Front loading or top loading washing machine?

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My Bosch machine which magically worked once yesterday has now bitten the dust. The drum just won't spin up. 9 years of solid service and it's mostly breathed it's last.

I suspect your problem is electrical and not mechanical. I consider the latter more detrimental than the former. Might be counterintuitive but drum not spinning up isn't as bad as it seems

Guess what, Bosch is at no disadvantage compared to other brands with electrical provided parts can be had.

I once had to avail their customer support back in January' 2020 when the front control pod PCB was malfunctioning in the same washing machine

How much did that repair cost?

Came across this thread on Quora as well about the woes of Bosch's after sales service:

How is your experience with Bosch appliances and their warranty?

News to me. Visiting charges might cost a little more with Bosch than with Koreans but my impression is service has been relatively decent at least in tier-1 cities. None of the two posts (all i can see without being a quora member) specify where they live and only those with issues have posted.

Anyways, I won't be calling the Bosch CC up anymore

I think you should try more with Bosch before throwing in the towel

as I have made up my mind to jump ship and get me a new washing machine. 9 years and it's about damn time I did!

Reason being the bolded bit. A 9 year old machine is all buttons and more durable. All machines these days regardless of brand come with touchscreens. Given the high humidity you have then touch screen issues will occur within five years regardless of which brand you choose.

Also I find 9 years to be rather short to replace a machine. Twelve to fifteen maybe but even then if it can be fixed no need to replace.

I'm currently debating between these two options:

LG 8 Kg - FHM1408BDW

Samsung 9 kg - WW90T4040CB1TL

@blr_p : You would recommend the above LG right between the two?

Put off the replacement cost for as long as possible. If it turns out the repair is no more than 5k then how does it make sense to buy a new machine?

 

[Black_Hawk]

I suspect your problem is electrical and not mechanical. I consider the latter more detrimental than the former. Might be counterintuitive but drum not spinning up isn't as bad as it seems

Guess what, Bosch is at no disadvantage compared to other brands with electrical provided parts can be had.

How much did that repair cost?

News to me. Visiting charges might cost a little more with Bosch than with Koreans but my impression is service has been relatively decent at least in tier-1 cities. None of the two posts (all i can see without being a quora member) specify where they live and only those with issues have posted.

I think you should try more with Bosch before throwing in the towel

Reason being the bolded bit. A 9 year old machine is all buttons and more durable. All machines these days regardless of brand come with touchscreens. Given the high humidity you have then touch screen issues will occur within five years regardless of which brand you choose.

Also I find 9 years to be rather short to replace a machine. Twelve to fifteen maybe but even then if it can be fixed no need to replace.

Put off the replacement cost for as long as possible. If it turns out the repair is no more than 5k then how does it make sense to buy a new machine?

The main thing is I'll be going abroad again very soon and need to get the machine in working order before I leave because Mom will be using it. Washing clothes by hand for the last few days hasn't been a very pleasing thing to do. I have called Bosch again and if nobody turns up today then I don't think I can do much, can't really wait endlessly. This is in Kolkata by the way. I would much rather just spend the money, set up a new machine and have peace of mind. I don't want feel like even spending 5-6k on this old Bosch any longer. The exterior is also rusted so that also is acting as another deterrent in keeping this old unit anymore.

Anyways, coming to my initial question between the LG (8kg) and Samsung (9kg) which would be a better option to go for?

LG 8 Kg

Samsung 9 kg

Or is it a case of can't go wrong with either?

 

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.Anyways, coming to my initial question between the LG (8kg) and Samsung (9kg) which would be a better option to go for?

LG 8 Kg

Samsung 9 kg

Or is it a case of can't go wrong with either?

I've recommended three LG models in an earlier post. The one you picked is the base model. The non wifi AI is what i would go with as it has a better UI.

Shame about the colour though. I'd have preferred it in white but we only get these models in dark grey in India unlike in other markets. White is generally the cheapest of the colour options.

There is a white model but its for the 7kg variant only which would be too small

 

[Black_Hawk]

I've recommended three LG models in an earlier post. The one you picked is the base model. The non wifi AI is what i would go with as it has a better UI.

Shame about the colour though. I'd have preferred it in white but we only get these models in dark grey in India unlike in other markets. White is generally the cheapest of the colour options.

There is a white model but its for the 7kg variant only which would be too small

Thanks so much for all your input, I really appreciate it!

I will decide over this weekend and order one. I'm mostly leaning towards the Samsung 9kg unit:

Samsung 9 kg (WW90T4040CB1TL, Black)

This is mostly because I have multiple Samsung products in my house (Microwave units, TVs and phones) and their after sales customer care and technician support is rock solid and super fast in Kolkata.

