onthego,

I would probably go with the GE TL HE. I have not read any negative reviews on this model.

I did have the Cabrio HE and I would not recommend it.

It sounds like Lowes 30 day return is the way to go too.
You should have some idea on whether or not the washer meets your expectations by 30 days.

Try experimenting with comforters, winter coats,throw rugs and other odd items that need washing besides your regular day to day clothing.

Good Luck with your purchase.

I bought mt Whirlpool Cabrio HE (with the glass lid) at Lowes last March. I love the machine, it is absolutly the best washer I have ever owned. It washes well and is really easy to use. Just read the manual and you're set. And the customer service at Lowes is fabulous. The Cabrio was my third machine. I thought I wanted a FLer, I was wrong! I started with a Bosch Nexxt 800, but it smelled like burning plastic when I used it. It was a special order so I would have had to wait 2 weeks for a new one. Instead I switched to the Bosch Nexxt 500 which was in stock. Hated it, even after being leveled several times (and by two different "pros" as well as muself and my BIL), it still shook my whole house. So I exchanged that for the Cabrio on the advice of a couple of the salesmen. So that was three times they picked-up and delivered machines, at no cost to me. They also cheerfully refunded some of my money with each exchange (I think $200 the first time, and another $250-$300 the second time.).
I did get the extended warranty, I thought it would be a good idea when I got the FLer, and still thought it would be good with the HE TLer. I don't know how to fix it myself if there is a problem, and there are so many expensive parts on these machines now! The warranty is cheap enough at Lowes that I thought the piece of mind was worth it.
Good luck with your purchase. If you get the Cabrio, and read and follow the manual, you should not have any problems. And you should not have any problems exchanging if you don't like it if you get it at Lowes. Don't buy it at Sears or Best Buy unless you are sure it is what you want.

You might want to check the February 2008 issue of Consumer Reports magazine. The article and ratings on Washers and Dryers covers 20 FL and 22 TL, plus 39 dryers. The Cabrio was the #4 TL with 69 points; the Harmony was the #5 TL with 65 points. (The Cabrio HE was #2 with 74 points.) We are also in the market for a replacement machine, but are still researching. Our repairman is a big Whirlpool fan, but does not recommend the Cabrio at this time because the technology is still relatively new. The Cabrio is supposed to be an improvement over the Calypso, which turned out to be a huge disaster and was discontinued after a few years. The Calypso had very high performace ratings, but its repair record was the worst of all TLs. As you might guess, for any given machine, some will consider it the absolute best; others will consider it the absolute worst. You also might check out the Epinions web site and look up consumer comments on specific machines. Good luck!!

The Cabrio and Calypso are *completely* different mechanisms and washing actions, and should not be considered as "siblings" in that respect. I have two Calypsos, they do clean and rinse very well when used properly.

The mechanicals of the Cabrio (and Oasis and Bravos) are based on Fisher & Paykel agitator washers, which have been on the U.S. market for 10 years, and longer in NZ/Aus. Whirlpool made some changes to the washing process to garner the HE aspect. F&P is now selling their version of it, called the AquaSmart.

onthego,

As per Home Depot wishing they stocked them, they do carry the Maytag Bravos, which is pretty much identical to the Cabrio. My grandmother has the Bravos and loves it! It handles enormous loads as well as smaller sized loads beautifully and cleans and rinses them beautifully! Hope this helps! :o)

Kevin

Here is a link that might be useful: Maytag Bravos at Home Depot

Jcrowley, is that the one without an agitator? Was looking at one today. It seems like I read somewhere about a problem with clothes tangling in machines without an agitator. Have you ever had that problem?

I've had the Harmony for about 3 years now and I love it. I don't care for FL's and this is about as close as you can come as far as energy saving and room in the washer. I've never had a problem and I would buy another one tomorrow. If you're looking for an HE TL I would highly recommend the Harmony!

I have never had a problem with cloths tangling in my Cabrio HE (yes it is the one without an agitator, it has a wash plate). I did quite a bit of research on it before I switched to it and what I read suggested that tangling should not be an issue if it is properly loaded. I always load it one item at a time dropped around the sides of the tub (not covering the wash plate). It only takes a minute or two extra and I have not seen any tangling or wrinkling. I don't remember where I read this tip but it works great for me. I do just toss the whites in and then shove them to the sides off the wash plate. For longer items like pants, towels and sheets, you want to drop them in in a heap along the edge of the tub, not wrap them around the outside of the tub. Basically, I just pretend there is an agitator in the middle. The only things I treat different are comfortors. Those I evenly distribute around the edge of the tub, they have to wrap around because mine are king size. They don't tangle though.

I have had the Cabrio TL without the agitator for about 6 months now. I love it, and I only wish I'd had it when the kids were growing up. It handles large loads well although I do mostly smaller loads these days. Does them great too.

Well, after reading, research (thanks everyone for your input), this afternoon I bought the Harmony Washer/Dryer at Lowes. Ended up that I really didn't have much of a choice after all between the Whirlpool Cabrio and the GE Harmony after finding out how tall the washer lid was.....would have had to take out the cabinet above the washer in order to accommodate it. That wouldn't work...would mean a remodel for my narrow laundry room. Just glad I discovered this before ordering them. Anyway, think I got a pretty good price at Loews (they matched another local large retailer whose price was $200 less) plus are giving store credits to the tune of $200, so I'm satisfied. Plus they have a better return policy and better customer service from what I've read. Now I'm wondering how hard it is to program the Harmony.....one salesman told me his store had only 1 return from someone who just didn't want to deal with it.....hope it really is easy! I did get the extended warranty for $169 just in case! Thanks again everyone.

I have a whirlpool cabrio he washer I bought about 4mths ago. I notice this washer doesn't use much water, infact the bowl never seems to have water filling it. Is this normal? Also is special soap required? Thank you

The water usage you see is normal. HE means "High Efficiency" -- less water is used. Yes, detergent labeled "HE" must be used. Have a look at your local stores for it. HE detergents are formulated for these new washers to insure there's a proper concentration of detergent in the lower amount of water, reduced sudsing, ingredients to prevent dye transfer (less water = higher concentration of dye in the water if any items "bleed"), etc.

Some people have said they refuse to use HE detergent, and instead use reduced amounts of regular detergents ... but keep in mind dosage may be tricky to determine to prevent oversudsing ... and some of the washer manufacturers state that the warranty is void if non-HE detergent is used. Of course that depends on whether a problem occurs that can be traced to it .. but is it worth taking that risk?

I've had my HE machine for about 3 years now and I've never used a detergent specifically marked HE. Before I switched to all natural detergents I just used Tide or whatever was available. Of course I reduced the amount drastically, used only about an ounce a load. My current detergent is not "HE" but it does have instructions for use in an HE machine.