Fisher & Paykel 4.5kg ED56

Advice for anyone with this model in Melbourne - fix it! Don't throw it away – I recently purchased one of these second hand on gumtree for next to nothing as a repair unit. It had been abused and repaired previously (badly). I tried to fix it myself and couldn't but found a local repair guy who advised that it was worth fixing. So I bit the bullet, and dropped it off to his garage. The next day it was ready: … Read more

replacement motor, new start capacitor, new drum bearing, dry joints on circuit board resoldered, all for $160.

I can see from reviews here that after 16 years or so, people are finding their units break down (often just a capacitor or electrical issue), and deciding to buy a new replacement instead of fixing it. Get it fixed, don't buy a new one! The new units by F&P and the other brands are poor quality, made to a price in asia. You only have to read reviews to see that new models break down randomly and quickly, and have basically no chance of lasting for 16 years or more.

The person who fixed mine was totally honest and did a great job for less than half the cost of an equivalent poor quality new unit. He is thinking of stopping his service because he refuses to try and fix the new poor quality models, and people are throwing away the old ED56 instead of repairing them, and so his work is drying up.

If you live in melbourne, PM me and I will send you his details. Absolutely trustworthy guy and you'll have a dryer that is likely to last another 10 years or more. All his repairs cost between $80 and $180. He basically did a full rebuild on mine for $160. Bargain.

Wall Dryer - not happy – I have a wall dryer 3 years old (was brand new in brand new appartment when purchased) and the lining inside the drum is shedding - I have never used anything other than sented dryer sheets, anything with a zipper does not go into the dryer and only 2 adults in the family. Has any one else had this problem After many emails and phone calls to… Read more

the Fisher and Paykel service centre about the fact the drum in my wall dryers lining was shredding, and being told that F & P were not going to do anything to replace the drum (because the dryer was out of warranty) I was forced to write to the Manager (CEO) in NZ, enclosing parts of the lining from the drum. Within 2 days I had a phone call from one of the staff informing me the drum would be replaced FOC. This happened a few weeks later, unfortunately the drum, fully stainless steel, did not fit correctly and had to be replaced again. This was done, a letter of thanks to CEO was sent by me, and dryer is now doing what it should do. I did discover that the type of drum in my dryer was not all SS, the new drum is also the older style. I was lead to believe that my type of drum, being the older type is no longer being used, so it will be interesting to see if this new/old style drum does start to shread again. I was told thats why it was no longer being used.

Good – Love this product and will use it until it completely dies. It is a great size for my family of 5 but the sensor can get annoying, especially if I set it then go out only to come home to damp clothes. I would recommend this machine to anyone. I love that you can wall mount this dryer without any problems. I have had this machine about 5 years… Read more

and have never had any major problems with it. It drys well and the beeping is easily heard throughout the house. The lint catcher is a good size and works efficiently. Severe lint build up inside the door. I have to clean it after each load and can't do anything to stop it.

On occasions the dryer will beep to indicate that it's finished but the clothes are still wet. I think this is because I have put to much in the machine or the room is to hot, confusing the sensor.

Draws a lot of power but I think thats standard with dryers.

The door is thin and flimsy but I am careful when I open and close it and it's never broken for me. Could be a problem for someone who is more heavy handed than me.

they last – I have a Fischer & Paykel ED56 clothes dryer that I purchased in about 2002. It has seen my household, then 4 grandkids, survived 4 house moves in 10 years and it's about done now. I'm going to buy another Fischer & Paykel dryer this week. It's only the second clothes dryer I have ever had. Show details

Old School Made To Last! – Over 20 years old as of 2021. Replaced the spindle bearing twice. No other maintenance needed in that time. Heavy use up to four times a week. Refuses to die.

Very Unsatisfactory Service! – I booked a service call and whilst waiting in for the technician he rang and asked if the dryer was on the ground,( well no it is in the most common place on the wall.) I rang F &P to check this and I should have been told this when I booked the service. I explained I am in my eighties and there is no one I can ask Well, they could send someone… Read more

out to do this but it would be an additional service charge! Hardly a good service.$240 !!! before anything is done. Very disappointing.

