Washer/dryer - worth getting ?

m_stan

The washing machine is on its last legs so I need to get a new one. The missus wants a dryer too, but I've no space for one. It would have to go out in the shed, which is far from ideal.

So I'm considering a washer/dryer. I had heard before that they are more prone to breakage. Slightly obvious as there is more gadgetry under one roof, so naturally the more there's in it, the more can go wrong.

But whats the real life experience ? Is it worth the tradeoff ? Anyone have a good washer dryer that can vote for/against them based on experience, or anyone in the trade care to comment ?

Of course, I'll be looking for the best deal/best model/best energy rating, so any recommendations would be welcome also.

Thanks boardsies

Stoner

I'm no expert M_stan,

But I once rented out a house for a few years, did up one place , then moved to another etc. Anyway they were small houses with no room for both WM and TD, so I got a philips washer dryer, had it for 5 years with various people using it ( there was no room for a clothes line either) so I guess I was lucky with mine, it was a Philips and never required a service call, was some sort of issue with the lint trap though, cant remember what it was, but it was a great space saver, and you have to take that into consideration, if you just dont have the space then its a different question, two stand alone machines is the best and quickest , but when you can't fit both in...........

Also sheds are great places for dryers IMO

delly

I have an Indesit washer/dryer and managed to get 5 years out of the dryer part. Lately tho' the cloths come out wetter than they went in so i'll have to open it up to have a look, but for the first five years it worked perfectly well.

10-10-20

m_stan wrote: »

Of course, I'll be looking for the best deal/best model/best energy rating, so any recommendations would be welcome also.

To be honest, if you are getting a dryer, there isn't much point in considering energy rating. Dryers are wasteful in terms of work done anyway, so if you are going to be drying full loads and not specific items you may as well have a E-rated appliance than an A-rated unit...

m_stan

ok good feedback folks. looks like I'll be heading in the washer/dryer direction. thanks

endplate

I don't recommend them. I own 2 one in my rented house where I used to live and in the house I live in now. One is a bosch and the other a Zanussi. Both leave the clothes badly creased and the dryer when used leaves a hot rubbery smell in the kitchen and also on the clothes. Also they wear the clothes harder. We don't ever use the dryer now (waste of money) just a clothes horse in the spare room. Stick with seperate units or just a washer unit

dingding

Also the drum is a lot smaller on the washer dryer.

IRLConor

The washer/dryer in the apartment I'm renting now is pretty good. The washing machine cycle is fast, the dryer works well and the drum is pretty big. I can't remember the brand name off hand (it's not a big brand) and I'm too lazy to get up and look.

The one we had in the last place I lived in was utter rubbish. It was a Siemens and the drum was tiny (almost 1/2 the capacity of the current one) and it took about 4 hours for a full wash and dry cycle. :eek: When I'd travel abroad I'd deliberately come home with everything washed so as not to end up with a big backlog.

Just be careful about the one you buy, plenty of the ones out there have tiny drums. The dryer in a washer/dryer isn't usually near as good as a standalone one and you have to underload it slightly to get the best out of it. It might wash a full load but not dry it.