Admiralpool Update...

[gmmcnair]

....I've been living with the Admiralpool now for several months. I figured I'd give an update in case anyone was looking for a budget level machine.

So far, so good...no issues whatsoever. It's definitely going strong and gets daily use. The only thing I don't like is the dumbed down temperatures....I'm finding myself running a lot more "hot" loads than before....they're basically equivalent to "warm" on the older machines.

Still, with good detergent, and not overloading it so it shreds, it's a great value...albeit a noisy one.

 

[kenmoreguy64]

I still have mine in boxes. I guess they will be that way for a while.

Mike - Have you had experience with DDs before this one? I am wondering if the washer is noisier than previous generation DDs. Someone said that WP has fairly recently started using lighter weight gearcase oil, I think in part to aid in the neutral drain engagement. A not-so-desirable by product of using lighter oil would be an increased noise level during agitation, etc.

I have a practically un-used 1993 DD machine - it would be fun one day if I ever un-box mine to make a comparison.

Gordon

 

[gmmcnair]

Noise Level....

Now that you mention it Gordon, yes, it is noisier than my previous Whirlpool DD.

I attributed that to being a BOL machine rather than a higher end one, but yes, it is quite a bit noisier in agitation. The old one was a bear as far as neutral drain problems too....a problem which seems to have been solved with this model. We shall see once it gets some wear and tear on it.

 

[kenmoreguy64]

I think the DDs are the same as the belt-drives in that mechanically inside the cabinets, not much if anything is different between a BOL and a TOL machine.

A TOL DD may have had some sound proofing inside but my 1993 Kenmore 70 does NOT have anything on the cabinet walls or any insulation anywhere else. The machine itself could be mated to a one-knob wonder control panel and nobody would know the difference besides the two-speed motor.

In the belt-drives, there was no difference between a 1983 Lady K, for example, and a 1983 100 series one-knob job, inside the cabinet, mechanically. The Lady had extra plumbing for a self-clean filter, for the triple dispenser, and an off-balance relay, but for the motor, transmission, basket drive, pump, etc. - it was all identical. I think the same holds true for most DD machines, however I do think that some later model cabinets were lined a bit with foam or sound insulation?

All this is why I was so surprised at the price of the Admirals. They have the same mechanical everything - motors, transmissions, pumps, basket drives, tubs, baskets, you name it, as the four and five-hundred dollar machines. You can't tell me that all that extra money is in the control panels. These Admirals are just uncommonly good values.

Gordon

 

[davek]

"These Admirals are just uncommonly good values."

Maybe too good. A quick check of Home Depot's page this morning shows only the gas dryer. At that price, it was surely cannibalizing sales from Whirlpool's own Roper and Estate brands.

 

[gmmcnair]

Interesting...

...they're still available here.

 

[cleanteamofny]

There was a report on "Taking Stock" on what Whirlpool is doing with all their different named machines. Making them all the same (does Southwest does that ring a bell <one design>) to cut costs. Great move but Sears will always stand out because they want to be different, does LG ring a bell?!

 

[cleanteamofny]

I must say that when you go on utube and listen to different DD, the noise level varies form machine to machine.
My electronic 90 series is much quieter than the 2001's Ultra clean machine in the heavy duty cycle!

 

[davek]

Whirlpool brands

Whirlpool does have too many brands, but it seems that they're consolidating. They aren't using Magic Chef anymore, and were only using Admiral as a Home Depot only store brand on 3 different machines. They don't put KitchenAid on laundry appliances anymore. In the last few years, I've seen obviously Whirlpool laundry appliances sold as Amana, Admiral, Maytag, KitchenAid, Kenmore, Kirkland Signature (Costco), Inglis, Whirlpool, Estate, and Roper. There may be others. They own all of those brands but two, and (as GM has found out) it's hard to compete against yourself. That's spreading it awfully thin. Unless they want to sell Admiral to Home Depot (and like Magic Chef, I'd consider it a brand with little equity left), they should probably drop it and substitute an identical Roper or Estate model.

