After looking at reviews of Asko machines, it seems that the main problems still are:

Problems with service organization. Long lead time before repair appointment can be scheduled. Then, long time before parts arrive and are installed, usually weeks.

They are much smaller capacity machines than other makes & models. Asko calls a 2.5g drum "family capacity".

It appears that Asko machines do not have any built in protection from overflowing. It seems a lot of machines have flooded laundry rooms, etc.

They are 220V machines, rather than 120V machines. This may require a special hookup.

Lots of people are unhappy with them, but then again there are quite a few happy users. The happy users claim that the people who are not happy with them have not taken the time to read the manual OR do not know how to use their machines properly.

Since they are more expensive that most FL machines, but not as expensive as Miele, I would personally not consider an Asko unless you have the money to burn for a potentially bad product.

I recently ordered the new Asko 6424 washer and matching dryer, but haven't taken delivery yet pending completion of a flooring project.

Prior to ordering, I did alot of research as well. There are numerous positive reviews on GW about the previous 6222 model. Therefore, I'm surprised at dualref's comments. Please provide sources of the reviews you've read, especially the comment "a lot of machines have flooded laundry rooms" I have not seen any complaints like this with respect to the new models, which have something called an Aqua Block protection system to prevent leaks. I think the older 6XX models may have had problems.

It is true the washer is 220V -- the washer actually plugs into the dryer -- and some negative online reviews are from people who indeed did not do their research before buying.

24" European washers all have small capacities of about 5 kilos, which Cyberspacer appears to be aware of. For myself, this size is perfect since I live alone and my house has a private well that is not very productive, hence water conservation is critical.

To answer Cyberspacer's question about pricing, I purchased it from a local retailer at several hundred dollars below MSRP.

@ cyberspacer

I purchased a W6761 and matching electric T761 dryer in 2002. I sold the units in 2010 when I purchased my Miele W4842. The dryer broke a belt in the first couple of months, burned several fuses and required Asko's "fuse bypass" procedure. The washer developed a high pitched squeaking noise when the drum turned, Asko replaced the stock motor with a brushless design as part of a "field upgrade" (that's corporate code for silent recall). These were all done under warranty and during the first 3 years of ownership. Fortunately Asko offered a 3 year warranty when I purchased it, otherwise I'd be SOL.

Would I buy Asko again? As long as they are still made in Sweden and offer a longer warranty, I would probably not hesitate. They offer a lot of features, are 220v and are one of the few Euro-style front loaders sold in the US. If that's what you're looking for, Asko is a pretty good option. The above issues didn't cause me any down time, as I lived in Seattle and now Phoenix. Service was never an issue. Asko was responsive and helpful. Customer service was excellent.

I loved my Askos. I had the washer with the front door and dryer. Purchased what 5 or 6 years ago, and I thought they worked great.

Service here in Duluth MN was pretty much next day. Had several dryer fuse issues/bypass. Not sure if it's good when they just bypass fuses? Still did that weird clicking noise even after bypasses.

Washer failed a couple of times. New motherboard had to be put in in '09, '10 and 11. In '11 it didn't work after the motherboard was put in so he bypassed a fuse. Seems to be Asko's answer to all woes, just bypass the fuse "just put a bird on it" lol! Was glad to get rid of the washer, though I miss the 205 white boil of cotton laundry.

Asko cust service was great, got them to pay for 2 of the 3 motherboards and 1 of 2 service calls.

Would we do it again? NO, we just sold our house with them in it. DH said never again. Bought some basic Kenmore front loaders and love them! They work, clothes are clean and we couldn't be happier. Just getting used to new machines but really, for the money, so far, so great!

OK, here is where I found the reviews of the Asko machines.

Just click on ANY model and see what the owners say about them.

Here is a link that might be useful: AskoWasher Reviews

Ok. I read the epinion reviews before but I've found many positive reviews of the 6222 which I was originally planning to purchase before release of the 6424. Someone named Steve wrote several positive reviews on GW, and I wish he would write an update. I noticed that one of the negative epinion reviews was from Australia, but there's an Australian product review site that gave the 6222 a rating of 4.3 out of 5 based on 13 reviews. All this goes to show that internet reviews are conflicting. Complaints tend to outweigh favorable reviews on most products. I certainly *hope* my experience will be favorable because the Asko is the only machine that met my needs in terms of size, water efficiency, venting location, 220 with cold water hookup, a timer to preset the machine, a good warranty (three years.) I met the regional distributor at a home show and discussed the new product line with him, and he gave me his business card and direct phone #. I feel good about my decision, but only time will tell.

Good luck! Our local dealer kept trying to assure me they are redesigned now, and a week later our old washer had a motherboard failure again, so DH said no way. I would have done it again if they really did redesign. I did feel a pang of doubt when they repaired it and had to do yet another fuse bypass to get the washer to work with the new motherboard. Makes me think potential electrical fire hazard? Why have fuses if you just bypass them everytime something needs to be fixed?

I had to laugh as I was just in Sweden and thought, perhaps I should hunt down the ASKO factory and stock up on motherboards, lol!

One thing about the reviews is that the people who like them state that people who don't like them haven't learned how to use them. Possibly a lot of these people are first time FL users, and we all know there is a learning curve when switching from a TL to a FL machine. This could definitely offset the reviews.

I found the Askos were far more thoughtfully designed and had much more customizable cycles than Miele's comparable models at the time. I believe the situation is even more extreme today, when Miele doesn't even have a 220v machine in the US market. The machines Miele does have are the "dumbed down" models. You'll find that the Asko 220v models are not "dumbed down" in any way, and allow a full range of temperature and cycle option selections.

Debating between the Asko WL653XXL washer/TLS752XXL vented dryer or the Meile 4802/dryer T9802. Meile seems better, but my sales person seems to favor the ASKO for the price and 3 yr waranty. Anyone have any experience as to which is easiest to use, produces cleaner clothes and which dryer has the best options to reduce ironing time?

Unfortunately, the XXL models are not made by Asko but OEM'ed by a third party company. From what I have heard from my local Asko dealer, they have not been the greatest venture for the Asko line. He did say that Asko is working on designing their own XXL machines but didn't know when they would hit the market.

His advice was to stay away from the XXL machines until Asko starts building them.

MRB

Miele does, in fact, have several 220V models available in the US market. Yes, they are more expensive than their 110V models, but they are out there as part of Miele's Pro line. We went with the Little Giants because we wanted a 220V machine and have not regretted our decision.

@ akrogirl

Unfortunately, Miele's "pro" line (including the Little Giants) are well outside the price range for most. The total price for the Little Giants (washer and dryer) comes to around $7,000 when looking at prices online. Miele does not sell any consumer machines in the US market that are 220v.

Little Giants - Last time I inquired our local Miele Professional reseller, the Little Giant set is 208v ONLY! No 220 and no 240 option anymore.

Too bad!

MRB

@sshrivastava - I agree that the Little Giants are not cheap. However, they are still less than many people on Gardenweb spend on a range or refrigerator. Our kitchen remodel budget is very modest, and I found all my appliances for about half price, but the washer and dryer set was the one area where we weren't prepared to compromise and were willing to make a sacrifice to get what we wanted. An Asko was our back-up choice but wasn't quite big enough to handle my saddle pads.