I've just posted a message about an error that i am getting on my new one. There was a couple people on another site that talked about there's. I think as long as you don't use the add a garment option you'll be fine...why oh why did i have to try to get those face cloths in this load??>.....

I just got my 8500 pair a few days ago. I've only ran 9 loads, haven't used all the cycles yet, but here's my opinion of it so far.....

I had a Bosch 500 that I had terrible vibrations with even on the reduced spin speeds. I was never able to run at full spin speed it would shake the house apart. Even empty with no clothes in it, it would still shake & vibrate bad. By the way, both the Bosch & the 8500 max spin speeds are the same 11rpm. I am so impressed witht the 6 point suspension shock absorbers on this little 8500 sport. Most of the 9 loads I've done had spun smoothly with no vibrations at all, with a couple loads I could see the shock absorbers in action. It's kind of hard to explain but, the machine shakes back and forth from one corner to the next distrubuting the vibration from one shock absorber to the other. Like when all 4 feet aren't firmly on the floor. When I first saw it that's exactly what I thought was wrong. It doesn't move/walk, just shakes. But the amazing thing was, even with all the shaking the machine was doing, there was hardly any vibrations on the floor, just a bit. When empty there are no vibrations what so ever, I can't even tell the machine is spinning. I can definitely say that yes, the 6pt is great for second floor installs.

Noises and pump......there are some annoying rattling noises when the machine is shaking while the shock asborbers are doing their job. Due to probably no sound reduction installation...which is a huge mistake on Whirlpools part. Also I've noticed that below the detergent dispenser there is an opening which allows noise to escape from there. As for the pump, I'm not to sure if I would have noticed it being loud if I hadn't of read the earlier posts on here when the 8300 first came out to be aware of it. Or if I hadn't of had the Bosch 500 for a couple months prior to the 8500, the Bosch pump is quieter. I was expecting the pump to be really loud. In my opinion it's not really terribly loud, yes it does pulsate, has a different sound to it, but it doesn't bother me, no big deal. My laundry room is off the kitchen and I can barely hear it in the kitchen. Matter of fact I almost seem to think it's gotten quieter the more I use it, could be my imagination but I'll keep a ear out for it while I use it today.

Another thing I hated with the Bosch was that the clothes would come out a huge terrible pain in the rear tangled up mess. That's got to be putting a stress on the clothing being twisted & pulled. Not an problem with the 8500, not one load of tangled mess yet. I believe this has to do with the 8500 has a true horizontal drum. I've also noticed that this macine does a excellent job balancing out the loads. It cleans great also.

Like I said I just got it last Thursday and haven't really used it much, but so far I am very pleased, finally happy and impressed with this machine. I haven't had any issues nor one problem with it, yes I've paused and opened it while running with no issues there either. I'll try to add more comments after I've used it longer.

Oh and the dryer is awesome! I really love the dryer. Every single load has come out dried to perfection. I have never had a load that I needed to add more time to at the end of the load. Lots of extra features, options, and cycles.

Just got mine installed yesterday. It replaced an 11 yr old Asko front loader. We've only done two loads, but so far we are thrilled with it. I'll report more later, as I use it more.

Kompy, you've got mail.

Update on my Duet Sport Set:

I spent my day off yesterday catching up on all of our laundry. We were
without a set for almost a week. I got the GAS dryer
version and we stacked our washer and dryer in our 100 year old house (2nd floor).

All of my loads came out perfectly dry (I did about 6 loads!)....except one
spot (about 8x8) on my son's full sized comforter. It was just slightly
damp and was dry by bedtime. Also, our King sized sheets got a little
twisted....and we had to shake them out and put them back in for another 5
minutes. I think that can be a common problem with any dryer.

On Sunday, I did a quick wash (with a normal sized load), and it ended up
being around 40mins, instead of the 28mins....which made me late for a party
on Sunday. Oh well. I read here that if you use a standard load for quick
wash, it will take longer. This cycle is only good for a few items. They
also have a rinse and spin cycle that I bet could be used as a quick wash
for lightly soiled things if you're in a hurry for something.

