Laundry Clothes Dryer. Recommendations Please.

Not a spring chicken, but somehow I've gotten away without having a clothes dryer for decades (and I live in Victoria of all states!). It's time I think to make the move - feeling my age each time I hang clothes out, usually filling the clothes line once with backup from a few clothes airers (only sometimes to experience some weird wet stuff falling from the sky when I've been distracted for 15 minutes. Enough!

I know this much. I've seen the sub $200 ones at Aldi. I've seen the ones that are in the thousands. Something something heat pump something something inverter? I get the general idea. I'm too poor to buy cheap. Happy to get something that's got the bells and whistles so I can almost think about handing it down to my kids one day. (exaggerating)

Things that are important are probably not have that whack in the face you get from the old ones when opening the door of the laundry. Soaked curtains, walls, etc.
Capacity. 4 in the household but we might have 30 people hidden in the basement based on the amount of clothes I see ready to wash every <48 hours. Got a 11kg washing machine. So can see a problem going from cement mixer capacity to a dry in a milo tin.

Spouse says she cares about energy saving. I'm meh whatever on that one.

Had choice magazine access for awhile, then I was no longer a fan of what they were producing - still be really interested if you have access to know their 1, 2, 3. picks.

In short, love to know the best out there, a big boy would be a bonus, energy - sure, quality over price.

I think that's all I can come up with for now, thanks for listening to my dribble. Looking forward to losing the clothes line, least for the winter, which down the surf coast of Victoria is pretty much as long as a human gestation.

tl/dr clothes. Dry. Good.

Comments

  • bigger is better

  • +1

    That was a long-winded post full of hot air!

    They all dry, just depends on size and energy efficiency. Buy best one your budget can afford, simples.

    • +1

      Yep, they all use a heap of power, heat pump a bit more efficient, but a lot more expensive. Condenser doesnt fog your laundry up.

  • Had choice magazine access for awhile, then I was no longer a fan of what they were producing - still be really interested if you have access to know their 1, 2, 3. picks.

    Some public libraries have online access to Choice for library members. Check out your local library's web site.

  • Heat pump is most energy efficient, won't release moisture in the air so no wet walls. Big one will set you back a long way. Go to the good guys and look for capacity you need. Been told Miele and Asko are the Rolls Royce. Bosch also good but a level below and then it's the rest.

  • Have a Dryer is nice and convenient. But will be putting more wear and tear on your clothes.

    • Which is probably equivalent to hanging in UV rays all day.

  • If you want a no frills dryer, look into the Simpson range that has a mechanical knob. Otherwise, a fisher and paykel have a few more features and whatnot. Those will be the two ill be looking at.

    • I was told by the staff at GoodGuys that Simpson and Electrolux are made in the same factory. Simpson is the cheap version and Electrolux is the better (quality/features) one!

      • +1

        You are correct. Westinghouse, Simpson, AEG, Chef, Dishlex, Kelvinator are all under the Electrolux umbrella. Nearly all of their laundry appliances are made in Thialand with the expection of AEG that I believe are still made in europe.

  • Any model numbers available for anything worthy of being in the Top 5?

  • Not a spring chicken,

    No. You're a SeaMonkey.

    FWIW, we had an Aldi one and it got the job done. We've moved house and got a bigger F&P one. Not sure it's worth the extra $$.

  • +1

    Look for condenser options to not fog your laundry up.

    Look for heat pump options to not fog your laundry up and be somewhat efficient.

    • Or you could just open your laundry door or window.

      • Generally use dryer more in winter, vented dryer + external fan vent is a better option :)

  • FYI, dryers are out of stock in most places, backorder with 4-6 weeks minimum wait - due to Corona and excess rain in some parts of Australia!

  • Bought a Rinnai Gas dryer years ago. Costs about the same as a heat pump dryer

    It is without a doubt the best appliance we have ever bought.

    A full washing machine load dry in ~ 30 minutes

    Super efficient & Japanese made.

  • I'm thinking I might opt for a Bosch WTW87566AU 9kg heat pump. That's where my thinking is currently at.

  • Id buy one that is big enough (not 4kg) and works.
    No need for any bells and whistles.
    Just go for the cheapest one that suits

    There are many on gumtree and facebook selling for $30 to $50

    Low price so not much to worry about if it breaks down in a year or two.
    Even new ones can do that.
    Just check that the lint filters are clean before you use it.
    Maybe even before you buy it as it shows the dryer has been regularly cleaned of lint if they are clean
    Very important!

  • If you're interested in getting a Miele, check their clearance centre as they usually have a very good price there. Sometimes they have brand new items too but at a cheaper price, although most are ex-demos from their experience centre I believe.

    We got a 9kg heat pump with steam function from the clearance centre 1.5 years ago and it was almost 40% off RRP (should've gone for a cheaper version though as we don't really use the steam function!)

    Heat pump is worth it if you use your dryer often. Ours is used at least every 2 days. And it's a lot more gentle on your clothes as well compared to the cheap ones.

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