I always buy Miele appliances wherever possible. My dishwasher is 12 years old and my front load washer is 20 years old. Neither have missed a beat.
3 Likes
The main reason we have replaced appliances - apart from washing machine & dryer a few years ago were upgraded to Miele for quality, reliability and economy in the long run - was to improve running costs reflected on our power bills. We discovered that the plasma TV was chewing power even on standby, so replaced it with a more energy efficient LED; the Westinghouse fridge was also chewing power big time and had become quite noisy when running, so that was also replaced despite those being its only faults (it was around 12 years old). We decided on a Mitsubishi Inverter because it was the most energy efficient on the market which would suit our family’s needs. It is also easy to clean. The LG dishwasher broke down for the last time; we had replaced baskets/trays over the years, but it finally died less than 10 years after we bought it. So it has been replaced with a Bosch Series 8, the best dishwasher we’ve ever had. Our bills have reflected the energy efficiency of our newer appliances - the outlay has been worth it.
6 Likes
My mum had an admiral. I think hers went for about thirty years. Fabulous machines.
5 Likes
If it’s a modern Miele dishwasher, you could expect up to 4 years out of it. We ditched ours after almost 4 years of light usage, having had it repaired many times. The contracted repair person from Miele told us the mechanics and electronics are rubbish and advised us to buy another brand. That was 4 years ago and our replacement Samsung has never had any problems. Previously we had a Miele dishwasher that lasted around 18 years, but they were built better back then.
6 Likes
I have had a GEC chest freezer since 1973 & has never had to have any repairs ,but have had 3 fridges 4 washingmachines since then.no companies have pride in their work anymore.
7 Likes
My 1975 AWA TV set still works and has never needed any repairs. (Of course, I have to use a set-top box to watch TV through it now.) I have to admit I laugh when I see friends post online about their gigantic LCD or LED screens failing after less than a year.
The 25 year-old Sharp microwave is still working perfectly too. It’s much better designed than many (a single press of the on button defaults to 1 min on high, which often requires multiple buttons on newer ones), so I’ll really be disappointed if it ever dies.
6 Likes
Our first fridge was a second hand one. Lasted for about 10 years. Our next one lasted just over 25 years. We had it repaired once and then it finally died. Our TV’s have all lasted over 15 years or more. We only bought a new one because we could not repair the old one. We try to have our electrical items repaired, as we are not into having to have the newest.
5 Likes
Yes my microwave is at least 20 years old. Still going strong.
5 Likes
You may be in for an awakening about your newer products when you seek to have them repaired and discover that once out of warranty and beyond the protections of the ACL, repair costs are often a large percentage of or exceed the cost of a new purchase, or you might pay a call-out fee to find parts are not available from any source after only a few years.
Newer is usually more complex and some products defy imagination as to why, excepting that ‘glitz and hype and new’ sells and bloatware in mostly useless features is increasingly common. It is so droll my washer has a shirt icon ‘washing’ while it runs; how else could I ever know it was running and the huge value that adds to my laundry experience! There are so many ‘important’ things to break these days! (/sarcasm-> products)
5 Likes
It is not so much pride in workmanship, it is pride in profit/dividends which is what business is about.
The shift from our perception of quality has been brought about because once upon a time engineers used slide rules for their math. Slide rules are not the most accurate things and there was necessarily what is called over-engineering. Over-engineering manifested itself in products that were, as typical side effects, long lasting.
Enter the calculator and engineers could come closer to the ‘optimal’ design and reduce the price by less over-engineering. The computer age allows design to the edge of any target that is set, such as statistically lasting 1 day longer than the warranty (or reasonable ACL scope) or exceeding a mandated load factor by a fraction of a percent rather than maybe the 20% common from the slide rule days, and here we are.
6 Likes
I understand this but (touch wood) we have been lucky with our repairers. They have said there is no-one coming through any more so once they retire we are ‘stuffed’.
5 Likes
I had one of those also, but it wasnt the control board that went. The drive shaft had to be replaced 3 times in 7 years. I ended up buying a Samsung which was still working (without having required any repairs) at 13 years. I only switched to a top loader just a few weeks ago, because I can more easily manage clothes in and out.
Generally, appliances have to last until they die, for me. My refrigerator was replaced because it was too small. I had bought a 221L Westinghouse at a time when I was not cooking much, nor buying much. Once I began to, I needed more space. Also, defrosting the old Westinghouse was becoming a 2 weekly job, it was no longer efficient. I love the new (4 year old so far) one, its 370L and just right for me. I hope it lasts as long as the old one which went for 15 years. TV is a “dumb” Samsung 32" LCD which I bought in 2005. The screen is still gorgeous, and I have both an AppleTV and a Fetch plugged in. I used the Fetch for FTA broadcasts, because the tuner is better than the old one. When the speakers go, I’ll probably get a soundbar. I wont be replacing the TV until the screen is dead. I dont know why anyone needs 75" of TV. or even 55".
6 Likes
This article has just been updated. So, if you’re questioning the longevity of your appliances, you may like to check it out.
5 Likes
We never buy the cheapest or the most expensive brands but mid-range ones and we expect a quality product to last for close to 20 years.
When our son was born, we bought a Hoover washing machine which required minimal repairs and we sold it in working order for $50 when we moved to our new home some 19 years later.
Unfortunately, we made the mistake of installing Kleenmaid appliances in our new home, most of which were rubbish.
However, the washing machine and the dryer which were made by Speedqueen USA based on their commercial laundry machines were good. The washer required occasional repairs and I rebuilt the dryer with parts I bought from the US for a fraction of the Australian price.
Both were left in working order when we sold the house some 18 years later.
I expect the new appliances we have bought so far for our current home, namely a Bosch front loader washer, Bosch condenser dryer, Bosch gas cooktop and Westinghouse rangehood to last in a similar manner.
3 Likes
Keep an eye out on 7 news for our appliance reliability report 
3 Likes
Brendan, a great way to present the report from the Choice team in a very direct and easy to read graphic.
The jpeg is a little hard to read even when you click it open on this site.
It’s reassuring to note all appliance categories out perform and last longer than a politicians promise.
For retirees it would be great if they also lasted as long as a politicians pension plan.
4 Likes
“We base this figure on the more than 1000 responses we received to our 2018 consumer reliability survey, member and manufacturer feedback, and the type of product …”
Any chance of some explanation of how this assessment worked?
And, how is it that the cheaper to replace time is much greater than the life expectancy in several cases?
4 Likes
4 Likes
@syncretic, apologies for the slow reply. @Christina is head of our Consumer Insights division who has more info on the program than I do. I know that the survey encompasses a range of questions on brand, how long the appliances have lasted, what maintenance is required and what issues have occured so that we can then collect and group the data to perform analysis and provide those estimates.
To my understanding, the 'cheaper to replace score needs to be viewed in relation to whether the device is budget, high end and so on. If the time is greater, then it might be best to consider a repair (if I’m understanding your question correctly). Hope that offers some insight, please feel free to shoot through any follow up questions.
2 Likes
