I would second Lowes as a great place to purchase your new machine, thier customer service is fab! Kevin, it was not a washer but a dishwasher, the recall is still going on. Several models have a defect that causes them to leak water through the rinse aid dispenser into the door where there is electrical parts. This is a fire hazard. I told them about this problem on my machine several years ago, it was obvious to the least educated person that the water leaking from my machine was coming out through the bottom of the door. The insulation inside the door was soak, yes I stupidly stuck my hand in there. They insisted that the seal was leaking, and that was out of warranty on my machine and would only cost me $200 to fix, plus the $80 for the tech to come out to the house. I told them thanks , but no thanks. I guess I could have paid for them to come out and look at it before throwing it out, but if the seal cost $200, I didn't even want to think what it would cost to fix the actual problem. They still keep sending me papers on the recall. I guess they did not believe me when I told them I was going to throw the machine away. I replaced it with a Kenmore (no extended warranty as that cost half the price of the machine, and I hate Sears customer service because they are very difficult to deal with) which works great. So basically, that is why I will never buy another Maytag branded item. I don't consider myself an idiot and don't like being treated like one. I even tried going to the local store and was told the same thing "Oh, it always looks like the water is coming through the door when the seal is leaking." Hmmmm, or maybe, just maybe, several thousand machines had leaks in the door. Joanne

The "F51" Rotor Position Sensor error code affects the following Cabrio models: MTW6300T, MTW6500T, MTW6600T, WTW6200S, WTW6300S, WTW6400S, WTW6600S only if the serial number range is is CU13 or prior. Any Cabrio with a serial number after CU13 has a redesigned (reprogrammed) electronic control. This new control is designed to check the RPS sensor differently and is less sensitive to intermittent RPS connections which cause the "F51" error. Is it a permanent fix? Only time will tell. I own a Cabrio 6600 with a serial number greater than CU13 and have not experienced the error. The whole problem stems from corrosion that sometimes forms on some connections to the RPS sensor. A more permanent fix, in my opinion, would have been to redesign the connectors so that they don't corrode. But in this day and age it is much easier to mask most electronic issues by changing the software to make you believe the problem doesn't exist. Anyhow, the Cabrio does a great job and I really like it. My last washer (a Maytag) lasted 25 years. I think we can all forget about the "newer" machines lasting even 1/3 of that time. Just my $0.02, YMMV.

tcake, You pose an interesting question. Are you referring to Fisher & Paykel's new Aquasmart impeller washer? I assume that you are, because the impeller version of the Cabrio is actually quite a bit different from the agitator based F&P washer. Unfortunately, I don't know nearly as much about the Aquasmart as I do about F&P's agitiator washers, but I will try to compare the two products based on what I do know. The biggest difference between the Aquasmart and the Cabrio is the drum capacity. Whirlpool claims 4.5 cubic feet IEC drum capacity, whereas F&P currently claims 3.7 cubic feet IEC drum capacity for their washers, which is actually cheating on their part, because the "IEC' capacity rating was originally intended for washers without agitators, and until now F&P's washers have all had agitators. They justify this by claiming that their washers are HE rated, and so the rating applies to them as well, but they are wrong. The rating only refers to usable wash capacity, not energy efficiency, or water consumption. Anyway, the "true" capacity of these washers is 3.9 cubic feet for the Cabrio, and 3.0 cubic feet for the F&P. This is for F&P's agitator washers, so the Aquasmart with impeller will have more than this, probably something close to 3.1 cubic feet, which means that the Cabrio has a 0.8 cubic feet drum capacity advantage over the Aquasmart, or 26% more usable capacity. This is a lot. Cabrio obviously has the clear advantage in this regard. Unfortunately however for Cabrio, this capacity advantage requires a larger size washer. The Cabrio is 27 inches square, while the Aquasmart is 25 inches square. This means that the Aquasmart will fit into a lot more laundry closets, a clear advantage for Aquasmart. The Cabrio has a porcelain top with a tempered glass lid, while the Aquasmart uses plastic for both the top and the lid. This is definitely an advantage for Cabrio, because plastic tops and lids are not nearly as durable, and will probably start to look scratched and dingy after just a few years of use. The Cabrio has a rotary dial cycle selector, while the Aquasmart has an LCD display. This is probably more of a personal preference thing, but I'm inclined to favor the Cabrio rotary dial for more ease of use. The Aquasmart probably uses spray rinses, while the Cabrio doesn't. This will result in significant water savings for Aquasmart over Cabrio, but it requires the user to specifically select a deep fill rinse if they want to use fabric softener. In my view however, this is the better compromise, because water savings are important. However, it's important to remember that spray rinses will not be as effective as a deep fill rinse for particulate soils and pet hair. I think the Aquasmart lets the user choose a deep fill wash, while this choice isn't directly available to Cabrio users. It is possible to cheat a little however, because there are some Cabrio cycles that use more water than others. These are the major differences. Other than these the machines are probably quite similar. As far as which machine is best, if you have the space, and want the extra capacity, then the Cabrio is a good choice. If not, then the Aquasmart is probably a pretty good choice as well.

The Oasis, Cabrio and Bravos are all basically the same machines, just with different options and trim that makes them look different. I don't think there's any advantage to one over the other in general unless there's a particular feature you're after. I have one of the first Oasis washers and dryers (bought in August '06) and I've had zero trouble with the washer. The dryer had several warranty fixes the first year, but since then has been fine as well. Obviously mine doesn't have the water heater since that's new, but my whitest whites cycle is quite long and uses hot water and chlorine bleach. I bought all new white towels when I got the washer as sort of a test and they're all still sparkling after 3 years. I usually just wash them on heavy duty and use whitest whites periodically. HTH