Asko W6444

Looked After – I spent my life hand washing clothes in the past 40 or so years. I bought my first Asko washing machine front loader 2010 model and never looked back. It has never missed a beat and I've not had any issues. I can honestly say, it is really the way machines are looked after, whether it be asko, miele or any equipment for that matter, and how… Read more

good the manufacturers are. Since day one, after all washing is completed, I've always washed it with final rinse on an empty drum with a small cup of vinegar - same cup for measuring liquid detergent (which I've used). The cycle takes about 6 minutes then a followup with wipe down. Bearing in mind I lead a very busy life in a very highly intense profession so time is very limited but it still gets done.

I am now organising its first service. Everyone who comes to my place admires the machine and thinks I've bought a new machine as it looks brand new. So I am not sure who to go to at the moment, as there are numerous cowboys around. Previous serviceman were honest and didn't charge exhorbatant prices for changing a plug. Now its call out fees, sit down fees, climbing stair fees... absolutely ludicrous.

Like any equipment it must be looked after and in turn it will treat you well AND go the distance.

About 3 years ago, I have bought a larger washing machine (LG) for a second home, as the original ASKO was no longer made in SWEDEN so I've shifted to an alternative. After researching indepth, I decided to go with LG and not Fisher & Paykel (Originally NZ made and was excellent (my parents had) but has since changed hands, not so good). As for the current Westinghouse... I am happy with my parents one as well but it is a top loader.

Initially, I was persuaded by a Medical colleague to buy a front loader.. at first I was very reluctant.. but no qualms about it. She directed me to the right place.

Motto: Look after anything and it will look after you. Always research your products. Reviews are helpful but are very deceptive especially when a firm gets 2000 or so good reviews. Integrity is hard to find in the large business world...

Happy washing....

I will never purchase an Asko again – I purchased my washing machine almost 8 years ago, expecting a machine that would last many years. Instead, I have had a machine that (under warranty) had to have the control panel replaced, was told (while under warranty) that they could not fix the persistent squeak and now (out of warranty) the door latch has almost ceased working, the squeak… Read more

has turned into a noise that sounds like the machine has rusted, and a seal has fallen off.

They refuse to send one of their repairmen out free of charge to give me a quote for repairs as it is out of warranty, instead telling me I should get someone else to come and do a free quote and send it onto them. Given they have already refused my request to fix the issues, I do not see the point of sending them a quote. They have offered me a discount on purchasing a new machine, however could not tell me what that discount would be as it depended on the individual model (why on earth would I have already researched purchasing a new machine with them?). It is appalling that they are happy to admit the machine needs to be replaced after eight years (so clearly have sold me a faulty product), but not willing to accept any fault (despite one of the issues occurring in the warranty period). Their company slogan at the time was 'built to last', and their website currently boasts 'durability', 'high quality craftmanship' and 'premium performance'. Asko has not even come close to delivering on these promises.

Their customer service is extremely poor also- I was only able to get through to them after calling once and being told their manager would call me back (they never did), sending an email (they never replied), and then calling them again and waiting on hold for over an hour. From the first phone call to the last phone call was 6 weeks.

If you are thinking of purchasing an Asko, I highly recommend that you don't. Spend your money on a company that builds a higher quality, longer lasting product and has a better standard of customer service.

Yeah it's pricey but the design and features are tailored to it's intended purpose – Still going well after 5 years... Writing this review because there are a few other opinions of misfortune. My Asko was an update because I liked it's simplicity and design. I am mechanically minded and value these traits. Replacing an LG CleanMaster because after 15 years it earned a retirement, it's on pet duties. Looking at notable features… Read more

