Fisher & Paykel parts are available through Sears Appliance Parts (online or by telephone).

Both of these machines are loaded with expensive electronics that will fail, be difficult to diagnose and cost you $$$ for parts.

Why ask for the headache? Just get another $400 Whirlpool TL and know you're set for another 20 years (if you can repair it yourself.)

Curiousshopper, I have a GWL08 washer that's 8 years 5 months old, no failures. In November 2004, it stood in 12" to 14" of water for several hours during a freak flash-flood, WHILE STILL CONNECTED TO POWER. 12" of water means the main drive motor and pump were submerged.

I have an IWL12 washer and DEGX1 (topload) dryer, 3 years 2 months old, no failures.

I have a DD603 DishDrawer, 4 years 4 months old, no failures.

curiousshopper wrote:
"Both of these machines are loaded with expensive electronics that will fail, be difficult to diagnose and cost you $$$ for parts.

Why ask for the headache? Just get another $400 Whirlpool TL and know you're set for another 20 years (if you can repair it yourself.)"

Wow, I think there is a prophet among us...;-)

Seriously, I don't think that a $400 TL will last 20 years nowadays. You can't expect something that is sold for the same price as 30 years ago to last as if it was build 30 years ago.

Whirlpool top loaders haven't changed much at all in 20 years. They are still very reliable and easy to repair.

I'm starting to suspect that perhaps Bosch employees are posing as consumers and posting to these and other internet message boards.

There have been several documented cases of this happening with other companies.

LOL, you can be sure I don't work for Bosch. I do bookkeeping for a movie theater, for 23 years. I also worked for an ISP for 8 years until it shut down after 1st quarter 2007.

You can be sure I know about Whirlpool toploaders as well. I worked for a Whirlpool dealer during the 1970s and early 1980s (when the direct-drive machines appeared). I have ten washers in my garage and six dryers, including a 1992 KitchenAid (Whirlpool) direct-drive and a 1985 Whirlpool belt-drive.

link below:

Here is a link that might be useful: http://discussions.consumerreports.org/n/pfx/forum.aspx?tsn=1&nav=messages&webtag=cr-washers&tid=14

I have a neighbor with the F&P set(top load dryer) and she likes hers. No problems so far but they are just 2 years old.

If you will notice you read all kinds of problems from people with the Cabrio or Oasis. They are either not working or not cleaning or leaking and exchanging for something else. The Bravos is supposedly the same machine but dont see much about it. Maybe the "bugs" are worked out of that one. Also I saw on the Maytag website that they have a Bravos Steam Dryer now if that would be any interest to you.
Also notice that you hardly ever or never see anyone complaining or exchanging a GE Harmony. They have been on the market longer than the above ones so they should be "kink free" by now. Look at those also when you go shopping for HE Top Load machines.

Dadoes,
curiousshopper was probably referring to me when talking about Bosch employees. But nope, I don't work for Bosch. I haven't even mentioned Bosch on this thread. Yes, I do prefer FLs over TL and even HE TLs, but I think HE TLs are a lot better than traditional TLs. The technology of TLs may not have changed much in the last 20 years, but you can't dispute that more and more parts are made in China. They can't even make safe children's toys there...but that's another story.

I am German and grew up with FLs and H-axis TLs. I have used several different TLs and never liked any of them. My mom has had several AEHG washers and they always lasted 15 years or more. Well, AEG is not available in this country, so I narrowed my choices down to Whirlpool and Bosch. Miele is a little bit out of my price range. LG, Samsung and Frigidaire probably also make decent washers. I based my decision mainly on the price and features of the washer and came to the conclusion that the Bosch was a good value. My SIL has a Duet and she likes it.

I don't have any problems with people disagreeing with me. I just think that it is important to stick to facts and personal experience. I feel that curiousshopper adds a lot of staements that can't be backed up by fact or personal experience.

Happy New Year!

