations for using with MCN's - i don't want them wrecked by using a machine that seems great for clothes or whatever - and finding out it's completely useless for nappies (esp after you invest so much in them so "save" money long term!!)

my preferences:
top loader
cold water wash (where practical)
prefer no central agitator (though not sure if this works with mcn's)

my questions:
what settings are a must have (i have a digital at the moment, but use the same basic settings for everything)
what should i avoid
is there a brand of washing machine that has destroyed your mcn's??


help!!

My machine seems to be doing ok - I haven't wrecked any yet!!!

Mine is a top loader - Fisher & Paykel intuitive eco.

Has a nappy rinse option - and also a pre-wash - so I go between using both of those.

I specifically got this one cos it was the highest on the stars rating for water saving (cos we try to conserve as much water as possible since the sunny coast will be providing water to brisbane soon enough!!)

So yeah, I'm happy with it!!!!

Yep I have the same as Arimeh - I love it :)

Get the biggest one you can afford - you will appreciate it in the long run

Hmm I'm in the market for a new one - so I'll check out the F&P Eco.

choice shows it's been discontinued! how rude!

i'm thinking the aquasmart (f/p) looks ok - am just scoping them out now

i have an old 7k LG - it's been good til now (and if it can be fixed, will be great for stinky cow clothes in the shed!) - but it's time to upgrade

I will watch this thread as I know we will be up for one soon.. Although thinking of just buying the bigger version of what I have cus its brilliant.. I have an LG turbo pool one.. its only 6.5kg though..

it doesn't have a centre agitator and I just hot the buttons I need for each wash.. It isn't set to what you want each time but it only takes a second to go bipbipbip..

mine is very much like that nic - which is why i love it (even DH learnt to drive it pretty quickly!) - but i'm also looking for water efficiency and stuff - didn't even think to look at Choice before i posted on here

i guess i trust my BB girls more than Choice...

I have an LG top loader as well - sorry can't think of model (I'm at work) but its 6kg. I'd recommend a larger one if you can. It does have an agitator and I wash nappies on the 'gentle cycle' and never had any problems. It also has a prewash cycle which is great.

We've had it for 4 years and never had an issue. I'm thinking of upgrading to a bigger one in the next year or two and I'm considering a bigger LG!

BG - I'm on the F&P website and I can't see anythin about it being discontinued.... weird?

was choice website that said it was discontinued Mel - and i've been to Retravision, Clive Peeters and Hardly Normal websites - none of them list the one you have

having said that, i compared on the FP website - and the one they have now is even more water efficient so that has to be something (20 odd L per load)

hehehe hardly normal - god I'm glad I'm not the only dag that says that...lol

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hehehe hardly normal - god I'm glad I'm not the only dag that says that...lol

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:redface: oops - i used to work for a telco and we used to say it cos they were hopeless at messing things up - it obviously stuck to the point i typed it without thinking! :redface:


sad thing is, i typed it in the web address and wondered why i got an error... ooopsie :rolleyes:

pmsl...

Yup... preggo brain has set in already...lol

i think it set in a long time ago!!

ok, seriously contemplating the FP aquasmart 8kg - it's in the Retravision catalogue for less than Choice said it would be

any other suggestions? i'm seriously too slack to investigate - would love opinions!

I have the FP top loader with the agitator. My Mum has the one withou. Both new models. I hate mums cos it wrings the nappies out to death. Mine's a bit gentler IYKWIM?
It also only takes front loader powder, whereas mine takes all types.
I love the digi settings too.

Kim - do you find the agitator harsh on other clothes - i wash everything in the washing machine (if it needs hand washing i don't own it!) - and found mum's machine with agitator would end up with pants legs wrapped around it and arms stretched - so many clothes got wrecked/stretched out of shape...

I even 'hand wash' in my machine - on gentle. I've never had an issue.
Mum's spin them so much that if you don't get them out and hang them straight away the creases are so so so bad because they're almost dry from being spum so hard. I can't see that as a good thing for the elastic on my nappies. You have to untangle everything from everything else too cos it's spun so much it all gets tangled.
JMO though.

it's good to hear another opinion kim! i don't want to invest over $1000 in a washing machine, similar in nappies, and then have the washer stuff up the nappies!

i'm wonderin - i know on my LG they have a gentle spin cycle - so it spins, but does it more gently - will have to scope out if the FP has something like that

Hey BG, I've got a F&P too but don't know what model. Its a couple of years old (we got it when I was pg with Natty - OMG sooooo glad we did that!). I wash the nappies on the eco cycle and have never had a problem. There was also a govt rebate because of the water-saving. Woohoo.
It has an agitator and yes, I find clothes do get wrapped around. I wash all my clothes on the gentle cycle though, as nothing we wear tends to get massively dirty KWIM? (Except after a camping trip, then they need a soak!) The ag is tough on DH's work shirts. I tend to soak those separately these days (also because they do get grubby on the sleeves and around the collar) then just rinse and spin them in the machine.
Lingerie bags are great for knitted stuff too. I don't think the ag has 'wrecked' any of my clothes, I just try to be gentle when removing them from the machine.
Happy white-goods hunting!

