Miele TDB130WP Heat Pump Dryer
VerifiedMPNs: TDB130WP and WDB030+TDB130W11 reviews
Great dryer: Uneconomical to repair after small cascading failure – Bought this dryer in 8/7/19 and it expired 6/24 (less than 5 years) due to heavy use and an avoidable cascade of damage caused by bad advice. The dryer started squeaking a month or two prior to failing... and looking up the problem online, ringing up Miele (useless) and checking the support online all say to ignore squeaking/grinding noises...… Read more
they are normal. https://www.miele.com.au/support/customer-assistance/tumble_dryer-1242/all/grindingsqueaking_noises_from_tumble_dryer-91810928907
Not helpful Miele had a 2 week wait for a service call. They couldn't put us in touch with a technician to check whether this was a serious problem. As the noise kept getting worse we ignored Miele's online advice, stopped using the dryer and paid $199 for a Miele affiliated technician to come out and inspect the dryer: It took about a week to find and organise a technician... including waiting for a few days while some spare parts arrived.
Conflicting advice The technician said we should have stopped using the dryer as soon as we heard a noise and called someone: This is at odds with the Miele online advice.
Miele quality pledge Miele say that if some parts of the dryer fail in less than 10,000 h they will repair it. That's a great promise... but in our case there was a cascade of damage which Miele wouldn't cover. This seems unfair given that we were proactive and turned the dryer off (despite Miele advice to the contrary) i.e. Relied on Miele advice. The machine would have been eligible for the quality pledge if it had been caught sooner (less parts had been damaged) N.B. If we had kept using it longer the damage would have been even worse.
Warranty repairs >10,000 h Miele indicate that they would probably warranty a device that has over 10,000 h on it if it isn't very old i.e. ~5 years is considered not all that old. The key to getting a warranty repair seems to be to contact the customer support person who acts as a customer advocate. The service technician should escalate this kind of thing to head office on your behalf... but doesn't always do so. The Support hotline didn't know there was such a process. Miele said they would follow up with the Support hotline so they gave better advice in future.
User unfriendly design The onboard timer reset itself so Miele didn't know if we were under the 10,000 h limit: The timer is only accessible via the technicians laptop. It ought to be accessible via the front panel. That would allow users to check how many hours the machine had been used and whether a precautionary service was warranted.
What failed? The bearing at the back of the drum failed (manifesting as a squeak that sounded like rubber rubbing)... and went on to destroy the bearing housing and then the back plate on the machine. These parts are all in close proximity. The whole drum dropped slightly but hadn't yet started to damage other parts in the machine N.B. A bearing is a minor part and not very expensive. It is also fairly easy to change: It is accessible by removing the rear panel (easy to do). Even the housing the bearing sits in isn't prohibitively expensive. The repair became uneconomical because the backplate was damaged and the machine needed to go back to the workshop for repairs.
The total repair cost ($1,754.63) was more than the cost of a new machine (~$1,599)... so the only realistic option was to buy a new dryer.
Why did it fail? Lint got into the machine and lodged around the bearing. This is probably what caused the failure. This is despite the fact that the filters were regularly cleaned (weekly and often daily) and replaced at least once N.B. There are 3 filters: Two upper gauze filters and a substantial lower foam filter. All of them can be easily removed and cleaned (easy to wash) N.B. A surprising amount of fluff made it through to the third filter.
This machine got a lot of use when my mum was alive... and my sister still uses it a lot.
Root cause analysis Miele might be able to eliminate this problem a few different ways: 1) Improve air filtration 2) Use a double sealed bearing: Prevents water and dust ingress so the bearing lasts longer 3) Change the design of the machine so that a minor failure won't ruin multiple items. 4) Use a grease that bonds to the bearing surface so that lubrication is always present e.g. XcelPlus
We're considered heavy users of the dryer and have (presumably) managed to accumulate >20 years of use in less than 5. However, the 20 year lifespan assumes 1.5 h/day: A bit on the low side?. Miele ought to assume a higher useage to cover a wider range of users. We volunteer to do Miele's durability testing.
New dryer Miele reached out and gave us a 60% discount on a new dryer (TDB140WP) and included free installation and delivery.
The new model has a lint filter warning which lights up when the filter needs a clean. This might be all it takes to avoid damage to the bearing?
The new model has eliminated brushes on the moisture sensor (they needed changing on our machine) removing an extra expense and point of failure.
