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We have only had one experience using a washer/drier combo…while on holidays in the Atacama Desert… as the apartment had Samsung washer/dryer combo.
Based on this experience, we possibly wouldn’t ever buy one. The main reason is the wash and drying cycle took forever…over 5 hours for both the wash and dry cycles (adding another 3-4 hours for the second half load to be dried). Unfortunately we were unable to air dry our washing as the accommodation didn’t have facilities to do so. Being on holidays, we had saved up our washing so that we could do the 4 washes during our two day stay (the total washing and drying time of the 4 washes was around 30+ hours) . This meant that we had to wake up during the night to empty, dry and reload the washing machine. Not very convenient when travelling.
We wish we could have air dried the washing as the water use, plumbing noise was noticeable, seemed very high (we were concerned as we were staying in one of the driest deserts in the world and air drying sort of made sense).
We also thought the drying of the clothes was not as good as a standard heated air dryer. Even after the 8+ hour cycle to wash and dry the whole load, the dried clothes didn’t feel fully dry.
However, we may consider buying one in the following, possibly extreme, circumstances…
We moved to a location where air drying was not possible (e.g. very small high rise apartment and/or in the humid and wet tropics/very cold and damp winters) and the laundry at the new location had insufficient room for both a drier and washing machine.
Otherwise, we wouldn’t buy one.
That’s amazing, how could anyone wait this long? (and pay that much!) - That’s 5 complete wash cycles for me, and on average, 4 of those would be dry by the end - 6 hours and all 5 would be dry, using my ultra-reliable solar clothes dryer … I have a tumble dryer, just in case, though I don’t recall using it more than once or twice in the last 10 years …
Interestingly, I priced a recommended washer and a recommended dryer from Choices evaluations for a friend.
I compared that cost to a recommended washer/dryer combo. Not what I expected at all; it works out the same if not cheaper to buy the combo.
If the dryer component breaks are you still able to use it as a washing machine or are the electronics such that neither then works? or Vice versa?
A combo machine is serial with no parallel operation. If you value time, and not everyone does, eg those with laundry time to spare, have you considered the inability to do a load of washing and a load of drying (when necessary) at the same time in the ‘cost-value’ proposition?
The chap who I was pricing it for would load the machine up before leaving for work, and it would be dry by the time he got home from work. Perfect for him 
AFAIR with washer driers the drying side had a smaller capacity than the wash load. That is you needed to either take some stuff out when going to drier mode or wash less per load. However I have not researched the market on this matter.
Current set-up Bosch WM2000 which is over 20 years old, and a Miele drier ten years old. No problem with either ever.
I think in my friend’s case, he is more than likely to just do ½ a load in the washer, and that would be perfect for the dryer.
I have lived with a Bendix Duomatic for 19 years, and was very upset when two serice men said it was not repairable. therefore went hunting for a replacement and eventually bought an Electrolux washer/dryer. This is in some ways a mixed blessing. it does wash well, but does not get as much water out f the washing as it could, despite spin speed is quoted at 1200rpm. I long learnt that it pays to only wash, then stop and rearrange the load before drying. drying is possibly satisfactory, but I do not seem to have any control over temperature of the drying cycle, only the length of time the cycle will continue. Drying towels can be made to be acceptable One thing I must comment on, I have always turned down water flow before entering a drying cycle. I always did in the Bendix, continue with this. As the condenser dryer only needs enough water entering the system to keep water moving, this makes a considerable saving of water. M.M.Kennedy
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