In this article, we will take a closer look at the Lex WFS 61002 WH washing machine and find out if it cleans stains of the most stubborn stains well, if it makes a lot of noise during operation and if it wrings out efficiently.
In almost all characteristics, this model is a copy of the Lex WFS 71202 WH , which we tested not so long ago. Therefore, some of the descriptions may coincide with the previous review.
Characteristics
| Manufacturer | Lex |
|---|---|
| Model | WFS 61002 WH |
| Type | washing machine |
| Country of Origin | China |
| Warranty | 36.6 months |
| Service life * | 10 years |
| Maximum load | 6 kg |
| Energy class | A++ |
| Wash class | BUT |
| Drying class | C |
| Spin | 1000 rpm |
| Number of programs | fifteen |
| Steam cleaning function | there is |
| Delayed start | there is |
| Child protection | there is |
| Super fast wash | there is |
| Drum cleaning | there is |
| The weight | 57 kg |
| Dimensions (W×H×D) | 595×850×460 mm |
| Network cable length | 1.6 m |
| Retail offers |
* Contrary to common misconception, this is not the period after which the device will definitely break. However, after this period, the manufacturer ceases to bear any responsibility for its performance and has the right to refuse to repair it, even for a fee.
Equipment
The washing machine turned out to be in a foam plastic technological package with reinforcement: two wooden blocks in front. A cardboard cover is put on top of this design – it was necessary to print shipping information on something. And already the whole sandwich is tightened in a dense plastic film.
Lex WFS 61002 WH includes:
- hose for water connection
- sewer connection hose (installed on the machine)
- drain hose bracket:
- set of plugs for transport holes
- user guide
- warranty card
- Appliance Energy Efficiency Label
Both the inlet hose and the drain hose bracket on this model are simple: the first without AquaStop, the second with a standard design – two latches, a smooth bend and a screw hole.
At first sight
Almost all washing machines look about the same, and this model also adheres to the classic style. Her body is white, the hatch is transparent and circled with a wide black stripe. Detergent drawer on the top left, program selector in the center, display and additional options buttons on the right. Nothing new: everything is familiar, handy and does not require changes in long-term habits.
To increase rigidity, the side walls are decorated with punching.
The framing of the hatch protrudes slightly beyond the dimensions of the hull – this should be taken into account when transporting. The small depth of the washing machine, however, allows you to easily carry it through a standard doorway.
If you look at this device from the back, we will see another standard view: from above, as usual, a socket for connecting the inlet hose. It has a removable plastic filter to protect against tap dirt and another one made of fine metal mesh. If the water pressure drops, you should first check the condition of the filter on the hose, and then clean the deposits on the water outlet filter. Lex WFS 61002 WH is connected to cold water supply only.
The drain hose is usually not removed and does not differ at all from others of the same kind.
During transportation, the drum is fixed with four screws with plastic plugs and shock absorbers made of dense black rubber. When the car has already been put in place, they must also be closed with plastic plugs – they are in the box.
The hatch hinges of this model are metal. Their design allows the door to be opened almost 180°. The latch of the lock is silumin, the mating part of the latch is plastic. It will not work to rearrange the lid so that it opens in the other direction – it is not provided for by the design.
Perforations and punchings in the form of convex triangles form a nice pattern on the inner surface of the drum. The manufacturer reports that the Snowflake profile is his own development, which allows you to wash the most delicate things thoroughly and without damage. The gray plastic beaters are slightly curved and also have holes.
The detergent drawer has three compartments, and there is nothing revolutionary here either: we pour the detergent for the main wash into the left one, for the preliminary wash into the right one, and the air conditioner into the central one. This model does not have special trays or devices for liquid detergents. The tray is fixed with a blue latch. You can easily get it for cleaning and maintenance.
Under the rectangular cover at the bottom of the front panel is the exhaust filter plug. The hatch is held by a plastic latch and opens easily.