The dryer is ok! If planning on mounting the lint filter doesnt stay in!! – It has been a great dryer I've owned it for about a year now! If your planning on flipping it and mounting it on the wall the biggest downside is the lint filter wont stay in and constantly falls out on my head!! Show details

Not as robust as I expected – Received as an engagement gift. I was very grateful to receive it as a useful appliance. Worked well for 9 years. But after 9 years of use it started to stop mid cycle. Now find I have to turn the barrel before starting the cycle to balance the load even if it's only 1-2 kg.  Show details

Greatest dryer – Bought this dryer in 1998 - 26 years old now - and still going strong! Raised 3 kids with it, now used less but no parts have been replaced, just some maintenance. Amazing dryer Show details

Lasts a long time – Had this dryer for 20 years and it is almost on it's way out now, so great value for money! A little small, but still gets the job done. Love the wrinkle-guard and the shoe rack. Highly recommend! Show details

Great machine – I've had this tumble drier for about 16 years. It's handled all the laundry for a family of five. Simple to use, excellent quality, very effective drier. Strongly recommend the brand. Show details

This is perfect Can’t live without it! – I can’t believe how long it’s lasted before being thrown away in 2016, I Couldn’t live without it The only problem was it sometimes beeps continuously other than that it’s the Best dryer my family has ever had !!!! My Parents Bought This In 1996 and had survived the many moves they made Show details

Bullet proof – We've had this dryer for 20 years and it still works great, that's with a family of five so it gets a workout. Only just had to replace the bearing which was a 15 minute job and cost less than $10

Great dryer – Used a mid 1990s version of this model dryer the panel goes out and squeals (long beeps) Currently have a heat pump Of the same brand but it doesnt dry as well as the ed56 (dont buy heat pump or condenser they dont dry as well as vented it leaves the clothes wet Show details

Lasted over 20 years – I used this dryer for over 20 years with absolutely no problems until recently when the sensor stopped working and it developed a squeal. I have just replaced it with a heat pump model and hope it gives me the same reliability - although I doubt any electrical appliances last that long these days. I dry clothes, towels, sheets etc and have a… Read more

large family so used it nearly every day. Sometimes I dry clothes straight out of the washer and other times I just "finish them off" after being on the clothes line but not quite dry. It probably isn't very economical to run - hopefully I will notice a reduction in my electricity cost with the heat pump model as it certainly cost a great deal more than the ED56 to purchase.

19 years old and still works well – Easy to use. Turn on power, set how dry you want you clothing to become, set the temperature (low or high or just airing), and press start/pause. Easy to clean lint filter. The machine turns off when the desired dryness has been detected. Sometimes you have to let the load go for longer if the clothes have wrapped themselves around each other. … Read more

There may be occasional problems if lint builds up around the electronics area on top of the machine. Also our machine may switch to high heat by itself and not turn off automatically. I don't know whether this is caused by lint build-up or an intrinsic fault. I watched the repairer remove the lint from around the electronics and now do it myself on rare occasions.

But after 19 years the machine is still doing its job with only the occasional glitch.

Simple to use, quick drying – It's really simple and just does it. You select dry or extra dry and start and it understands what to do. Lint filter is easy enough on the rim insert. But parts of lint can move around it near the lid. Hasn't really increased our electricity by much and we use it a fair bit.  Show details

Great product simple and reliable – Purchased ours 14 years ago, never missed a beat, quiet and did a great job. Raised a family with this product,,, teenagers no less. Wouldn’t have anything other than Fisher and Paykel. Will soon replace it for today’s equivalent. I’ve bought F and P for years and had great customer support the few times I needed it  Show details

A It does what it's supposed to do – Good no frills, no fuss clothes dryer. I only use it when I need something dry in a hurry or if it rains and I can't get clothes dry any other way. Dries clothes quickly and has a cool down feature at the end of the cycle. A good all round clothes dryer. Clothes don't get tangled and come out crisp and fresh.  Show details

Excellent! – Really happy with this clothes dryer. Nice compact unit/size. Reasonably quick drying, not overly noisy, so can run it at night & littlies still sleep through. Doesn't seem to get really hot like some tend to do. Good value for money, in my opinion. I have a few white goods in this brand & I have had no problems with them.  Show details