without being too 'smart' this one ticks all the boxes. There are settings for all my needs which recall temp and spin speed for each. The best feature is the 'steel seal' as an evolution and trademark of Asko looks. Being on tank water I appreciate the units efficiency, using eucalyptus type liquid the machine smells as fresh as the day it arrived and completes it's eco friendly nature being grey water safe. My only gripe in getting a 7kg washer is that I need to 1/2 fill it with clothes ! Ideally 2/3 loose is my limit and no issues with cleaning. I can understand the 'long' program times but the unit adjusts and usually finishes earlier. Only using pre wash when needed is a bonus, and having extra rinse cycles programmable could be great for sensitive skin. It's all too easy. Doonas, pillows, towels, no issues. Just put some thought into how it will balance. It knows when something is waterlogged and takes it's time with little spins before ramping up. Love it. So is their 20 years a good estimate... Well I have just had the back off to check the belt, you can adjust the tension. Quattro shock have done some miles, gave them a quarter turn and a bit of MX6 Inox refresh. No problems with leaks, the detergent draw is of good design, and I have never had a pump issue. Beware though, that mould attracting 'pen & coin' etc catching rubber seal is not on this one so check your pockets :-) While not as whisper quiet as a friends Euromaid (Aussie Owned !) I love my Asko and it's Swedish charm. It's the last one made in Sweden. And it's mine. I cherish it dearly.

Lasted 10 years and used loads – This front-loader has been brilliant. It’s quiet and doesn’t use too much water. I need to clean a lot more per week than the average household and we have just passed 10 years with no issues. Would recommend this brand I wash smelly gym clothes and they come out clean. Easy to use. Great for delicates. Some rust in the tray for powder. Spin cycle is getting squeaky now. Show details

Good washing machine – Doesn't have a lot of features, but does the job! Isn't too noisy on the spin cycle, only complaint so far has been that after it finishes it switches itself off - meaning you have to power it back on the next time you want to use it. I guess it saves power that way, but it's taken us a little while to get used to it. A big bonus for us is that… Read more

it doesn't have that big rubber seal most front loaders have - which normally get all gunky after a while. Overall, really happy with it.

Update - it is now June 2022, so over three years since buying it (and a year past the 2 year warranty) and the machine is making a loud noise during the first spin cycle - basically when it has a reasonable amount of water in it. It is like it is out of balance, but it actually isn't. It is also fine towards the end of the wash cycle even when it is running at high rpms. I suspect that most likely the shock absorbers need replacing which is a little disappointing after only three years - they should last upwards of ten. Will cost about $200 plus labour so not too bad I guess, but still disappointing.

Update #2 - Decided to save some money, get a kit, and replace the shock absorbers myself. Didn't look too hard to do. On opening the machine I discovered that one of the two balance springs had snapped. I found the remnants, and the metal was very brittle - not a great sign. I suspect this will be a common issue as it snapped where the wire had been bent into a sharp right angle. It's possible that the shock absorbers are a little worn causing in turn more stress on these two springs but I might wait a few more years before putting them in. Anyhow, I didn't have a new spring so did a temporary fix using some wire and what was left of the old spring - and it seems to have fixed it for now. So the lesson here is - as much as it was a pain to pull the washer out and open it - to check first before ordering parts..... Anyhow, will now order in two springs (I know that only one is broken, but given how brittle the broken one was I think it's best to replace both and the old one can perhaps be a backup spare). My repair should last a while, but it is definitely temporary!

Update #3 - Final update, I'm afraid. Yesterday the machine died after the power went out. Unclear if the machine caused the outage, or if it was an innocent victim. Anyhow, once power was restored it refused to empty the water, and would not open the door. It just sat there flashing the time remaining. By holding down both buttons could cancel the current program and change it to something else, but no emptying of water or other activity would happen. Well, not quite true - the time remaining would slowly count down but nothing else would happen. Pressing & holding the unlock button would not unlock the door. I manually emptied the water from the hatch below and then was able to manually open the door (they say to use the special key, but a small screwdriver works as well) so I could rescue the towels inside. I could manually spin the the drum, but I tried a number of times to get it to work but no go. Best was at one point it sounded like it was trying to empty water - which was interesting given that it was empty. Searching the internet came up with a suggestion of leaving the machine off for at least a minute then opening and closing the door up to 12 times to reset the machine, but that made no difference. I have three theories - the brushes on the drum are worn so it's not spinning, the switch that detects if the water has drained is faulty so it's not allowing the door to open, or the motherboard is faulty. I think the most likely issue is the motherboard. Whatever the case may be, repairing it now is probably not going to be economically feasible so six years after buying it it's time to move onto another machine. Because it only lasted 6 years, I've downgraded my rating from 5 to 4 stars.