What’s inside?
According to the established tradition, we perform an incomplete disassembly of the washing machine and see how it works.
Instruction
The User’s Guide is a 42-page A5 book printed on thick white paper with excellent printing: all the drawings, diagrams and tables, of which there are quite a lot, are read without tension. The document was written in Russian.
The instructions contain information for three similar washing machines at once, the features of the desired device are carefully highlighted for the reader.
From the brochure you can find out all the details of preparing the machine for work, the features of its operation, detailed information on caring for the product and safety measures when using it. Completes its list of possible malfunctions with ways to fix it yourself.
Control
The cylindrical selector in the center of the control panel allows you to select the main wash programs. The label on it should point to the selected scenario. If it is vertical, then the machine is off.
When the program ends, the selector does not change position. It is necessary to manually turn it vertically, wait half a second and only then start the next wash.
Mode information is displayed on a black display with red LED indication. Digits and control lamps are contrasting, with a good viewing angle and are easily read in any light.
When a program is selected, the expected duration of the program appears on the display. When changing the temperature and spin settings, the time is replaced by the value of the corresponding washing parameter.
Below the display are buttons that control additional washing options. Our car has four of them:
- The water temperature during washing is set by the leftmost button. Available values are 95, 60, 40 and 20 °C. Heating can be turned off completely.
- The spin speed is selected from 1000, 800 and 600 rpm. An option to turn off the spin is also available.
- The third button is the prewash/extra rinse options. The first press turns on the prewash, the second sets the Rinse+ mode, the third activates both functions and the fourth turns them off.
- Finally, the fourth button starts the program or pauses it .
Pressing the temperature and spin buttons at the same time activates the delayed start setting mode. This function does not work in the usual way: this model does not set the time after which it is desirable to start the device, but the expected end time of the selected cycle. For example, if you select a mode for cotton that runs a little more than three hours, the minimum delay value is four hours (the washing machine will start approximately 50 minutes after the function is activated). The time selection is made in 1 hour increments, and the maximum value is 24 hours.
A long press on the spin and program buttons turns the child lock on and off. The protection on indicator is located under the drum lock light, both LEDs are signed the same way – “Block”, but differ in small icons.
In the table below we list the default values for each of the programs and the possible range of manual settings.
| Program | Default water temperature, °C | Possibility of temperature change, °C | Program duration | Spin by default, rpm | The ability to change the spin speed, rpm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cotton | 40 | 0-95 | 3:08-3:18 | 800 | 0-1000 |
| colored cotton | 20 | 0-60 | 2:58-3:18 | 1000 | 0-1000 |
| Synthetics | 40 | 0-60 | 1:58 | 800 | 0-1000 |
| Mixed wash | 40 | 0-40 | 0:58 | 800 | 0-1000 |
| Wool | 40 | 0-40 | 0:55 | 600 | 0-600 |
| Express | without heating | 0-40 | 0:15—0:30 | 800 | 0-800 |
| Rinse+Spin | without heating | — | 0:30 | 800 | 0-800 |
| Spin | — | — | 0:12 | 800 | 0-1000 |
| Drum cleaning | 95 | 95 | 1:10 | — | — |
| Delicate wash | 40 | 0-40 | 0:36 | 600 | 0-600 |
| Down jacket | 40 | 0-40 | 1:05 | 600 | 0-600 |
| Sports wear | 40 | 0-40 | 0:58 | 800 | 0-1000 |
| Dark fabrics | 20 | 0-60 | 1:15 | 800 | 0-1000 |
| Baby stuff/Steam | 60 | 0-95 | 2:10-2:20 | 800 | 0-1000 |
| Hypoallergenic/Steam | 60 | 0-60 | 1:51 | 800 | 0-1000 |
In addition to the classic modes for cotton, synthetics, delicate and mixed fabrics, this model has a quick mode (15 minutes in cold water or 30 with heating), programs for washing down jackets (also suitable for blankets, bedspreads and other large items), sports forms and products from dark fabrics. They also added two modes with steam treatment: the first – for children’s clothing, the second – to remove organic allergens from the fabric.