 

[blr_p]

Thanks so much for all your input, I really appreciate it!

I will decide over this weekend and order one. I'm mostly leaning towards the Samsung 9kg unit:

Samsung 9 kg (WW90T4040CB1TL, Black)

This is mostly because I have multiple Samsung products in my house (Microwave units, TVs and phones) and their after sales customer care and technician support is rock solid and super fast in Kolkata.

Service availability comes first when dealing with appliances.

Something i forgot to mention is your Bosch being belt driven will be slightly larger than LG's drum. I don't think this is a show stopper for what you get.

But Samsung is belt driven too so Samsung drum size should be similar to your Bosch.

Really helps to check things like this in a shop before pulling the trigger.

 

[technofast]

You will either need to change the wire that connects to the heating element or the heating element itself. I don't think the service guy will replace just the sensor (thermistor) . He will just replace the element.

Take a look at the back and see whether you can figure out what the problem is and then call the service guy. You will need genuine parts.

I called upon the service person from LG. He said the thermistor and heating element needs to be changed. He has quoted ₹3500 for heating element and ₹1500 for thermistor. Also the thermistor for this model is currently not available with LG. Will take couple of days for him to get it. Don't know what made both to go off suddenly. The service guy suggested it might be due to voltage fluctuation where the thermistor had failed which in turn affected the heating element. So it will be 5K for the parts and ₹450/- for service.

 

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I called upon the service person from LG. He said the thermistor and heating element needs to be changed. He has quoted ₹3500 for heating element and ₹1500 for thermistor. Also the thermistor for this model is currently not available with LG. Will take couple of days for him to get it. Don't know what made both to go off suddenly. The service guy suggested it might be due to voltage fluctuation where the thermistor had failed which in turn affected the heating element. So it will be 5K for the parts and ₹450/- for service.

Both? If heating element goes it will trip your circuit breaker. Did that happen?

Heating element for these machines cost more than for the geezers and genuine parts still more.

I'm also wondering how the thermistor (used to detect water temperature) went because your machine isn't that old. Neither do you have hard water. Did you notice any scale on the heating element? Can you confirm

When he brings the part. Pay attention to whether thermistor is already attached to the heating element. You can see what it looks like in the video. I was expecting both to be replaced as its an easy fix and more reliable to replace both at the same time.

 

[sauravghosh]

A 9 year old machine is all buttons and more durable. All machines these days regardless of brand come with touchscreens.

So no machine nowadays have all buttons without touchscreen? None?

 

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So no machine nowadays have all buttons without touchscreen? None?

Other than that ifb I linked to in a reply i don't know of any. Feel free to post any if you find any front loaders without a touch screen.

Oh I think there are some entry level IFB's that may be buttons only but are not very interesting because there is no display either which is insane

 

[rockyo27]

So i have 8kg ifb top load FA, have changed it's shockers twice and 2 relays also in 6 yrs.
Now i am looking to replace it with front load. Which one should i go for apart from ifb with good service though that shouldn't be problem in delhi ncr. But also third party service wise which brand would be good. I would like to keep it for next 10yrs.

 

[Black_Hawk]

Even after 4 days nobody from Bosch called up nor visited my place to take a look at my washing machine. When I called Bosch and asked them a day back I was told by their Customer Care executive that they had put forward my request for an engineer visit to their Branch Manager in Kolkata and they apologized for the delay. 24 hours from that point also nothing. Hilariously bad customer support they have!

I will be ordering a new machine early next week so I think no mechanic showing up from Bosch has further reaffirmed my decision of not buying a Bosch WM ever again. It served me well for almost a decade but that is that.

On a lighter note something funny that I found while searching washing machines online:

Spoiler

 

[technofast]

Both? If heating element goes it will trip your circuit breaker. Did that happen?

Heating element for these machines cost more than for the geezers and genuine parts still more.

I'm also wondering how the thermistor (used to detect water temperature) went because your machine isn't that old. Neither do you have hard water. Did you notice any scale on the heating element? Can you confirm

When he brings the part. Pay attention to whether thermistor is already attached to the heating element. You can see what it looks like in the video. I was expecting both to be replaced as its an easy fix and more reliable to replace both at the same time.

The heating element and thermistor has been replaced and the machine is working now. The service guy tested the old thermistor with multimeter and said the resistance is not up to mark as he said it should be around 45kΩ to 50kΩ but this one was around 10kΩ. The heating element was completely corroded and I could see holes in it. I don't know how this could have happened. The service guy as usual said this was due to using powder instead of liquid as salt in the powder could have done this. Thinking back I had gone out of town for couple of months wherein the machine was used by my wife. When I checked with her today she seems to have used the Presto powder bought from Amazon. I was not aware of this until today. Maybe that might be the reason or I am not sure if I should start using liquid detergent. The water is absolutely not a problem. I am still confused how this could have happened. Was it due to the Presto powder?

