Listening to all these comments I just want to scream. We have a Whirlpool Cabrio top loader which is fairly new. I noticed the water levels stay pretty low and the spin cycle did not always work at first since we moved in here and just got in this unit.. Sometimes I would put it on a second rinse to get the water out. The washer has corrected itself now and releases all the water however, it appears that everything I wash is pilling no matter what fabric whether it be towels shirts pants socks underwear or separately or together everything is pilling. Zippers and buttons are not any obstacles they have never caused a problem before and they aren't now. Nothing is snagging it. At this rate I will be losing all of my clothing if it keeps on. Most of these clothes I have had for a few years and they always wash up nice they never pill some of these clothes are brand new and pill after just a few Washings.. So my opinion is that these washing machines that supposed to be so modernized are ruining our clothes with the different Cycles in the process that the machine uses to wash the clothes I absolutely hate it. And we the customer, are suffering by buying an item that is useless and ruining our clothes.. in my opinion the general public should not have to go through this crazy task of trying to figure out what is causing this issue I feel it is a manufacturer problem something to do with the way these machines operate and we are stuck with it I'm ready to go buy an old fashioned washer that I know it's going to clean my clothes and not put me through such stress. Any repairman out there or anybody that has figured this out please help!!!! This machine worked in the beginning. I don't think it has to do with detergents, softeners, load limits, water level..... I truly believe it's poor quality workmanship in these machines that triggers this.

I have the Maytag Epic w/d set, on their commercials, they claimed to wash up to 16 prs. of jeans... That's false! I like my FL, but it doesn't hold as much laundry (& get it clean) like the commercials state. Someone above mentioned the clothes need room to move, this is very true! You'll have to give yourself time to learn all of the tricks though, there are plenty! Same w/ detergent, don't use the recommended amount, use way less to begin with. Also, different loads call for different amounts. For instance, I've found that on Sanitary cycle w/ a full load of towels, I need to use less detergent, I suppose it's because of the longer wash cycle & the friction of the towels. However some here have mentioned that maybe it's b/c of left over soap residue from your body. Like I said, it's a trial & error thing. As for fab. soft. I buy a bottle then pour 1/2 into an empty bottle & fill the bottles w/ water the rest of the way. Since these washers use so much less water, it makes sense that you wouldn't need full strength. This helps save $ too! Some ppl here may try to steer you away from using FS b/c of mold/mildew issues, but as long as you dry your washer out & do regular cleanings, there shouldn't be a problem. I also use dryer sheets in some loads. The only thing to remember about DS's is that they make a film on your lint screen, although it takes a while. If you use DS's regularly, you should clean your lint screen every few months or so. To test your screen for build-up, just run some water onto it, if the water sits & doesn't run through, there's build-up, it should be cleaned. I don't use DS's on a regular basis, so I only clean my screen about every 4-6 months. Another tip that I've learned is if you have extremely dirty, greasy laundry as I do, you can safely use a dishwasher pac in a prewash cycle & this helps tremedously! (*Put the pac right in the tub w/ the clothes, not in the dispenser.) My DH works construction so his jeans always have grease/oil/dirt on them. I throw them in w/ a pac on prewash & do the main wash as usual & they come out sparkling! Some of these jeans have set for several days too as he works out of state for 2 wks. @ a time, so that shows how well these little pacs work. Good luck w/ your new machines! Shannon

Hey Bob, That sounds like how most front load washers work. They fill, which sometimes takes a few minutes, and even then you probably won't see much water if any. Then when they wash, they tumble in one direction, pause, then tumble in another direction. Sometimes, the tumbling is different during the fill period than it is during the main wash. I can't comment on the exact wash pattern used by the LG, but my Kenmore washer varies the tumble and pause time depending on the cycle. The more aggressive cycles spend more time tumbling and less time resting, and delicate cycles are the opposite. For my washer, on the heavy duty cycle, washing consists of tumbling for 13 seconds in one direction, a 3 second pause, then tumbling 13 seconds in the other direction. The delicate cycle only tumbles for 6 seconds, and then pauses for 10 or so. The handwash cycle basically just soaks the clothes and flips them over every 30 seconds. The reason they reverse direction it to help prevent items from tangling or balling up. Despite all the "waiting," do your clothes seem to be getting clean? Joe

Macmom . . . read through the threads that come up by searching "smelly clothes" or similar, and I think you'll be able to forestall any mold problems. I used a new Maytag FL in our last house for the last 5 months we were there and never had a hint of mold. Because it belonged to the new owner, I was super careful with it. I always left the door and the detergent drawer open after using, so they dried out, and checked under the seal for leftover water. I used Charlie's Soap and 1 oz. softener plus white vinegar in the rinse. My towels got increasingly softer and fluffier the whole 5 months! I don't have any experience with Kirklands, so can't help there. That said, I'm so glad to hear you're pleased with your Samsungs . . . we chose the 328 models (without steam) and can hardly wait to move in and use them! After a year of apartment laundry room or dragging laundry to one of my daughters' houses, I'm SOO ready to try out my new toys!