This morning, I put in one pair of jeans into the dryer. When the buzzer
went off, the waist band was still damp, and one leg was jammed up inside
the upper pant leg area....and it was damp too. I had to put them back in.
So, my conclusion is that smaller loads do not "sensor" as well as larger
loads.

My last gas dryer, I think, did a slightly better job on the 'sensing' (11 yr old GE
Profile). I remember one of the reasons I bought it was because the sensor
actually sensed the 'humidity' in the area, as opposed to a spot on the side
of the dryer that sensed by touch. I'm not sure how the Duet Sport does it.

We haven't had any 'walking'. As the machine starts to spin, it does
vibrate a bit....when it's up to speed, you could set a glass of water on
it.

Overall, we are still thrilled with the set. Laundry seems fun now.

I started with a pair of the 8300's and ended up trading for the 8500 when it was availble (wanted a heater).

I've had my set for awhile now and can say without a doubt that I LOVE my Duet Sports!!!
My laundry is located on the second floor and we have absolutely NO vibration. None whatsoever! No movement either.

Cleaning far surpasses my old Frigidaire. It also holds a little bit more than my old machine. I don't think I would trade my set for even a Miele.

Hi. New poster to this site and forum but I've been reading it for weeks. Thanks to all for sharing your experiences with the Duet Sport. I'll share my experiences to date, some good some bad.

I ordered my set (8500 with the silver accents---beautiful!) in early November from Lowe's and had them installed in our new house a few weeks ago. We moved from several states away into a new house. Previously, we had the standard top-loader and wanted to upgrade to the front loader style as well as get the most energy efficient W/D. Ours is a 2nd floor installation in a laundry closet and the house is nearly brand new.

The first set arrived with a few cosmetic problems. I made sure they didn't take out the transit bolts until the unit was just about in place. I also inspected both units and found a small crack in the door of the washer. Lowe's was great and said they'd order a new door at no charge. Then things went down hill: The installation crew cracked the drain pan in the laundry closet. So, this required them to come back the next day.

The real trouble began when we realized that the washer must not be level. The unit was vibrating MUCH MUCH more than we had expected. Ours are installed on the optiona 15" pedestals, which I LOVE! The extra height is great. I put a bottle of Tide on the top of the washer and it gradually bounced off throughout the cycle. But, since we don't have any experience with a front loader, we didn't know what to expect or if what we were seeing was a normal amount of vibration. So, I called Lowe's again. They sent out the installation crew and they tried everything to level it. The unit was definitely level, but at top spin speeds it would vibrate like crazy.

So, I called Lowe's again and they ordered us a whole new washer. This was fine with us because we didn't want the washer with the crack in the door or wonder if the replacement door would fit as well. Now we have a whole new washer. It still vibrates somewhat but not nearly as bad as the last one. I think the hardest thing to get used to is how to create a "balanced load" of clothes, towels, etc. Since we were used to the top loader for 12 years, I'm sure this will be an adjustment.

As for the vibrations we still have, I was told that maybe the first unit had a bad shock??? This makes me wonder...will the shocks wear out over time and can they easily be replaced...similar to shock absorbers in your car??? I know this is probably a dumb question. But, I don't know anything about mechanics. Any engineers out there who might answer this?

Overall, I have to say that I really love my Whirlpool Duet Sport 8500 set. They have been very easy to use, but I am a consumer who reads all packaging and manuals thoroughly. All of my clothes have come out very, very clean. I use Tide Free HE and it has been excellent. The dryer is fabulous as well and I love the internal light inside the drum. They are relatively quiet too. My toddler's room is just down the hall from the laundry closet and you can't even hear the washer from his room when it is spinning at the highest speed. I agree with another poster too that, when the washer is empty (say for a clean cycle), it does not vibrate at all and is very quiet, almost soothing to watch.

For the poster with no vibration at all on the 8500, do you have a drain pan? I wonder if that is part of my vibration problem. I think it is either that or the fact that they are installed on the pedestals. I know it probably shouldn't matter since the pedestals are designed for use with the units, but...