The set of programs is quite consistent, in our opinion, with the range of daily needs of the average user of the washing machine, the default settings are logical, and the range of changeable parameters is quite adequate.
Exploitation
Connecting the washing machine to the water supply and sewerage did not cause us any problems, since all connections turned out to be standard. The main thing is not to forget to unscrew the transport bolts holding the drum before starting work.
We strongly advise you not to neglect the alignment so that the machine does not vibrate and does not jump on the floor. To do this, you need to adjust the height of the legs using the building level.
A properly set washing machine, according to subjective sensations, works quite quietly. This model is perfectly balanced and – with proper alignment – stands firmly and securely on the surface.
Before starting a real wash, the manufacturer recommends running the “Drum Clean” program on an empty tub.
When you select a program, the display shows a fairly accurate time for the machine to run in that cycle. It does not change during the washing process and does not depend on the weight of the laundry or on the degree of soiling. And the choice of temperature affects the expected duration, if it is set higher than the default. For some programs, this can be done, and the time will increase slightly: for additional heating. For example, for the “Cotton” mode, changing the washing temperature from 40 to 95 degrees lengthens the cycle by 10 minutes. For the 15 minute Express scenario, no heat by default, raising the temperature to 40 degrees doubles the running time.
This model locks the door for the duration of the program, but immediately after the end it can be freely opened. That is, the inscription “End” appears on the display literally a second after the end of the movement of the drum and the click of the lock.
Care
The detergent container should be removed regularly and washed in warm water. Many people forget about it, and in vain.
The drum door seals also get dirty, so from time to time they should be wiped with a damp cloth and at the same time check the condition of the gaskets.
The manufacturer recommends cleaning the washing machine filter at least two to three times a year. If the machine does not drain properly, does not wring out properly, or foreign objects are found in the tank, the first thing to do is to check the filter.
Our measurements
When evaluating washing machines, we also consider the capacity of the drum. Of course, it almost never turns out to be a regular cylinder, but for approximate calculations it is enough to represent it as such.
For Lex WFS 71202 WH, the tank is a cylinder with a radius of 25 cm and a depth of 22 cm. Thus, its volume is 43197 cm³, that is, 43.2 liters.
And, as usual, we tracked the operation of the main mode with a stopwatch in our hands (the standard Cotton program with default settings). Here’s what we got.
| Actual time to finish | Countdown on display | Action | Total water consumption, l |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2:50 | 3:08 | program start, water inlet | |
| 2:49 | 3:06 | start washing | 3.8 |
| 0:42 | 0:46 | drain, squeeze | |
| 0:34 | 0:37 | gulf of water | 11.8 |
| 0:33 | 0:36 | rinse I | |
| 0:25 | 0:26 | drain, squeeze | |
| 0:18 | 0:21 | gulf of water | 18.8 |
| 0:17 | 0:20 | rinse II | |
| 0:10 | 0:12 | drain, squeeze | |
| 0:01 | 0:01 | stop the drum, end the wash | |
| 0:00 | end | drum unlock |
Energy and water consumption
Unfortunately, these parameters are usually not indicated in the instructions or are not detailed and not accurate, so we offer you the measurement results for those programs that we used in the testing process.
| Program | Amount of water, l | Electricity consumption, kWh |
|---|---|---|
| Cotton, 40°C | 18.8 | 0.414 |
| Cotton, 96 °C with prewash | 24.0 | 0.985 |
| mixed | 36.0 | 0.561 |
| Wool | 29.5 | 0.401 |
| Express (15 minutes) | 18.5 | 0.041 |
| Synthetics | 40.9 | 0.673 |
The washing machine saves water very well, and at the same time detergent: test operation showed that the dosage recommended by the manufacturer may be too much. In this case, you should put less or turn on the “Rinse +” option.
