Sorry, I don't have any advice but I am very interested in what others would say as I am considering a Miele washer too.

Oh, and I would have expected a Miele washer to last 20 years - given the price?

Even my Whirlpool Duet is finishing its 10 year though it may not last much longer but we seriously abused it, I am ashamed to admit. (I promise to "baby" my next washer, LOL).

I am not getting rid of a perfectly functional appliance because of a few bells and whistles. Every next generation of appliances has a shorter life-span than the previous one, IME.

I was really hoping to get 20 years out of it too, and I really considered doing the repair, but it doesn't make sense to fix something when the repair will cost more than the item will be worth when you're done.

Miele used to be way more expensive than their competition. I'm paying the same for my new one as I spent on the W1926 15 years ago. The prices on other high end washers has come way up, so it's not the premium it used to be.

If I had even suggested getting rid of it before it needed a major repair my wife would have left me. The Miele is part of the family - we even gave it a name (Max).

I just got a new one, the 3035, now almost 2 months old. It replaced a 9 y.o. Asko so there's been adjustment.

Like everything Miele, it has so many options. No way to save favorite settings. It's taken me some time to sort out what's what on the cycles and two of us are working on a real-life chart to sort out the divergences, shall we say, from the manual. Beware the Delicate cycle which is a cold wash no matter where the temp is set. Verdict on Normal is not in yet. Some settings are more or less duplications of others with different times and features -- or at least I'm finding that. You'll likely get that faster than I have with the old machine for a basis of comparison.

It's a workhorse. The water temps are fairly accurate in the warm and hot range far as I can tell.

Now that I've had it for a time it's getting easier to use as I get to know the various cycles. It has a lot of buttons to push for the settings but they can be corrected easily.

The drum is bigger than the Asko I had. You may have some tweaks you'd like to see coming from the older one -- it will be interesting to hear.

I'm really happy with mine.

Rococogurl - thanks for your reply. According to my dealer, the only difference between the 3035 and the 3033 is the stainless steel exterior on the 3035 and the price. I don't think that I'll have too much trouble with the menus. Reading through the manual I can see that the wash options I had on the old machine are all there in the new one, along with some new ones and more possible combinations. The overall organization of things seems about the same though.

One thing that confused me in the manual for the 3033 is the "heavy soil" option, until I figured out that it adds the prewash cycle. My current Miele has a "Pre-wash" button, which strikes me as much clearer.

I'm glad you like yours so much, and I will certainly post again after I've had it for while about what the improvements have been in 15 years.

Just a few words:

Do not know if your Miele repairman checked but the common cause of "dead" motors is that the brushes are worn and need to be replaced. Sadly many Miele servicemen especially the younger/newest hires either do not test/check for this and or do not want to do the job.

Changing motor brushes is a common enough repair on all front loading washing machines with such motors. Motors for Miele washers to their credit do not eat through brushes fast as some other brands that require changing every two years or so, but never the less the brushes do wear out and once that happens the motor will no longer function.

Miele 19XX models washers were designed to be serviced from the front of the machine, and that includes getting at the motor to change brushes. There are two ways of doing it: some repairmen choose to remove the entire motor, replace the brushes and reinstall. Others more nimble will leave the motor in place and swap out the brushes.

There is a Miele motor for your series washer on eBay as of eariler this week (it came from a W1930) for much less than the $825 you were quoted by MieleUSA.

First problem is that MieleUSA will only install NIB parts (we have a Miele and have dealt with them on various issues), so if you purchase another motor outside of them that is open box, the MieleUSA service tech cannot install it; however many Miele trained but independent repairmen have no such qualms.

If neither option are open then depending upon your skill set replacing the brushes is not that difficult a job. There are links to various Miele service manuals online that give detailed instructions.

Personally if the tub bearings, and other major parts of your Miele washer are still working well, I'd consider checking to see if the brushes are your motor's problem. Or, perhaps purchasing the motor off eBay and swapping it out for yours provided it is in good condition.

Even if you have purchased the W3033 already I'd consider possibly repairing (if the above is true) it and keeping the older unit as a spare.

For many the 1900 series were the best Miele washers produced.

Here is a link that might be useful: Miele Motor

Hi Cimberlie
Thanks for your very informative reply. I wasn't home when the service tech came out but I did speak to him on the phone and verified with him that it was not just the brushes. The motor control module was completely unresponsive and he couldn't get any response from the motor even when he bypassed it. I've used this company many times before and found them to be highly competent and reliable. I'm also sure that they knew that when they told me it was going to cost $825 to fix that I'd opt to replace, depriving them of the money from a less expensive repair.

I think we'll be happy with the W3033 and feel that after 15 years of daily use we've gotten our money's worth out of the W1926. By the way, I remember your handle from back when I was on this forum in 1998 looking for information on front loaders. You certainly are a steadfast contributor, and if I recall correctly one of the people who helped me to decide on the Miele in the first place, so thanks for that!

Glad to be of assistance both then and now! *LOL*

We it me I'd try to keep the older Miele around even as a second unit, but agree you should be happy with the new machine.

Best of luck!