The new machine is ~10% more energy efficient i.e. 100 kWh/y v's 110 kWh. That's a nice bonus. It also appears to be even quieter.
The install process only took a few minutes as it's exactly the same externally as our old machine. The drain hose was routed to the sink but you can route the hose to the large onboard storage (fills fairly quickly) if a drain isn't handy.
Service rebate If you buy a new machine within 90 days of the service Miele refund any service fee on your old machine ($199). This is an excellent incentive to buy a new machine. It brought the final cost of the new machine down even further (-60% - $199).
Moving forward If the machine starts to squeak abnormally we now know that shutting down the machine straight away will prevent damage and would probably be covered by the 10,000 h quality pledge. If it had been caught in time the repair costs would have been modest.
We hope the new model (140WP) lasts longer as we'd love to give this product a higher rating.
Warranty We were impressed that Miele stood behind their product and sorted something out. The fact that they take such failures seriously also helps inspire confidence. They got back to us fairly quickly. For these reasons we're willing to try again N.B. A longer warranty (2 years currently) would inspire more confidence and is justified on higher priced items designed not to fail. You can purchase an extended warranty for up to 10 years but that starts to get quite expensive. In June they included a 5 year service warranty as part of their June special. That was a nice bonus... but one they didn't include with this sale... despite the fact that it was initiated in June.
:-) P.S. While it was working the original heat pump dryer was very pleasant to use and didn't seem to use much power: Each drying cycle takes ~1 1/2 hours. If the machine is very full you sometimes have to run it a second time: We don't mind waiting a little. We particularly liked the fact that it was a condenser dryer... as it removes moisture from a home rather than introducing it. This really helps if you have a damp house.
PPS. We own a Miele washing machine (our ~4th one) and know from past experience that they're very reliable even when they get huge amounts of use.
Power-frugal, works well enough. Just wish it had reverse tumble or a beddings cycle – Bought this heat pump dryer after moving into my place nearly 3 years ago, which has no garage or carport to hang clothes in when it rains. Previous owner removed the hanging line on the fence as his kids got eczema and allergies, so they always used a dryer to avoid dust and pollen. I have a now-10 year old Miele washer-dryer, but since I would… Read more
be using the dryer all the time, a heat pump would be the only economical way to run one constantly.
I have read all the reviews on this dryer before buying - as well as all the Miele and other brand heat pump (HP) dryers and articles, including those in America. Clearly, regardless of brand, it's not fool-proof. So, I had some idea of what I was in for. This was the cheapest Miele dryer, bought at a factory outlet for cheaper than most other HP dryers. This is my fourth Miele item after a washer-dryer, a dishwasher, and a vacuum cleaner - all have been trouble-free, though I can't take that for granted.
I have been warned by articles that HP dryers do not dry like normal, resistance heater ones. An American article I read said that HP dryers only produce heat up to a certain temperature (something like 60 deg C equivalent), and so a full load will take longer. And can have damp spots at times. But while I acknowledge some reviews here regarding clothes coming out still too damp, the article also said that normal dryers do tend to over-dry clothes, hence clothing which actually have zero water content feel damp.
The washer-dryer I use is a Miele with a maximum spin speed of 1600 RPM (vs. top loaders which usually only wring water out at 800 rpm), but I reduce the spin to 1400 RPM, after reading that maximum spin speed doesn't really improve moisture extraction significantly more, and to reduce the extra wear on the bearings.
After having my favourite button-down cotton shirt shrink in a normal dryer years ago, I would far rather have clothes dried longer at lower temperature. For the first two plus years, I always dried clothes in small batches, always using the Cotton cycle (without really using Extra Dry). I separately dry: loose white cottons like undershirts, underwear, with the odd white business shirts; everyday coloureds like business shirts, t-shirts, coloured tea towels, pillowcases; a fitted and flat sheet (flannelette in winter); a duvet cover; and my towel (thick, moisture-laden).
The logic - I'd rather have fewer items tumbled so air can get through them and dry them quicker. And yes it does - even if the display says it'll take 49 minutes, it's often done in 16-25 minutes, depending on load. And I try to have laundry of similar water absorbency together - so the dryer doesn't "cook" and damage clothes already bone dry while the rest are still damp.
