Anyone here know anything about the new, high efficiency washers? The Wife and I are in the market but the more I research them the more I feel like my head will explode. Just wondering if anyone has any experience with them.
Washing Machines?
- Thread starter Brett Miller
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Have a Kenmore Elite, top loader machine with "Calypso" washing technology. My dad is a sucker for purchasing the flagship products.
So far, for the last three years or so, it has been problem free. However, it doesn't live up to its advertising propaganda's promise of drop it in and forget it, meaning no regard necessary for balance of the load- just isn't the case, you must still distribute the clothes evenly.
So far, for the last three years or so, it has been problem free. However, it doesn't live up to its advertising propaganda's promise of drop it in and forget it, meaning no regard necessary for balance of the load- just isn't the case, you must still distribute the clothes evenly.
Frontload is the go. Better wash, less water/electricity, faster spin etc. Wish I'd bought the Miele one but cocked up and bought a top loader. Dumb as!
JHZR2
Staff member
do a search for Staber washer/dryer units... very high efficiency, very simple, all made in the USA...
easy to work on if somnething goes south (apparently no $500 circuit boards in there), and very robust, front-loader style that loads from the top...
JMH
easy to work on if somnething goes south (apparently no $500 circuit boards in there), and very robust, front-loader style that loads from the top...
JMH
We've not had much luck with the Maytags Neptune series. I'm told however the new Neptune's (now by Whirlpool) are doing much better.
If it were up to me I'd look at the Staber but unfortunately my wife will only consider a front loader. (which they don't make)
Just my 2 cents,
If it were up to me I'd look at the Staber but unfortunately my wife will only consider a front loader. (which they don't make)
Just my 2 cents,
Kestas
Staff member
A bit off topic, but there's a company near Ann Arbor that is trying to develop washing machine technology that uses ultrasonics to clean clothes. The benefits are the use of less water, less (or no) soap, and less heat. It's their way of making a more environmentally-friendly product.
We bought a Whirlpool front loader last year.
It seems to work well, and we are saving about 1000 gallons per month on the water bill this winter compared to last winter.
We have two little kids and wash a lot of loads every week, so the savings of a front loader made it worth spending a bit extra.
I chose Whirlpool because they were rated a bit more reliable than Maytag, and because I had bought a Maytag refrigerator that had an expensive non covered failure at about 50 weeks of age, so I was soured on Maytag.
It seems to work well, and we are saving about 1000 gallons per month on the water bill this winter compared to last winter.
We have two little kids and wash a lot of loads every week, so the savings of a front loader made it worth spending a bit extra.
I chose Whirlpool because they were rated a bit more reliable than Maytag, and because I had bought a Maytag refrigerator that had an expensive non covered failure at about 50 weeks of age, so I was soured on Maytag.
We also bought a whirlpool front loader. It uses seventy percent less electricity and water than a regular washer.
It works great. Its rinse spin is so fast that the laundry is almost dry when we take it out. Our dryer work less.
We use it every day. It’s been problem free for two years.
It works great. Its rinse spin is so fast that the laundry is almost dry when we take it out. Our dryer work less.
We use it every day. It’s been problem free for two years.
JHZR2
Staff member
The thing is, the washer drum geometry (whatever you call the thing that the clothes go in) is the same as a front loader - it is just fed from the top via a trap door of sorts. You get all the advantages of a front loader in terms of washing efficiency, etc., with the ease and simplicity of loading/unloading from the top.
They are horizontal axis all the same as your front loader from HD.
Why does she so badly want the door to be in front, out of curiosity???
JMH
JHZR2
Staff member
FYI, in case youre interested:
http://www.staber.com/store/1673182/page/4460
Full disclosure - I do not yet own Staber appliances. However the good folks here at BITOG introduced me to them, and when it is time to replace, staber it will be!
JMH
http://www.staber.com/store/1673182/page/4460
Full disclosure - I do not yet own Staber appliances. However the good folks here at BITOG introduced me to them, and when it is time to replace, staber it will be!
JMH
I've got a calypso as well. I have had it almost 6 years. We have a kid and we do a lot of laundry. That and my wife loves the "express wash" that is designed for a small load that does the wash in about 30 minutes.
It lost a pump at 5 years, but the design has been revamped and it looks more robust (I had a first model year). I guess that machine has seen close to 2000 loads of laundry - easily.
Overall I am very pleased with it. It gets the clothes clean, it is extremely quiet (except for the turbo spin cycle), and it doesn't wear the clothes down practically at all. One nice thing about a top loader is that you can throw something in when it has started. I don't know how important that is to you but it seems like we constantly forget to throw that last pair of jeans in and we are still able to dump it in with the top loader even after the wash has started.
I haven't really had any issues with balancing the load on mine. Only thing that gets off balance is a king size comforter. Everything else really has been; "dump it in and forget it".
It lost a pump at 5 years, but the design has been revamped and it looks more robust (I had a first model year). I guess that machine has seen close to 2000 loads of laundry - easily.
Overall I am very pleased with it. It gets the clothes clean, it is extremely quiet (except for the turbo spin cycle), and it doesn't wear the clothes down practically at all. One nice thing about a top loader is that you can throw something in when it has started. I don't know how important that is to you but it seems like we constantly forget to throw that last pair of jeans in and we are still able to dump it in with the top loader even after the wash has started.
I haven't really had any issues with balancing the load on mine. Only thing that gets off balance is a king size comforter. Everything else really has been; "dump it in and forget it".
We purchased a Whirlpool Duet 2 front loader for our new house (our apartment complex owned our previous washer) and have been using it for about 3 weeks. It was $1017. It has been fine out of the box. It does remove a lot of water from the clothes. We've obviously never had a front loader before so it seems to have quite a bit of vibration; however, we installed sound insulation around the laundry room & used a solid door not a hollow core door in construction. I would recommend purchasing one.
We bought a Frigidaire front-loader W&D (gas dryer) last summer. Wife likes the wide choice of cycles, quiet operation, and efficiency. No problems so far. You have to use the special front-loader detergent, though.
Our last W&D & refer were Maytag (1992). They worked flawlessly for 15 years.
Our last W&D & refer were Maytag (1992). They worked flawlessly for 15 years.
JHZR2
Staff member
why do you have to use front loader detergent???
Front loader washers have been around for a LONG time... has this always been the case???
JMH
Front loader washers have been around for a LONG time... has this always been the case???
JMH
The regular stuff oversuds and will wear the pump out (too much aeration). Maybe the HE (High efficiency) soap has an antifoaming additive like oil. It all comes back to oil
LG!
That's one of the few downsides to front loaders: Not many HE soap options...at least where I shop.
*warning, the use of lubeguard products as an antifoaming additive in your laundry soap will void your marriage.
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We had one of the infamous Neptunes that brought the mighty Maytag to it's knees. Unparalleled performance ...unparalleled non-reliabilty. Way too many electronic parts needed to be replaced. Now it's fine, after we've paid for it twice. Got some of it back ...but..
Front load ...top load with whatever way they do it ..the things do a better job of cleaning with all the pluses that were mentioned.
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