 

[drewz]

Estate Brand

Effective September 2010 Whirlpool will no longer use the Estate Brand.

Focus will shift to Admiral brand. Whirlpool aquired the Estate brand from the RCA Victor appliance division then Whirlpool gently blended the two together as RCA Whirlpool.

 

[davek]

I'd have dropped Roper over Estate, but they're paying people to know more than I do.

 

[spookiness]

Question about Admirpool cycles

Whats the difference between "Normal" and "Permanent Press" if I select a 10 min agitation for either?

 

[davek]

It's a matter of agitation and spin speed, and the PP cycle is usually set up to replace some of its wash water without a spin before it does the rinse (the "cool down" rinse).

 

[yogitunes]

For sound reduction...even if it already has some form of padding glued to the cabinet......

I alwaysopened the machine up and added either the egg-crate style foam wrapped around the outter tub or used a hot water heater wrap....heavy duty sound was cut down alot, and normal cycle was almost silent unless you walked up on the machine....

My DD Limited Edition machine also had a fiber board covering across the bottom of the machine with foam padding glued to it to reduce noise comming from under the machine, almost an echo effect with out it...could also be made with a simple thin piece of plywood and some padding, cut at certain points to bow and stick in place.....even for the dryer, I slid a piece of drop ceiling fiberglass foam, cut to size, and slide under the cabinet to reduce noise...amazing how quiet you can make these machines yourself....better than the manufacturers!

 

[pulltostart]

Lint Removal

The HD website claims that this washer includes a lint removal system (i.e., "filter"???). Does anyone know if this is actually true? I don't find anything in any version of the Whirlpool top-loading products that references a lint filter. If this information isn't correct, it wouldn't be the first time for the HD website.........

Lawrence

 

[spookiness]

I'm not inclined to believe it

My clothes are often pretty linty with this machine, whereas I did not notice it so much with my Norgetag. I take a lot more care now to make sure only like-fabrics are washed together. I am rather new to this site, but I was thinking that the neutral drain might contribute to lint being redeposited on clothes?

 

[kenmoreguy64]

Lawrence -

I too was wondering recently about a lint filter in these machines, so I consulted the parts diagram for my Admiral washer in the Sears parts database, and I consulted the same for my 1993 Kenmore DD as well.

The 1993 machine clearly shows the presence of a disk lint filter under the wash basket. There is nothing of the sort in the same position in the 2010 Admiral, yet the parts diagrams appear nearly identical (a testament to how unchanged these machines are in many ways). I concluded that there is no lint filter in the Admiral, and I can't find one in many current Whirlpools either (ones that I could remember model numbers for that is).

Cost cutting at it's finest folks....

As to the neutral drain causing the linting - nah, they'd have known that in the 1950s if it were the case.

Gordon

 

[lordkenmore]

I think it's possible that neutral drain could leave lint on clothes. Logically, the water is being strained through the clothes on its way out.

That said, I think the real problem could be the non-existent lint filter. I'm using a late 1960s Kenmore which has a manually cleaned filter. It has the best performance I've seen in recent history for lint removal.

The worst performance award goes to a 1990s Frigidaire my ex-roommate had. I don't know if it had a lint filter, but my guess is no. Even with a spin drain, clothes had a continual lint problem. I used a dryer more than I liked, simply to get rid of lint on good clothes.

Meanwhile, the Kenmore mentioned above is so good that I can air dry everything and it looks more than good enough for my needs.

A few years ago, I used a Kenmore DD. Old enough, I'm guessing, to have some sort of lint filtering. I don't really recall much of a lint problem, although from what I remember it did fall short of the older Kenmore.

 

[pulltostart]

Gordon,
If I understood the "technology" correctly, that most-recent version of the filter was a really passive device, so why not keep it? The Dependable Care Maytags were similar, the water flowed up throught the filter during wash and was back-washed as the tub drained. Maybe not the best filtration system, but better than the current (nothing). Most disapointing. Maybe if we all limited our garments to 100% polyester we wouldn't have lint???

Lawrence