# Forum Home Renovation Bathrooms  Seeking opinions on Omega brand appliances

## Master Splinter

I'm in the process of buying a new house (workshop space, finally!!); the builders brand of choice is Omega - (gas cooktop, electric oven, dishwasher, range hood) and I was wondering if anyone here had had bad experiences with the Omega gear, or if it wasn't all that bad. 
(I'm half tempted already to flick the dishwasher and put in a Bosch unit)

----------


## arms

> I'm in the process of buying a new house (workshop space, finally!!); the builders brand of choice is Omega - (gas cooktop, electric oven, dishwasher, range hood) and I was wondering if anyone here had had bad experiences with the Omega gear, or if it wasn't all that bad. 
> (I'm half tempted already to flick the dishwasher and put in a Bosch unit)

  i,ve heard nothing bad about these appliances ,unlike the wunchung brands coming in ,they are an australian company and you will probably find that they are rebranded italian appliances.anyway ,warranty is a major plus ,

----------


## Master Splinter

Cool - thanks for that!

----------


## GraemeCook

A while back I had a discussion with the owner of a quite large electrical retailing firm about servicing and life expectancy of major electrical appliances. 
He said than many of the cheaper white goods are not designed to be serviced and only a very limited range of parts is available, others are more servicable but the manufacturers only provide support (ie parts) for a short period - often seven or ten years - and generally only the Australasian and expensive European brands provide the traditional support for an extended period of time. 
He suggested that the likely economical working life for various white goods was as follows:  unknown Asian brands - 4 years - often shorter.known Asian brands made in mainland Asia - 7 years.made in Japan, Australia or New Zealand - 10 years.European brands assembled in Asia - 10 years.made in western Europe - 15 years.premium made in Germany brands - 20 years - AEG, Miele, etc.
It is worth noting that that his experienced estimates on their longevity seems to fairly closely align with their relative prices. 
Cheers 
Graeme

----------


## Master Splinter

Those seem like pretty good guides...maybe a tad optimistic! 
After having a browse through the productreview.com.au site, I'd revise the 'unknown asian brands' down to 'may just make it out of warranty, but if in warranty, getting service or parts will be well nigh impossible'.  
(I love the comments on that site, like "Pros - It looks like a dishwasher and came in a nice box for the kids to play in....Cons - everything else - doesn't wash dishes, just redistributes dirt...for the four times that it actually worked before flooding the floor and blowing its control panel".)

----------


## GraemeCook

> Those seem like pretty good guides...maybe a tad optimistic! 
> After having a browse through the productreview.com.au site, I'd revise the 'unknown asian brands' down to 'may just make it out of warranty, but if in warranty, getting service or parts will be well nigh impossible'.

  
Or as a lawyer mate said of a product that came with *a lifetime warranty*... 
"That doesn't mention your lifetime; it refers to the product's lifetime.   Once it kaput then so are you.." 
Cheers 
Graeme

----------


## Twinadventurer

Something worth noting is that the Omega (Smeg & Blanco too) electric ovens all have their main wiring via the clock. This tends to fail after only a few years and is a ridiculous price to replace if out of warranty. It can be bypassed easily, but if you wish to have it working, it'll cost you and then again in only a few years. My brother in law is an appliance repairer and he does at least 1 of these jobs per week, sometimes per day! He also doesn't recommend Miele, the more expensive the appliance - the more expensive the parts!
Just my 2 bobs worth anyway.

----------


## Maverick2000

> My brother in law is an appliance repairer and he does at least 1 of these jobs per week, sometimes per day! He also doesn't recommend Miele, the more expensive the appliance - the more expensive the parts!
> Just my 2 bobs worth anyway.

  He just lost all credability with his Miele comment, perhaps he doesn't like it that Miele reliability is top notch or that they have their own staff that do servicing? 
Miele has been constantly at the top of all the appliance reliability surveys that Choice perform with Bosch level pegging. Miele also sits up at the top of all the reviews for products that Choice staff do. Unlike the "my brother in law...." and the "I heard from a friend of the guy that ...." Choice reliability surveys are based on users experience with the appliances in real life and their reviews are based on actually using and testing the ovens under controlled environments. 
We have a Miele dishwasher that's going on 15 years old and the only repair we had to do was to replace the hose (has a solenoid built into the end in case the machine leaks) in it due to the high water pressure that we have. Other than that the machine looks and performs like brand new. 
Rather than relying on posts on a forum the OP should sign up for choice online and he'll get a good idea on what is worth buying and what is not. The fact that the builders specifies them as standard to me is a warning that it's cheap and low quality.