Has been perfect for 20+ years – I purchased my drying back in 1995 or 1996, it has worked fabulously all that time. You cant buy appliances these days that have this type of endurance. This year it has started having issues, squeaking barrel & has been turning itself off once I start a new load, I suspect the sensor has stopped working properly, Unsure if I should repair or replace.  Show details

Best Dryer – This dryer is the best dryer i have ever use. Living in sydney with no clothes line means i use my dryer everyday. I constantly use my dryer and never had a issue with it. The clothes dry so quickly with this dryer. It lets me know when the clothes have finished drying. Compared to previous brands ive use this is the best.  Show details

Best Dryer ever! – I have had this dryer for over 20 years, running fine, finally stopped tumbling after a noise the other day, possibly the drive belt, which is still replaceable. Everything else working fine. Am upgrading to a bigger more modern model, but intend to get the old one fixed. 20 years is amazing with everyday usage, could not have asked for better. Fantastic product. Hope the new model delivers the same excellent results.  Show details

LOVE IT – We have had our F&P Sensor dryer for over 13 years. I am sad to say it has developed a squeak as some ball barring fell out during a cycle. I am on my way to purchase the new sensor 6kg I have my fingers crossed I will get another 13 years out of the new one!  Show details

Worst dryer ever! – This dryer may look flash but it's not! It is a piece of crap!! I say this because we recently purchased one and on the first week we had problems.. I rang services and they delivered me a new one... 2 days later the same problem!! So again Same thing the took it away and delivered a new one.. 3 week later same thing happens!! now I've been… Read more

sitting on the waiting line for over half an hour!! Its. Its the middle of winter and we haven't had a clear day in weeks.

(On our second tone receiving the dryer the man mentioned that all these dryers have been doing this all over the country.)

Good dryer but not energy efficient – I have just purchased power meters for my home. This dryer in 20 minutes used as much electricity as 5 loads of washing. I stopped the dryer in amazement but I assume to get one load dry over 1.5hrs for example it would use ridiculous energy. Need to determine if this is dryers in general or if I should sell and replace for newer more energy efficient.

Perfect – I had this dryer for 12 years and it has been brilliant one of the best dryers. It was working alright until it developed an issue where it would only work with small loads i have since replaced it with a Westinghouse Dryer but overall excellent thanks Fisher & Paykel.

16 years and just replaced – This unit was brilliant and never skipped a beat until we moved house and went to put it back up on the wall. Decided that we would upgrade rather than repair but it had been an excellent unit and we replaced with the new version by Fisher and Paykel. Would highly recommend their products in this range.

Woeful Customer Service – Rang Fisher & Paykel to have the door on my dryer replaced after it snapped off. i should say the dryer gets used once a week so you would expect it to last longer than 3 years the plastic door looks to be quite flimsy and clearly of poor quality. I was told I had to lift the dryer off the brackets and place on floor for technician when I… Read more

explained I lived in my own and had no one to help me they wanted to charge me double for two technicians!!! When I said to them all it needs is someone to unscrew the old door and re screw new door onto dryer and that didnt require the dryer to be placed on the floor they tried to tell me the technician is short, what a load of rubbish. Needless to say I found someone else to do the job and they didnt need to take the dryer off the wall! Last Fisher and Paykel product I will be buying.

Very Reliable – I've been using this dryer for almost 15 years without servicing, it's still alive now, no mechanical problem whatsoever but I clean the filter regularly. Only for last 2 years I put it on the wall and now back again on the floor. Used only on rainy day or urgent needs especially for my kids school uniforms

Good – We had this dryer for 10 years with never a problem. We had the exhaust piped outside to keep the heat down in the house. We ran the dryer mostly on sensory drying and with cool heat setting. Would recommend this dryer highly to a friend and most likely will by another one. reliable, energy efficient - love the sensor drying

Automatic and easy to use – Have had this for nearly 6 years and use it regularly. It is permanently installed with the ducting to exhaust steam directly outside rather than into the laundry. I strongly recommend installing it this way if possible, otherwise (as with most dryers) you end up with a hot, steamy laundry. It dries the clothes efficiently and reasonably quickly.… Read more

The auto-sensing feature works extremely well - just set it going and the dryer turns off when the clothes are dry. Auto sensing is a definite winner! Ducting to outside to get rid of the steam. No problems so far.