Fisher & Paykel FabricSmart IW812

Never a problem – Had this unit over 15 years. Never had any technical or mechanical problems. Auto water sensor has been a bit finicky on occasion and rethinks itself a few times, but that is all we could say about it in a negative aspect. The purchase date provided is an approximation only.  Show details

Excellent Machine 14 years of trouble free use – This was the 3rd Fisher and Paykel top loader we have had in the past 30 years and because they have been so good we are just about to upgrade to a new one. But we have discovered that they now make 3 models of the 10KG capacity and there is not a lot of difference between them for the $600 price tag difference so it seems like a marketing… Read more

exercise rather than to provide a better quality product, particularly as the reviews for the most expensive model are far worse than the cheaper model.

What has come to light by reading all the reviews for all the models and that I was not aware of because we have not had any problems with our old machine is that customer service is if falling owners of the most expensive model.

I was going to buy the more expensive machine because it was more like the one we had but after reading the bad reviews on that compared to the good reviews for the cheaper model I think I'll save some money, more than a third of the price and go the cheaper one.

It has one year's less warranty but given the poor repair service from F&P I don't think that it's an advantage, I'd prefer a more reliable machine.

I'm giving F&P one more go because of the good history I have had with them up to now but if this one turns out to be a dud they have lost me for all their goods.

There are a lot of manufacturers out there and many new ones from developing economies entering the market the only way for established brands to hold on to customers like me is to produce a quality product and provide a quality service.

Sadly from what I have read here it seems F&P may be listening to their marketing people more than their customers.

One good model that does the lot is better than 3 models with little difference than price and with quality compromised by trying to create a point of difference that is negligible and unwarranted.

Machine not 10 years old yet and the bowl has completely collapsed, broken off, whatever keeps it le – I bought the machine for $990 in June 2005. Have had no problems until Easter Monday. The bowl completely collapsed and is leaning right over to the side of the machine. I sent Fisher & Paykel an email around 7am last Tuesday, 7 April, 2015. Still have not received a reply nor an acknowledgement of my email. I just found out that this model has been discontinued. Is it because the bowl was known to collapse.  Show 3 replies

Has served me well for about 10 years – I have always found my washing machine to do a great job and very reliable. I have had a few problems lately with it having a fault code 136 showing up towards the end of the cycle though this isn't on every wash and most machines and engines need a service once in a while. When I use the recommended washing powder and dissolve it first at the… Read more

start of the wash, I have no problems. I have had a problem with getting hot water to go into it lately but I'm not sure if that is the machine or the tap.

Great machine – We bought ours back in 2006 and it's been great. I love being able to just pop everything in and it sorts out the water level and the load. We've just had the water tap solenoids replaced, but other than that, it's performed really well. I Agree with Kirsty about top loaders. Faster and more versatile than front loaders. Large capacity, spins clothes almost dry, excellent service from LV martin

A pain to wash with – We bought this machine 5 or so years ago after the salesman highly recommended it. Although it has never broken down it is a pain to use. The clothes come out so badly covered in lint there is excess dust everywhere even when you shake them out before and after hanging out. Which them creates excess dust in my children's rooms. So I would not… Read more

recommend to anyone who has an allergy or children's with allergies. The clothes don't ever feel clean after they have been washed. You can't put anything in it that is heavy because it constantly goes of balance. Winter is the worst because if I put even just one of my husbands jumpers in it goes of balance and you have to fiddle with it to work. Doesn't spin if I put the bath mats in. And wouldn't spin with my sons single quilt in it. I had to take it to the laundromat to wash. My husband's work clothes never come clean either. It doesn't get any marks or stains out of clothes so you have to soak a lot of stuff beforehand. I really wouldn't recommend it. Especially not to families. Started of okay and has gotten progressively worse over the years. Just replaced it with a front loader.

