For under $800 this is an absolute bargain.

We have had a top of the line Asko (lemon) and a top of the line Electrolux Ultra Silencer. After spending over $2K on the Asko and $1700 on the Electolux, we did not want to get ripped off again.

The Asko blew a capacitor after 10 months, a motor at 3 years and another motor at 6 years. The plastic control panel just fell apart (though Asko did replace it). The repair costs and parts were totally exorbitant. The sold it as being able to last 20 years but there is no way it could possibly last that long given the poor quality of the cabinet and and motors!

We bought the Electrolux 4 years ago (this time with a 5 year warranty). The first one was badly dented so it had to be replaced. The second one lasted 6 months before the drum bearing failed - a design fault but no washing machine for nearly a month waiting for a new one to arrive! The third one lasted nearly four years until the motor and two electronic control boards needed replacing. The door, filter cover and control panel were also falling to bits and rust was showing in the bottom of the front panel.

The company said it was not economical to replace so they gave us the balance of the purchase price LESS the cost of the repairer having four goes at fixing it. (Consumers beware of this rip off - the insurers repairer visited four times and we ended up paying for these 'service visits' while they replace one part at a time until they give up ever getting it to work. So they get paid for doing dodgy work and never fix anything!)

We looked at Whirlpool (flimsy and nasty), Bosch (another rubbish machine by all accounts), Samsung (dodgy door seals plus very poor service) and Ariston (poor reviews). Miele machines also have problems and I could not justify spending another $2K on a washing machine that was small and very, very expensive to repair.

Though there is not a lot of info (reviews etc) on Daewoo, all the reviews were very positive.

After looking at the price and quality we brought the Daewoo with a five year warranty.

It is the best machine we have ever had. It is incredibly quiet - much, much quieter than the Asko and Electrolux Ultra Silencer!. The quality and feel is excellent. The door is very large and shuts easily, the detergent drawer closes smoothly and neatly. There is no hammer from the water taps and you can barely hear it spin. The water fittings are very good design making it easy to fit - (by comparison, the Asko hoses were a nightmare). It does not 'shake, rattle and roll' either. We both work and we can do our washing at night and not be disturbed. It can also wash in 56 mins by pressing 'Wash+Spin' then 'Wash'. The only criticism is that the door does not open 180 degrees.

And the staff at Brown and White were excellent. We picked it up from their Betta Electrical store in North Sydney and the service was brilliant.

Highly recommended.


(Posted on 25/04/11)