Last week, for the first time, I decided to dry a full load of all-cotton clothes (two weeks of undershirts, underwear, etc) using the Extra Dry option, and to my surprise, despite being cotton and a large load (for me), all the clothes were perfectly dry, no residual dampness anywhere.
From observation, it's true that a heat pump dryer does not cook clothes with too much heat, even in cotton cycle. None of my laundry - even polyester or polycotton - have been affected or damaged. Fitted sheets have not shrunk. I've even dared dry some clothes that are supposed to be line-dried in the machine (on a warm or delicate cycle - even if I have to repeat).
I haven't had to use the delay timer (I have read several articles from the UK warning never to use a clothes dryer unattended - such as when out of the house, or asleep upstairs - because of several fires attributed to them). The filters are easy to clean, I vacuum the foam one behind the front flap periodically. The fragrance flacon manages to last me around 6 months (you really only need it turned down to absolute minimum).
Dislikes? My particular one does not have a reverse-tumble (or at least I don't think it does) of a bedding cycle (a friend just bought the latest one which has it, despite being the cheapest Miele). So sheets do roll into a ball. To get around that, as per what I've read online, I hold two ends on one hand, the other two ends on the other, then tie them into a large but loose knot. Problem solved. They can be slightly damp where the knot is, but nothing that a further 20 minutes (or hanging over a chair for an hour) couldn't fix.
So, while definitely no laundromat competitor, it's frugal (I don't see a significant increase in my power bill despite now drying everything with this), is pumps out heat without damaging clothes, and works as intended - albeit the sheets don't have their own reverse-tumble setting.
Almost forgot - not sure if this makes a difference. Many washer or dryer reviews I've read of varying brands, have had failures attributed to an electronic computer board. I use surge protectors, because if cars (even cheap ones) that are subject to extreme and prolonged heat or cold, vibration, and shock do not really have ECUs or radios that fail often, household appliances which are in a more benevolent working environment shouldn't be any more susceptible to computer damage. I suspect power surges may be at play. I may be wrong, but I feel a plug-in surge protector is cheap insurance. So far, none of my computer-controlled appliances (including a previous 20-year old F&P fridge) have had computer issues.
If you have a top-loader washer, perhaps not the quickest way to dry clothes owing to higher laundry moisture.
Generally, happy with the machine, but certainly not perfect - the sheets are the most annoying bit. Reliability? Will see - on the average, in all surveys I have read in several countries, Mieles still tend to be pretty good. Average, of course means there are still some which will give problems.
Absolutely terrible customer service – Purchased this dryer 2 years ago and it operated satisfactorily until a few months ago when it would take 5-8 hours to dry 1 load. The machine just kept switching off and needed re-starting. A Miele technician came out 4 times, initially to replace CONTROL ELECTRONIC UNIT and POWER ELECTRONIC UNIT, and thereafter the machine was still stopping.… Read more
Upon return he basically told me that there was nothing wrong with it and if I wanted to pursue the "problem" I would incur costs on a daily basis for it whilst at their workshop. After talking to several people about this, the consensus was that Miele customer service is dreadful. I now have a machine which takes 6-8 hours to dry a load of washing so I end up taking the clothes to a laundromat, 30 minutes away, to dry.
And they call this a dryer – New dryer never properly drys my clothes absolutely useless. Waited home for a few technicians manage to make the dryer dry a little better only for it to beep constantly as it was still drying. After 29 days sent it back something I’ve never done before Show details
Worst dryer ever – Bought this in July 2020. Disastrous dryer that never gets anything, even small loads, properly dry. Will never buy a Miele product again. Only dries clothes to about 90% dry. Have to run the cycle 2-3 times to get an acceptable level of dryness. Bought a cheap $600 dryer for my holiday house that does the job better in one third of the time. Show details
Regret my purchase - a terrible dryer – This dryer does not fully dry my laundry. We are a household that puts everything through the dryer, so decided purchasing an energy efficient heat pump dryer was the way to go. From the first use this dryer has never fully dried my laundry. They are always still wet even after putting through twice. I have tried using the higher heat setting… Read more
(caused any printed images on shirts, etc to come off) & I also tried modifying the settings as suggested in the manual which still did not solve the problem.
It does sufficiently dry a load of only towels or only sheets, but I need to put it through twice. I also use wool dryer balls to help with minimising tangling & to help the load dry faster.
