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Spin cycle's max RPM - how much really makes a difference?

15 years ago

I'm looking at the LG 2016, 2233, and 2455.

Their max spin rpm's are 1050, 1100, 1200 respectively.

Does the 1200 rpms vs. the 1050 or 1100 really make that much difference in how much water is extracted?

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Comments (7)

cynic
15 years ago
Not if you can't use the speed. Most people suggest not using the high speed for things that are wrinkle-prone, including jeans. Towels are probably the best use.

I heard the physics on it once and some suggested declining benefits after a certain point. Again, depends on the use. To me, past 1000-1100, I would be watching price far more. 900-1000 RPM extracts a LOT of water. I'd look then more at price, features and the like to compare. Are they identical otherwise? Same price?

I've seen people bragging about units like the Miele that have 1600 RPM speeds, but again, they don't use it very often. And I often see people complain about wrinkling and the first suggestion is don't spin it so fast!
georgect
15 years ago
I don't think there would be that much of a difference between these speeds.
It's more of a selling point, i.e. 1000rpm vs. 1600rpm.
And there are other variables like drum diameter and G forces.

I believe these are "peek" spin speeds. Meaning they step up speeds, reach the peek spin speed and then drop down some.

I would pick the features you like/want first then spin speed second.
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suburbanmd
15 years ago
Assuming those three machines have the same drum diameter, the water extraction force is proportional to the square of the RPM's. So, compared to the 1050 RPM machine:

1100 RPM force is 1.1 times as great
1200 RPM force is 1.3 times as great

The relation between extraction force and quantity of water extracted is indeed not simple. I remember seeing a Miele table of spin speed vs. residual water, perhaps in a non-US washer manual.

I don't know that most people recommend not using high speed spin for jeans. Certainly I've seen some people say that. My Miele washer's "Denim/Jeans" cycle defaults to High Spin, which is 1200 RPM on this machine, so Miele apparently doesn't agree. (It's 4.0 cu ft IEC capacity, so drum diameter is probably similar to LG 2455's 4.2 cu ft drum. Extraction force is proportional to drum diameter, not to the square of the drum diameter).

As for our own experience, we wash almost everything, including jeans, on the "Custom" cycle at Max Spin, which is 1400 RPM. Never had a wrinkling problem, even with stuff that isn't tumble-dried.

It's true that the entire spin doesn't take place at the specified speed. This is machine-dependent. I can only say what my Miele does, and it varies its timings in some adaptive way that I haven't figured out yet. On our typical wash with 1400 RPM spin, it progressively builds up to that speed, in order to remove some water and reduce the potential for out-of-balance before hitting the top speed. Right now it seems to spend about 2 minutes at the top speed. Before starting this progressively ramped-up spin, it also does a couple of "burst spins", which quickly come up to speed and then coast down.

I think spin speed is a feature, to be considered along with other features as well as price.
kimmers71
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks. I did end up finding a UK site that compared RPMs and gave real life findings. Not that much difference between the two and yes, he also said that the max RPM is only for a very short time in the spin cycle.

So now it's between the LG 2233 and I'm also going to look at the Samsung 338.
chipshot
15 years ago
I'm surprised no one mentioned how cool a high-RPM spin sounds, LOL.
jonsgirl
15 years ago
Provided your washer is completely level!! lol Otherwise its downright scary!
suburbanmd
15 years ago
Spin speed is also important for rinsing -- the spin between wash and first rinse helps get rid of the soapy water. Using an unnecessarily low spin speed will impair rinsing, unless the machine is smart enough to compensate by adding an extra rinse.

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