I don't have the 800 but my Bosch rocks. At first I was not happy with the dryer and the FL took some getting used to (NO bleach). I have a 4+ year old AXXIS. It works so much better than any other machine I've used. And I've had a bunch-old school Kenmore, Maytag, an equator (awful), LG combo (eh) and countless others. the Bosch is best. Once you figure out your detergent scenario and what works for you personally, the FL machines are so good.

The Bosch is pretty quiet, the only time it is "loud" is during the super fast spin cycle- it's not loud but the high pitched noise is hard to get used to at first, you can reduce the speed, if needed. It's WAY quieter than the workhorse Maytag and Kenmores. They need to be level though. Mine are stacked and in a TINY closet. Can't hear them unless it's spinning.

My sisters are twins and I come from a big family (5 kids). My poor mom did so much laundry, that's why i got the best machine I could when I finally bought one. I learned from my mom's misery with all the laundry! You will do a TON of laundry with new twins, get the best machine you can afford.

About your questions- the level just is a bubble level ( any hardware store has them), make sure they are level and you are good to go. I believe transport bolts are primarily used in Front loaders since the drum has a "boot" that could come off or the door/drum could be damaged and they could leak. My Bosch had them, My fiance's parents Miele had them and so did the 2 combo unit FL washers I've had.

I have a Bosch 500 washer + dryer set which are mechanically similar to the 800, and after ~ 3 1/2 years I'm a bit iffy about it. I've had the door gasket on the washer replaced twice now, and now the dryer is slowly going mad (occasionally leaving clothes wet or trying to cook them) and the washer pump seems to be getting louder with age.

Performance wise, the washer does a pretty good job, although I'm starting to think the tilted drum is not such a good engineering decision since the clothes seem to spend their time in the back. The onboard heater is nice for super-hot washes, but it does introduce variability to the wash cycle times so you can never be 100% sure how long a load is going to take.

The dryer performance is OK for Regular / Cottons, but I think the PermPress cycle has been permanently mis-configured since I have to use Very Dry for things to be actually dry, even before it started getting wiggy.

I think if I had it to do over again, I might get something else. I'm currently keeping my eyes on the Speed Queen front loaders, even though their wash and dry cycle options are more limited. They are really hard to find where I am though, so I haven't laid hands on a FL one yet... although the TL one I saw was an absolute tank compared to the ones next to it.

My $0.04 at least.

mysteryclock

funny. my dryer wet wiggy all the sudden too. No problems with the washer, maybe your boot leaks are from the LCB, which my machine said not to use. I've never had a boot leak on the washer, thus far. No problems.

Although- the dryer has been problem free for more than 4 years, it suddenly went down with a burst of flames. I talked to the Bosch tech- he said the condenser dryers like mine are either fabulous or they fail spectacularly.

what i've learned from my 3 service calls this month:
apparently there is a thermostat switch in back that trips and they stop heating fully. The clothes stay wet, only get "warm". Eventually it can overload the heater and it can blow out. It was either that or my pump stopped working and it overloaded the heater and kept popping the thermostat. It does not get hot.

I'd have yours looked at soon. I should have done it sooner, probably less repairs if i would have caught it earlier. I'm in Los Angeles, took me forever to find a decent repairman too! Good luck. The repairman comes back tomorrow- wish me luck!

Yow! I'll check with The Boss and see what her schedule is, and get the guy out ASAP! Even though mine is a conventional vented dryer the last thing I need is a spectacular failure or worse.

As for the door gasket, the first one was literally eaten up by mold -- apparently the early versions were extremely NON mold resistant and they sent out one that was resistant as soon as I called (about 6 months after I first got it.) The second gasket was when the ring holding it in place either snapped completely or came loose and the gasket got drawn into and "eaten" by the rotating drum. That wasn't so much fun to fix....very messy.

markbr, you should consider the Miele W4840 also.

I too have a bosch, but the 500 series model. I think some of the cycles are a bit different and the trim/colors are different, but I believe they are basically the same machine 'guts'. VERY quiet... it is about maybe 10 feet through a wall from may master bedroom headboard and I typically runa a load prior to going to bed with the delay so it's done when I get up to toss in the dryer. Doesn't disturb me, DH or DD (10)in room on the other side of the laundry.

Shipping bolts basically keep the drum and other 'innerds' in place while in transport, leveling is essential for negligible vibration. Mine is onthe second floor of the house, basically dead center of the house... no vibration issues.

Truthfully, I think whatever you select will be fine, you need to be sure you have someone near by who services what you buy, and that it is installed properly... download the manual before they arrive and then stand over them making sure they are doing it the way it states to be done... and keep the shipping bolts should you ever need them when moving...

My personal prefereence with this type of purchase is to go to a reasonable sized local appliance store (NOT a big box store) and tlak with the guys... they usually always know their products, and then WHY they don't carry some others... it's always a learning experience with them... they ask questions nd then help you narrow down, plus they typically also service themselves, so they really know about problems by manufacturer and model.

good luck!

Guys, from what I undersatnd the latest Bosch 800 model now includes the spin-only cycle that some people complained about.

What about the fact that the washer doesn't have a steam wash, I know the dryer has steam but not the washer, should I care?

mysteryclock
mold, eh? I've noticed a bit lately. It was never a problem before. I just put a bit of that peroxide bleach in the drain hole area of the boot once in a while. I'll have to watch that though.