Rubbish machine - Great design but made of junk – I love the Fisher and Paykel technology - load sensing, water sensing, cold + wash option (raises the cold water temp just a little without making it 'warm') and all the different wash options - I was sold on the tech. We have F&P washer, dryer and fridge. The owning experience was less than happy however. We washed at least once a day. … Read more

Inlet solenoids failed - twice - replaced once under warranty

Motherboard failed - 3 times - even with a surge protector installed. Replaced once under warranty.

Fins snapped off agitator

Wash repeatedly left undissolved detergent on clothes - service tech said we should be using liquid detergent and the warm / hot wash option. This wasn't our idea of an energy efficient machine if we had to use anything other than cold water. Tech also informed us we should turn off the auto water level sense feature and use the full load option. again this would use way more water than we had hoped for the machine.

No lint filter meant that all lint was nice and evenly distributed on wash - how could they leave a lint filter out of the product? Again, service tech somehow blamed lint on using powder detergent instead of liquid. Ironically the machine came with 6 months supply of powder detergent with the machine from the manufacturer when we bought it!

I rarely had a 'clean' wash from this machine. Having to wash some items twice certainly made it less than energy efficient.

Good riddance!!!

died at 9 years – i got a good run out of it. Only one breakdown, that wasnt too expensive to fix. Its now coming back with error code 130 and 136. Decided to go back to a front loader as they wash better. The washing powder goes straight into the machine with all the dirt on your clothes. No wonder it comes out with grey streaks Got clothes very dry had to soak clothes in laundry tub before putting into washing machine

so far so good.. touch wood! – Have had this machine for a few years now, got it second hand from a friend who was moving, so at least 4 years old.. Has performed well, despite initially having troubles getting the hot water to work, eventually got it to work and thankfully haven't looked back.. Always put washing powder in first, let the water fill a little before… Read more

throwing the clothes in..

Nice way to have auto sensing water level.. Makes my life easy.. Just walk away..

Wash at least 2 times a week with a 3/4 to a full load.. Worried that it may be overloaded but still completed the job fine..

Worst appliance purchase ever !!! ... I will never buy f&p again :( – 1/ extremely deceptive advertising re water temperature settings. This is the major reason why it does not wash clothing well ... See explanation below. 2/ the water level sensor is never correct ... I always have to set it manually because it underfllls .. Ie if i leave it up to the water sensor it means the water does not cover the load. 3/ no… Read more

lint filter ... Clothing ends up covered in lint.

4/ the agitator is a design failure as clothing gets stuck underneath ... I have had buttons ripped off shirts and clothing caught and torn.

This model advertised @ appliances online states there are 6 water temperature settings .... But ... It fails to mention that they only come into operation for a very small time at the very beginning to dissolve your detergent... The machine fills with cold water. So basically you set your machine to warm or hot but you never get a warm or hot wash. This is why so many people are saying their clothes come out dirtier than when they put them into the washer. This machine was marketed very deceptively, it should have been sold as a cold wash only washing machine .. A cold wash machine that spurts a very minimal amount of hot or warn water at the very beginning to dissolve detergent ... It does not perform a warm or hot wash !!!

As an example my beach towels are always oily because the cold wash simply does not remove the oil. My partners house/yardwork shorts and socks are always grimey and never come clean unless i hand wash them .. Isn't that what a machine is meant to do !!!???

This machine should have been sold as a cold wash machine.

I feel like i have been diddled out of my money under false pretences as i would never buy a cold wash only machine. I will never again buy a f&p product. Good if you rarely have soiled clothing and are happy to wash in cold water .. Thats not me ... I hate this machine !!! Deceptive marketing .. It is a cold wash machine so you will never get the option of using a warm or hot wash, water sensors are useless, lint filled washing as no lint filter, design fail for agitator leads to ruined clothing

Intuitive Eco - Short Life – I have used F & P washing machines for more years than I care to remember. However, this Intuitive Eco has had the shortest life of them all - only 4 years and now off to washing machine heaven. The mother board has gone again (2nd time in 18 months). Not good F & P. Why can't you guys make longer lasting washing machines. Perhaps the… Read more

more technology you have available the worse your machines become. Very disappointed. The different cycles especially sports gear, time remaining and delay start Poor quality machine especially with electronics.

