New Which? research shows that some brands are significantly more reliable than others. We looked at cooking, cleaning, laundry and refrigeration appliances, but have you got an oldy that’s better?
Our new survey shows that if you own a cylinder vacuum cleaner made by Bosch, Miele or Numatic (makers of Henry machines), you’ll be faced with far fewer reliability problems than if you have a Hoover.
And LG and Miele fridge freezers have a much better overall reliability record than those made by Samsung.
Reliability and Best Buys
We know that reliability matters and that’s why, before awarding products with our coveted Best Buy status, we make sure that brands don’t have a poor reliability track record.
We also ask Which? members to tell us how satisfied they are with their products and whether they would recommend them to a friend. From this, we produce a customer score to show which owners are happiest.
Owners of Miele cylinder vacs give them the thumbs up with an impressive customer score of 87%. Which? members with Hoover cylinder vacs are less happy and give them a customer score of just 48%.
Oldest appliances in the country
Over 10,000 survey results tell us about the reliability record of products up to six years old, and the brands to go for now. But what about older machines?
We regularly hear about trusty old appliances that keep on going. They may need a bit of TLC and the odd repair, but it appears that up and down the country, plenty of old appliances are still delivering the goods for consumers.
When I started a Conversation about how hard it is to repair home appliances, your comments soon turned the trusty appliances that haven’t given up the ghost over the years:
‘My Toshiba microwave I bought in 1983 for £299 is still going strong apart from a bulb replacement done free within the five-year guarantee period,’ said Argonaut of the Seas.
Christopher Ninnis sang the praises of a Hotpoint washer dryer bought in 1978:
‘It has only just started to give up the ghost… sometimes it works sometimes it doesn’t. I think the control unit is worn out – if I knew how to find the model number which has worn off I would try to get it repaired. I asked my local Hotpoint dealer if he could help, but he said buy a new one. Seems a shame to lose a trusty old friend.’
Tell us about your ancient appliances
Our research shows that these examples aren’t alone. Some Which? members are making tea with kettles from the 50s, drying their hair with hairdryers from the 60s and getting their dishes clean with dishwashers from the 70s.
So if your coffee maker pre-dates the Beatles’ first number one or your vacuum cleaner was bought before Hillary and Tenzing conquered Everest, let us know.
And with Christmas just around the corner, I’d also love to hear from the owner of the oldest oven or cooker cooking this year’s Christmas dinner? Can you beat the Gas Light Co. cooker from 1930?
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