I have the Cabrio HE and love it, I got it in March and have not had any problems. I know other people who have the same machine with no problems. I can't really comment on the FP since I don't know anyone who owns one, but I did look at them when I was buying my washer. It looked like an interesting design, not your typical TL (at least not like a Kenmore which was all I had owned up til then) but it also looked like it was not made as well as some of the high end machines. It did not feel sturdy to me. But I have always had top of the line Kenmores in the past, so most of the TLer in the stores look pretty flimsy to me. I decided to skip Kenmore this time cause my last washer only lasted 11 years, and it had problems for the last 2 years I had it. I also wanted an HE machine and was unwilling to pay what Sears wants for an extended warranty. If you can fix the machine yourself you don't need to worry about that! Good luck.

Thanks for all the comments.

My wife and I were talking about it some more and thought that if we are only doing 3 loads a week, fairly small ones, do we need to spend the extra money on a washer. We looked online and are thinking why not a WP agitator washer or the Maytag one with the stainless steel tub. Her concern is the electronics going out and costing a fortune to repair/replace. So we are now oscillating back and forth between replacing the washer with one similar to just what we have, approx. $500 or getting an HE for around $900.

Jimmy

Golferdude/Jimmy ... Whirlpool and Maytag "traditional" agitator machines are now mechanically identical ... except Maytag may be built a little more robust. And be aware that just because you don't see electronic controls on the console, that does NOT mean the machine doesn't have an electronic circuit board of some ilk. Many traditional toploaders nowadays have a circuit board with a sensor to control the water temperature, and even for controlling some aspects of the mechanical timer and cycle sequence.

ahhhhhhhhhh!!! lol...

Since my last post I have been looking, reading reviews, etc...and I saw the WP 6200...it does have alot of the electronics but it does most of what we are looking for. But then I start asking, if I am going to go with the 6200 one, should I look at the F&P model....a vicious circle...lol

Guess I just need to keep reading and getting feedback.... I think any of the ones I am looking at will be a good one, yes it might have a problem as with any major purchase, but in the end it will be good.

One thing I seem to read over and over is the high spin speeds really can cause more wrinkles and sheets become knots....I know you can't just dry the same as before but what about the sheets being in knots? My wife likes to wash sheets every other week, so if they are always in knots, I have an idea she will have me untie them..lol. Thoughts?

If you are going to look at Traditional washers look at the SPEED QUEENS. They have the BEST warranty of anyone-3 FULL years on everything then 10 years on the transmission. Also have a large tub and it is stainless steel. They also have NO electronics at all so you have no worries of boards going out. They just make a good machine built the way they used to build machines. Go to their website and take a look. They also have a very good balance system so the machine won't be banging and walking all over the place. Nothing is wrong with the ones mentioned in earlier posts but if you want top load traditional with simple non-electronics then the Speed Queen is the one!!

Spin speeds have nothing to do with clothes getting knotted. Think about it ... during spin the clothes are simply compressed against the drum or basket. Any knotting occurs before spin, when the clothes are being tumbled/agitated. While I can't relate any personal experience with the wash-plate style HE toploaders, I don't have any trouble with knotted sheets in my F&P agitator toploader. Proper loading helps. Don't wrap sheets around the agitator (or wash plate), drop them down in "bundles" and try to include a mix of various sized items of similar fabric weight, not just two large sheets. Even my Calypso does OK with sheets if loaded correctly.

golferdude,

I have a WP Cabrio 6200 agitator machine and the matching gas dryer.
We have had it for 8 months.

It washes very big loads easily. It does not twist things up in a ball.
(I did have the HE Cabrio before the agitator one - it did twist things up in tights balls - so much so that sometimes the clothing was dry after a cycle where they were twisted)It was also hard to get all the wrinkles out with the dryer alone. We improvised by setting the spin speed lower.

I like that you can set the water level manually or let the Auto feature decide. It washes a pretty hot wash. The display panel is always steamy during a hot wash. It cleans clothing well. I have 2 small children and a hubby who works in a factory on the metal line. I have cut down on loads I do weekly as the capacity is so large.

The only con - it can use alot of water depending on how full your load is.
Also I can't speak for it's longevity as we have only had it for 8 months. But, so far 8 months have been trouble free.

Good Luck.
I guess if I could do it all over again I would just buy a standard top loader and standard dryer. In the end I spent around $1600.00 Canadian for the set I have now. In my opinion I probably could have bought a FL for the same $$ or saved myself $1000.00 and just bought a $600.00 standard set.

Oh well, you live and learn I guess!