intuitive eco – Have had this machine for over a year now and have had no problems at all. Beats front loaders anyday! Had a lg front loader before and it always died during a wash! Would never trade my top loader for a front loader ever again. Can not fault this machine at all. loved the fact I can adjust the wash to whatever I like

Frustrated with dryer – Had Fisher Paykel dryer less than a year, multiple problems. After hours on the phone with FP dryer finally replaced, 3 years later clothes not completely drying! Washer only 4 years old and done! Will never recommend product and feel "robbed" waste of time and money! Will not repair washer currently displaying "power cut" restart in 10 minute-- will replace with another brand for sure!

Absolute rubbish. Will never buy a Fisher & Paykel product again – Two years after buying this washing machine it would not fill properly so a service call was put in. Fisher & Paykel did pay for the part but I had to pay for the service call which was $80. Three years later it would not start at all and the entire motor control had to be replaced costing $480. Six months on and it is showing signs of trouble… Read more

again with a constant "power cut" display on it. I have also had the constant problem of brown muck on clothes. We don't use a fabric softener, we clean out the bowl but nothing helps. I have had to rewash that many clothes. I had a Simpson for about 15 years and never had any trouble with it and only replaced it because I wanted a bigger machine. Choice magazine recommended this IW812 and I have been bitterly disappointed with it. Wish I got rid of it years ago and saved the stress. Im going to buy a Miele next.

Unreliable, leaves muck on clothes, has cost me too much already

BEST MACHINE EVER – I had a Hoover top loader for over 20 years. I did not want to change but it had certainly had its day. i took forever to decide what to buy. My washing repair man put me on to this machine and I must say i have never looked back. It is so easy to use and after reading all the bad reviews i was a bit cautious. i have had no problems with it,… Read more

would recommend it to anyone, in fact i am in the process of buying one for my son who has just moved out of home, FINALLY. The problems people have talked about with the lint etc sticking to black clothes is because they are putting too many clothes in the machine. I encounted this ONCE when i tried to put TWO LARGE sheets but since only putting in One sheet at a time the problem has NEVER occured again. Go on Buy it you wont regret it, it is a great machine and even gives you a smile and says Happy Washing when you hit the start button brings a smile to my face every time. Hope this helps Easy to use, no problems and great choices of washes Havent found any yet

Excellent – I have the IW812 and have had no problems with the machine. This is the third F&P washing machine that we have owned over a twenty year period. First one was destoryed by removalists in a truck accident and the second lasted for years without any problems. I have owned the IW812 for three weeks so far and have absolutely no problems with the… Read more

machine. The trick is to read the instruction manual as it is computerised and as such sometimes not user friendly unless you have read the book. It is an 8 Kg washer with many features from normal washing to water saving front loader type washing to name only two. Everything, it is feature packed all with so many variants that you can program. If like most people you use the machine before reading the manual, it can be difficult to understand the features. Read the manual and the machine comes alive with features.

Excellent – I love this machine and cant understand the poor reviews it has received. Having said that Ive never had to use customer service so I cant comment on that. I do 15-16 load per week and it handles everything from delicates and handwashing (YAY!!) to the boys muddy/oily clothes working on the farm. It has a huge capacity and handles a queen size… Read more

quilt with no problems. No more washing them in the bath! Very quiet unlike my last machine that sounded like a jet taking off. I love, love, love this machine!!

Highly recommended and worth every cent. Everything!

