Entry level Tumble wash. Review on IFB DIVA(CW)

I recently purchased an IFB –Diva(CW), Front-loading washing Machine from Next Retail, Visakhapatnam/AP, for a price of Rs. 11, 900/-(incl. taxes). CW incidentally stands for Cold water. I heard they have a Hot water model as well. The capacity is 5 Kg of dry clothes.

I earlier owned a fully Automatic, Kenstar, Top loading Tumble Wash machine, which after small irritants from the 5th year finally developed a mechanical breakdown in the 7th year. The drive shaft got free from the drum. I had lot of problem with Kenstar service earlier, especially after they stopped manufacturing them and service was off-loaded to Videocon, their Sister concern.

After hunting for a machine that would not cost the sky and still be gentle on clothes, it was clear that my new Washing Machine had to be a fully Automatic, Tumble wash machine.

During my hunt I realized that a machine with the features of Kenstar(Viz: Pre-rinse, Rinse-hold, Variable spin speed, Variable Temperature controlled heater and facility to add fabric softener during final rinse cycle, etc) were only available in top end models costing over 25, 000/-. Incidentally I had purchased Kenstar Tumble Wash in 2002 for just Rs. 14, 000/-.

From the small survey I conducted at work, I found a majority of people owned IFB Tumble wash machines and I heard service was not too bad either. At least they turn up and seem to know their job. They also have an all India call center for lodging complaints. Shaken from my earlier experience with Kenstar, I wanted to buy a machine that was sold in large numbers, and one for which spares would not be a problem. So my choice thus narrowed down to IFB make tumble wash. Unfortunately IFB does not make Top loading tumble wash so I had no choice but to settle for Front-loading Tumble wash. A little bending exercise would not be bad for my wife, and me I thought.

When I began visiting various showroom I realized that, to get all features of my older Kenstar machine, I had to choose the Top most model of IFB, for which I had to shell in excess of Rs. 25. 000/-. With the bad experience of my older machine still fresh in mind, I had no guts to invest so much in a new machine. My mind had already decided in favor of an entry level tumble wash model and then my eyes fell on IFB-Diva. The price tag of Rs. 11, 900/- was a clincher. It was a tumble wash machine and that was what I wanted, so I did not care if it did not have a heater or any other frills. It was a no nonsense machine that was designed to just wash clothes with absolutely no extras. So I went for it.

It is now just 3 days after it has been commissioned. The demo personnel arrived within 48 hrs of purchasing the product. Of course wary as I was I could not resist calling up Mr. Vedanta, the service head of Vizag, who was very polite and courteous.

The service personnel after the Demo, I noticed were keen of selling me company authorized spares like a Base stand, Machine cover, De-scaling cleaner kit, etc, which I politely declined. I was too early to jump and buy anything I thought. The machine has a 2 yr warranty and they are supposed to make service visits every 6 months. The built in 4 legs of the Diva is rubber padded and is adjustable, to take care of uneven floors. The machine is heavy at 59 Kgs and very Stable while running.

During the initial washes I used a normal detergent and the excess foam caused some water to leak from the front gasket. After using low foam, Ariel Matic detergent, there is no such problem now.

Anybody would fall in love with the Diva’s looks. The machine is very cute to look, with a White and Yellow theme. White for the body and Yellow for the doorframe, soap dispenser and the minimalist, single-knob, control panel. The rear of the machine is made of galvanized steel sheet. The transit locking bolts(2 nos) were unscrewed before demo by service personnel and plugs provided close the opening thus created.

There are 10 simple wash programs. There is a circular dial to set the program and the central knob has to be pulled outward to start the machine. The machine takes approx 1.5 hours for a normal wash cycle. The soap dispenser has got only a single chamber. If you pull it out while water filling is in progress, water would spill on the floor. The Fluff filter door on front, bottom-left is a bit tricky to open, but locks with a click when pushed in. The final max spin speed is fixed at 600 RPM as per manual.

Inlet water hose and outlet drain hose is provided with the machine, the inlet hose directly screws on to a ¾ inch threaded pipe. The drainpipe can be just left on the floor or into a sink, if it is not more than 1 meter from the base of machine. Plumbing has to be done in advance before you call the service personnel for demo and installation. The manual provided with the machine is average but gives most necessary details. There is mention of an installation charge of Rs. 300/-, which I thought, was atrocious, but mercifully no money was collected from me. A thoughtful rat mesh made of cheap corrugated plastic has been provided with 2 screws, which was fixed at the bottom by service personnel, but I noticed that it still leaves some gaps at the edges, through which a rat could easily get in.

On the whole it is good value for money. It is too early to tell. I’ll update you with my experiences as time goes on.