We have gone through Miele (Miele W2515 - lasted more than ten years which was actually pretty good, although it wasn't without issues over that time), now Asko, so next on the list is Bosch. Will see how that goes.

Controller design issues – I was once or twice a week with a medium to nearly full load. The control card failed during the warranty period and was replaced. The card has now failed a second time and even though I could replace it myself the cost of the part is as much as a buying another washing machine. I have always connected the machine through a surge protector and my… Read more

house has a main surge protector. Control boards should last as long as the mechanical and other electrical components

trouble from date of purchase doesn"t complete a load Now the door window is broken bugger 3yrs old – all the cycles have problems of not completing the wash time especially on cold wash only I have battling ever since i brought it. The local crew I brought it from don>t want to know. Show details

Smart Engineering Gone Wrong! – Unreliable, unsecured awful machine that was woeful from the start. Smart engineering ideas, but woefully incorporated into the design. Loads are always unbalanced no matter what you do, making the internal springing/shock mount system unable to handle the unbalanced load when it spins at such a high speed. It noisily danced all over the laundry. Show details

Nothing but trouble – A waste of money. Would have been better off buying a less expensive machine. Issues developed when it was less than 2 years old and has been nothing but trouble since. Would not recommend an Asko.  Show details

Rusty+++ – Developed rust around detergent drawer after less than 2 years. It has just continued to spread to the point that rust/water/detergent mix drips from drawer.will never waste my money on an asko appliance again Show details

Not worth the price – Have persisted with this for a number of years as not in a position to replace. As with a number of other reviewers the detergent dispenser rusted out fairly quickly, however this was not a big problem. It is the regular failure to complete a cycle that has me incensed. A messy and time consuming task to drain the machine and start again. Am looking forward to replacing this heap of rubbish at the end of the year.

Asko W6444 front loader washing machine – for the warranty period all parts etc. were sent and delivered free no problem. Parts readily available. however, the machine front panel rusted out. Suspension support broke. I wouldn't by another.

Disappointing – Purchased my W6444A washing machine in November 2016 (so 4 years old). Machine has been working well until I went to turn it on last Saturday and got nothing. Checked power points and they were fine. The front panel control board has shorted. After reading some reviews it seems this is not an isolated incident. My main disappointment however was… Read more

the supposed service from ASKO when I rang to organize a repair the very polite customer service people seemed to just read off a scripted page. What wasn't on the script could not be done. I can only assume ASKO doesn't trust their front line people enough to let them think independently. Finally, it seems that a repair by ASKO will cost between 30% to 50% or more of the cost of the machine. Put another way, I could probably purchase a cheap machine elsewhere for the cost of a repair. If you are looking to purchase a long lasting machine read the other reviews here and purchase at your own risk.

Asko front loader? Not a good idea – Previously owned a Fisher & Paykel top loader. It washed the clothes of our family of four well - but got out of balance sometimes. Stupidly I believed what i was told about front-loading washing machines, Asko in particular and bought W6444A. It was expensive and has proved to be NOT worth it! It does not wash properly! White towels and sheets?… Read more

Forget about ever getting them looking good again! A delicate wash is the only thing it does well. I bought this machine in 2016 and when it breaks down I will replace it with another top[ loader.

