You need to focus on which model(s) have the wash features and racking options that fit your needs or lifestyle. DOn't get hung up on trying to find one without the built in water softener, they can always be turned off. N.B. some people find that their whole house softener produces too soft water for good washing. That can cause etched glassware too. Some will end up with a water bypass to the DW and using the built in softener on the Miele.

Living on a well is different and more complicated than living on a water system. You have to make the water SAFE and then decide whether to make the water NICE. NICE water gives you longer service life for plumbing, appliances, and fixtures and can save you money in soap and detergent use and your clothes will last longer. You need to get a comprehensive water test from an independent certified lab. Labs usually know what to test for in well water in their areas but at a minimum... hardness, iron (ferrous and ferric), manganese, pH, TDS, nitrates, bacteria, sodium, copper, arsenic. With those test results we can intelligently discuss what is in your water, in what amounts, and how best to treat it.

Any kind of multi shower heads or body sprayers? City water or well? If well, any iron? A simply formula is hardness x usage x # of people x 7 days. So 14 x 65 X 4 X 7=25,480 grain removed every 7 days. With a 1.5 CF softener you will have 30,000 grain capacity to work with.

"Kinetico won’t even warranty the resin with chlorinated water." Virtually all municipal water is chlorinated. You are telling me that the warranty is void on the Kinetico resin bed unless you add another very expensive filter to it? Seriously?!? I'm surprised you didn't just say, "The warranty is void if the resin is exposed to water". The $600 Fleck based unit I can get on Amazon has 10% cross-linked resin that is more resistant to chlorine than standard resin. I would expect to get at least 15 years out of it. At that point I can replace the resin or replace the entire softener. I'm still miles ahead of a very expensive Kinetico softener. " As has been said here. Kinetico softeners regenerate the resin with clean, soft water instead of hard, raw water." And why does that matter? The resin is going to be exposed to "hard, raw water" the other 99% of the time it's operating - that's its job, after all. This is just another example of a difference that doesn't matter with Kinetico.