Now, any items I put in the dryer come out with a musty, sour smell. The only suggestion in the manual for this problem is that I am not using enough washing powder. This is clearly not the cause as if I air dry or use my Fisher & Paykel heat pump dryer the washing does not have this smell. I clean the filters (all 3) after every use & also empty the condenser drawer (machine is not plumbed in) after every use. Even though the machine itself does not smell, I fear there is mould growing somewhere in the machine that I am unable to access to clean.
I initially bought this dryer to be a matching pair with the Miele washing machine when I replaced my old, broken washer. I chose to buy the Miele based on reputation for high build quality and long lasting products. I would never buy a Miele product again after this experience. I am so disappointed.
I had a Fisher & Paykel heat pump dryer (much cheaper than the Miele) at the time of purchasing the Miele dryer which I am so glad I held on to as I still use it as my main dryer due to the Miele being so absolutely useless (on heavy washing days I use the Miele for surplus loads & then transfer to the F&P to finish drying them).
This is an expensive appliance & to have my much cheaper F&P heat pump dryer outperforming it is salt in the wound. I would love to get rid of both the Miele washer & dryer, but as they were so expensive to purchase I can’t bring myself to throw them away or sell for a pittance.
Steer clear of this one if you want a dryer that will just dry your laundry the first time without hassle.
Hi, please accept our sincere apologies for the… Read more
I hate, hate, hate this dryer – I do not like this dryer one bit!!!!! I do not use the dryer much, but when I do it takes for EVER for the items to dry. Yesterday, it took me hours to dry a set of Sheets, which I have to dry separately because the items get so twisted and tangled together that I’ve found I have to seperate them, even then one sheet comes out in a ball with wet… Read more
patches. It is absolutely ridiculous to have a top of the range dryer that is so useless. Steer clear of this dryer.
Hi Joyce, please accept our sincere apologies for the… Read more
No longer working after less than 2 years but fixed promptly – We have a busy household with 4 kids and decided to pay a premium for a Miele... it’s been less than 2 years and whilst we use it frequently, I expected it to last longer than this! It seems to be blowing hot air but not tumbling. Back to drying clothes for 4 kids on the line until it’s fixed! Edit - a few days after - a Miele rep contacted me… Read more
to organise a service call. The communication was great and the work performed under warranty with no fuss. I wasn’t expecting this and a great thumbs up to the Miele team.
Hi Mike, please accept our sincere apologies for the… Read more
Miele Not Dry Enough – The Miele does not fully dry my clothes. After spending top dollar for a top drawer heat pump product. I am sufficiently disappointed with a dryer that does not completely dry my clothes. It's not fit for purpose if it cannot fully dry clothes which is its main function. To solve this, I often have to send my clothes in 2-3 times to get it reasonably dry. Please look elsewhere if you want a dryer that dries clothes properly. Show details
Hi Dave, please accept our sincere apologies for the… Read more
Well engineered, reliable and quiet dryer with excellent customer support – Bought this dryer to replace a faulty 1/2 year old Fisher & Paykel condenser dryer which kept shredding its drive belt and with the repairer constantly making trips to service it to no avail. Eventually decided to write it off with no help from F&P and replace it with something that would actually last. Heard of Miele's reputation and also had… Read more · 1
gotten a Miele dishwasher that's been working trouble free in recent years. Was a purchase that paid off as firstly, as it is heat pump dryer, it is far more efficient than a regular vented or condenser dryer that uses a heating element. It also doesn't make the laundry room humid unlike the F&P which despite supposedly condensing out most of the moisture, didn't do it well enough! I use the Cottons setting (not Cottons < which is the eco setting) on Normal dry and it knows exactly when to cut off, with no overdrying making the clothes feel coarse. I personally have been lucky that with my mixed loads, it hasn't under dried or left damp spots. I also appreciate the Warm Air setting for additional time for items such as pillows that may be damp inside but tricks the sensor into thinking its dry. The engineering is great, as little things such as the two stage lint filter is far easier to clean, has less trap points and allows less lint to bypass it onto the foam filter. I also love the unique fragrance dispensing system as well as a LED light which to be fair my old dryer had too. Miele delay start timers go up to 24 hours rather than 12 hours of many other brands which is handy if I want the dryer to start at 10am to take advantage of solar power, I can do this at any time the previous day; I don't have to wait till 10pm! Sheets also don't tangle which despite my old dryer sneakily advertising "reverse tumbling" did poorly as I later found out again only Miele tumbles clothes in the opposite direction equally as long unlike other ones which only can do it for a few seconds as the drum is linked to the fan belt and as such can't reverse much as it cuts off the airflow!
