I work primarily in IT Systems Management and Architecture, specializing in Java systems. My other...
I work primarily in IT Systems Management and Architecture, specializing in Java systems. My other interests are Photography, Graphic / Web Design and Cooking. Some examples of my photography can be seen on my website at www.garrould.com
Member since:15.07.2007
Reviews:2
We needed a new washing machine after our AEG machine had gone wrong after only 18 months. We were messed about for two weeks while they tried to fix it but in the end we decided we couldn’t take any more. We went to John Lewis and looked at all the machines and read all information we could find and in the end decided to buy the Miele 3824. While it was at the top end, if not beyond what we wanted to pay the quality and security we got from the 10 year parts and labour warranty made it worth while. We went into the store and ordered it on a Thursday and they arranged a special delivery for Saturday morning.
It took one delivery driver to wheel out the old AEG but two of them with some skill to wheel in the Miele. Out of all the machines we looked at these are the best built and very solid. They are so heavy that one person would really struggle to move them. To get it delivered quickly I said I’d plumb it in, which was simple enough, but if you are not used to moving heavy equipment or not easily able to I’d pay a little extra and ask the store to arrange this for you.
After switching on the machine you run an initial cycle with it empty, which seems to wash out any dust and calibrate it to its local environment. The first thing that struck me was how quiet the machine was in comparison to the old AEG – itself quite an expensive and relatively quiet machine.
The controls are simple and a joy to use. One simple knob to select the program, a little like the way you’d pick a track on an iPod and then a couple of other buttons which step you through the spin speed and temperature settings. Other buttons allow you to delay the start, so that you can take advantage of cheaper over night power.
When using overnight power, it has a nice anti-crease feature, which turns the cylinder every few minutes when the programme finished until you open the door to reduce creasing.
From an environmental point of view this machine has the full range of A ratings and a fast 1600 spin, so cloths will take less time to dry. We have also found that the machine is using less water than the old AEG as we don’t have to rinse cloths twice to remove all the soap. We also have to think that the machine itself is built to last unlike the normal run of the mill machines which seem to last no more than 3 years.
We are using liquid in the ball provided by the detergent company without any problems.
The user guide is very well written in plain English and we had no problem following it.
After our experience trying to get the AEG fixed we were pleased to see that Miele have their own service people rather than contracting this out to a third party. The literature that came with the machine also said that if they have to arrange a visit they are able to arrange quite a tight window, rather than just the usual we’ll be there on Tuesday morning before One. At this stage we don’t know if they live up to this but at least its good to see that they understand that people have busy lives and they have better things to worry about than washing machines.
The machine also has an optical connection on the front so that the service engineer can attach his laptop and update the software on the machine, which seems a very sensible approach on something that should last for 20 years.
There is so much I could say about this machine, but in summary: Well worth the higher than average price because I’m sure over the average 10 to 20 years people get from these machines it will work out cheaper than buying a so call cheap machine. I’m so pleased with this machine that Miele are will now be my first choice when looking for other pieces of household equipment.
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