AEG Lavamat 6200 kaput - repair? replace? which new?

[John Stumbles]

Trusty[1] old AEG Lavamat 6200 washing machine is not well. Fills, empties, programmer makes usual synchron-motor-doing-its-stuff nose, but drum doesn't rotate. Checked the brushes (only replaced them a few years ago[2]) and they're OK, but not seeing any volts across any pins of the motor's multi-way connector so I guess something's not happy in the controller. Even if the controller were available I guess it would be £100-£200 which is throwing a lot of money at a very old (if well-built) machine so .... maybe time to bit the bullet & get a new one?

So, what and where? Probably can't afford Miele; AEG are now part of Electrosux so they're out ... Siemens or Bosch? Or LG, are they good these days?

John Lewis have a Bosch Avantixx WAE24366GB for £338 (though JL are no longer offering 5-year guarantees as standard - they're doing the extended warranty scam like the others - so no particular reason to buy from them).

There used to be outfits doing machines with cosmetic damage cheaply. I bought our first Bosch that way (I think it was part of Allders) almost

20 years ago. It had some slight ding on the side which the salesdroid had to point out to me and then I couldn't find it later! Anyone know of places like that?

[1] well it used to be

[2] 2008? googling found me a thread from here (leeched on one of those diyxxx websites) where I was asking about motor-not-running problem so I guess that was the time I found the brushes had gone

[Bob Minchin]

Southern Domestic in Southampton do machines with cosmetic defects and ones that have been used for production test samples.

are two shops within a few doors. One where you can get the sales chat and see perfect models and then go down the road to see what they have as graded stock. Once paid for you can take it way there and then.

hth

Bob

[Andy Dingley]

Our fridge (2 1/2 yr) is from Comet Clearance. There was a scratch on it somwhere, but I've done worse since hitting it with milkbottles and cats.

Our new washer (3m) is an LG, the model with the direct drive motor, and it's really good. Does all the good stuff and is amazingly quiet too. Cheap from electrocentre in Birmingham..

[Part timer]

Good old Electrocentre! We got a dishwasher from them, cheapest price on Google. The two guys in a dark blue box-bodied Sprinter really needed a better sat nav, then learn how to use it. They had a couple more drops to do in the Sc*nhorpe after finally reaching us around

8:30pm after about 1.5 hours of driving around within 10 miles of us, phoning up and then saying where they were (almost randomly). 10/10 for hard work, 2/10 for efficiency. A decent sat nav would have paid for itself within a couple of days I reckon.

[John Stumbles]

It's not moving the drum on spin either

[Skipweasel]

Open circuit on the speed-sensor on the motor?

[John Stumbles]

Is there a speed sensor on the motor? Seems to be 3 windings. Might be brushes/armature + 2 field windings. The machine's out in the drive atm - just picked up a pre-loved Bosch for 100 notes this morning (life too short etc etc)

[Skipweasel]

Ah - there often is but not always. Many have a tachogenerator on the stub end of the motor - just a coil with a multipole cylindrical magnet on the shaft. I've had a few die in various ways over the years.

[Timothy Murphy]

Sorry to push in slightly irrelevantly, but I also have an ancient AEG Lavamat (though a 605 not 6200) and have had great difficulty finding brushes for the motor. The motor has a number on a tag: 55054.

As far as I can see, various motors were installed on this (and maybe other) AEG models.

I've only been able to install new brushes by cutting off one of the small plastic studs on them, which are meant to fit into holes in the brush-holder on the motor.

[<me9]

My AEG did, Machine was replaced acouple of years ago after programmer failure and inability to find spares at an economic price. It's now replaced by a Meile.

I must get round to fixing the Hotpoint. The only problem is the extra holes (with jaggy ends pointing inwards) caused by a drill left in my pocket after mending the roof. It's recently been used for paint rollers and bushes for which it's very good, as long as it's water based paint.

[Timothy Murphy]

My ancient AEG Lavamat 605 must be nearing the end of its natural life. But I'm surprised how many experts say that these old AEG machines were much better made than anything available today. The last time mine went wrong the man who mended it advised me to keep it until the bearings went.

[John Stumbles]

You're absolutely correct. Explains why the connector has 3 circuits (6 poles) - field coil, armature and speed sensor. Presumably the electronics just applies mains to the field coil and pulse-width- modulates power to the armature to get desired speeds.

[John Stumbles]

You can have my motor (or the brushes if they fit) if it's any use to you. (I think we had this discussion 3 years ago?!) I can post a photo up somewhere.