Spin
Another standard test is the assessment of the actual spinning efficiency, which we measure in grams of water per gram of cotton using the formula: ( wring weight – dry weight ) / dry weight . As a reference linen, 10 white terry towels from Ikea with a total weight of about 2 kg were used.
| Spin speed, rpm | Remaining water per gram of dry laundry, g |
|---|---|
| 600 | 1.29 |
| 800 | 0.94 |
| 1000 | 0.78 |
Noise
We measured the noise level in the room where washing machines most often work – the bathroom. The sound level meter was located at a level of 1 m from the floor and at a distance of 1 m from the device, in the center of the front panel.
| Working mode | Noise level, dBA |
|---|---|
| Wash | 42 |
| Drain | 40 |
| Intermediate spin | 51 |
| Rinsing | 38 |
| Final spin 1200 rpm | 57 |
The maximum power consumption of the machine, recorded during practical tests, was 1626 watts. In standby mode, the washing machine consumes less than 0.1 watts.
practice tests
To evaluate the main function of the washing machine, we took white cotton terry towels, applied common and hard-to-wash organic stains on them, and left them to dry for 24 hours. Washing was carried out on standard modes, the results were photographed before and after.
Cotton, 40°C
On each of the five towels, we applied one of our favorite substances, the main principle in the selection of which is simple: it must be widespread and resistant to washing. These are red wine, soy sauce, ketchup, blood and cocoa. Dirty towels dried for a day and only after that they got into the wash.
We filled the tray with gel for white linen from one of the manufacturers, well-known both in Russia and in the rest of the world. The dosage was calculated according to the instructions on the package.
Washed on a standard cotton program at 40°C. The result is presented below.
The stains from soy sauce, ketchup and cocoa have disappeared, as if they were not there, and traces of blood and red wine are still visible.
Result: excellent.
Cotton program with maximum temperature and prewash
Is it possible to do better? To solve this issue, we repeated the conditions of the previous test, but washed at the maximum temperature for cotton (95 ° C) and included a prewash.
Yes, you can do better! The stains from blood and red wine became much paler, and traces of cocoa, ketchup and soy sauce disappeared altogether.
To completely get rid of unwashed dirt, we applied bleach as usual and washed the towels again at the maximum temperature.
Result: excellent.
Wool
Not only cotton gets into the wash, and this must be taken into account when testing. Here, for example, requires a special approach wool. It’s time to remove the woolen throw weighing a little less than a kilogram from the sofa and set the appropriate program for it with default settings (40 ° C, spin 600 rpm). Of course, they also took a special liquid remedy.
Bottom line: Lex WFS 61002 WH can also wash wool. The blanket did not sit down, there were no pellets and seals, there was no dirt. The minimum (600 rpm) spin speed left a slightly damp blanket in the drum, which we successfully dried in the room – it took no more than three hours.
Result: excellent.
findings
The Lex WFS 61002 WH washing machine turned out to be similar to the previous model of this manufacturer we reviewed and differs from it only in a smaller number of spin speeds and, as a result, a slightly less productive spin.
It is very economical, easy to operate and does not make too much noise during operation. During testing, we did not find significant shortcomings in it, and practical tests showed good efficiency of this model.
The device perfectly saves water and, as a result, detergents. You should immediately put them in less than usual, or, if the laundry is very dirty, turn on the “Rinse +” option. Very modern: less money is spent and the environment is safer. So we will not consider this a disadvantage.
We, perhaps, still consider a limited number of additional washing options to be a significant disadvantage: I would like a half wash, settings for the degree of soiling of clothes and, for example, auto load detection. But the simplicity of the design provides a very affordable price.
Pros :
- simple control
- high profitability
- good wash quality
- low noise
- logical set of built-in programs
Cons :
- maximum spin speed – only 1000 rpm
- poor set of additional options