 

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The heating element was completely corroded and I could see holes in it.

For context, his LG is not even four years old. Yet the heating element is gone. No hard water. Wish you took a photo.

I don't know how this could have happened.

Simple. You're not the sole operator of the machine. Which means you have no idea what is being put in the machine or the manner in which it is used

Your previous machine a Bosch developed a bearings fault within five years.

At the time no one figured it out but this was due to overloading. And using the fastest spin speed (why not) that adds more stress.

User fault. Not machine. Not detergent.

The service guy as usual said this was due to using powder instead of liquid as salt in the powder could have done this.

The bearings fault with your Bosch was also diagnosed this way.

'Too much salt can cause corrosion'

So, we know how the corrosion happened.

Powder is not a problem. My machine is double the age of yours and I've yet to experience this 'TE' error.

Cheap powder? Well, that's a different matter.

Meaningless terms like 'salt in the powder' really means excess lime used mostly in cheap detergents. Which leaves an insoluble (even in a boil wash) white residue all over the machine to cause all manner of faults later.

Thinking back I had gone out of town for couple of months wherein the machine was used by my wife. When I checked with her today she seems to have used the Presto powder bought from Amazon. I was not aware of this until today.

Two months isn't long enough to do this kind of damage. Two years plus of cheap powder detergent? Perhaps. Even that is short.

Surprised to hear Presto is being used in your house as you've always said you used Ariel powder.

I've already commented on the perils of using Presto and other cheap powder detergents.

Maybe that might be the reason or I am not sure if I should start using liquid detergent. The water is absolutely not a problem. I am still confused how this could have happened. Was it due to the Presto powder?

The reason they say use liquid detergent is it prevents the use of cheap powder detergent. Not that using good powder detergent is a problem.

People invariably cheap out on detergent and over the long term experience all manner of issues. This is all the more likely for those coming from top loaders because they never experienced such issues with top loaders which are more forgiving in this aspect.

In addition to lousy wash action in not so warm water. To then double up with cheap detergent is to get a still more mediocre wash result.

 

[Black_Hawk]

@blr_p : I found this while browsing LG washing machines yesterday on Amazon:

LG 9 Kg (Wash) / 5 Kg (Dry), Ai Direct Drive Technology (FHD0905SWM)

This comes with a drier but if you set this up with a full cotton wash and drying cycle then it takes a whopping 4 hours to complete! The drying feature is handy to have in monsoon months though.

What's your view on this machine?

 

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What's your view on this machine?

I wrestled with washer/dryer thing for a good month when i was deciding. Its very convenient but its also a more complicated machine.

Well, the price is, certainly a surprise at 50k. They used to cost a good 20k odd more. Imports. This one must be locally made. With this new set of LG's that have come out, the depth of the machine is 47 cm yet the drum is correspondingly taller while being less deep so the volume is more or less equivalent to the regular 55cm depth machines. Or so I'm told. You should check the drum size in a shop and compare with washer only models. I don't like the tinted glass on the door. It is a bad design choice. More visibility is always better.

Depending on your use there will be maintenance.

In the end i opted for a washer only as the combo was more expensive 8 years back.

Buying A Washer Dryer

Help, advice and spare parts for all appliances, washing machines, dishwashers, fridge, freezers, cookers with free forums for fault diagnostics

www.ukwhitegoods.co.uk

A seperate dryer would be more efficient but if you're pressed for space then a combo might make sense.

Keep in mind you can dry only half the rated load so no wash & dry full load. You will have to wash a lighter load if you expect it to dry as well. Or a little larger load but not as dry. Meaning it has to be hung up to dry but dries faster.

Maybe @sriharsha_m can mention his experience so far with a washer dryer?

 

[Black_Hawk]

I wrestled with washer/dryer thing for a good month when i was deciding. Its very convenient but its also a more complicated machine.

Well, the price is, certainly a surprise at 50k. They used to cost a good 20k odd more. Imports. This one must be locally made. With this new set of LG's that have come out, the depth of the machine is 47 cm yet the drum is correspondingly taller while being less deep so the volume is more or less equivalent to the regular 55cm depth machines. Or so I'm told. You should check the drum size in a shop and compare with washer only models. I don't like the tinted glass on the door. It is a bad design choice. More visibility is always better.

Depending on your use there will be maintenance.