----------


## Twinadventurer

Thanks for the tips Maverick, seems you'll use Choice as the benchmark and with that I wish you all the best.
I am limited to the knowledge passed on by someone dealing with these 2nd hand appliances every day. I'm sure new appliances tested by someone like Choice has their merit, but I'd prefer to see something 10 or 15 years old tested in the same way.
I too had a dishwasher, Dishlex I think, that was at least 15 years old and runs like a dream.
I'm sure there is someone out there that has an Alfa Romeo that's 20 years old and has never missed a beat, doesn't really give me confidence to go out and buy one.
We know all too well, however, that 15 years ago things were made quite differently to the way they are mass produced these days.
Food for thought anyhow.

----------


## Maverick2000

> Thanks for the tips Maverick, seems you'll use Choice as the benchmark and with that I wish you all the best.
> I am limited to the knowledge passed on by someone dealing with these 2nd hand appliances every day. I'm sure new appliances tested by someone like Choice has their merit, but I'd prefer to see something 10 or 15 years old tested in the same way.

  That's why choice do their reliability surveys, they're an excellent indicator into how whitegoods do operate long term. The problem with taking a repairers advice is that they only get to see a small subset of machines and generally they specialise in a few different brands. It's the same problem when you ask a retailer for advice, they may have the best intentions but you don't always get the full picture. 
In the latest issue there are some results of dishwashers up to 9 years old and the percentage not needing repair in the last 12 months, note that the Bosch results are skewed a little as they haven't been selling dishwashers for that long in Australia (about 6 years I think). 
Bosch 95% (318 responses)
Miele 92% (697)
Whirlpool 90% (152)
down the bottom performer 
Kleenmaid 71% (71) 
Median was 85%. 
No responses from owners of Omega branded machines. 
Kleenmaid has always been down the bottom of both tests and their reliability, if the people that fell for the Kleenmaid experience had checked some Choice reviews they wouldn't have paid 3 to 4 times the price for cheap Italian appliances.   

> We know all too well, however, that 15 years ago things were made quite differently to the way they are mass produced these days.
> Food for thought anyhow.

  That's why Miele are so good, they still design their products with a design life of 25 years and why so many of their products just keep going. Miele are made to a standard and not a price and this is constantly shown in the Choice (and similar organisations overseas) reliability surveys. 
For price/performance it's hard to go past Bosch however and there is room to get a decent discount on Bosch's prices.

----------


## GraemeCook

Fully agree with your views, Maverick. 
Its traditional for repairers to badmouth Miele because they will not supply them with parts.   Ditto some retailers because Miele will not sell (wholesale) machines to them - all Miele white goods that you see in a retailers actually belong to Miele and the reatailer acts as agent of Miele in selling them to you.  Delivery is made by Miele. 
German made Bosch appliances are extremely good, but there are also cheaper Thai assembled Bosch products (German made components) which while still very good are not as good as the German ones. 
Finally, some food for thought.  A friend runs an up-market car repair business.   He has a theory that the life expectancy of a 2009 Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Toyota, etc, is about 15 years maximum.   He suggests that after 15 years the mechanics will be fine, the body work and interiors will still be excellent but the electronics will be uneconomic to repair and parts will not be available.   Who still uses a 15 year old computer - and where do you get parts for a 286 or 486 machine. 
Cheers 
Graeme

----------


## Master Splinter

...At least Bosch will match the drill, jigsaw and ROS then....

----------


## mattwilliams78

I renovated my kitchen back in January. Got a package of omega brand appliances for a steal from Bing Lee - effectively got the dishwasher for free. I was under the impression that Omega was some kind of poor German brand (cheap version of Smeg) but the build quality seems more Italian. A button on the dishwasher has stuck in twice already and so I have had to take it apart to free it up (who knows if this voids the warranty?!) in putting the stainless steel front back on I got a nasty cut to my finger which to me is just badly made componentry. 
Anyway, in life you generally get what you pay for so I'll be amazed if I get more than 4 or 5 years out of them. But as someone said earlier - appliances are getting more and more like computers and who in their right mind would buy the most expensive computer when in 12months the cheapest on the market will have the same features and your computer will be on its last legs - sadly, we live in a disposable world and I have found that buying a lower-mid range product and accepting having to change it often (and getting features upgraded at the same time) is probably better anyway. 
That sounds terribly materialistic now I write it eh?!  :Eek:

----------


## Maverick2000

> Anyway, in life you generally get what you pay for so I'll be amazed if I get more than 4 or 5 years out of them. But as someone said earlier - appliances are getting more and more like computers and who in their right mind would buy the most expensive computer when in 12months the cheapest on the market will have the same features and your computer will be on its last legs - sadly, we live in a disposable world and I have found that buying a lower-mid range product and accepting having to change it often (and getting features upgraded at the same time) is probably better anyway.

  I wouldn't compare kitchen appliances to computers. 
A computer from 15 years ago is worthless now but a dishwasher from 15 years ago is still as good as a modern model (in the case of a few brands). 
Personally I'd rather buy a quality piece of equipment (bathroom hardware, kitchen appliances, powertools, stereo gear and so on) that will last a long time, have a resale value if I decide to replace it, doesn't require frequent repairs and is a joy to use rather than some cheap shoddy piece of equipment that is a frustration to use, needs frequent repairs or is poorly designed and where you want it to break so you can throw it out.

