But, you said yourself that the momentary recirculation during rinse fill does not have any scent or evidence of softener. :-) Being that I've not yet met a WA37T26G, I can't say with 100% confidence ... but based on my use of a GWL08 since 1999 and an IWL12 since 2004, and examinations of both machines and service manuals thereof, I'm reasonably sure. Recirculation simply picks up whatever water/fluids are in the outer tub and showers it into the inner basket, where it flows back to the outer tub to be picked up again for more recirculation. Unless F&P has radically changed the mechanical design of the tub and sump (which is possible, but I doubt so), there's no way to retain the softener in the outer tub (sump) after it releases when spin stops for the saturation spray that you described. It'll be pumped down the drain with the spray rinses and water extracted from the clothes, long before the rinse fill and momentary recirculation occurs. There's free-flow of water between the inner basket and outer tub, so anything in either one will mix through to the other via agitation currents as well as recirculation via the pump. My older GWL08 does not have the divertor valve and recirculation / EcoActive wash system. It does only a traditional deep-fill agitated wash ... and the instruction manual still advises to add detergent into the agitator. Softener dribbles down the agitator when it dispenses (same as your machine) and mixes though the clothes via agitation, no recirculation occurs or is required. GWL08 does an agitated deep rinse by default, with a Water Saver option button for shower rinsing .. and warns not to use softener with Water Saver .. same as your machine warns not to use it without the Softener Rinse option. As for adding detergent into the agitator, that's not *required*, it's simply F&P's quirky/preferred suggestion. The theory is that it'll dissolve/mix with water beneath the agitator and in the outer tub, minimizing exposing the clothes to undissolved detergent granules. The machine will work perfectly fine with detergent added directly to the tub, sprinkled atop the clothes. My IWL12 has the EcoActive system, but does not use it for the Handwash, Shoes, and Comforter cycles, and perhaps a couple others. All EcoSmart models from GWL10 (or 09) through GWL15 (and presumably your WA37T26G) have skipped EcoActive on the Perm Press cycle, going directly to a deep-fill agitated wash. If recirculation was crucial to dispensing of detergent, surely it'd be done for at least a couple mins on all cycles. Try this: Run a load with Softener Rinse, and instead of using the dispenser, add softener down the agitator during rinse fill, AFTER the momentary recirculation is finished. Then notice if there's evidence of softener and scent on the clothes. F&P tends to be slow responding to e-mail, particularly if the question needs to passed along to other personnel. I had suggested previously to try setting the machine for a double deep rinse, which may be the only way to get softener dispensed properly. That's not quite correct ... you can of course add softener manually to the deep rinse.

Yeah, it was me. Our Miele Senior Tech, said that they see the most problems with people who use "green", plant based soaps and softeners. He said they gum up much easier, and are actually harder to rinse! He said of course Persil and Miele Care Collection have been tested the most in Miele machines, but most he detergents are fine. Actually, up until somewhat recently, Miele was listed on the back of Tide he, as a recommended and tested product! I use Persil Colour Gel and Ariel Gel mit ActiLift about 90% of the time. I recently picked up a HUGE bottle of Tide he liquid with a touch of Downy with ActiLift (it was on sale for $9.99...and is HUGE). I've done 3 loads with this he Tide liquid with Downy...and I am actually shocked how clean my clothes are. Smells great too. A soft version of Downy. I still use a little liquid Downy FS in the dispenser, but not too much since this detergent has Downy in it. Stains are gone, odors removed, soft clothes and smells really clean and soft!!

You don't say whether your FP washer is a TL or FL. In my opinion and experience, having to buy ANY washer & dryer these days is a dilemma in itself. If you buy some Top Loaders you can have some control over the water level; otherwise, forget that with any and all Front Loaders. My Speed Queen FL (cost $1800) is built like a tank and works like a charm except for the water level (13.4 gal split between washing and rinsing!???). San Diego Steve will tell you that is plenty and he has even posted that he sold that model and bought the newer one which uses even less total water per wash cycle (11.xx gal I think). He and I are in complete disagreement on how 4 gal of water can rinse a set of King size sheets that remain in a wad. So FL vs TL is the first hurdle. I'm not sure how much water a SQ TL uses, but that would be my first question. My FL spins like crazy. I would have bought an FP but they are not sold anywhere in the Dallas, TX area. Maytag used to make a Centennial model which my daughter in law has and it has a deep rinse which fills the tub, but might no longer be made. Sorry not to have any more helpful information. The Chinese factor would scare me off as well with the FP. Good luck and please post your final decision with the outcome. It will be up to date and may help others.

@Jen Jobart To be clear, let me say again that my own set-up is a manual, external mixing valve rather than a set-up using the small, in-line electric water heater alternative you asked about. Also my heaterless, 14 y.o. FL washer is not a Speed Queen. That said, the "electric water heater" alternative is actually an after market "plug-n-play" thing rather than something you that you frame or build-in during house construction. What you do during construction is to make sure you have enough 120v circuits and outlets in your LR to be able handle the 1400 watt (or so) load of the heater while running your washing machine. The person I know who has one of these set-ups is running both his FL washer and in-line heater on a single 20 Amp 120v circuit much as you might do with a washer with an on-board heater such as a Miele. For new construction like yours, I might prefer to add another, dedicated circuit and outlet for in-line water heater. The inline external heaters may draw more current than a standard on-board water heater will. The one I've seen first hand was one that used a little Bosch in-line heater like this one: https://www.lowes.com/pd/Bosch-Tronic-Mini-Tank-2-7-Gallon-Lowboy-6-year-Limited-1440-watt-1-Element-Point-of-Use-Electric-Water-Heater/5000622219.  You just hang on it the finished wall above or next to the washer where you can reach it easily and plug it into a regular 120v outlet. Connect the input side to your cold water tap with an off the shelf washing machine hose. The shorter, the better, (Might have to add a hose-thread fitting to the heater's in and out pipes; some heaters come with them, some do not,) Run another hose from the "out"port on the heater to your washer's cold water "in" connection. What I understand you do with a washer like the Speed Queen FL models (which do not have electronic auto temperature control) is (a) choose a cold wash temp on the washing machine so all (or most of) the water flows in through the cold side when it fill for a wash); (b) set your in-line water heater to the warm or hot temperature you want to use (something between 95°F and whatever the unit's top end is which may be 145°F although some models apparently will go higher); (c) give it 15 minutes to heat up; (d) start the wash cycle; and (d) turn it off when the wash fill is done unless you have some reason to want hot rinses. Turn it off when you are done with the washing day or washing session. After all It's an inline, point of use water heater with a small tank and it serves only your washing machine. On the days when you aren't washing, there is no need to use power or keep water heated. Some folks think it sufficient to just skip this extra set-up and equipment if your Speed Queen will be close to the water heater. YMMV, of course, because different people have different laundry and laundering preferences. For an idea of how that might work with a SQ Front-Loader, check out Jeff Caban's experiments in this thread, if you have not already seen it: https://www.houzz.com/discussions/5193747/my-last-three-weeks-with-a-fl-speed-queen-afne9bsp113tw01#n=0