Zanussi FJD1666 > Reviews > No More Washday Blues

Author's product rating:   

Performance
Ease of use
Durability
Noise
Value for money

Advantages:	Number of programmes, Spin efficiency, AAA rating
Disadvantages:	None

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

I bought my Zanussi last week after finally losing patience with my 2½ year old Indesit. In the time I owned it, the repair man was out to it on no fewer than 18 occasions.

We were on first name terms and I remembered that he took milk and two sugars in coffee and he loved any biscuits as long as they were covered in milk chocolate.

This was the 2nd Indesit I’d had in that time, as the motor blew up in the first one after only 8 months of ownership. So after the 18th time, even though I was sorry to say it, I told my friendly repair man that I wouldn’t be calling him again, and that I was going to be buying a new washing machine, and that it wasn’t going to be an Indesit.

I also discovered that Ariston and Servis are also Indesit machines under the different brand names. So they were off my shopping list right away.

My first port of call was to log onto my dear Ciao to see what brands were recommended by fellow users and I made up a shortlist. After getting rid of my unreliable Indesit last Monday morning, I was minus a washing machine, and my wash basket was full to the brim and an identical pile was gathering on the floor. Something had to be done!!

I was so desperate to get a new machine, that I took a day off work, and went to Curry’s to see what they had.

My local Curry’s is huge and the staff are wonderful. Just inside the front door, there was a Dyson Contra rotator for £699. Special offer for one week only the sign said. I considered it for the briefest of seconds, then thought if they are anything like their bagless vacs, they’ll be garbage.

So I walked into the store and across to the laundry section. My local Curry’s has an extremely wide selection of washing machines and washer/dryers. I would have bought a washer/dryer, but I’ve got a full size tumble dryer.

I decided after my browse in Ciao to concentrate on three major brands. Hotpoint, Hoover and Zanussi. After walking up and down the laundry section for a few minutes, a young salesman approached me and asked if he could help me. I explained my predicament and said that he’d better not try and sell me an Indesit. He nodded, smiled and the first word that passed his mouth was ‘Zanussi’. After he told me about their many years of experience in producing washing machines to high standards, I was sold, so all I needed to do was choose one.

I was told by the salesman that Zanussi had been taken over by Electrolux, more famous for its vacuum cleaners. This made me feel even more convinced that I would be buying a quality brand

After looking at the Zanussi models on offer in the store, I made my choice.

I finally decided on the FJD1666W. I wondered if I was slightly crazy to be spending nearly £450 on a washing machine. But after remembering that if I were to buy an Indesit at £250 every 2 years, it’d be more expensive, I walked towards the till.

Luckily for me there was one in stock, and after a quick phone call, my friend came with his van and helped me home with my new baby.

An hour after plumbing my machine in, I couldn’t help it but I felt the need to put my Zanussi to the test. Sorting my dirty clothes into loads didn’t take me long, and after loading my first pile into the machine, instruction book on lap and in hand, I started to programme my machine.

Unlike my substandard Indesit, my new Zanussi has a wonderfully up-to-date computer controlled selection panel. Just a few button presses and the machine starts. I was impressed, couldn’t they make a video as easy to programme as this?

Here we go, my report on the machine:

My first impression on looking at the machine when finally out of the packaging was extremely impressive. Finished in Polar White, it instantly fitted in with my kitchen and didn’t look out of place.

The FJD1666W is a model in Zanussi’s new range of XC6 machines. The XC6’s offer a larger drum to cope with a 6kg load.

Other features are as follows:

Computerised LED Control Panel:

Instead of the traditional dial found on many machines, the XC6 has a fully computerised keypad, to allow you to set up your wash cycles in no time and to check the progress of them mid-programme.

Favourable Energy Rating:

The XC6 range of washing machines offer treble A washing performance. This covers Energy, providing the same amount of cleaning performance, but using less power. Washing Performance, as with all washing machines, washing performance is rated from A to G. A being the most impressive and G being the least. The final A rating is giving to how effective the machines spin cycle performance is.

1600rpm Variable Spin Cycles:

The XC6 offers variable spin cycles throughout the complete range of built-in programmes, ranging from gentle spin cycles for delicate fabrics through to full 1600rpm cycles for those fabrics that need that extra thorough wash.

Unique Jetsystem Wash Technology:

This exclusive feature to Zanussi, allows to machine to calculate how much water is required for the particular load, regardless whether you are washing one item or a full drum.

Quick Wash:

The Quick Wash programme halves the time of a normal programme when you need your clothes in a hurry.

Night Wash:

Night Wash is a non-spin wash that completes the whole cycle, has no spin facility. This eliminates noise and drastically reduces energy costs. Just a touch of a button on the computerised keypad starts the spin cycle to finish the wash.

Outdoor Sports Programme:

This is a specific pre-wash programme that can take several hours regarding on how soiled the garments are. Once you are satisfied the Outdoor Sports facility is finished, you can simply switch back to a normal wash to continue the cycle.

Super Rinse:

This feature is ideal for those people who suffer from skin allergies. Super Rinse continually rinses the garments to make sure that the maximum amount of detergent is removed.

Half Load:

With the push of a button, water levels in the machine are reduced for those loads that may be smaller than usual.

Delay Start:

The XC6 models offer a delay start of up to 24 hours, very handy for those occasions when you aren’t around to switch the machine on, or if you want to do a load at night.

Handwash Programme:

The XC6 offers a gentle Handwash Programme with automatic reduced spin for those fabrics which require that extra care and attention.

Child Safety Features:

All XC6 models are equipped with a door time-delay features so children can’t get access to the machine. The machine also has a child lock meaning the machine can’t be interrupted by little fingers.

Conclusion:

As you can see from the beginning of my report, I would never recommend anyone to buy an Indesit, Ariston or Servis machine, unless they really want to have a repair man frequently visiting your house and you want to hand over ridiculous amount of cash for call outs and spare parts.

Being a single guy, I wouldn’t normally spent this amount of money on a washing machine, but I can honestly say that in the short term that I’ve owned my Zanussi, I’ve realised just how inefficient my Indesit was. My white shirts really are white now, not cream. And because of the 1600rpm spin cycle, my clothes are dry in half the time and require very little ironing.

Go on, make the smart choice, buy a Zanussi. You won’t regret it.