whirlpool wtw4800 or he top loader with bulky cycle

12 years ago

I am the mother of two teenage boys who is looking for a top load washer that will do a good job getting my sons dirty clothes clean. I'd like to purchase a top loader with adjustable water levels or a HE top loader that has a bulky cycle so I can use a lot of water whenever I wash their dirty clothes. The only non-HE top loader that I can find that has adjustable water levels is the Whirlpool WTW4800. Does anyone on here have this model and can attest to the way that it cleans heavily soiled clothes? The guy at the appliance store also said that I should consider purchasing one of the HE top loaders that has a bulky cycle because it will allow me to wash their dirty clothes in a full tub of water. The HE top loaders he recommended were the Maytag Bravos, Whirlpool Cabrio or the LG WaveForce. The bad reviews that I have read about these HE top loaders not cleaning clothes well have me concerned though. Would the Whirlpool WTW4800 do a better job since it has an agitator or would one of these HE top loaders work just as well? (I'm not considering the front loaders at this time because of allergies to mold). I like the idea of having a bigger tub to wash my clothes in and saving water but I don't want to purchase a HE model if it doesn't clean clothes well. I'd love to hear from anyone who has the Whirlpool WTW4800 or any of these HE models since I do not know anyone who has any of these models.

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Comments (3)

vala55
12 years ago
I have a whirlpool with a bulky cycle. I use that cycle to wash reg loads because the other cycles don't rinse well. The small loads do okay with small levels of water....but if I had it to do over I would have bought a regular washer.

I told the salesman I did not want an HE washer and when I went back to complain he said "it's a half HE". I should have returned it within the 30 days I was allowed. I hate it.
sparky823
12 years ago
If you want a conventional washer , check out Speed Queen.

Best warranty on the market and sturdily built. No computers or electronics on the top loads.
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Baseballmom, these washers are my personal preference to but, for their known quality, and performace. If you want a HE top loader, the Maytage is the best in my opinion. Its a super large capasity, not plastic lids, huge opening and yes the ones with internal heater are the 850 series for sure...maybe the 700 series, but not sure. LG is a grat brand too, none of my friends who have them, have any issues with them and they have had them for over 4 yrs. One thing to remember when you read wash performance on any of these HE machines is that many owners do not read the owners manual. They just use it and then complain of poor results. One "poster" on here admitted. "One day I will sit down and read the manual" Its not rocket science trust me. When people talk about mechanical failures brioon machines, it would help if they include a model number. The older bravos, cabrios, oasis has some issues, since then I beleive they have been worked out. Internal heaters are a big plus in a HE machine, of course some people will tell you it makes no differnce. Most Fl issues are operators induced problems, not the machines design.
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ken_moore
12 years ago
There is another little trick on these "half HE" (I like that term) TL agitator models with the automatic water levels. When you turn the "Fabric Softener" switch to "Yes" regardless of whether or not you are actually using fabric softener, it will fill the tub all the way, bypassing the load sensing function.

To the OP, I respect your desire to get an old-fashioned TLer with a water level switch, but keep in mind that even with those machines, they have energy-saving features that make them different than they were in good ol' days. Specifically, water temperatures. Due to minimum efficiency requirements, manual water level machines can no longer wash in "true" hot water, i.e., straight from the hot water tap. It mixes about 1/3rd cold water into the hot when set to "hot", "dumbing down" the water to about 100F. Same thing with "warm". Warm used to be half hot and half cold, resulting in water of about 85-90F. Now, they use about 2/3rd cold and 1/3rd hot, resulting in "warm" water of about 78F.

Do these lower temperatures still get clothes clean? Sure.

Do they get them "clean enough"? That's hard to say, but thermal energy is part of the laundry equation, and when you take it out...

"True" HE machines, because they use less water to start with, do not have these dumbed-down temps. They still use true hot and warm that is really warm. Millions of people have bought the Cabrios and Bravos, and have been perfectly satisfied, despite what some reviews say.

whirlpool wtw4800 or he top loader with bulky cycle

Comments (3)

vala55

sparky823

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