Hope this is helpful to anyone considering the 8500.

pedestals almost always do increase the vibration. - DR

Well, I finally gave in and got the Duet Sport HT set for myself for Xmas. I must say I am impressed. Very nice machines, and certainly a huge improvement over my antique Kenmore laundry center. Got them for $1550 at Best Buy. They are stacked in a closet on a first-floor vinyl floor. The washer wiggles a little just as it ramps up to warp speed on some loads, but on most it doesn't even do that. The pump noise so many have complained about is minor -- I can hear it but it is not loud enough to be objectionable. Cycles are very customizable and WOW - lightweight clothes come out of the washer so dry they only spend 10 - 15 minutes in a cool dryer. Sheets are dry in 20 minutes on medium heat. The dryer buzzer goes off so fast it scares me. They look great in my kitchen, too. I don't dread laundry any more.

So far after 5 loads we still like or new HE2t/Duet washer. The vibration factor changes a little depending on how mixed the load is. I wouldn't leave anything on top of the washer, it will probably vibrate off. I have noticed the noises others have posted about but I don't find it annoying like other have. The machine is a little quieter that or old TL.

It sounds like library_woman may have gotten a machine that had a run in with gravity somewhere during shipping and was probably damaged inside. But they got a replacement so all is well.

Robert, I too have a new HE2t set, and have no such vibration issues (second floor of a 100-year old house). The machine does vibrate some when it's ramping up to full spin, but even then, it wasn't enough to spill any water from a full cup I put on top. No vibration whatsoever translated to the house itself. Are you sure your machine is properly leveled?

I'm getting ready to build a new home and was considering these units. All in all sounds like a pretty good review from most here. Can Any of you Duet Sport/HE2 owners tell me how many rinses it goes through??

Thanks

2 rinses for most cycles. Whitest Whites cycles adds another in the cycle. Extra rinse option is available. I have used other front load washers before and have to say the two rinses is very good. No suds left and clothes do not feel soapy when done washing.

Well that's dissappointing to here. I have an HE3 now that I bought 3 yrs ago and it does the same thing. I was hoping that with the slightly smaller capacity, and a true Horizontal drum that it was using less water and therefore could afford the extra rinse. But, I'm still pretty sold regardless.

Disappointing? How many rinses do you need?

Ideally at least 3...

THANK YOU AQUARIUS!!!!!!

I've been running test with My HE3, having it drain into my laundry tub next to the washer. Just because a detergent is "low sudsing" or "HE" labled doesn't mean it's rinsing is easy or "Clean". My last test was with Tide HE and with 2 rinses, with water was "not" clear. That much detergent in a small amount of water, it's still in the clothes.

I don't want to have to go to Frigidaire, due to their repair record ( even tho CR just stated that is was better than in the past). I don't trust CR. They have contriticted themselves several times. But I have found in my test that 3 rinses does the trick.

My washer will do 2 rinses as default, or 3 if you select Water Plus. I've noticed that with some detergents you can get away with using just the 2 rinses and not have any soapy residue, but with the majority of other detergents you have to use 3 rinses otherwise laundry feels soapy and scratchy afterwards. BTW, I've found that using just the water plus function without the extra rinse - i.e. 2 high level rinses (the button can be programmed to add an extra rinse, do high level rinses, or both), that rinsing is improved on towel loads over 2 rinses at the standard level - however 3 is still the optimum. As the saying goes, three is the magic number :-).

I have used 4 and 5 rinses before mainly in my older machines (my AEG could allow you to select up to 5, but it wouldn't spin until after the 2nd rinse), but have noticed no marked difference between 4 and 3 rinses no matter the load or detergent, whereas with some loads/detergents you can always notice the difference between 2 and 3 rinses.

Some here argue that the standard rinse cycles on their machines rinse perfectly well, which I don't doubt. However in my opinion and through my experience rinse cycles do actually need water, and I've always noticed a considerable difference in performance between low and medium/high level rinses in terms of dog hair & lint removal. As well as the correct water level, another major factor in rinse cycles is how fast and how long the laundry is spun for. My particular machine spins laundry for 4 minutes at 1000rpm after the wash, and 2 minutes at 1000rpm after the rinses and the spins help no end too with the performance of rinsing. These high speed interim spins are important in today's front loaders, which only do a double rinse as standard versus triple or quadruple of yesteryear, and at a lower level.

