I don't think it's so much the machine as the detergent and pretreater you use. I have the Harmony and I just love it. I have 4 kids. A 21 year girl with a lot of hand wash items, a 19 year old boy who used to play football (stinky!!) and a 8 and 10 year old who practically live outside. Our clothes come out great. They're clean and soft and the machine holds a ton of stuff.

I would think you'd be the perfect candidate for an internal heater in which ever front loader you chose.

I have the Cabrio HE. My son is a highschool Senoir and his parking place this semester is off campus in a gravel lot. His pants come home splashed with mud, grease, and who knows what else. I pretreat with my stain stick and toss them in on the casual cycle, warm wash, heavy soil level. They come out great. The only time I had a problem was when he threw his pale beige pants covered in mud and grease (he tripped) into his hamper after I did laundry without telling me. They sat there for a week. I had to wash those twice.
I have had my Cabrio now for a year and (other than using a lot less water) it works like my old TLer did. Clothes do dry faster because the Cabrio spins out more water. And I can fit a lot more in this machine. I got the one with the glass lid and I still love watching it work, I still can't believe that that tiny little plate can move the clothes around like it does!

I would get the Harmony if I was getting a T/L HE machine. It is rare you read of anyone having a problem with this machine or that they are not satisfied with the cleaning.

If I was getting a basic T/L washer would be a Speed Queen. Best built on the market. Longest warranty.

You might like a Samsung F/L with VRT since they offer little to no vibrations and large capacity. But they T/L models above will not vibrate either. Any should be fine.

kateho,

I had the Cabrio without agitator for 6 LONG months. You are smart in thinking that it just doesn't seem to do the job.
It cleaned our kids clothing terribly. At one point I had to vacuum out the bottom of the washer as it left sand residue in it after completing a load. It left a booger on a comforter after running through a complete cycle. Winter coats never got fully submerged. Sometimes I would watch the load and the clothing on the top of a large load would hardly get any time spent under water sloshing around. It twisted clothing so tightly that I had to iron jeans and other odd items that I never ironed in my life.I experimented over and over with different ways to load it, different cycles etc. The only way to get a semi-decent wash was to use the sheets and towel setting. I thought it was junk for the $1000.00 I paid for it.

I was allowed to trade it for a Cabrio with agitator and I have been pleased. It does very large loads. Everything gets wet!

For the record I only used Tide HE and Sunlight HE (Canadian brand). I really don't think it has to do with the detergent in my case. I have used these two brands for 15 years and never ever had poor results in my old Kitchen Aid top loader.

I have not read anything poor about GE Harmony. All owners seem pleased. Read about Cabrio online at epinions or Sears reviews - majority are poor. I wished I would have first.

I'm getting the Fisher and Paykel Aquasmart washer delivered next week. From what I understand, they invented/developed the non-agitator TL. You might take a look at theirs as well. 2 year warranty on them, if that means anything.
kcred

Here is a link that might be useful: F & P laundry site

TL WP HE 6700T. Have had it two days now... washed a gambit of items, jeans, shirts delicates etc. The wife says she's good with it. She has studied the unit and can see how it moves the clothes and it seems at the regular wash the water is just enough to submerse the clothes. She tells me the towels and wash cloths smell clean not hint of soap residue like out he3t even with extra rinse. also no shaky.. Still need to try comforters and rugs and see how that goes.

Now I hope it lasts!

Don't buy this washer. It may not use a lot of water, but it almost takes ONE hour to wash a load of clothes - and that sure takes a lot of electricity! In addition, it took me one year to realize this---the wash cloths and clothes are coming out smelling rotten and are looking dirty to me and to others. (By the way, there's just 2 of us in the household and we are 60 - so we don't really get things very dirty any more. And we wash everything after one wearing.) The washer seems to be working perfectly. I don't know what the problem is. I plan on sending GE a washcloth and see what they'll do next. The washer is out of warranty. AGAIN, THIS IS NOT WASHING THE CLOTHES CLEAN - THEY STINK AND ARE BEGINNING TO LOOK DIRTY - I DIDN'T REALIZE THIS UNTIL NOW. YOU WILL FIND OUT THE SAME THING IF YOU BUY THIS WASHER- I'M SO SORRY I DID. NOW I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. YOU CAN'T TRY A WASHER OUT IN THE STORE, YOU CAN ONLY RELY ON A COMPANY'S REPUTATION.

Here is a link that might be useful: http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/laundry/msg0315111013446.html

Point of correction: An hour to wash does NOT mean the machine itself (the motor) is consuming an enormous amount of electricity. Motors in these HE toploader and frontloader machines are typically of a different design that uses very little power. Same concept applies to the newer dishwashers that run an hour or more. The machine itself is using only a trickle of power. I've checked power consumption on my dishwasher that runs 115 mins for a normal cycle. Grand whopping total of about $0.35, and that includes the dishwasher heating the water to 150°F.

dadoes,
Just want to thank you for posting your energy usage as I've often wondered the cost! Off topic sorry! , but I will be needing a replacement dishwasher in the not so distant future and can't afford the Bosch or TOL Kitchenaid etc. that claim great cleaning with little energy usage. I feel better now. =)

elaine, dadoes is right about the electric useage, it really is rather small unless you have the one with the heater in it which of course would use more electricity.

I assume you own a GE Harmony? I'm curious though and don't take it wrong, but you didn't notice it not cleaning clothes until the warranty ran out? I think that's the first thing I'd be checking. I do know there's a learning curve to these machines so maybe you could use some help there from some of the other owners. And the other thing that comes to mind is whether there's a water/detergent issue. The rotten smell has me very suspicious on this.

One other thought, have you tried running a cleaning cycle or two?

elaine, I also assume you are talking about the Harmony. I've had mine for about 3 years and I've never had a problem. As far as it taking an hour to wash clothes, this is true. You have to realize that if you fill the tub you are washing twice the amount of clothes that you can get into a regular TL. As far as the odor, have you tried different detergents? Do they smell coming right out of the washer or from the dryer? Do you leave the lid open to allow the tub to dry between washings? As far as not coming out clean, are you sure your water is warm enough before you start the cycle? I had this problem with whites (which I wash in hot). Turns out that the load is so small that the water didn't have time to heat up and so I was washing in cold, not hot. It doesn't sound like the machine itself is the problem, especially since I've never heard of this complaint with the Harmony.