Cheap and certainly chearful (Beko WM5140)

Member Name: totally_organic

Product:	Beko WM5140
Date:	12/11/09 (51 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cheap, handwash cycle, 30 degree cycle & time delay available

Disadvantages: Probably not the best looker

I bought this washing machine about 2 months ago having needed something quickly when buying a house, and I've been thoroughly impressed with it. Having splashed out on an expensive fridge we ran out of money for a washing machine and just bought the 2nd cheapest wasing machine we could find (the cheapest was out of stock!). Think it set me back £210 from Dixons including delivery.

What can I say about a washing machine... well it seems to wash things pretty well. Takes a 5kg load which is fine (we thought this was a tiny amount as you can get 7 or 8kg machines, but then realised the one in our previous flat was 5kg too and it had done us for the last year).

It doesn't have a 30 degree cotton cycle, but you can wash at 30 degrees on a synthetics cycle, and we just use that for our cottons anyway and it all comes out clean. Spin cycle speed is upto 1400rpm and theres a dial for turning this down - having said this, I've only used it at 1400 as I'm not convinced it is the best spinner I've ever had, so haven't tried turning it down. But it does OK.

Size wise it does look a little wide somehow but depth is fine (H850 x W595 x D480mm). Everything on it is knobs and buttons - no funky LED displays with internal computers that are likely to break.

Drawer where you put in the washing powder seems a little flimsy, but since it only has to hold the weight of washing powder this isn't a real issue unless you've got kids who like swinging on things.

We often use the quick wash cycle - can't specifically say exactly how long this cycle is, but its pretty darn quick and does the job.

Its got a time delay option of 3,6 or 9 hours. This is quite handy as you can set it before you go to work and have your washing done by the time you get back ready to hang out without it having sat around all day in the machine to get that odd smell washing always gets when you've forgotten about it. I'd advise writing yourself a note for when you get in to remind you that you've used it though... otherwise it sits in there all night and the next day, by which time it smells much worse than it would of done had you not used the time delay!

Probably the handiest little cycle it has is the handwash cycle - not something we saw on some of the mid-range priced machines. We've put quite a few of our handwash only clothes through it and none have been torn to shreds.

I'm not going to list all the functions as these can be found elsewhere, but suffice to say I've had no problems with this machine. Fingers crossed this continues!

Summary: A good all round machine for a fraction of the price of others

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