Am I crazy for considering an Asko w6222 or a Miele w1986 washer?

15 years ago

Hi. I have four children with a family of six. I have had so many problems with my current clothes washer regarding stains not coming out and tearing of clothing (I have a six year old, top of the line, top loader). I have heard very positive comments regarding using a 220v washing machine with an internal water heater and how much cleaner the clothes end up without damage. I do like the asko w6222 and the miele w1986 machines and have found them at the same price locally. However, both sales representatives have said that I should be looking at larger units. I've seen the Asko w6511 and the Miele w4800 machines. I do want an internal water heater to heat up more than the sanitize cycle. Am I crazy to consider a smaller machine for our family or should I consider another unit? Thank you.

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Comments (5)

curiousshopper
15 years ago
Between the small size and long cycle times you will be doing laundry 24/7 to keep up.

I had a large front loader and I found that the long cycle times were a real inconvenience compared to the 35 to 40 minute time of my old top loader. And to add insult to injury, I didn't find the stain removal all that much better and the rinsing was poor.

I think the smaller machines use more water (relative to load size) and probably do a better job than the mega-sized, hyper-efficient machines.

Nevertheless, I'd think very, very hard before buying one for a family of six.
cynic
15 years ago
What size loads do you do? How many? What's your washing habits? Do you do laundry several days a week or once? Or less? Are you willing to learn a different technology? How many loads will require the heater? Will a 220v heater save you enough time to offset the difference in load size?

If you do laundry daily, it probably wouldn't make a lot of difference. If you try to do everything in one day, that could be a problem. How flexible are you?

You didn't say what kind of machine you have, but the only time I've had clothes damaged in a top loader is when I overloaded it, which is easy to do. Otherwise, my machine is very gentle on clothes and from the way people talk on this forum, it must be far gentler on clothes than many many front londers too.

I wouldn't count out a top loader. The Oasis/Bravos units and the GE Harmony are HE, large capacity machines and have a model with a heater available. There's also the Fisher & Paykel with a great reputation, not quite as large and doesn't have a heater, but gets rave reviews on performance.

There's also a lot of larger capacity front loaders if you prefer that style in a variety of brands.
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housekeeping
15 years ago
Have you done the "weigh your current load" test?

I'm sure the 1986 will handle loads up to 13 lbs/6 kilos, and I expect the Asko would, too.

Take your current laundry (dry) and weigh a typical load (subtract weight of basket, of course). If you're currently doing less 13 lbs (6K) in each load, you will do no more loads than you are currently doing.

The extremely long Euro-style cycle is not really an issue with a 1986 since it has the shorter cycle as the default; you can choose long cycles for unusually serious cleaning. I believe it also has a time delay feature which means you can program a load to finish as you wake, and run the dryer while getting ready to go out. And then start a load timed to finish when you return and are ready to flip it to the dryer.

I am not as familiar with the features of the Asko model you have mentioned - mine are older, without the delay cycle, but with generally shorter cycles than the typical long Euro cycle in older Mieles.

One of the reasons I think some of the Euro FLs have decided to "dumb down" their machines is because they could never persuade people to really believe in how much can be handled in these dishwasher-sized carcasses. Apparently even your salesman is still confused. Both of these machines a true horizonatal axis machines which means they don't lose any space due to a tilted drum like just about every other brand model out there, from the similar sized Sears machines to the fancy Asian behemoths.

If had to replace any of my machines I would go to enormous trouble to find a Miele 1918 or 1986 because of its reliablity and superior washing characteristics. The heaters on those machines are simply far and away better than what you can buy today. And with kids having that heater will give you many more options for stain removal, without harsh chemicals.

From your user name, you sound like you're in French-speaking Canada. Dare I hope that I might easily find a 1986 up there? I am in northern NY, and my regional Miele sales rep recently told me that no more 1918 or 1986s are available anywhere in his territory. But a trip to Canada would not be out of the question. Don't worry, I'm not trying to beat you out of the machine you found!

Truly, do the laundry weighing test and see what you learn.

HTH,

Molly~
suburbanmd
15 years ago
Molly, a full, loosely packed load in my Miele W4840 comes out clean. So I don't understand the idea that the tilted drum reduces the capacity. Are you able to pack clothes tightly in a true horizontal-axis washer?
homepro01
15 years ago
Suburban,
I am not Molly but you can fully pack a horizontal axis. I have a 1986 and love it. I do two sets of king sized sheets at a time and a fairly large load of towels and when it is done, I am always thinking that I could have fit more in there!
I already have two washer and dryers so I don't need another one but if I found a 1986 somewhere, I would jump on it.

Can't speak to the Asko since I have never owned them.

Good luck!

Am I crazy for considering an Asko w6222 or a Miele w1986 washer?

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curiousshopper

cynic

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