Bad – I've read other reviews and read people are disapppointed that their machines have only lasted 6 years. Mine has gone on the blink 3x and it's only four year old. Mind you, its all relative. I do two full loads at least 4 days a week. I live in a household of nine people (2 adults and 7 children under 14). I might go with a front loader next… Read more

time ! But i think fisher and paykel are reliable. They've been around along time and that should speak for itself. I don't mind paying for quality, but in this case, i think i've been a bit shortchanged !!! I will try a front loader next time. Capacity is perfect for my family. Auto sensor for water levels. Easy to use. Can do delicates as well as difficult loads (after a day at the beach), doonas, even school bags and sports shoes. I've only had my machine going onto 4 years and have had to call 3x for service. Sensors replaced, pump unblocked, console not clear

wouldnt buy another one – This is the second Fisher and Paykel washer we have bought it cost $850 not cheap. The first lasted about 3 years this one died last week its only 14 months old not impressed. Will buy another brand this time and suggest that other people do the same. Was very disappointed that it did not last do not last

Really like it – Ive been reading all the bad reviews and can't understand why. I've had mine for a year now and love love love it. Easy to use, quite and great on hand wash. My dark never come out with lint on them. I do a least 14 loads a week. From dirty sneakers to all my hand washables. Everything!!! Must read manual before hand Show reply

Does its Job – Best washing machine that I have ever owned , customer sevice is great , you dont have to use much detergent in fact less is best, water saving is great, washing time, water levels, spinning time, hot or cold , you have many options to choose from this machine is easy to use and washing is done in less then 30mins thats what I like about it . Washing time, saving water, lots of wash options

not a good purchase – We have had this machine for just over 4 years, the majority of the time only doing 4 loads a week. In the first 6mths part of the water pump files and had to be repaced. After 18mths this part had to be replaced again($140 for the part - it was a wedding gift so extended warranty wasnt purchased). Last year the clip that holds the tub centered… Read more

broke and yesterday the machine has given up and died. For a machine that is 8kgs and not over used, in the price bracket that it is in, i would expect it to last longer. saves on water doesn't last, many issues with the machine

Excellent Washer – I actually have the earlier model IW711E. This has served us well. Had this washer for over 9 years and it is only now starting to make noises. Reliable. Hand wash feature is awesome.

Better than the Aquasmart it replaced – This machine was the replacement provided by F & P after 2 years of complaints about the Aquasmart. The programming allows manual control that the previous machine did not. I still run the traditional wash cycle to ensure the lint does not settle on the clothes - which seems to happen on the eco cycle. A bit noisy during the spin cycle, has… Read more

always been like this, so assume it is not a fault. Easy to program, most washing completed in half an hour. Spins well. Have to use the traditional cycle and manually increase water level to ensure there is no residue left on the clothes - so obviously not saving any water. I always dissolve the detergent before adding to machine.

Horrible clothes eating monster – We've had ours less than six years. Occasionally the machine spazzes out, flashing and beeping erratically, but that's easily fixed by restarting. It's the fact that I'm afraid to put my clothes in the darn thing that makes me rate it lowly. Even on it's lowest spin setting, it goes so fast that the clothes fling to the lid, literally melting the… Read more

plastic and burning holes in the material. It's so bad, that I have to wash most of my clothes in the tub and only run the washer when I'm at home so I can watch it to make sure it doesn't catch on fire. It was way too expensive to be destroying everything. And of course, customer service has been absolutely NO help. Saves water like it says. Spins WAY too fast on any setting. One star was too many for this one.

Terrible – After 1 year and 2 months, no matter what temperature I chose, I got cold water. When repair man showed up he was more concerned with the fact that the tub could not be centered - a problem that just cropped up. He discovered that the clip that holds the tub center had broken and as a result of the tub spinning at an angle, the shocks had been… Read more

damaged. When the parts were obtained, 3 weeks later, the repair man who actually fixed it told me that if I had not been covered by an extended warranty, he would have advised me to just replace the machine since the parts and labor would have exceded $500. He further told me that Fisher and Paykel's washers are not heavy duty washers and that in his opinion it is ill advised to purchase a washer that isn't since all their parts are built stronger. Furthermore, electronic controls are destined to malfunction so stick to dials. I paid $700 for my Fisher Paykel. A friend just bought a heavy duty basic Whirlpool washer for $380. Do I feel like a fool? Oh yeah. gets clothes clean $500 in repairs at 1 year 2 months

Terrible – Control boards have also blown and are expensive to replace. The overall wash performance is a disgrace. Would not touch another F & P washer again. IW812 simple to use and easy to change any to any specific wash cycles. Large capacity and easy to load. Terrific spin drying results. It does not wash. This machine does not have lint filters of any… Read more

kind. It relies on some mystical mix of detergent/s flushing it away in the wash/rinse cycle. Believe me, I have tried all brands and all types of detergent, It does not wash. You always have lint/grey marks all over your wash and often have to rewash. It is a disaster when you have a family all in the hospitality trade - all wearing Black.

