Great Shocks & Well Built?

15 years ago

Hi all! I'm hoping someone might be able to help push me in one direction or another. First a little back info. I am the family appliance fixer. It didn't start out that way. I just happened to grow into the role. And now my extended family looks to me for advice and fixing up.

Ok, long story, around 2002 I advised my mom and together we each bought a Kenmore He3T. Both machines have been repaired numerous times, much to our disgust. Hers is now on the brink of a total fail because she doesn't really want to start replacing boards, again(!). She is looking for another machine and I get the ailing one, in hopes to restore it.

I recommended the Staber. But after debating she/they quickly shot it down. Reason you can't see it in person unless you drive to the factory. And seeing in person is an important factor to her.

Second machine that we looked at was Samsung with VRT, Silver Care, and Diamond Drum. She is on the verge of buying this machine even though I've told her that I'm cautious of it. Mainly because I can't seem to find a service manual and parts for it. But she likes the technology that she has read on it.

Third machine was the Asko, 6511 I believe. She really liked this machine. But shot it down when she read that they don't replace the machine if it's damaged in shipping. She says this is bad company policy and she won't honor that.

Fourth & Fifth were the Miele (any) and the LG. Both she deemed seemed to expensive and claims to have to many negative reviews.

Bosch was toyed with but I steered her away from them because I don't like the way they're built.

Going back the Whirlpool model is an option but not truly preferred. Atleast it's something I'm aware of on how to fix.

She also shot down Frigid, Maytag, GE, & Hotpoint, feel they are made the worst.

I think that sums up the research so far. :D So you might be scratching your head.What is it exactly that she wants?

She wants something that doesn't have cheaply made shocks and a weak support system. She would like to have direct drive and stainless inner/outer (and the spyder arm as well). She wants it to not eat her clothes. It must be a front loader. Hers is currently located on a fairly stable wood floor. She doesn't want it taking off across the room. She doesn't care to much for the steam care option and the sanitize could go as well, as they are just gimmicks. She wants to be able to stuff it full of dirty work jeans and have them come out looking spiffy! And she deosn't want to spend an arm, leg, and half a foot along with an eyeball to buy one. Although I told her she might have to. She wants it to last longer than 10yrs. Ours broke during the first 6 months and it's been a sad story ever since. So I've got an open mind and I'm sure I can get her to look at things again if necessary. And I'm the lucky one who gets to repair it and woukd prefer not to have to make such repair for a long time. Is there a well built machine on the market that fits the bill and isn't dumbed down? Is there of above that I should look at again and why? Please and thank you! Really impressed with your machine, I'd like to hear!

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Comments (3)

laundryman
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Well, you've pretty much eleminated just about everything on the market. However, have you considered or looked at Speed Queen? just pulled up their website, they look really well built.
wolfc70
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I would go with the Miele, Asko or Electrolux FL machines. The Electrolux machines are getting more and more positive reviews here. The Asko and Miele machines tend to be more expensive, but you do get what you pay for. I like the design of the Miele honeycomb tubs, supposed to be very gentle on clothes. The Electrolux is also the (I believe) largest capacity FL on the market. Also the Asko WL6511XXL series has a reversible door hinge, sometimes that can be an important factor. All of these machines are supposed to be decent on vibration, though the Miele W4840 series is very heavy and can cause some house shaking if not leveled properly.
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In general, chlorine is a bad actor when it comes to stainless steels. But, you and I don't know if the pump manufacturer used a SS that is particularly sensitive to chlorine or not; hopefully they chose a SS that was minimally or not sensitive at all. Bleach is also a diluted, weak solution of sodium hypochlorite, not a tremendously rich source of chlorine. Some people have chlorinators that drop chlorine containing pellets regularly into their wells for years with no apparent pump issues. Bottom line is I don't think that shocking your well once in a while is going to shorten the life of your pump. I shocked my well when I had a house with a submersible pump and the pump impellers (plastic) wore out first. As far as flushing your pipes, the pipes and faucets themselves will flush very quickly of old, 'contaminated' water. The water heater probably is a pretty big reservoir to dilute and should probably get dosed with some of the bleached water to insure disinfection.
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suburbanmd
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If you haven't bought a washer since 2002, you'll want to know that they've changed since then, and there are additional pitfalls to consider, besides the ones that soured your experience with the HE3t. One factor is water temperature: "Warm" and "hot" have been defined downward on some machines, and internal heaters have been programmed to be less effective. Another factor is water usage: Current machines may use less water than those made in 2002, and poor washing and rinsing performance has been attributed to this.

With that out of the way... You want to hear if we're impressed with our washer. I'm impressed with my Miele W4840, which I've had for six months. It offers five wash temperatures (30C, 40C, 50C, 60C, 70C), and it uses the internal heater to boost incoming temperature if necessary (and also to maintain the temperature during the wash cycle, of course). Wash cycle times are generous compared to some brands, and there's an option to extend them further. Those factors add up to flexibility, and great cleaning ability. Rinsing seems fine, without using the extra rinse option, or configuring for extra rinses or higher water level. Miele has a reputation for solid construction, and my machine seems well-built. I have it installed on a sturdy wood floor above a basement, and the vibration isn't excessive. I would think the weight would contribute to stability, not detract from it, but of course most any FL washer will shake if not installed properly.

The door is hinged on the right, so it's best installed on the right side. But it comes with longer hoses to reach plumbing hookups that are normally on the left.

Re your mom's opinion of sanitary cycles: Think of it as a way to do a very-hot wash, to get stuff like towels very clean, not just a way to kill germs. It's useful, not a gimmick.

Great Shocks & Well Built?

Comments (3)

laundryman

wolfc70

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