Anyone interested in making a suggestion?

I'm still interested in what people might think. I've been drawing plans for the last month or two, and recently figured out that to accomodate the needed 6 or so inches in the back, needed for a dryer, would not give me the room I need depth wise for the pocket door that will be to the side. With a full sized set the front of the set would be next to the door frame and I don't want that. I have been considering getting a Miele set because I drive a VW. I used to drive a Volvo but they don't get the gas milage, and they are way more expensive. So after one new, and 2 used Volvos I now drive a VW. So with that in mind I'm thinking of the Miele and not the Asko. Any thoughts? Of course I could get the Bosch, but have heard that they aren't as reliable as they used to be. But then I hear that problem with everything, washing machines. My old Maytag top loader, that is 25 years old, is still working fine and will be the farm clothes machine for now. It is in the basement, so want to get a set upstairs for old age. I am trying to plan for living here on the farm for another 20 years or so. We are in our early 60's. DH is a farmer and if I plan this remodel correctly there is no reason that we would have to move into town. We live so close now.

Anyway, any input?

Which Miele were you looking at?

The w3033. I don't know about cost of the "Little Giant" but that would be the set I would really like to look into. Other than what I've read here over the last couple of years I have no information on types of W/D sets. But I love fine working machines of any sort :)

If you haven't done so already, search the forum for "W3033" and you'll find a lot of good information about them. I own one and love it. If you love fine machines you'll love the W3033. The engineering and build quality are superb, as is the performance. If the capacity works for you and the price is doable, it's a fabulous choice.

Someone has also posted a series of videos about them on youtube, which I found quite helpful in seeing how the controls worked before I bought mine.

Thanks so much for reading my thread Richard_f ! I started to get a little silly above because I was talking to myself for a couple of posts :)

Went to Amazon to read reviews and 5 people gave it 5 stars and 8 people gave it 1 star. I thought that was interesting. The complaints tended to be unreliability and expensive service and parts. With the w3033, do you hear of these concerns about reliability?

How do you feel about the w3033 compared to the PW6065 Little Giant? I know that things happen but I hate the thought of having stuff break. Getting only 6-8 years out of a W/D seems insane, but I hear that all the time. So with the w3033, are you happy with the functions and is the, much talked about, 110volt an issue for you? I have only had Maytags in the last 30 years, the first one was a used one that I accidentally let freeze while in storage, then bought the new one in 1988. It is still working fine.

On the Pro site they were talking about the number of washes the Little Giant can do in its lifetime. I am really looking at this option because of this longevity. Some questions about a transformer have popped up in reference to getting the 208-220v single phase to work with a 220v setup in the USA. Is this an issue? Can't an electrician fix this with the install to make it work with what the machine requires? It doesn't sound like rocket science.

Another issue is service. I live in the Des Moines, Iowa area. We have 2 authorized dealers that I found on the Miele website. I can only assume that they can provide service. I have not asked. I did a search for an "independent authorized installer" but there are none in Iowa, according to the Miele site; the site defers to contacting the dealer.

Ok if I lived in a dream world I would go for the Little Giant line. I see that they are deeper front to back, and I need to watch that. But if the dryer can be butted up against the back wall, and the vent managed to the side or out the back to accommodate, I could make that work.

So, now about the dryers, vented electric vs condensing...
:)

OH I FORGOT AN IMPORTANT QUESTION, THUS THE EDIT:
What about the unit positioned on the main floor that is joist with a ceramic tiled floor. The joist span is 8.5' at 16" on center. The joist are 2x8. This is an old small house. It is a sound house and floors do not bounce. The set would be up against a bearing wall on the main level, and this same wall sets on a block wall in the basement. So my concern is vibrations and protecting my planned tile installation. As it is the floor is good to go with ceramic tile. I just don't want to shake the lathe and plaster to pieces or fracture the tile installation. Thanks.

This post was edited by enduring on Sun, May 5, 13 at 9:40

I had a Bosch pair with condenser dryer stacked in a NYC kitchen "laundry" closet. There's a photo of it if you scroll down the link at the bottom.

For what you describe you need, the Bosch drum is larger than either Asko or Miele's. The condenser dryer works very well but does get quite hot -- I couldn't run it with that closet door completely closed. Lint needs to be cleaned from the filter (easy access) on a regular basis. The vibration is not excessive and no dryer vent would be needed. My understanding is that Bosch is specifically catering to the small-space/urban market with this set and the condenser dryer and discontinuing the vented dryer which is why I didn't go Bosch.

On the new machine thread you asked why I chose the 3033. Actually, I have the 3035 (stainless finish) set. I needed a set that would fit under a 13-foot long counter in my laundry room which is a heavily used surface in my house. There is more of my story on that thread as well. I didn't consider a larger washer -- I don't need anything larger.

I don't notice any difference in performance on the basis of voltage. The Miele has a heater and the temps are accurate as far as I can tell and a forum friend who has an infrared thermometer and has measured them assures me she finds them accurate.

The major differences revolve around the way the machines work, what they offer and how they perform. Miele has a higher spin speed and lighting in the drum which was a great surprise. It does cause vibration when it spins in a way I can feel through the house. The Bosch has something like 1200 rpm but you don't feel that and the cycles are what they are -- no adjusting like the Miele. I mention this since you mentioned vibration and the floor as an issue.

If you have specific questions I'm happy to answer them. It isn't the easiest decision.

