My Cabrio does not twist anything into knots. In fact, cloths come out of my Cabrio less wrinkled than the front loader I had for two weeks. I returned the front loader because of vibration problems. No problems with vibrations with the Cabrio. If you want your cloths to come out without wrinkles, you should drop the items in one by one around the wash plate (excluding small items that I dump in then push to the sides), not dump them in by the basket full like Whirlpool shows in the video on thier web site. It only takes an extra 30 seconds to do this, and ironing wrinkled cloths take much longer. It does hold a lot, more than the front loader did.

Look at the Fisher/Paykel and see how you like those. Top Load with a lot of front load features including a fast spin but without vibration. Have a neighbor with one and she loves hers. Very water efficient too for a T/L.

I have heard that people who have them like their Fisher/Paykel machines. I have also heard that they require a higher percentage of repairs compared to many other brands. If I was to buy one, I would get an extended warranty with it.

Thank you for the responses! I keep reading that you have to read every bit of the owners manual for the Cabrio, and approach laundry in a different way, in order to get all of the functionality out of the Cabrio.

I saw some Fisher/Paykel in Loews, and did not even look at them very much. I will do some research.

Are Maytag top loaders not even an option anymore? I have been so happy with my old Maytag! It has lasted 15 years without even a single service call. The only reason I am getting rid of it now is because there is a terrible mildew smell that will not come out. I even tried that $20 stuff you buy over the internet to clean out the washer, to no avail. It is my fault that the smell is there, because I have been known to accidently leave laudry in there for days.

The Cabrio is actually very easy to use, and you should really read every bit of the manual for any new appliance you buy. Now if you were to buy a front loader, that is a lot different than an older TLer and takes a bit of getting used to. The Cabrio works, from the point of view of programming it, pretty much like any other top loader. There are probably more options than on your Maytag, but you do not have to use them on every load. You can just select the cycle you want and press start. I don't know about the Fisher/Paykel machines, I did not seriously consider them. If you want to see how easy a machine is to use, just go to the company's web site and download the user manual. Just remember to use HE detergent if you get an HE machine (the Cabrio or Fisher/Paykel) and everything should be fine. I like to leave the lid open on mine after using it, my old TLer had developed an odor after several years of use. I washed it with bleach several times and then started leaving the lid open, this helped. Did not solve the problem entirely because the washer was not draining properly.

As far as Maytag goes, I will never buy a Maytag again. I had one of their faulty dishwasher that they recalled last year because the leak was a fire hazard. It developed the problem when the machine was less than two years old. They said it would cost $300.00 to repair and that it was the door seal. I told them it was not the seal because the water was coming from inside the door, not around the door. After I saw the recall, I was very happy I ditched it and got a different brand instead if wasting my money on a useless repair. The water was actually leaking through the dispenser, into the door and causing a fire hazard due to wiring it was coming in contact with. I would rather throw away an $800.00 dishwasher than cause possible injury to my family. Oops, I got way off topic, but Maytag is kind of a sore spot. Their product and service used to be so good, I was so disappointed with what happened.

I have the new Samsung VRT front load washer and dryer that I got at Lowes..In a mobile home and noooooo problems at all with vibration..Had the Maytag 8700 and it was terrible with the vibration..Sold it and could not be more satisfied with the Samsung and clothes are very clean..Linda

unfortunately, I don't think I can recommend the duet sport which is supposedly specifically designed for second floor installation.

after only light use (10-15 cycles) it had an electical error. the door was locked shut and the machine would no longer work. I'm told by the repairman that the electrical parts are made by someone other than whirlpool and they've had problems. a quick search for 'duet error message' will confirm.

am still waiting on parts to fix it. not sure why whirlpool hasn't done a recall if the problem is this common....

I have the Kenmore version of the Duet Sport, in service since the first weekend in December without a single problem. This is on the second floor of a 100-year old home. We have no vibration problems at all.

jcrowley99, the new center-dial Maytag toploaders now on the sales floor at Sears and Home Depot (and maybe other retailers) are identical under-the-hood to Whirlpool and Kenmore direct-drive machines. They are NOT the problematic Maytag (Norge) design of recent years.

I have two F&P washer/dryer pairs. A GWL08/DE04 bought in 1999 (being used by my grandmother since 2004) and an IWL12/DEGX1 bought in 2004. Never any trouble with either set. As with any other brand of machine, there are people who have problems. I'm not disputing/doubting their reports, but being as mine have been completely reliable I have to wonder what are some of the circumstances of their experiences.

follow up:

repair guy came and of course didn't have the parts which he ordered. he scheduled a return visit on May 1.

today is april 30 and the parts haven't been shipped so A and E (the repair arm of whirlpool/maytag) has canceled the return visit for tomorrow.

tried to call whirlpool customer service today:

"I'm sorry, due to circumstances beyond our control, we cannot answer your call now. good-bye"

and the phone goes click and they hang up.

anyone with any suggestions as to where I should go next?

(I've left a message with the company that sold me the washer, no answer yet)

I have had the Whirlpool Duet washer and dryer for nearly 5 years and have been THRILLED with them. We are currently doing a remodel and my laurndry room will move upstairs so I will see how they do there.

They have not had any problems vibrating in all the time I've had them, so I don't expect that will be a problem.

They do a beautiful job on the clothes and are super gentle with them. I cannot recommend them highly enough!!

I just put a Fisher & Paykel GWL15 Ecosmart in my new 2nd Floor Laundry Rm....went w/ what I thought was best TL bec of vibration issues I heard w/ FL....I love it it has been 2 weeks.

I have a friend with a second floor laundry, he had some vibration issues with his Duet FL. He solved it by putting a foam rubber pad under it. I would avoid anything made by Fisher & Paykel. They don't last. I've owned two, neither one made it four years. Once they break, the parts are hard to come by, and expensive.

Let me give a plug for the GE Harmony - we've had it in our 2nd floor laundry for about a year and a half. No vibration issues, huge capacity, very versitile, no wrinkle/wringing issues, and it fits the space well (don't need room in front for the washer door to open out).

efdamb3, unless the situation has changed in the last few months, F&P parts are available through Sears Appliance Parts, either online or by calling. They are not any more expensive than parts for any other brand, and some items are not costly at all. As always, it's interesting the wide range of experiences different consumers can have with the same product. My F&P washer/dryer pair purchased on 8/2/1999 has not yet needed any repairs (that's almost 8 years).

People who have bad experiences with a consumer product are usually more motivated to report their troubles than people who have good eperiences. It's only human nature. That's why when someone takes the time to report a positive experience, they should be taken notice of.

For any of you considering a 2nd floor laundry, In would urge you to put in a floor drain. We are just finishing re-construction after our front load (Frigidaire F530 model) malfunctioned and the door came open in the middle of a cycle. $10,000 in water damage to our home. All hardwood flooring upstairs had to be replaced as well as our kitchen ceiling below. Frigidaire has been impossible to deal with although I invested in a 5 year extended warranty. When I tried to escalate my complaint, their Customer Service supervisor actually told me the Corporate Office did not and would not speak or take calls from their customers!

After many calls Frigidaire has agreed to replace my machine as a good will gesture. Although the repair folks could not find anything wrong and the machine appears in good working order, they agreed to give me a new machine based on the fact that I am a long term & loyal customer. Every appliance in our home is Frigidaire. I'm just happy to have a new washer as we were pretty nervous to use the old one after all the water damage.