BG - My F & P has the option to make the spin cycle softer on your clothes - so I usually pick the medium spin cycle instead of the fast one.

HTH!

I have the F&P Aquasmart 8kg, love it, love it, love it!!!! It has all the features of a front loader, except it's a top loader. But the biggest difference is the wash time is slighter longer than a normal top loader, but a little less time than a front loader.
Very gentle on clothes. It has a nappy cycle (plus many more options you wouldn't think a washing machine would need/have!), and the nappy cycle is extememly gentle.

jodi - that's what i wanted to hear! it doesn't say anything about nappy cycle on the website - love that idea (esp seeing DH just gave me the nod on a new washing machine!)

Definitely has one, but you'll have to search for 5 minutes to find it, lol! There are so many wash options it's not funny.
Woohoo on getting the go ahead to get a new one.

i was just talking to him again and said he'd have to come to the shop with me when he's home. he just went "well, if you know what you want..."

i'm not certain, but i'm pretty impressed with the choice comments, and knowing it has gentle spin (and nappy cycle) certainly helps!! i see on the fp website it has 19 wash options!

Just checked, and it has 30 wash options!

We also bought the Aquasmart from Fisher and Paykel after looking at Choice (after our poor old Hoover died after 11 years)

Didn't know the Aquasmart had a nappy cycle though!

far out - even better (or worse!)

gargy - go into Lifestyle then Family options, and you'll find the nappy cycle there.

Another F&P owner here :) I love our machine. We got a 8 kg one from memory, and it also has settings for lingerie, joggers, doona cover. You can set it to soak, and also do a delicates/handwash cycle. I do DH's dirty workclothes (think coal and mud) and it's fantastic. You can also do a bowl clean, which is pretty self explanatory :)

I really like it when ours says "Have a nice day" with a smilie face, when it is finished. (Can you tell I'm deprived of adult conversation some days lol)

Have fun shopping BG

Speaking of washing machine tunes, our neighbours recently bought a new machine, LG I think, and the goodbye tune goes for about 3 minutes, playing a song!! I'm forever looking around the house wondering what the music is, lol!

I haven't done a bowl clean on ours yet, does it do a good job nic?

i like the bowl clean idea - esp if we have to wash cow crap encrusted clothes...

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Speaking of washing machine tunes, our neighbours recently bought a new machine, LG I think, and the goodbye tune goes for about 3 minutes, playing a song!! I'm forever looking around the house wondering what the music is, lol!

I haven't done a bowl clean on ours yet, does it do a good job nic?

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PMSL Jodi...sorry! It sounds like me, we went out the other day, and came home to the machine beeping "Help I have too many suds" poor neighbours, we were out for about 4 hours!
Bowl clean is pretty good, I think it's more to get rid of built up grime that you can't see, especially if you use a lot of fabric softeners

Nic

I have a Whirlpool 8100 Series 8 kg TL. It was 2nd hand when we got it, and close to 15 years old now. I never have things wrapped around the agitator because of the design of the wings on the agitator, the kind of spiral around it (if this makes no sense I can take a pic) so the clothes and nappies are always being pushed away from it, However we know it is on it's last legs, I doubt it will leave Townsville.

I am considering either the F&P Aquasmart or the Electrolux 9.5kg washer. They both have the same number of stars on the water rating and the Electrolux is $100 cheaper and can handle 1.5 kg more. Now if only I could talk DH into buying me a new machine now ;)

We considered the Electrolux Ali, but as we already had an old F&P, we decided to stick with that brand. I can't remember, do you get a rebate with the Electrolux like you do with the F&P.

Definitely the FP aquasmart...I have also heard reports ofthe machine getting clothes tangled but again I think this is because a lot of people dont realise just how many diff wash and spin options it has.....if you (or they) are like most people we tend to be like set and forget type people......It takes a while to get used to actually using all the options that are available to you on the machine.

You wont regret it BG!

Jodi - Yep it does, It only uses 98L per load and the 8kg aquasmart uses 82 lites per load. There is only a 100ml difference in water usage per kg of washing!!

Which model aquasmart - i notice there are 2 8kg ones, WL80T65DW1and WL80T65CW1, the only real difference i can see is one has a lot more preset timer options and the other has a sheets cycle.

Do both have nappy cycles?

*bump*

OK so our f/l is finally dying, leaking all over the house etc, and as I was wanting to get a new one anyway we will probably do so in the next week or so.

So, do you still love your FP aquasmart?
Alioops - did you end up getting the electrolux in the end - if so what do you think?

Nah, my old clunker is still going for now, but I would love a new machine when finances permit.

yep, still in love with mine :D