When we need a washing machine we have to decide between Semi-automatic or fully-automatic. Semi-automatics are priced about the half of the fully-automatic ones. On the basis of price Semi-automatic is a natural choice. But there are other points also which are to be taken into consideration at the time of the purchase of a washing machine:-
1. Availability of water - In the Semi-automatic machine, you have a control on the water. If you have fewer clothes you can add water accordingly. But in a fully-automatic machine, it takes a lot of water even for fewer clothes. Thus the concentration of the detergent decreases if you have added the detergent as per your clothes. You have no control over the water, the machine decides about it.
2. Dirt removal at the specific area of the cloth - The areas near the collar and wrist of a shirt and bottom line of a pant gets dirtier. In a Semi-automatic machine, you can lift the cloth, put some detergent and rub with hand or brush to remove the dirt. In a fully-automatic machine, the process is continuous, you shut it and forget it. If you want to remove the dirt of the collar with hand rubbing you have to be attentive to pause the machine before it starts rising. Another way is that you rub these areas with detergents before putting them into the machine.
3. Space - The Semi-automatic machine has two drums, a washing drum and the other rinsing drum while the fully-automatic machine has only one drum. So the semi-automatic machine takes more space than the fully automatic machine.
4. Maintenance - The maintenance of semi-automatic machine is easy and cheap because it has no sophisticated parts like a fully-automatic machine. I had a semi-automatic machine and once it was lightly damaged by rats when we were out of the station. I opened its back cover and could repair it myself. In the fully automatic machine, you have to call the service center person and show it to the experts because it has some chips and complicated arrangements.
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| Eight long years and still running, Excellent |
So if you have space, maidservants and want to use optimum water then go for the semi-automatic washing machine. Otherwise, if no tension of water and want a "fill it-shut it-forget it" type machine then go for the fully-automatic machine.
Now if you chose fully-automatic machine there will again be a dilemma whether to buy a front-load machine or a top-load machine. I too had to take a decision. After using the semi-automatic machine for more than a decade I decided to buy a fully-automatic machine because we were moving to a new place where the space for the machine was smaller. So, what to choose? semi or fully?
One of my relatives had purchased a fully automatic machine a year ago. He is an intelligent person. He said that after a research he finalized a top-load machine because in a front load machine you have to bend the body more often and it is better to use a top load machine. He had bought a Samsung top-load fully automatic machine and I just copied him. I was not wrong in copying him because it is more than eight years now and it is running flawlessly. Though it had cost me about 17000/- Rupees then from the local market, its price is now only Rs. 13400/- on the Amazon. Not only Samsung any branded machine will be ok.
If you buy from Amazon they claim to install it within 48 hours. Many other branded washing machines are available here like - IFB, Haier, LG, Whirlpool and Bosch.
It was my experience with the washing machines. Hope it will be helpful in the decision if going to purchase a washing machine.
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