In the end i opted for a washer only as the combo was more expensive 8 years back.

Buying A Washer Dryer

Help, advice and spare parts for all appliances, washing machines, dishwashers, fridge, freezers, cookers with free forums for fault diagnostics

www.ukwhitegoods.co.uk

A seperate dryer would be more efficient but if you're pressed for space then a combo might make sense.

Keep in mind you can dry only half the rated load so no wash & dry full load. You will have to wash a lighter load if you expect it to dry as well. Or a little larger load but not as dry. Meaning it has to be hung up to dry but dries faster.

Maybe @sriharsha_m can mention his experience so far with a washer dryer?

I think that maintenance video you linked in your post is enough to make me run for the hills and stay far away from washer & dryer combo machines, LoL!

Jokes apart, I think I'll just buy a washing machine for now and then think about getting a dryer sometime next year. I only need it for the Monsoon months strictly speaking as drying clothes after a machine wash is a cinch in summer and winter months.
This one below is also a good option from Samsung with pretty much solid reviews all-round (though it has full touch controls):

Samsung 9 kg, 5 Star, Eco Bubble Technology, AI Control , Wi-Fi (WW90T504DAN1TL)

Darn me but I sure want to try the new AI and Wireless features... the Samsung washing app from what I saw on Youtube is actually good.

 

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I think that maintenance video you linked in your post is enough to make me run for the hills and stay far away from washer & dryer combo machines, LoL!

You could always pay someone to do it for you every 3-4 years. It keeps the drying efficiency up. Nobody seems to care about this.

Jokes apart, I think I'll just buy a washing machine for now and then think about getting a dryer sometime next year. I only need it for the Monsoon months strictly speaking as drying clothes after a machine wash is a cinch in summer and winter months.

Which kinda makes a washer dryer a better option given you will use it less. Separate dryers are for people who expect to use them more often. That is where a washer dryer will come up short.

Same deal with seperate dryers. You will have to open them up every few years to get rid of the lint or they will eventually die on you. There is no such thing as self cleaning as LG likes to advertise for one of their heat pump dryers. Labour costs too much to do this in the west so they run the dryer till it dies and then get another every 7 years on average. Mind you this is regular use after every wash since drying outdoors isn't often an option.

This one below is also a good option from Samsung with pretty much solid reviews all-round (though it has full touch controls):

Samsung 9 kg, 5 Star, Eco Bubble Technology, AI Control , Wi-Fi (WW90T504DAN1TL)

Darn me but I sure want to try the new AI and Wireless features... the Samsung washing app from what I saw on Youtube is actually good.

Clear front door is good.

This review says it adjusts time based on load. So you have to step to this model to get it otherwise not available with their cheaper base models.

I don't like the interface because you have to fish around for programs by twisting that dial when the old school way is to have them all visible at a glance. It will get old quick turning that knob and you know what? You will have to start using the app as that will be more convenient.

Here is another oversight with the UI. Can't find the start button in less than good lighting

Bad UI. Use app.

How is this progress?

With Samsung the industrial design lot get the last say and the engineers have to comply. Sammy is about looks and feel. Certainly delivered with the minimalist look. This design scares me because if it catches on you will be forced to use the app with other brands as well.

Engineers get the last say at LG and it shows in their products. Plain jane for looks but better engineering underneath.

Eg.

Why does Sammy skimp on providing a proper rat guard like LG?

Not an issue if you don't use a stand which isn't required but if you do use a stand then the bottom needs better reinforcement than Sammy gives you ootb

For that price the last option in the LG recommend list is good too. I don't know why you think LG service might be a problem in your city.

@tech.addict lives in Cal too IIANM. Not heard him complain about service and he would have needed it because the LG touch screen developed a ghost touch problem after four years in the humidity

 

[sriharsha_m]

@blr_p
Washer dryer was a must have in our previous flat due to the lack of drying space.
Our new flat has ample space for drying, so the usage of dryer is very minimal these days.
The only use is during monsoons that too on a very few occasions.
The machine is quite heavy and will be a pain to move/relocate.
Other than that no issues so far.

If you have any specific queries, I'm happy to answer @Black_Hawk.

 

[Black_Hawk]

This seems like a solid machine overall but that full dryer mode takes 9+ hours, LoL! Overnight job it seems. Otherwise the wash modes and 80% normal dryer looks good. The wash options are all customizable as well. I'm quite liking this.

 

[rockyo27]

Just to ask and clarify my doubt.....the spin mode as i have seen in top loads is not dry mode right and is there same spin mode in front load also or not? Cause i will be looking for non dryer front load washing machine this sale season.