Overpriced and poor quality – This washing machine was very expensive and I chose it due to the fact that it was not made in China and the salesman assured me it was the top of the range. Ever since I got it I have had major problems with the spin cycle with heavier items such as bath towels bath mats and the like. The machine refuse to spin dry and the items are full of… Read more

water. I've tried rearranging the items in the washer, referred to the manual and even contacted Asko through their website. I was sent a confirmation email saying they would be in contact within 48 hours , that was 4 weeks ago and I still haven't heard anything. I would definitely suggest that this product should not be purchased as you will not get what you paid for. My daughters cheap front loader has been perfect with no issues and she has had it for 5 years now. Think before you purchase an Ako product.

Short lived washing machine – My washing machine is 4 years old so no longer under warranty. It started wobbling and 'walking'. The Asko service department suggested that the suspension would need replacement at a cost of $400-500. For a high end brand this is an enormous amount of money to have to pay out after only 4 years use. It is extremely disappointing and as a result I would find it very difficult to recommend the brand or purchase another Asko product. Show details

Rust and other issues – We bought our Asko laundry appliances eight years ago thinking we would be investing in high quality products that would last. They have had many problems over the years and while we have not had to replace them (yet) I would not recommend them. Our problems with our washing machine (Asko W6444) began straight away with the difficult door latch.… Read more

It has to be closed with the weight of my knee behind my finger. I have to show any visitors to the house the special technique I use to close it. That has been annoying but we can live with it. The biggest issue we had was that detergent tray rusted within a few years of purchase. It was replaced because it was apparently due to a design flaw. The rust had spread to the front of the machine, so I had to treat it with rust remover, prep, and touch up paint, only to have it return and spread. Then rust began to develop around the door, and under the machine. I have never had this issue with any other machines I have previously owned, including the cheapies I used to own when I was a uni student. We have now had it for 8 years and today it has broken down for the second time in a year. With all the rust I don't expect it to last anywhere near as long as we expected when we bought it so am considering whether it is even worth repairing. Perhaps I would be better off investing in a new, cheaper machine. Will discuss it with the service person. We also bought an Asko dryer and have had all sorts of troubles with it. It overheats and switches itself off with only a tiny build up of fluff. The control panel and display no longer work properly- so we fly blind- turning it to whatever position gets it working, unsure how long or how hot the cycle will be. We had a service person come out (at our expense) but the cost of replacing the panel was not worth it. In the meantime, I would recommend anyone looking to buy a new laundry appliances, to avoid Asko. We have no faith in the quality of their brand.

Has a manufacturing flaw that causes rust under soap dispenser onto front panel – I know this product is discontinued, However, I'm writing this to say, do not buy from this company. Like many others, we also got rust on the front panel. First time it happened, it was replaced under warranty. However, it happened again. The policy of the company is if the same thing happens again, then it's obviously something we're doing,… Read more

rather than the same fault. So despite it being the exact same fault, they wanted to charge us an outrageous amount for a technician to come and evaluate it, even though it was the exact same fault as before, and then to charge us again for the repair.

In the end, we just couldn't win. So we bought the front panel ourselves, and got it replaced. Looking at the old rusted front panel, I can see exactly what the problem is. When they paint the panel, they miss spots on the back of it, and it's these spots where the rust starts.

We will not be buying any Asko product again, and I will take every opportunity to tell others not to buy, including putting out a post on social media, and YouTube channels. The woman in the service/claim department was very quick to blame us for a common problem, a problem they acknowledged as their fault the first time around (and the service technician even told us it was a known problem).

I've kept the rusted panel, and I'll be cleaning it up and making sure it's painted properly when the new panel I've just put on starts rusting out.

Great machine, even with a few small repairs – Love it, though it has started to overfill, but only on spin cycles, not initial fill. Trying to work out if it's pressure switch. Can't find much repair info or manuals online. Three years ago it was blowing circuit breaker on house, turned out to be water shorting thermistor under drum. Water coming from overflow return on top of drum, running… Read more

down onto thermistor. Fixed it myself. Machine does two to three loads(mostly quick cycle), per day average, x 7 years service, so not unhappy with it, but would like to be able to find info to repair.