----------


## arms

> I wouldn't compare kitchen appliances to computers. 
> A computer from 15 years ago is worthless now but a dishwasher from 15 years ago is still as good as a modern model (in the case of a few brands). 
> Personally I'd rather buy a quality piece of equipment (bathroom hardware, kitchen appliances, powertools, stereo gear and so on) that will last a long time, have a resale value if I decide to replace it, doesn't require frequent repairs and is a joy to use rather than some cheap shoddy piece of equipment that is a frustration to use, needs frequent repairs or is poorly designed and where you want it to break so you can throw it out.

  
"The bitter taste of poor quality lingers far longer than the initial sweetness of a cheap price."

----------


## newb

> (I'm half tempted already to flick the dishwasher and put in a Bosch unit)

  
I don't know anything about Omega, but we just got a new Bosch diswasher and it's absolutely fantastic. We go the base model - mainly because I like the turn dial as a pose to the electronic panels. You don't have to rinse the dishes and they come out bone dry. Really happy.

----------


## GraemeCook

> ...At least Bosch will match the drill, jigsaw and ROS then....

  
Hey Master,  Have you got a green or a blue oven..... to match your powertools? 
Cheers 
Graeme

----------


## GraemeCook

> I wouldn't compare kitchen appliances to computers. 
> A computer from 15 years ago is worthless now but a dishwasher from 15 years ago is still as good as a modern model (in the case of a few brands).

  
Is not the electronic controls in a kitchen appliance a small computer?    This may be the week link. 
Cheers 
Graeme

----------


## Master Splinter

...to match the powertools, it'd need to be green and a bit of blue, with bits missing (they're in my toolbox somewhere, I swear!), and have at least one bloodstain on the controls...

----------


## mattwilliams78

> Is not the electronic controls in a kitchen appliance a small computer? This may be the week link. 
> Cheers 
> Graeme

  Thats exactly the point I was trying to make, when things go wrong these days it always appears to be some little piece of electronics that costs precisely 50% of the cost of a new model and so you always seem to convince yourself that rather than pay out now when something else might break in a months time you may as well get the brand new one (which is stainless steel now rather than the dated white of your old one, or it now does a wash in half the water blah blah blah) 
As I said, you do get what you pay for but its simple maths to say a Miele that costs $2000 vs an Omega that costs $600 - well if you get a third of the life out of the cheap unit you're still going to be ahead AND you'll have had 3 feature updates in the mean time. 
Maybe what we should all be doing though is switching to a service-based economy where you pay a subscription to have a dishwasher/washing machine etc. and then the service company that provides it is motivated to keep their units going on and on and making a margin from long lasting products rather than the current consumer-based economy where companies make a buck from selling you an item and designing it to last just long enough that you'll need to keep buying another one and another one etc - same outlay for you probably but way less material in landfill..... but I digress  :Rolleyes:

----------


## mattwilliams78

oh, BTW, sorry, I just re-read my posts (for inappropriate computer references  :Biggrin: ) and I noticed that I didn't say anything about the items themselves ..... 
Oven - plenty of settings - cooks better than both the Simpson it replaced and the Kleenmaid at my old place - tick 
Hotplate - ceramic - maybe marginally better than the old simpson electric elements or the solid elements on the Kleenmaid BUT still terrible in comparison to gas (haven't got any in the street and reluctant to go bottled) 
Rangehood - pull out, very pleased with this - didn't have anything before - hidden settings for speed etc. 
Microwave - passable, think my old Sharp was much better but it warms things up which is all I need it to (my mum cooked far too much with a microwave growing up and I swear its scarred me) 
Dishwasher - good, lots of different settings though we only use the normal one. Occasionally things need to be washed twice (inside bowls etc.) but thats more about our poor stacking than the machine I think. Has a 2h 20min cycle which seems waaay longer than the kleenmaid at our old place but it definately washes things better. Doesn't always come out completely dry though. 
Hope this helps - probably a bit boring now I've written it actually..... :Hahaha:

----------


## anawanahuanana

When I redid my kitchen about 18 months ago, I put in an Omega oven, cooktop (glass top) and rangehood. I don't know about now, but back then the Omega website was actually Smeg-Omega so I assume they are tied together somehow or other. Anyway, the oven looks good, gets hot and cooks food. The cooktop looks good (apart from getting burnt food off the glass. Thanks god for Gumption!), gets hot, and cooks food. The rangehood looks good and sucks pretty well. None of them have given me any cause for concern regarding build quality or possible lifespan, so I'm still hopeful they will last me until the kitchen needs redoing again, which given the standard of my workmanship, will probably be in about 3 years!

----------

