Whirlpool AWM5125/5 Front Load Washer

My then boyfriend and I brought this whirlpool awm5125/5 in 1200 spin for our first home together in early 2006. It's moved with us to 4 new homes and we are now married with a toddler so the machine has gone from 2-3 uses a week to around 6+ uses a week! We also live in an exceptionally hard water area (our kettle needls rescaling once per week!

My husband is a farmer so his clothes get very dirty.

This washing machine has never let us down! It is just going in to its 7th year soon and is only just starting to sound 'unwell' !! The drum doesn't spin so easily and it makes a loud noise of the spin, I suspect the bearings may have gone.

For the £200 this washing machine cost us it owes us absolutely nothing! I will replace the bearings and see how it goes, but if I have to replace it I will do so knowing that we probably won't be able to buy another such reliable machine for the equivalent money!!!!

5 breakdowns in the first 7 months of ownership, all caused by faulty and poor quality components. Now, after 18 months a drum suspension spring has failed. This machine has had light use (2-3 times weekly) and has never been overloaded. The machine was installed in a 'new-build' house, with 5 other whirlpool appliances. All 5 have failed. Neighbours all suffering the same problems. Stay away from whirlpool, abysmal quality.

This is the 1200rpm spin model. The AWM5145 is identical, but with 1400 spin.

Picked this up from Costco for about £230. Could have got it online for about £190, but decided that if I ever needed to return it, Costco would be the easier option. Besides, the old one had packed up, and with delivery times of up to 2 weeks, this seemed the best bet.

Had it for about 8 months so far, and I'm quite pleased, especially when compared to my old Zanussi.