It is easy to use, controls always work, it's just a good machine.

Gentle on clothes, they don't go out of shape.

Only gripe would be that long cycle times are just that, LONG!

It's quiet, smooth and has been pretty reliable. We would definitely buy Asko again, in fact have dishwasher, and considering dryer.

But first I would like to fix this issue.

Magpie

Has worked really well – Single person doing 2+ loads a week I have been happy with the wash results. I do not own a dryer and the rapid spin cycle (1400 rpm) means that items air dry easily. Depending on the items I have utilised most of the different programmes and although majority of washes are in cold water I do a regular hot wash, using the inboard heater, to flush… Read more

the machine.

The machine has been trouble free for almost 6 years and has just begun spinning out of balance. I will be contacting Asko for service repair costs and from reading other reviews it appears manufacturers are creating planned obsolescence which is terribly wasteful.

I will add to this review on the outcome.

*** As a follow on to my earlier review Asko were very helpful.

Recommended I run the machine empty at top temp, 95 C, longest cycle and 600 spin speed. This is incase any build up from detergeant on the drum is unbalancing it. This maintenance is best done every 3 months (for my light usage). The empty wash went well. My next full load of towels was also run at 95c but at top speed.

Some rumbling as it switched direction on rinse cycle but it managed to go to top speed okay.

Also recommended I load the machine to high capacity 6-7kg dry weight in future. This helps the drum to rebalance also. Very happy for the assistance I hope I didn't damage the suspension when it was out of balance.

Time will tell.

Great machine, simplicity at its best – We got the Asko from a friend who was moving overseas. The machine had seen 3 years of gentle use. Since our time using it, we have loved it. I understand it’s a $1000+ machine. Pros & Cons for you below: Pros: The best button layout I have ever used. Simple, elegant, work left to right and love its minimal design Washes great - gentle on… Read more

clothes

Spins fast - very little vibration

Cons:

Shutting the door requires a shove instead of a usual click-shut. I thought this was strange. I've never used an Asko machine before so perhaps its normal, but my wife struggles to close the door. I've gotten used to it

The noise this machine creates is what I have learnt to be a typical Asko whining sound. As it starts to spin up it actually on the noisy side. During wash I wouldn't call it quiet.. We're in a small apartment so the noise carries throughout our space when it is running

No other quirks to point out. I did notice our model is made in Slovenia, and the manual has some interesting comments about being 'Inspired by Sweden'

Not happy – Brought w6444a front loader in 2015 thinking if pay more should be good even paid extended warranty through asko then yesterday on/off button wont work no power burnt smell and warranty run out 3 mths ago. Not happy asko not happy paid over $1200 and extended warranty not happy not happy.  Show details

Great washing machine – Have had the ASKO for 10 months, and can't fault it. Very quiet and hardly any vibration/shaking for a washing machine. Also uses a heap less water than my old one, and with water as rare as it is, that can only be good. Very quick and power efficient too.  Show details

Not worth The spend as the quality is not there – we have both Asko washer and heat pump dryer , they have been fine until 4.5 years in the washing machine has worn bearings and worn drum and seals , it now sounds like theres half a dozen spanners getting a run with machine, i would not go near this brand again, to top that the dryer has issues which are starting and need repair, these machines cost $2k so they are not cheap machines the quality is just not there barely 5 years NOT Good Enough  Show details

Great washing quality - shame sbout the rust – Had machine for 7 years now, still washes great. Like others have mentioned, the detergent dispenser has rusted and the rust spread to underneath the dispenser on the front panel. It really looks bad, but does not effect the machine. Ours is a made in Sweden model, production has since moved to Slovenia. Pros: Great wash quality Still working… Read more

7 years later (no service calls, moved house 3 times.

Clothes come out quite dry (1400rpm spin)

No moulding billow to try and clean (good design)

Short wash (approx25mins) does a good job

Cons:

The rust - as others have mentioned