Here is a link that might be useful: My Old New Kitchen

Enduring, so many questions. :)

I wouldn't worry too much about the amazon reviews. I doubt many people actually buy there and people who've had a problem with a product will sometimes try to take "revenge" by posting negative reviews all over the internet.

Reliability is one of Miele's hallmarks. If you search on this forum you'll find that people tend to own them for a long time. My last one, a W1926, gave us 15 trouble free years before the motor went. I seriously considered fixing it and seeing if I could get another 5 or 10 years out of it, but in the end decided to replace it, which I don't regret. I think we'll easily get 15 years out of the new one.

I had no interest in the Little Giant because it runs about $4,200, more than twice what I paid for the W3033 and it's way more than we, as a family of four needs. The LG was really designed for commercial customers, like gyms or restaurants. And as you mentioned, some people have had trouble getting the electrical hook up done correctly.

Any authorized dealer can setup the W3033. It's really just a matter of removing the shipping struts, moving it to the desired location, connecting the water hoses and plugging it in. I would just call the Miele customer service number and ask about authorized repair people in your area. There really should be some, but they keep the master list. Most dealers don't do the service. I would hesitate to buy one if there weren't a couple of authorized service companies in the area. In my area (suburban NYC) there are quite a few, and it's usually companies that specialize in servicing high end appliances.

Re your installation question and the floors, what you describe should be fine for the W3033, but I have no idea how the Little Giant would do there. You might consider getting the stainless steel platform if you get the W3033. It raises the machine an additional foot off the floor and makes loading and unloading it easier.

The Des Moines area is lovely - I used to go there on business.

Thanks, Rococogurl and Richard for your input. You both have been very helpful. I went and talked to a salesman at a large appliance store that sells Miele. They had Miele appliances on display but no washers. He also said that the PW6065 was being discontinued as he looked at his computer list of items. I told him that the item is still listed on their website. But I will not be getting that set anyway. Because or of both of your feedback on the w3033, I am going to order that after I figure out the flooring needs. I have what I believe is a very sound floor now, though I understand the vibrations can cause problems. I have always had a top loading machine on concrete.

I have read over a bit of the installation specs online and have since redrawn my bathroom plan to put the stacked set in a corner of two load bearing walls as they recommend. They also recommend an extremely thick layer of plywood. I don't recall the size but I thought it was over an inch thick. That would step up my floor and I would need to tile accordingly. The joist span is not that big at 8.5'. I am going to call the Miele tech support and ask some questions today. It turns out that I actually like this 3rd iteration of my bathroom with the footprint reflected to accommodate the new placement plans.

Thanks Richard for the complement of DM. I grew up there but have lived elsewhere on the west coast for some years as a younger adult. I have been back in central Iowa for many years now. I commute to DM to work 3 days per week. I met my DH and live on the family farm. He is still farming, both grain and livestock. It has not been unheard of to have a newborn calf in the house getting warmed up and brought back to life. Because of the farm we can get some really dirty clothes. That was one reason I was looking at the PW6065. But one look at the price and my DH's eyes rolled.

Update, I put an order in for the w3033 and the matching dryer :) I called Miele Pro today to check about the PW6065 and I just can't justify getting those. My set will take 6-8 weeks to get here if I remember correctly. I have a lot of work to do to get ready for them. The room is torn out and the carpenter comes tomorrow.

Thanks you guys for giving me help on this matter, you're great.

Congrats on your machine. I've been happy with mine and hope you will as well. BTW, mine are in a mudroom that simply has porcelain tile -- nothing special on the floor.

Rococogurl, thanks, I am glad to hear you're happy with the set. I just love fine machinery, I like it way better than jewelry. I'm looking forward to this installation. And thanks for the info on how you have yours installed. It sounds reassuring. Is your house a new build or old?

House was built in 91 and then gut reno-d by us in 2003. The floor in the laundry is over crawl space -- weird. It had linoleum which we pulled up and put down mud-set porcelain tile. Don't recall that the subfloor was altered.

The Miele spin gives off much more vibration than my old Asko; suppose it's the 1600 v 1200 rpms. But we just moved one out and the other in. Porcelain tile is really perfect for the floor in a laundry.

Do love the washer. It has a learning curve (my oven did as well) but once I worked out the settings for my various loads it's been a breeze. I keep experimenting with the new cycles as there are so many options.

I think of good appliances as "house jewelry" LOL.

Yes, Rococogurl, "house jewelry", love the stuff! Your set up sounds simple. I will be tiling the floor with a porcelain. Did you put an emergency drain and pan under your washer?

Mongoct, over on the BR forum where I have a question about reenforcing the floor in preparation for a W/D said that he'll use a platform made of a sheet of plywood, layer of MLV (mass loaded vinyl) then plywood. All this is securely screwed together then placed on the tile with a rubber meshed rug underlayment (for floor protection and traction?) The platform then has a washer pan with drain, set on it. The whole works is then fitted with a drain for emergency overflow. Just wondering if any one is doing that with the Mieles.

Has anyone seen the dense rubber feet for under the front-loaders that they sell in appliance departments? I wonder if they are worth the $.

No emergency drain. With porcelain tile it really never occurred to me that I would need one. In our apartment we had a water bug alarm in case of a spillover. But sturdy never hurts.

I know on my Miele DW there is some type of turn-off valve in case of a leak. Wonder if the washer has that as well?

Just talked to Miele tech support about automatic shut down/turn off valve, if machine malfunctions and the answer is "yes".

Still don't have my machines yet but they are in Central Iowa awaiting installation. I don't have the bathroom ready yet :(