My dryer was a total shock. It has been so good. My closest friend bought the same units at the same time and his have been perfect. I just talked him into getting it serviced, just in case! They have a 5 year warranty on electronics, figured it was worth the 100 bucks just to check that out. who needs a new control board right after the warranty dies...
markbr

as far as steam goes, i guess it's a personal thing. I'm not so worried about germs, etc. I guess my doctor friend's assurances that using too many disinfectants is not the best thing for people has me more relaxed about that. I have used the super heated settings a few times for towels or linens after my fiance got REALLY sick and wound up in the hospital but other than that, I don't even use hot water on my clothes. I don't like to shrink them (super tall, hard to find long stuff!!)

I find that the good quality front loaders work very well, once you get used to the way they work. They are just so different than your mom's old top loader. I really think they are far superior and your items are subjected to so much less wear and tear. The dryer does knot things up once in a while but I never have that with the washer, oddly.

The steam dryer is great though. That is what makes the real difference. I have a full condensation dryer so my clothes don't get baked. The steam never cooks your clothes or towels so the shrinkage is much less. As i said- i'm super tall so even losing an inch in length makes clam diggers into shorts. On me all pants are Capri pants!!

I personally see steam as another 'gadget' to cause a problem... but that's me... I rarely buy high or low end, usually upper middle of the line if possible... make sure you do get a heater that functions on all cycles to heat and hold the water at the temp for the cycle you pick... heat is important, as is the 'sanitizing' wash (name varies by brand I believe)...

mysteryclock

I just had my Axxis dryer fixed once and for all. What an ordeal. Really would have been easy if I got the right repairman right off the bat. I've been all over this forum trying to figure out what has been up with my machine. I knew it wasn't right. It just took forever to dry and then eventually i kept getting this huge puddle of water under the machine after a while. It was drying sometimes and acting funny at others.

Ultimately after 4 service calls and replacing all the parts on the entire dryer, it turned out to be the heater. For anyone with a condensation dryer, i cannot stress this enough- get your machine checked once in a while. I had 4 blissful years with it and it was telling me gently that something was wrong by slowly wigging out. If i would have had it looked at when it was just acting weird, I would have had to replace far less! I got a GREAT Bosch tech, who i would highly recommend to anyone in the LA/Pasadena area. It took me a while to find him but he fixed the problem in less than an hour once he diagnosed it.

If anyone wants to have their Bosch or other German appliance fixed, call Ricky at Appliance Masters. I've heard some of their techs are not so hot. This guy was a senior tech and he was the best. After all the drama with this machine and service call after service call, i'd say this guy has a halo and angel wings! He fixed it in less than a hour once the parts were ordered.

These high end German appliances are great unless something is off. I have had probably 5 repairmen with my various German appliances in the last 6 months. All of the good ones said the same thing- great appliances unless you are having a problem with them.

I guess the moral of the story is- it's better to pay a bit to maintain and get check ups once in a while rather than wait until the machine goes up in flames or in my case out in a puddle of vaguely warm water. All it needed was a new heater, not a complete overhaul, which i wound up with anyway. In my house full of Gaggenau, Liebherr and Bosch, call me converted. I'm going to get these insanely expensive appliances looked at frequently so they stay calibrated. It seems to make all the difference in the world. I'm humbled and feel kind of bad that this was such a colossal headache. I still love my washer and dryer. It's the best purchase I've made, with a close second being the Gaggenau dishwasher. I love me some German appliances!!

Hi, I also would appreciate input for a new FL washer/dryer. My problem is I'm looking for a Subaru washer (excellent reliability) and it doesn't exist - every brand out there seems to have issues. So I've resigned to that fact, but naturally would still like to make the best choice for the large chunk of change one needs to put out these days. I am looking at the Electrolux EWFLW65H, the Whirlpool Duets 9400/9700/9600 series, maybe the Miele W4840, and the Samsung WF448 seems to have good reviews, but I don't care for the "SilverCare" technology - can you get a simliar machine without it? Or do you just choose not to use the SilverCare when you wash? I've also looked at Sears Kenmore Elite HE5T, because I have a friend who is supremely happy with the HE3T for 2 years. We've had a pair of AKSO's for 10 years, they are too small. I'll be thrilled to have any machine that fits large comforters, etc. The machines are downstairs, and during spin cycle the whole house shakes and dishes rattle. I'm so used to it I laugh about it, but seriously, 10 years later the industry must make a more quiet and stable machine, and that is important to me. Any input on the above mentioned machines would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

I suggest you do a search and read the issues of Bosch Nexxt 800, and as I've recently learned, the 500 as well.

I'm going to replace my Nexxt 800 after 10 months with another, although if I could possibly do it, I'd buy a different brand in a heartbeat! (Can't due to the fact that the Bosch's are 1" lower in height than all other brands and I put a counter in above mine (with Bosch's blessing, btw.)

Good luck, and may you avoid a lemon regardless of your choice!!!

(funkyamazon, link or contact info please for Appliance Masters. I'm in the LA area. I know, that can be HUGE)

I'm happy with my LGs and they are very quiet and smooth. Wash and dry well. I've heard people in some areas have problems with service, but from what I've heard, they are starting dedicated service people with most parts that could be needed on their trucks. The last repairman I had on my old Whirlpools (who had also serviced my ovens) said his friend was working for them and that he was hoping to get the next opening (better benefits for them too). I can't tell you how that is working because I haven't had to call them. I really would check out and service availability before you write them off.