Jon

oregpsnow,
I checked with our Best Buy and you got a good deal if you paid $1550 for the Duet 8500S pair (washer and dryer). That's about $300 more than what they are selling for in central Texas. What part of the country do you live in?

Could someone here check a heavy duty hot cycle that has the heater reference on page 11? See my other post "8500 Differences" etc... and you will understand why. Thanks!

timetoact - I live in the Portland, Oregon area. The prices on the tags were 999 for the washer and 799 for the dryer. They gave me 200 off the washer and 100 off the dryer, then charged 50 for the stacking kit, cord, dryer duct, etc. Delivery and haul away were free with no rebate. I had never purchased anything at Best Buy before and was pleasantly suprised. The whole experience went well and I am loving the new machines.

dmlove-
The machine is level and sitting on solid piece of 1 inch plywood. No vibration is being transferred to the house. I think what I call changing speeds is what you call ramping up. The worst vibration is not at full speed. I am sure it happens at the magic "harmonic" speed. I don't consider the vibration excessive. Face it you have a random not perfectly balanced load spinning at 1100rpm there has to be some vibration.
So far I am happy with the machine.

Robert, it does sound like our's are behaving similarly, but you mentioned you thought things would fall off the top during the vibration phase at the "magic harmonic". I only commented because I did test it with a cup of water, and the cup didn't move nor did any of the water spill at that point or any other in the cycle. Glad you like the machines; so do I.

dmlove
Being the type that loves to experiment I just tried the glass of water 98 percent full test. The glass stayed pretty much in the same place and no water sloshed out. But the machine is moving left to right quickly under the glass so the glass is kind of sliding in place. Give it enough time it would probably work it's way off the machine. I think if the machine wasn't level it would slide off fairly quickly. If you put your hand down by the feet there is no vibration at all. This is good because all the vibration is staying in the machine and not being transferred to the house structure. Note that I do have about an inch clearance on both sides of the machine. If it was actually touching the wall or sink there might be a problem with the vibration transferring to the house or maybe if it was tight up against the wall or sink all the vibration might go away. Sounds like another experiment.

So then I added a little double sided tape to the bottom of the glass so it wouldn't slide, that got the water to slosh out of the glass!! Well that was fun but no explosions. I think this perfectly normal. I kind of get the feeling that some people expect no vibration at all and then are disappointed when it does vibrate. Unfortunately it's kind of subjective. What doesn't bother me might bother somebody else. Like the pump noise. I hear it, it is one of the louder noises the machine makes, but it doesn't bother me at all. Now if it just passes the longevity test I'll be real happy. Note that I loaded the machine with towels and bed sheets. Always a good combination to get an unbalanced load. The old TL would have been banging and walking. This machine just vibrates a little.

Everything you said makes sense - I completely agree, especially with the part about the "noise". I guess I just don't expect a washing machine to be silent! It's all in the expectations - if you expect a ton of noise, and get a medium amount, you'll be very happy. If you expect no noise, and get the same medium amount, you'll be very disappointed.

I purchased the GE front load washer/dryer set and because it shook my house (mini-earthquake) during high spin I asked for it to be exchanged with a Duet Sport 8500. Lowes let me exchange the unit but I had to pay delivery ($62). I can honestly say the Duet Sport 8500 shook the house less (about 40%). In addition, I purchased anti-vibration pads on ebay (http://stores.ebay.com/Kellett-Enterprises-Inc) and placed them under the feet of the washer. I estimate that this helped reduce the vibration by an additional 10%. While the Duet Sport 8500 does still vibrate, it is at an acceptable level. Some additional comments:
- Fit and finish of the Whirlpool trail behind GE FL washer. (gaps between sheetmetal, alignment could be better)
- Noise - More clicking and clacking, some from sheetmetal not aligned properly, or bowing.
- Cleaning was excellent, same as GE.
- Appearance - GE did a better job making its controls more attractive. (better flow vs whirlpool's ugly digital off-centered digital readouts (time remaining)
- Break-In Odor? - Maybe this will go away after washing a few loads.
- Less refined than the GE
Overall I am satisfied with the Duet Sport 8500 because it performs similarly to the GE, but most importantly the Duet Sport 8500 vibrates noticeably less on my 2nd floor laundry room.

RHauer