Recommend me a tumble dryer
Discussion
I need a new tumble dryer. After reading the 'Recommend me a washing machine' thread where there are lots of useful recommendations, I wondered if the same ones would apply to dryers, should I just buy Meile?
Also, what about consenser vs vented? I was going to get a vented one as they are cheaper to buy and supposedly better at drying. What do PH think?
Also, what about consenser vs vented? I was going to get a vented one as they are cheaper to buy and supposedly better at drying. What do PH think?
fullbeem said:
Im looking at a vented tumble rather than a condenser as you apparently have to empty to water from a condensing tumble dryer.
Some (Our Bosch one) have a drain pipe that you just put in the same waste outlet as your washing machine.I would like to know which is more efficient though? vented or condensor.... and which takes longer to dry the clothes.
fullbeem said:
Im looking at a vented tumble rather than a condenser as you apparently have to empty to water from a condensing tumble dryer.
I thought the condensing ones just pumped the now condensed water into the drain for the washing machine?As for the OP, the only advice I can offer is to remember the PH moto for household goods "Buy cheap, Buy Twice"
I spent a little time working in the industry, but am by no means an expert. Vented dryers are considered better, both in terms of longevity and actual drying, but obviously you have the fuss of installing it if you don't already have a vent.
Miele do make very high quality machines but they are expensive, as are the parts when it goes wrong (some are near impossible to get), electrolux or tricity bendix, indesit are pretty good as are hotpoint, all of which will have relatively cheap pattern or genuine parts available should they go wrong, you'll also buy about 3 of the above for the price of a Miele. So it depends on what you want.
Personally I bought a hotpoint (cannot remember the model) as it was cheap and I knew parts would be available, it has to date been flawless. Hope this helps.
Miele do make very high quality machines but they are expensive, as are the parts when it goes wrong (some are near impossible to get), electrolux or tricity bendix, indesit are pretty good as are hotpoint, all of which will have relatively cheap pattern or genuine parts available should they go wrong, you'll also buy about 3 of the above for the price of a Miele. So it depends on what you want.
Personally I bought a hotpoint (cannot remember the model) as it was cheap and I knew parts would be available, it has to date been flawless. Hope this helps.
marctwo said:
Thanks. I am quite happy to spend more money to get a better machine. After having twins our household washing quota has increased significantly.
I also admit to having a penchant for German goods.
I normally buy Bosch white goods, but the condensor dryer I got a few years ago makes an awful racket (bearing gone?) now and it overheats when it isnt on the low-heat setting.I also admit to having a penchant for German goods.
Would not buy a condenser.
People only buy these if they have to normally - either no easy vent installation OR no room for seperate washer dryer.
We have had hotpoint wash+dryer bought of internet dropshippers and had no problems. (9 years ago now). If they die soon which they probably will we will just replace with the same. Some people by for the branding if its sat in your kitchen but ours are stuck in the garage !
People only buy these if they have to normally - either no easy vent installation OR no room for seperate washer dryer.
We have had hotpoint wash+dryer bought of internet dropshippers and had no problems. (9 years ago now). If they die soon which they probably will we will just replace with the same. Some people by for the branding if its sat in your kitchen but ours are stuck in the garage !
As my appliance repairman brother recommended, get the simplest you can, so there is less to go wrong! The internals of a manufacturers range are all the same, you just get electronic programmers and things with the top end models. Complexity is why condensing tumbles are a second choice as far as I'm concerned. (I have a bosch classix vented by the way, two years old now and still looks and works as well as the day we bought it on my brothers recommendation.
ndg said:
I have a bosch classix vented by the way, two years old now and still looks and works as well as the day we bought it on my brothers recommendation.
That's exactly what we've got, and exactly what I was going to recommend against. How something so simple can break down 3 times in 3 years I really don't know. 
It does get a lot of use with 3 small kids, but even so it has been unreliable, and it wasn't particularly cheap either.
I recently bought a Bosch condenser dryer as it lives in the cupboard under my stairs where there is nowhere to vent it. It works great and is quiet. Water is collected in a big container where the drawer is on a washing machine. Have to empty it every few uses but it's quick and easy to do.
I bought a Bosch Condenser TD recently, been really pleased with it. At the moment we just empty the drip tray, which has a huge capacity! but we will plumb it in as soon as we get the utility finished.
I'd recommend you get one with a sensor to determine how much the drier needs to do, so that way it's only on as long as it needs to be rather than setting to an hour or whatever. You just set how dry you want it to be, it tells you on the display how long it'll take and off you go. I would say that the time estimate lies quite badly, so I'd use it as a guide rather than a rule!
I'd recommend you get one with a sensor to determine how much the drier needs to do, so that way it's only on as long as it needs to be rather than setting to an hour or whatever. You just set how dry you want it to be, it tells you on the display how long it'll take and off you go. I would say that the time estimate lies quite badly, so I'd use it as a guide rather than a rule!
We have a Zanussi condenser, around 6 years old and still runs like new, around £200-£250 IIRC. The water collecting container is huge and rarely needs emptying, and even then it's so simple and easy to do I can't imagine why it would be a problem to anyone.
It does however generate a lot of heat in out utility room as of course in a vented the heat goes outside. in a condenser the heat vents into the surrounding space, but still not a great problem as you can use this to dry other clothes in the room on a clothes-horse.
It does however generate a lot of heat in out utility room as of course in a vented the heat goes outside. in a condenser the heat vents into the surrounding space, but still not a great problem as you can use this to dry other clothes in the room on a clothes-horse.
Our rather expensive tumble dryer gave up a couple of weeks ago, about 6 months out of warranty. The engineer we had out said the more complicated they are the more unreliable they become and said the best you can buy is a White Knight vented. It's based on an old Phillips design that's been around for years and is absolutely bullet proof. Ours arrived 10 days ago and drys the clothes just as well as our previous top-end model. Got it off the internet for circa £150, bargain.
However, if you really want a totally reliable product a mate has recently bought a washing machine from ISE, but they also do a tumble dryer. ISE is the Institute of Service Engineers and basically the products have been designed by the people who spend all day fixing them. They have been designed so that they don't break and are meant to last a lifetime, although I think they come with a 10 year warranty. The additional idea is that they are meant to be greener as you buy one and they will always be able to fix it for a reasonable cost. As opposed to what currently happens where items become obsolete after 5 years and end up in landfill.
However, if you really want a totally reliable product a mate has recently bought a washing machine from ISE, but they also do a tumble dryer. ISE is the Institute of Service Engineers and basically the products have been designed by the people who spend all day fixing them. They have been designed so that they don't break and are meant to last a lifetime, although I think they come with a 10 year warranty. The additional idea is that they are meant to be greener as you buy one and they will always be able to fix it for a reasonable cost. As opposed to what currently happens where items become obsolete after 5 years and end up in landfill.
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