Coytee Posted January 18, 2008 Share Posted January 18, 2008 http://whirlpool.com/catalog/product.jsp?src=WASHERS&cat=115∏=706 This is one of those "new fangled" washers with no agitator inside it but some kind of wash plate (or something) to do the agitating. I might buy the wife a new washer and am trying to figure out if this kind is good. I've never heard any user reports on them. Oh, and in the event someone suggests a front loader, that won't work in the closet. I've already measured some front loaders and they're about 4 inches too deep for me so I'm stuck with a toploader. Anyone have any thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest " " Posted January 18, 2008 Share Posted January 18, 2008 I have one with out the agitator. It works better than anything I've had or used prior. Upon putting in the cloths, the machine determines wash settings based on the weight of the cloth. I just checked your link...thats the model I have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daddy Dee Posted January 18, 2008 Share Posted January 18, 2008 I'm no help in terms of reference. Haven't seen one before. But reading the product info is most interesting. Assuming the wash plate is effective, and I think there is every reason to believe it is, sans agitator the 4.5 cubic ft of washing space would be great. I'd also consider it good luck, since 4.5 cu ft. sounds just right for the volume of a nice speaker enclosure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Amy Posted January 18, 2008 Moderators Share Posted January 18, 2008 Upon putting in the cloths, the machine determines wash settings based on the weight of the cloth. That is very cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted January 18, 2008 Share Posted January 18, 2008 I might buy the wife a new washer and am trying to figure out if this kind is good. Ooh, it must be your anniversary. Or, is this for Valentine's Day? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dkp Posted January 18, 2008 Share Posted January 18, 2008 Coytee-PM me with your e-mail address and I will forward you some information that was helpful to us as we replaced ours recently. I believe my sister has the model that you are looking at; is it called the Amiga, or something like that? If so, she loves it. Large capacity, drains the water out much better than her old washer even and cuts drying time down substantially (although it doesn't save any water). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZAKO Posted January 18, 2008 Share Posted January 18, 2008 I do mine alot cheeper...... I dip my clothes in the streem... Then beat them with a stone an a large flat rock....Soap optional. The whole third world still does this.. You guys are luckey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryO Posted January 18, 2008 Share Posted January 18, 2008 I have the same brand that's very similar. It's about 1 & 1/2 years old now. About a month ago it broke down under a very full load of jeans. It has nylon "stops" on the transmission for the directional drive on the tub. The heavy load sheared them off. I bought the parts for it and repaired it myself. When I bought the parts I was also told to replace a bushing and sleeve kit while I had it apart. The total of parts was less than 30 dollars and it took me less than an hour to fix it. Most of that time was "studying" the design and build though. I'm told it's a common failure and all the new replacement parts are redesigned and are built better to fix these problems. Other than that it's a nice washer and dryer combo. Reasonably quiet and does a great job on cleaning. It's a bit complicated for me to operate and I should read the manual at least to learn about it. "When all else fails, refer to manual". I need to remember that. It's a common failure on my part. Harry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldbuckster Posted January 18, 2008 Share Posted January 18, 2008 Something wrong with a river and a stone like the old days ................... EH! ..... agitator, Isn't that short for COYTEE ???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groomlakearea51 Posted January 18, 2008 Share Posted January 18, 2008 Not to be "cute",... but in my case the "agitator" is the WAF ("you can't wash those with those clothes", "you can't use cold water", or "hot water", etc.) She runs around like a demented version of Madeline Kahn in "Blazing Saddles", singing "I'm So Tired" ("of you ruining the clothes"). I've just taken to washing my all own clothes (all cotton anyways), all towels etc., separately, in hot water, and the heavy duty cycle, and just being done with it. If that fails, I'm headed to the pool with two rocks and a bar of Ivory.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IndyKlipschFan Posted January 18, 2008 Share Posted January 18, 2008 I read what you posted... BUT, there are different kinds of front loaders too...and some better than others... European lines are smaller.. I have the Whirlpool Duet line Washer / Dryer... Look for other brands you might find one.. VERY happy with mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wardsweb Posted January 18, 2008 Share Posted January 18, 2008 We have the LG steam washer and matching electric dryer. I won't lie to you, I don't do the wash, but I'm told they work very well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coytee Posted January 18, 2008 Author Share Posted January 18, 2008 I do mine alot cheeper...... I dip my clothes in the streem... Then beat them with a stone an a large flat rock....Soap optional. The whole third world still does this.. You guys are luckey. I guess then, that it's the rainwater, responsible for turning your undies pink? [*-)] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldtimer Posted January 18, 2008 Share Posted January 18, 2008 I'm also in the market for a new washer and dryer (electric). The lg Tromm seems to be getting the most accolades. Any experience and knowledge is very welcome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLSamuel Posted January 18, 2008 Share Posted January 18, 2008 We've used a Maytag Netptune front loader for several years now and my wife loves it. We've only had a couple of small problems where the huge gasket got a tear in it and had to be replaced but that wasn't too terrible and I seem to recall a board failed while still under warranty that was covered by the warranty. I think this is the version there was a big class action suit that I think had something to do if you leave the door closed for long enough when not in use it will develop some mildew in the bottom of the gasket as it doesn't always drain the best. In any case the washer and matching dryer have worked very well for us. Does more clothes at a time and uses less water, and as others adjusts the amount of water based on the amount of clothes. So a cleaning appliance for valentines day? (Probably not the greatest idea unless requested.