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Tumble dryer?

(25 Posts)
Shelflife Tue 17-May-22 13:09:51

I have a Bosch tumble dryer which I use very infrequently. Have an old fashioned creel on a pully - perfect! However a tumble dryer is nice to have as a back up. My dryer is energy efficient and I have never been satisfied with it, switches off when clothes are ' cupboard dry' which they are not! It is now faulty and not drying at all! If I decide to purchase a new one can GN s please advise on which make / type to go for ?

GrannyGravy13 Tue 17-May-22 13:35:44

I would go for a Bosch or Siemens, make sure it is one of the ones made in Germany not China. (The ones made in Germany have a five year guarantee as opposed to 2/3 years given by the Chinese products)

MiniMoon Tue 17-May-22 13:58:35

My tumble dryer is over 20 years old and still going strong. It isn't terribly energy efficient either, it's a Creda but I wouldn't recommend it as they have had recalls due to fire risk.

My daughter recently bought a LG tumble dryer and loves it.

SueDonim Tue 17-May-22 14:12:43

We have a pretty old (10+yrs) Bosch Condensor which is used quite a lot as we don’t have outdoor facilities for drying. It’s v good.

Jane43 Tue 17-May-22 14:13:42

I have one which is supposed to dry clothes to ‘cupboard dry’ and as you say it doesn’t, some things are quite damp. I was going to get a new one with a heat pump which I believe is more effective, more expensive too and presumably takes more electricity but I have now abandoned that idea. I have been line drying for some weeks now and will use an old fashioned clothes horse if necessary.

Witzend Tue 17-May-22 14:25:14

Ours is probably 20 years old - or even more, too.

It has just two settings - hot and less hot.
Works fine - why they have so many settings now I don’t understand.
i use it a lot less than I used to but it’s still needed for anything like pillows and a down-filled gilet. Or the occasional drying of anything needed in a hurry. If Gdcs have been staying I will usually wash and dry any dirties rather than send them home for dd to do.,

BeEmerald Tue 17-May-22 15:46:42

I bought a cheap Beko condenser from AO. It’s very good. I’m trying to dry outside on airers to save money but nuke anything persistently damp for 10 minutes as necessary. It has a top drawer you empty the water out of which is great as I can’t bend down anymore. I don’t want to pay a lot for machines that’ll last 20 years as they will last a lot longer than I will smile

twinnytwin Tue 17-May-22 15:54:06

We've just bought a Bosch heat pump tumble dryer. It is more expensive to buy but more economical to run as the air is recirculated rather than it going through a vent and new air heated. Very pleased with it. I'll line dry whenever possible though.

Liamsnana Sun 05-Jun-22 17:54:15

I own an old Bosch id say at least 20 years old but since DGS came to live with us last summer I tend to have all his clothes and nappies on the washing line ,saved a fortune

LadyGracie Sun 05-Jun-22 18:01:11

I have an AEG Lavatherm condenser dryer, it’s energy efficient, dries well and stops before the end of the programme if the washing is dry.

Shelflife Sun 05-Jun-22 18:09:15

I appreciate your thoughts , thanks everyone.

LOUISA1523 Sun 05-Jun-22 18:19:20

Mines a hotpoint .... works a treat

Franbern Mon 06-Jun-22 08:00:47

Heat Pump is the way to go. Yes, these are more expensive to purchase, but save considerably on energy (ie: Leccy) used to run them. Due to their method of working, they take a little longer to run. Having moved to a flat with no washing permitted (quite correctly) on our balconys - this has been in use for the past two and half years.

It works perfectly, stops when it detects no further damp inside the drum. I do not bother with setting different programmes, use the water it gets from washing for my indoor potted plants - and do not find it at all heavy on leccie to use.

Not sure if different manufacturers make much difference (except to cost). Mine is a Beko - one of the cheaper ones.

Georgesgran Mon 06-Jun-22 08:12:34

I think I’ve the same one as you BeEmerald - Beko, condenser dryer, made in the UK.
My last dryer had the water drawer at the bottom, so this is so much easier to handle being at the top. I can highly recommend it.

Juliet27 Mon 06-Jun-22 08:17:31

Nice to see nappies blowing in the wind again Liamsnana.

BlueSky Mon 06-Jun-22 08:39:01

Liamsnana washing line of course but if/when it’s a drying day, otherwise I’m grateful I can use my wonderful Bosch! That’s because we live in the UK, I don’t think they sell many driers in the Med!

StarDreamer Mon 06-Jun-22 08:46:52

I have a tumble dryer but I cannot use it now as the water tray is at the base and I can no longer manage to get the tray out to empty it.

annodomini Mon 06-Jun-22 08:48:11

Mine is a 21 year-old Hotpoint and still working. I try not to use it too often, though today it looks as if I might need it. It has two settings - high and low and you can set the timer to any length you want. For me, simple is best with less to go wrong. But I don't think you will find such a machine nowadays.

karmalady Mon 06-Jun-22 08:54:24

mine is a miele heat pump, very cheap to use and great as a back-up. I do dry most washing outdoors. I wanted a reliable long-lasting td. A considered purchase and a treat to myself, when I moved to a new build. It is very gentle on clothes and I use it to always finish my pre-washing/shrinking of delicate fabrics for sewing

Grannybags Mon 06-Jun-22 09:34:15

Liamsnana

I own an old Bosch id say at least 20 years old but since DGS came to live with us last summer I tend to have all his clothes and nappies on the washing line ,saved a fortune

I used to love the sight of terry nappies on my washing line!

It's 40+ years since it's happened in my garden though...

Nandalot Mon 06-Jun-22 09:44:46

Agree with you OP. Cupboard dry is not. I have to use extra dry on my machine.

H1954 Mon 06-Jun-22 10:35:20

We have a Grundig Condensor dryer which also has the top drawer facility to empty out the water. However, there are two filters, one in the door and one at floor level behind a small flap. At 12 months old we had a free service of the dryer and the technician explained that it is crucial to keep the lower filter clean.......apparently the build up of fluff is the main cause of fires in tumble dryers.
I would recommend a condensor dryer as there's no problems in where you put it, no need for venting through a hose etc.
Our Cupboard dry option is brilliant too

Happysexagenarian Wed 22-Jun-22 14:24:50

You have probably replaced you tumble drier by now Shelflife, but just for the record we have just replaced our tumble dryer. Our old one was a Bosch condenser (about 20 years old), we never had any problems with it but eventually the element burned out. The new dryer is a Beko condenser bought from AO.com. Been using it for a week and it's great: dries quickly, has a good selection of settings (without unnecessary WiFi etc), it's quiet and it was a sensible price. I use my tumble dryer nearly every day so it's an essential item for me.

Grannmarie Wed 22-Jun-22 19:32:32

I have a compact Hotpoint tumble dryer which is great, it sits under the worktop below the kitchen window, so I don't need to use the venting kit.
I use it regularly to finish off/ fluff up washing which has been on the line or the clothes horse, it only takes 20 minutes per load.
Recently on GN there was a thread about dehumidifiers, I can't find it now. Many people recommended these as a cheaper alternative to tumble dryers.

Forsythia Thu 23-Jun-22 18:28:09

We just replaced our old Bosch with a cheaper one from ao. It’s an Electra condensing dryer cost just over £200. We looked at another Bosch but the cost put us off. We use ours to finish things off after being on the line or the airer in winter. So far, the Electra seems a really good buy.