OH MY GOD! The TL washers are going to start using automatic water levels????? UGH! I think we know on a TL if we have a small load, we choose small, med, large etc.

There was some discussion about this some time ago.

I have a Maytag Bravos toploading HE washer - capacity is listed as 4.6 cu ft.

I can wash a king-size comforter with ease. That's my criteria for the size I want, and I'm happy.

Maytag is made by Whirlpool. HTH

Mark40511, automatic water level on agitator toploaders is both a convenience feature and part of the HE movement. I've seen a LOT of people who waste water by habitually using a level that's too high.

ALL impeller-type HE toploaders have automatic water level. The upper-end *agitator* models of the Oasis, Cabrio, and Bravos have it.

Fisher & Paykel agitator toploaders have had auto water level sensing (with optional manual selection) for at least 10 years. My F&P IWL12 is a wonderful machine. Load it up, turn on the power, adjust the soil level if needed, press Start, the machine auto-senses both the water level and an appropriate agitation speed for the fabric weight and selected soil level.

The aforementioned WTW58ESV is a traditional Whirlpool transmission/agitator mechanism, uses a different method of water level sensing than F&P and the Oasis/Cabrio/Bravos machines.

Is this that same washer? If so, this link gives more complete information about the washer. You can click on the underlined words to get detailed info.

Here is a link that might be useful: Whirlpool Washer

Yeppers that is the same washer Mara. Mind you on that site they state it as 4 cf (IEC) and I have no idea what IEC means but doesn't matter as it is what it is...a 3.5 and honestly with us being a family of 6 I just don't think a 3.5 will cut it?

I assume your hubby was measuring the drum between the two units. Possibly the agitator in the 4.0 unit is smaller or skinnier than the 3.5 that you were comparing? They are going by usable space.

So a TL, with agitator, will have a smaller capacity number than a FL (same size dimensional tub) because there is nothing but paddles (or fins?) in the drum. Again, that's why the HE TL (with a washplate, no agitator) have such a large capacity size number.

A 3.5 won't cut it? A 3.5 will do fine for a family of six. The manufacturers have led us to believe that we have to have the biggest of everything. But seriously, what is a half cubic foot? Yeah, it may give you a little bit more room for movement of the clothes, but it's not going to make a *huge* difference in the amount of laundry you can fit into the washer.

I remember when I got into the appliance biz a few years ago, the Whirlpool Duet was all the rage with a 3.7 cf drum. It was huge! Now they tout a 4.4 cf drum, and people think a 3.5 or 3.7 cf frontloader is too small!

Anyway, I did some looking at partstore.com, comparing parts between the WTW58ESVW (4.0) and the WTW5300VW (3.5). The models share the exact same tub and outer wash basket. The difference is in the agitator as there is a different part for each. So I would believe housefairy is correct; the difference is in the agitator.

Here is a link that might be useful: Post about TL washer capacity

LOTS of families have 3.0 or 3.2 cu ft capacity TL washers. In three years, I'm sure 4.4 cu ft will seem way too small, but right now, it's all the rage!

Again, looks can be deceiving. And it makes a difference on your laundering habits. Quite a few people who used to frequent this forum (and others) owned Danbys with a 1.69 Cu. Ft capacity! While it can be nice for peace of mind to think you can do gigantic loads, how often do you truly fill it to the top? Then comes the question, can your dryer handle it? Most recommend your dryer be twice the capacity of the washer. So that means a 4.7 cf washer should have a dryer of at least 9.4 cf! But many people have only a 7 cf or sometimes even smaller. So I'm convinced the stated capacities are often deceiving. And of course if you don't fill it, it doesn't make much difference anyway.