Best Toploading machine?

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bobbyd32l

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Working at Sears (in the appliance dept), I think that the WP/KM Oasis is the largest, but with all the problems that the Calypso, Neptune had, and with it being a new design, im not sure if it will be liked. I want to see what everyone thinks is the best toploader/bang for the buck?

I personally like the Oasis, but havent seen it work in action yet... but if its anything like the Harmony, then its pretty good!

Neptune TL was a joke (had one, parents HATED IT it ate our clothes and died once a week)

Calypso may have been better if it filled higher, and more bugs where worked out

GE, feels cheap, never seen one working, but seems that it would go off balance very easy

KM/WP seem to be the best but I dont like the triple action agitators

What do you guys think?
 
I'm not a fan of most new TL'ers, but I'd vote for Speed Queen. Still has slow-stroke agitation and they're quality-built. Second place: WP/KM or Fisher & Paykel. Me, I'm all about the FL'er. Won't ever go back to a TL unless Jason finds his new, agitatorless Oasis to be spectacular.
 
I like the SQ too............

Believe it or not I'm starting to like the Frigidaire T/L-ers more and more. Slow long arc agitation and spray rinses BEFORE AND AFTER the deep rinse. I'll accept the tub indexing, and the theoretically short life.

My newer GE top-loader does a neutral drain and has no spray rinses! It stinks with removing lint. When over-sudsed (as with Mexican detergent) it has barely spun and the motor overheated and stalled).

Center-dial Maytags are looking better and better all the time!
 
Speaking of Calypso, guess what I just found?

I'd just pulled an allnighter to send out the month's invoices to clients and do the sales tax, and was heading out about 6:00AM to drive to the post office to post a bunch of checks in the mail, when I see this Big White Thing at the curb next door. A closer look shows it to be a Kenmore Elite Calypso. Minus the back cover over the electronics, but also minus any obvious signs of something having burned up. And also minus the fill hoses.

So I zip back inside, grab my hand truck, and five minutes later here it sits. In pretty good external condition, a few scratches and so on. Since I don't have a lot of space here I'm thinking of providing it to a friend who doesn't have a washer.

The question is (the questions are:-): What were the usual things that broke down on these? Or could it be that this one is probably still working but the neighbors just got a brand new washer and unceremoniously dumped this on the curb for someone like me to find? I'm going to try hooking it up tonight and seeing if it still works (should I get some new fuses for the fusebox first?), but before I do that I figured I should ask the experts.

To what degree could the microprocessor be disentangled from the basic motor controller? That is, assume we want to "hack" the machine to make it behave differently, for example by installing a programmable processor that will close relays that in turn will control various functions. Or to simplify the equation somewhat, assume we wanted to install manual switches to control each function. Is there a logical demarcation between the microprocessor in this machine and the basic control boards where that could be done? Anyone else have a go at hacking one?

If we're successful, my friend has said at various times, that he'd be interested in hacking a washer to make it programmable via a browser interface on his laptop. If one of the Calypso's problems was a tendency to use less water than it should, this should be simple enough to fix.

Or, am I totally full of poo and it's not worth fixing?
 
My Queen's first birthday.

My 2005 Speed-Queen laundry pair just had their 1st anniversary. All's well. They look and work like new. I suspect they'll do so for years to come....
Gosh I wanted the double-dryer.... Such a smart idea I think.
 
If I didn't get an Oasis, I'd probably get a SQ pair. They're build like a tank and they have the long-slow agitation. The WCI/Frigidaire machines also have a long stroke/belt drive mechanism but I here they're alot of trouble.
 
Toggle.....You mentioned the Frigidaire Top Load

Have you seen these machines in action? Good wash action with the dual action agitator (think they call it Twin Spin)? Lowes offers their top of the line top load at a little over 400.00.
 
Have you seen these machines in action?

Yes bought an El cheapo T/L Frigidaire for a friend's house as a hose-warming gift, gave him my used WP gas dryer.

Of course, then I was free to buy myself what I wanted. --wink--

The frigidare has grown on me! LOL
 
I have never seen a modern Frigidaire in action... Do they have the typical dual action? or is it like the WP/KM Triple that have the up/down with dual action? Any video of the Frididaire?
 
Consumer Reports reports Frigidaire washers with a straight-vaned agitator have rather poor cleaning scores. Since they consistently neglect to rate the TOL Frigidaire (which is very competitively priced and has the dual-action agitator), I have no idea if the cleaning scores show an improvement over the plain jane model.

Every once in awhile, I get the urge to pick up a TOL Frigi TL'er to use for a few months before moving on to the FL'er of my dreams. I haven't had a TL'er for years; I think it might be fun to check one out again. My sister had a MOL Frigi TL'er and her only complaint was that it would occasionally vibrate/walk across her basement floor. It lasted for years without any service calls. It stayed with the house when they moved.
 

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