Terrible – I asked F&P why even on gentle cycle all my cloths were being ruined, teared apart, wrinkled, and how do i get rid of the fluff on everything. Their reply did not answer my question. Dont touch this clothes eating monster All the clothes come out Full of fluff, and Wrinkled to the buggery and You have to iron everything, and i mean… Read more

everything; and

F&P dont give a rats.... They just want your money.. Nothing, it is a waste of money. I hate it. It was a waste of over $1200.00

Do not buy one they are crap. And F&P don't care. It ruins all of your cloths, if there is a tiny tear in any item, next wash it will be a major repair. It literally tears all of you stuff to shreds. It is not a gentle machine, even on gentle cycle. It leaves you clothes completely wrinkled to a point you even have to iron towels, sheets and all of you clothes even undies. Before you iron, you have to remove all of the fluff first.

Terrible – The circuit board died after 11.5 months and was reported to F&P straight away. But it took 2 weeks to send a tech to repair it, and F&P then tried to charge me for the repair as it was now out of warranty! Finally after several calls and letters, they agreed to cover it. The 2nd board lasted 2 months, and they again replaced it under warranty.… Read more

It's been another 2 years now with no more problems.

Fine lint residue on dark clothes is a big issue. At first we thought it was detergent residue, so changed to a liquid with no improvement. Looking closer we found it was lint. There's no lint filter and the machine is supposed to flush it away, but it doesn't work. Using the traditional wash reduces the problem, but that defeats the purpose of the eco setting.

Overall a poor machine. I wouldn't buy another one and am very disappointed with the performance. Good on water for a top loader Poor washing performance, lint stays on clothes after wash

Terrible – Unfortunately I had to use the after sales service a LOT!. My machine has just turned 7 and has broken down for the 4th time. First two times was the electrical board. Now the motor. It's going to the tip now. Over it. With sophisticated electronics comes expensive repairs. Not built to last, but then not much is these days. Easy to use, lots… Read more

of settings to choose from. Fisher and Paykel after sales service was very good. Broken down 4 times now, Year 3, 4, 5 and 7. The lint has been a big issue. Wasn't sure what was going on until I read the other reviews.

Bad – i will never buy another fisher and paykel again in fact i had to buy a new machine so a brought a simpson at half the price and it wonderful my fisher and paykel washing machine was a good machine when it was working What i dislike about it keeps breaking down and cost to much to repair 4 times the computer part has gone

Bad – Would not buy another. Was it just my machine?? Was it just this model?? I will definitely go back to a metal lid. Quiet. Beeping until the problem is fixed. Washed cleanly I need another lid - 4th one! So am looking around for another washer with a METAL lid. Rang F and P and they told me I should not use Preen as this cracks the lid!! I told… Read more

them that I'd used Washing machines for 40 years and I had never had this problem before. However they did replace free of charge 3 lid. Will not replace the 4th - fair enough - really the whole machine needs replacing.

Terrible – The Service on the Fisher & Paykel was fantastic but at the end of the day they just could not fix the problem. I dreaded doing the dark load due to the lint over all of the items. Clothing coming out dirtier than it was going in. F&P even provided a lint filter that does not come with the machine. It has been very disappointing and I will… Read more

think long and hard about the next machine I purchase. Large Capacity. You can wash many items in the load. Fisher Paykel service was terrific and very understanding. Lint, Lint and More Lint even with Lint filter the Company supplied. Dreadful on Dark clothes. Every dark wash came out with grey lint over EVERYTHING!

Happy with this machine – Have only had service call for 2 issues in the 7 years I have had this machine.I wash several loads each day. Choice of options.