My First Washing Machine. Review on IFB Executive Plus

Its been about a month now I picked up a IFB Executive Plus Washing Machine. It has solved my washing problems so here's a bit of the experience. The IFB Executive Plus is a fully automatic, 5Kg, mechanical control washing machine. Features are not as much as you might want for the price this machine retails for. IFB claim that it has 18 wash programs but i've figured out only 3 which are more than enough and solve all my washing needs. Thats a tall claim but then there is not much you can do.

IFB have manged to squeeze out 18 wash programs considering the various types of clothes you may throw in but in reality and once you get used to it; you realise its just around 3 full wash program settings. Getting back to the featutres this machine provides. There is a Spin Cancel Option so you can avoid clothes getting creased, an 800/600 RPM Spin Speed selector, Water Plus option that uses 25% more water so you get better wash/rinse quality and Hot Wash from 30 to 90 degrees. In real use you need to load up the machine to its full 5 kg capacity. This does not mean dry weight of your clothes. Consider the weight as damp when you load. If you put in a full 5 kg of dry clothes any machine will pack up much before the time it can actually finish the wash cycle.

The other option is a half load buts its strange that the water consumption is more less the same as full load. The port-hole is wide enough to load double bed sheets so there is no problem here. The program knob is a little tricky to set before you can start a wash cycle but you get used to it over time. Further to setting the program there is a seperate knob for wash temperature control. Other than this you can choose on whether you want to cancel the final spin function, use more water using Water Plus or cut down on the spin speed using the Spin Speed Selector. Once your done with all these settings which take no longer than 15 seconds; your wash process gets started.

Its not exactly a super silent machine. The final spin process gives you a little hint of a jet engine starting up. Vibrations do set in during the spin process. It is very critical that you place the machine and balance it using the adjustable screws at the bottom. This applies for any machine. Otherwise the whole thing will start to dance and damage itslf when it spins. Another very good feature is the option to add soap powder and fabric softner directly into the machine. There is a compartment to add your soap powder but make sure you use only washing machine grade powder as there are tendencies to clog the water nozzles.

Soap powder gets pulled in directly to the drum which is a stainless steel unit. A fluff filter is provides at the bottom of the machine to catch hold of loose fabric threads and other trash that floats around in the water. This needs some cleaning after a couple of weeks of washing and its simple. Wash quality is very good. Hot Wash gives better results on heavily soiled clothes. Water consumption varies between 20 to 90 litres and this depends on the wash load and program selected. This is a lot less than what top loading machines consume. Top loaders offer just convenience and they consume more water. Front loaders have the advantage of better wash quality and less water consumption. The machine come with a closed bottom so there should not be any problems if you have rodents running around the house. IFB provides basic plumbing needs such as the water inlet hose pipe already connected to the machine and the same for the drain hose. The drain system on this machine has a pump to pump out water. Most or should I say all top loader washing machines don't require this. Time for a wash cycle is quite a bit but this depends on the water inlet preassure. On an average it takes an hour and 40 minutes for a complete full load wash cycle to be complete.

This is a lot more that the time it takes a top loader but is worth the extra time as your clothes are washed and rinsed better. IFB tend to market their accessories a lot. When I asked for a technician to balance my machine he straight away suggested I buy the stand that has suction cups underneath so the machine won't shift or vibrate too much. You can buy this stand but its not going to make a difference if the machine is still not balanced well enough on the stand. The stand costs about Rs.900 and its not worth spending so much. Put in a few minutes on balancing the machine and everything will work right. Overall finish of the machines is poor. Everything looks cheap and for something that costs so much I really expected better quality. Nothing has failed so far but it does not give the impression that it will last a life time.

LG's TROMM line up look a lot better. At this point I have not faced any problems with the machine but its too early to tell. I shall update this review as time goes. Certain thumb rules to follow on any washing machine is the load and the balance of the machine. Over load it and your asking for trouble. Any machine can fail if you put too many clothes than what it can take. This not only damages your machine but leaves soap on your clothes which can be harmful for your skin. Balance your washing machine. Its quite easy. The machine should not have the slightest hint of any tilt on the ground. It should be balanced perfectly. These are "Do it yourself" things and with a little time to spare you can be sure of hassle free service from your washing machine for years.