Unfortunately my original unit, a month out from the 2-yr warranty ending, starting making ringing noises from the compressor. I reported the issue to Miele and they instantly sent out one of their OWN technicians (again unlike my old dryer sending out any local appliance repairer) that arrived and used a electronic probe to which they immediately noted there was an issue with the compressor and that as it was a major component it would be more cost effective to order in a replacement unit as opposed to repairing it. Within the week, the Miele team arranged for my new dryer to be delivered as well as providing a very helpful tracker to see how far the delivery was in real-time; this gave me confidence I wouldn't have to wait all day trapped in the house not knowing when it would arrive. Two Miele staff members quickly transported out my old unit and installed the new one, precisely checking that it was level and that I was totally satisfied with the service. They gave me a complimentary fragrance pod to use with my replacement dryer and set it on a quick cycle to air out the machine as it was new and with that they were on their way. I am extremely pleased with the attention to detail and customer service Miele sets a precedent for as they made it such a quick and easy process to swap out the old dryer and gave me a brand new one with absolutely no fuss. Worlds apart from my lengthy emails with the manufacturer of my old dryer who refused to provide a replacement for my in-warranty dryer despite me pleading that their third-party repairs kept undoing itself and all I wanted was a working dryer!
Absolutely satisfied with my purchase as it's the aftersales care that matters in the long run and is what builds loyal customers which is a common theme in any industry with premium brands that are well worth it due to their superior customer care. Well done Miele!
Great product – On extra dry it does dry sufficiently well for most laundry items. For example, I recently dried a T-shirt. It was not perfectly dry, even though I used the extra dry setting, but within 10 minutes of wearing it, my body heat had heated it enough to be perfectly dry. So, for most clothing, there is no point wasting time and electricity getting it… Read more · 1
any dryer.
Having said this, it probably helps that I have the matching Miele washing machine. I have noticed that with its lengthy spin cycle that it seems to do a much better job of drying the clothes than my previous washing machine. This, along with unrealistic expectations, could perhaps account for some of the negative reviews.
I have not tried the “normal dry” setting, so I can’t comment on that. This may also be sufficient for some purposes.
So, what I do, I dry on “extra dry” and if there are any clothes I want to have “bone dry”, I just use the warming function until they are as dry as I want them. Unfortunately, I do have certain clothes that must be “bone dry” to suit my needs. But for most people, I don’t think there would even be a need to do this extra drying.
I find that for a full 7kg load it takes 2.5 hours to dry them. After drying for another hour, using “warm air”, items I wanted completely dry were completely dry. If I experimented around, perhaps I could have the other items “bone dry” in less time.
I would say it takes about as long to dry as my previous Simpson dryer, which used to heat at a maximum of 45 degrees Celsius, which is officially classified as “low” setting for dryers. It is better for the longevity of your clothes to dryer at the lower setting anyway. I used to own a Simpson 4kg budget dryer with 1 star energy rating and this is 8 star. I worked it out, that it uses about 1/3 of the electricity, by analyzing the kilowatts rating and adjusting for the fact that it is 7kg instead of 4kg.
The timer of the Simpson dryer broke down after about 10 years, but in some ways I was glad, as this dryer perfectly matches my 7kg Miele washing machine.
In addition, unlike my previous cheap dryer. It has a timer function. So, I can set it to start at 11pm at night, to take advantage of cheaper electricity, further boosting the electricity savings. And the fact that it senses how long it will take also helps save power too. With the timer function, the length of time it takes is basically irrelevant. Who cares how long it takes while you are asleep?
I bought this from the Clearance Centre in Keysborough for a massive 40% off the normal price. I was really lucky, they got one in a couple of hours after I rang. Over time, you can save a lot of money with this dryer and it will pay for itself, especially if you do a lot of drying and buy it at the Clearance Centre. And, on top of this, Miele products are designed to last 20 years, and so you also save money on replacing laundry appliances.
Don’t let the negative reviews put you off!
ProductReview.com.au has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence our content moderation policies in any way, though ProductReview.com.au may earn commissions for products/services purchased via affiliate links.
Also Miele saw my review and wrote a token message saying they apologise for inconvenience and… Read more