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldtimer Posted January 18, 2008 Share Posted January 18, 2008 I do mine alot cheeper...... I dip my clothes in the streem... Then beat them with a stone an a large flat rock....Soap optional. The whole third world still does this.. You guys are luckey. I guess then, that it's the rainwater, responsible for turning your undies pink? I guess then Richard, that, ahem, you have seen Maron's undies? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mas Posted January 18, 2008 Share Posted January 18, 2008 Ooh, it must be your anniversary. Or, is this for Valentine's Day? I hope not! Fini brings up a VERY good point! And one men should stop and (for a change) think about what the message is that such a gift for those occassions actually sends! (And you might want to go back and review Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus!) If so, save the washer for a general surprise, stop thinking like a problem solver, and get her something nice and romantic for those occasions! Not some new tool to augment her role as a house maid! This reminds me of a friend whose former wife STILL laments over her receiving a FryDaddy for Valentine's Day....But gee whiz honey, I don't get it, as you were always complaining about how the French Fries were never quite like........Duh! [:S] As far as the washer...as mentioned there is quite a large reported problem with mildew in the gasket of the front loaders... I would check Consumer Reports. And for what its worth, having just gone through dealing with a few appliance repairs, the repair folks recommend the Whirlpool line (this includes the other makes that they manufacture as well) for longevity as the drive train is much more robust, and a failure in one element does not result in a catastrophic failure in others. In other words, they emply elements that will act as fuseable links that disconnect themselves and thus do not subsequently load the other elements that subsequently fail, and they are easily repaired. And going one step further, it makes good sense to check the 'used appliance' stores. You will find many 'new' units there as well, as the retailers wholesale the new units with defects rather than repair them. And items such as refrigerators are dumped for trivial components (timers, thermostats, etc., averaging about $10 that are not only easily replaced, but easily done by the owner.) You can save lots of money if you are not only looking for an appliance to impress the Joneses. I would consider saving the money and getting the utility of a commercial unit for a song and using the saved money to surprise the wife...or maybe to save up for a pair of Jubilees complete with that handsome 402! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldtimer Posted January 18, 2008 Share Posted January 18, 2008 I am so laughing out loud Mas. A frydaddy? The thing is, they want the problem solving gifts, but as a surprise in between occassion thing, not as an OCCASSION thing. Some are way worse than others at the timing and choice of these occassions. FWIW, find a cool northern california girl, and live happily ever after. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest IVstringer Posted January 18, 2008 Share Posted January 18, 2008 I used to work for a former appliance manufacturer as an intern for two summers. The good ol' agitator is the cheap, easy way to perform the same action as other designs. A front loader is the most effective design of washer. Simply from an energy consumption perspective this is true. Instead of having to "suspend" the clothes fully in water to operate, they can have only part of the clothes in the water, and the rotation will splash the clothes and rotate them through the water. The water savings is tremendous. From a washing action perspective, the front loader is the best again because it can use gravity to its advantage. It only needs to spin, and gravity provides the rest of the work required to turn the clothes around and through the water. For front loaders, the agitator is the tried-and-true method for performing the same action. Agitators can be fairly rough on clothing. There are other other technologies, the one discussed here is what is usually called an "impeller" I believe. It moves up and down while spinning. There is less wear on the clothes, but there may be a small sacrifice in washing action. However, when I was working in the appliance industry 4 years ago this stuff was only starting to be introduced into the American products. The technology had been in Japan where they need smaller appliances for years before. Now, I would say the technology is probably refined and improved at this point so you probably have minimal sacrifice in washing action. Another benefit vs. an agitator is that you might not find as much tangling action. Because things get worked around a big pole in the center, you will naturally have this behavior. The Maytag Nautilus has some fairly infamous issues with tangling and things getting caught in its "agitator replacement" design, which is different than the impeller design I should point out. The GE Harmony is another example of an impeller style agitation design. Jason Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators dtel Posted January 18, 2008 Moderators Share Posted January 18, 2008 We have the same one Indy has, Whirlpool Duet, no agitator, that's my job around here ! [6] We have had it a couple of years and I have never used it yet, don't even know how to turn it on ! It's not like the old ones they were simple. One thing for sure DO NOT put normal soap or to much, they done that when we first got it, it keeps working till it removes all the soap, it takes a long time, that's what they told me at least. One thing when it spins, it sounds like an airplane taking off it spins so fast. It must have a conveyor belt under it because it never takes off ! [:^)] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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